Alien (1979)

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Alien (1979) Rated R for violence, language, and partial nudity. ---------- Out of 4 stars: ***1/2 (3 1/2 Stars)

Starring: Tom Skerrit, Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphatt Koto

NOTE: PLOT SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!

ALIEN redefined the science fiction genre like no other. Other films invented the sci-fi genre, but ALIEN gave it the horror twist it has nowadays. ALIEN opened in 1979, the year I was born, and so I never saw it in the theaters. In fact, I had never seen it until a couple years ago. I had to rent the movie again for two reasons: one, to see if my opinion changed of the film as it did with other films, and two, to refresh my memory. And there lies its main problem. While it did a lot for the sci-fi genre, it isn't as memorable as the two sequels. That isn't saying that it's bad, because I feel it's better than ALIEN 3. However, the film now seems obsolete, with a hysterical portrayal of an advanced computer (nowadays, a home PC can do more than that).

I realize that it was made in 1979, and I can't dock it for these reasons, but the reason I mark it down is because of the pacing. The pacing is off in the first hour of the movie, usually dragging on with no suspense or action. This is the same reason I am not a big fan of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. However, once it picks up speed, ALIEN hardly ever stops. The suspense builds and builds, and finally ends with a satisfying, if a little dull, conclusion. The film is predictable, but not to the point of ridiculousness. However, this doesn't extinguish any suspense, because we may know the alien is in the room, but we don't know where it is or when it will attack. This impending doom is something lacking in most modern day suspense films.

ALIEN begins by explaining to us that there are seven people aboard a massive ship called the Nostromo. These seven people (and a cat) are in hypersleep, heading towards Earth. However, the computer starts processing, and wakes everyone up from their sleep. They find out they still have quite a ways to go to Earth, but realize there is a signal coming from a nearby planet, which must be investigated. After landing on the planet, three members of the crew go out to look for the source of the signal. Among them is Kane (John Hurt) who comes across a strange blue mist, and underneath it are big, slimy egg-shaped masses. In reality, they are eggs, and one hatches in front of Kane. The alien inside jumps out and grabs onto Kane's suit. Taking him back onto the ship, the crew study the lifeform. Unable to pull it off, they try to cut it off, only to find acid for blood which threatens to eat through the ship's hull.

After a while, the alien falls off dead, and Kane wakes up. The most memorable and shocking moment occurs around this time, and even explaining it couldn't lessen the impact it has. If you haven't seen it, you more than likely have heard about it, or seen it spoofed in countless numbers of films. I have already spoiled this scene in my other reviews of other ALIEN films, so no need to leave it out here. Sitting around the table, the crew eats dinner. Suddenly, Kane starts coughing and choking. He breaks out in convulsions, and finally blood spurts from his stomach. Then a small alien breaks out, spraying blood everywhere. The alien then runs away, leaving the crew shocked and bewildered. This scene may have been spoofed several times, but the impact is still quite shocking. The way the movie leads up to the scene is very slow and gradual, and from here on, the movie turns into a very suspenseful thriller.

The final hour of ALIEN is pretty much a cat-and-mouse game with deadly stakes. ALIEN's chase sequence is quite intense, with one truly frightening moment (it made me jump without playing any loud musical chords!). One by one, the crew members are picked off, until finally only Ripley is left to fend for herself. Well, the cat is there too. ALIEN likes to remind us of how effective movies of this genre can be when done correctly. Horror films have become a disrespected genre, and ALIEN makes us wonder why. With a heroine we immediately care for, ALIEN makes us clench our seats in fearing the inevitable. We know how the movie will end up, and we know who is going to be killed. But Ridley Scott's direction creates a lot of suspense from the dark sets and creepy mood. With ALIEN, Scott has produced a genre which hopefully will be around for a long time.

Sigourney Weaver makes her starring film debut with this motion picture, and it launched a very successful career for her. She has starred in three sequels of ALIEN, as well as wonderful performances in COPYCAT, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, or the GHOSTBUSTER duo. Watching Weaver, I began to realize that despite her well-endowed list of films, she hasn't become a big name with your average filmgoer. This is quite disappointing, because Weaver is one of the most believable actresses available. With her strong stature, she is capable of playing many different roles believably. Unfortunately, she isn't given as many roles as she should get (in fact, if you think about it, her roles usually profit millions more than Demi Moore, yet Moore is still around and active). Weaver deserves much more, and I think an Academy Award is deserved (she's been snubbed three times; twice in the same year).

As for the other performers, all are good, but are overshadowed by Weaver. Tom Skeritt is the strongest male figure, giving a nice, low-key performance. Skeritt is a very reliable actor, who normally plays strong male characters. Veronica Cartwright (originally pinned for the role of Ripley) gives an okay performance, though I felt her character was too stupid to live (and so, she is killed). I have never met a single person in my life who would actually stand in one place, staring at an alien, while it approaches and kills them. Ian Holm gives a very nice performance as Ash, a character with something to hide. John Hurt gives a very good performance in his small role. Yaphett Koto is strong as Parker, and Harry Dean Stanton is very good as Lambert. Acting like this is hardly ever in horror/sci-fi films anymore.

ALIEN is rated R for violence and language, along with some partial nudity. ALIEN is a very effective and very scary motion picture, which spawned a very successful franchise and is probably one of the most famous series created. INDIANA JONES and BACK TO THE FUTURE are entertaining, but as a long-term series, ALIEN beats them out. And with the recent entry in the ALIEN series, these last three are likely to gain popularity once again. Ridley Scott has created a very memorable and moody film, with technical details good enough to match those today (sort of).

Reviewed by Respect (respect@aros.net) http://www.aros.net/~respect/movies.html