Fun fact: the actors in that scene were not informed ahead of time what was going to happen when Kane started to have his attack during the meal. Ridley Scott wanted their reactions to be genuine.
So was I. I remember the audience freaking out the most when Ash first had his head knocked off. Viewers didn’t realize for a split second that he wasn’t human.
@@misteryman526 No. What they were not aware of was that they were going to have air jets with blood aimed at them. They knew how it was going to happen, because it's in the script. It's literally the scene in the script that got the movie made. They were not aware of how bloody it was going to be. Filming that scene was meticulous. Half of the scene is John Hurt thrashing about with a squib on his chest, and then the other half is his head through the table with a fake chest so that the burster can go through.
The reason Ripley and Parker were upset with Brett for letting Jones the car go was that they were tracking the aien using movements and having the cat running around complicates looking for the Xenomorph. They were not upset because they didn't realize it was a cat.
To me it seemed that Parker wasn't aware of it or else he wouldn't have laughed like that in relief. Ripley saw it was the cat only after she saw Jonesy run away. However after they were relieved it was just the cat they were still upset Brett let the cat go because they might pick it up on the tracker again.
Came here to say this. Their laughter was out of exasperation with Brett not getting that they have to keep the cat from running around and adding an extra dot to the motion tracker.
@@TheMidnightPhil I don't think that' fully apparent. I listened to Ridley Scott's commentary track and he said he loved the moment Parker got really scared as he frantically asked Brett what he was doing. There would be no reason for him to chuckle and act relieved if Parker knew it was the cat after being so distressed.
Okay so here's what happened, I (George) was being a dumbass and mixed up Alien with AlienS last week, and accidentally released the 2nd movie first. Sorry for the confusion! Dont worry, we definitely watched it in the right order.
Of course, you should watch the movies in release order to avoid spoilers, but the order you upload them isn't really that important. Now that I think about it, making a mistake - being just human and down to Earth - is a big part of your charm and seems appropriate for you channel. Meanwhile, that opening! You always have the most awkward intros. I love it, but for some reason, it makes me want you to react to "Revenge of the Nerds" (1984). It's a movie about a bunch of lovably awkward characters finally having their day with the tagline "The odd get even."
i love how George said "...doesnt consider the human factor." at 11:30 . The writers did the best job possible to hint all throughout the movie that he is an android and still masking it behind reasonable human behaviour. masterpiece of writing and cinematography in its entirety.
Ah mate the best viewing of this movie is the second one, seeing all the hints that ash is an android and secretly trying to protect the creature all along and allowing the crew to take action he knows has little chance to succeed. Masterful acting by Ian holm.
@@benstewart7970 He tells them "Most animals run from fire ..." after he reported his analysis to Ripley that the thing grows some sort of regenerative armor making him a "tough son of a bitch". He knew the flame throwers were not going to work.
The Alien's design is very deliberately invoking disgust and fear. It was based on a design by HR Giger and meant to evoke primal fears, particularly of sexual violence. Simone's reaction is precisely what the makers were aiming for. It remains one of the creepiest monsters ever created.
Oh indeed. Giger's Xenomorph design is special. As is the rest of his art. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on your tastes and sensibilities. He works with "biomechanoid" creatures and scenes a lot that can be as creepy as the xenomorph for sure. But one mustn't forget the other big, european artist who worked on Alien: Jean Giraud AKA "Moebius". He is a French comic artist who gained international respect. He worked on loads of own stuff, did a famous Silver Surfer story for Marvel where Stan Lee praised him as "An artist. I don't mean just a comic book artist, but a REAL artist.". While Giger designed most of the Alien stuff, Giraud created the still totally believable interior and gear for the Nostromo and her Crew. Also he did the concept art for Tron and - indeed last, but not least, he worked on the sets and costumes of a movie that itself was highly inspired by his "Incal" comic series and it's anti hero "John Difool": The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis has it's own story, but looks and feels a LOT like Incal's world. Absolutely great movie, big fun. Action in every corner - and it features both a stunning Mila Yovovitch and what boils down to a space-youtuber. Years before there was youtube or youtubers. An absolute must see.
The design team including Giger and the others had been working together for a good deal prior as they were the guys hired to do the designs for Alejandro Jodorowski's ill fated attempt at making Dune. Jodorowsky's attempt at Dune never got past pre production but the it may be one of the most influential films never made as it influenced the designs of Aliens, Star Wars, and Blade Runner among other films
Giger's art is definitely not for everyone, but from an artistic point of view, his technique was nothing short of genius. The way he shaded even his sketches were fantastic. I love Giger's dark surrealism so much.
"That looks great for 1979!" Two reasons for that, first and most important everything in this movie is real. The miniature Nostromo model is several feet across and extremely detailed. The fossilized pilot set is real but they used kids in spacesuits to make it look huge. The Alien is a really tall skinny guy in a suit. Also this movie has been expertly re mastered to HD. Like I saw the 4k remaster in theaters for the 40th anniversary in 2019 and I was blown away how good it looked. I kept thinking "Holy shit this looks like it was made last week."
Nostromo model was still too small for Ridley. He had to use alot of smoke for it. Even more smoke was used for the Alien ship. Video playback was used to obscure the alien ship even more. As detailed as you think it was, it wasn't enough
@@edudario1974 The more use of CGI - the less creativity. There are exceptions of course. But generally speaking, limited budgets and reliance on real sets and props FORCES movie makers to get creative.
i feel sorry for the people in her apartment building, seeing her react to this would have been like watching the original theatrical audience reactions back in 79
I saw this film in the theater in 1979. My best friends mom took me along with him and his sister to see it on a Saturday afternoon. My strict parents would never have allowed it. This was the first R Rated film I ever saw. It changed my life completely. It was my real introduction to Horror. I was already a sci fi fanatic with my head in the clouds cause of things like Star Wars, Close Encounters, Star Trek and Marvel Comics. This showed me that space could be a terrifying nightmare as well. I never felt such a sense of foreboding and dread in my life as I did looking at the derelict alien spacecraft. And things just got worse from there. I will never forget the audience reaction to the chestburster scene. I love watching people see this film for the first time now.
I went to it a couple of times when it was released. I was 19. I even talked my older brother, (Mid 30's) who didn't care for sci-fi or horror movies into going. He walked out after the chest bursting scene.
I was 19 in 1979 and I went in to see Alien with my best friend and my parents. I remember walking out of the theatre once the movie was over and all four of us felt just drained and weak from the tension and shocks.
As someone who has been re-watching this movie regularly for over 40 years it was honestly so delightful to watch people actually experience the terror for the first time. It's still amazing after all these years and it's awesome to see young people are still impressed by the super practical effects. Have fun with Aliens!
HR Giger was the genius behind the xenomorph's design and there are not enough compliments to describe the magnificent effect it created, capable of appealing to a deep and primal fear, the source of the most horrible nightmares. However, the brilliant work of Carlo Rambaldi, who was responsible for bringing it to "life", is often underestimated.
His works weren't just horror either. It was more than a primal fear. It was also mixed with the erotic in a way that was MEANT to be disturbing in a deeper sense than it merely looking 'inhuman'.
I visited HR Gigers' exhibition as part of my arts project at school and I was deeply disturbed. The xenomorph is scary, but some of his other works are way more disturbing. I think that The Species represents his work a bit better, because he was more into the scary erotic stuff that is deeply disturbing rather than just scary stuff.
And other design, on the planet, the Nostromo design, and things like the space suits, were designed by French comics artist Moebius (AKA Jean Giraud) and Ron Cobb.
I am a proud grandmother of a baby girl born almost 3 years ago. Her name is RIPLEY. This movie is one of mine and my daughter's favorites. Great reaction.
The cat indifferently watching the mechanic being ripped apart by the alien is like "Yup that's what I'd do to a mouse. Nothing strange going on here."
I have a theory that the cat was in league with the alien. It looks at the cat in the carrier, but instead of trying to break in and get the cat, it goes and hides on the escape ship.
I saw ALIEN on Saturday, May 26th 1979 the day after its initial release. The audience was not prepared for what we were about to see, and for nearly 2 hours, everybody went berserk! It was one of the scariest movie experiences of my life!
Same thing here. Saw it at the Egyptian in L.A. in 70 mm and Dolby. The audience was completely caught off guard. The lines were around the block . A great memory !
Wish I had got to see it back then in the cinema but I was far too young. I saw it when I was younger late night on TV in the UK I think in black and white too. It still remains one of my top films of all time even after about 30 years.
I think Ripley was the first real female "action hero" - and I like the way she slowly emerged out of a group and took the lead. Anyways - great reactions!!
H.R. Giger art style and the Xenomorph design are horrifying yet satisfying. Is it scary? Personally not for me, because I'm fascinated with the alien design (sure call me Mr.Wayland). Once you dive into the Alien universe and Predator universe it isn't scary at all. 😉
I first saw this in a theater not long after it came out. There is a BIG difference between seeing this on a small screen and a big screen with hi-grade sound. It was literally months before I could get to sleep without either A) a lite on in the next room, or B) being dead drunk.
For the “chest buster” scene. None of the cast knew what was going to happen. They got to see the puppet they used, but had no clue as to how they would introduce it. So, everyone’s reaction is real. Also, the insides of the dead “face hugger” they used chicken organs and other things of that nature.
The blood that sprayed everywhere and especially onto fraidy cat Lambert was REAL BLOOD. Sir John Hurt encased himself from the shoulders down in a prosthetic torso that the chestburster would tear its way out of. Apart from Ridley Scott, he was the only one that knew in advance how the scene was to be shot. Their reactions were genuine -- THEY WERE NOT ACTING.
No that’s a myth they knew where and when it was coming and the chestburster The surprise is the amount of blood they use, that is what surprises the actors bc remember it was 1979, alot of blood and gore was not a thing back then
I seen footage of the scene being set up. There's the crew loading buckets of blood into the air gun and John Hurt's laying in position with a fag in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Was probably a long day...
It doesn't matter that it was the cat and not the alien; they followed the detector to the cat, which means the detector can find the cat. So you want the cat to stay in one place, so you know the thing you're following is the alien.
Also, with no proper understanding of its life cycle, all they knew was it began with John Hurt getting "infected" (implanted) by the face-hugger and then seeming fine; what if the cat is now..."fine"?
No other horror movie has or ever will age that well. Some people do not like its relatively slow pace, but I think that is exactly what helps building the suspsense.
You were commenting about the ship set a lot. You might be interested to know that it was built as a single set so the actors would really feel like they were in a ship in space.
Practical effects. Over use of CGI these days can really date a movie or just ruin a film entirely. You look at things like this, animatronics, puppets like the Jim Henson company... They hold up a TON better most of the time. CGI tends to work best when limited, used for environmentals, or to remove things like wires and guides.
@@wardenm practical effects will win me over 90% of the time. I always think of the movie The Thing, when talking about practical effects in regards to monsters.
@@wardenm while i completely agree, i am very curious to see if in a couple of decades CGI will have advanced SO FAR (and we are seeing the beginnings of that already in some game engines and high budget Movies/shows) that it will be equally as convincing and timeless.
The reason it looked "so great" for 1979 was because Ridley Scott decided to film the movie in 70 mm instead of 35 mm; this gave the cinematography incredible detail and clarity making the viewer feel as though he were standing inside the scene. Of course, his decision increased the budget, significantly but his return at the box office was WAY MORE than just compensatory.🤑
It's not even true. Alien was shot on 35mm, Eastman 100T 5247 film to be specific. It looks great because it had a great director, cinematographer, production designer and art directors.
@@Macbeagle it was. With inflation, $11M in 1979 is about $45M today. And while nowadays no on blinks at spending $100M or $200M on a huge blockbuster, that's a fairly recent thing. $11M was a pretty serious budget for *any* movie in '79, budgets just weren't that high back then even for the biggest projects. For example, the budget for Empire Strikes Back - the money-is-no-object sequel to the biggest movie in all of Hollywood history (at the time) - was $30M.
@@jeffkoenig7402 They spend $300+ million easy now, and that's before marketing. That's why they keep losing money: to just break even they have to be one of the highest grossing films of all time, and nobody makes a movie to just break even. Going back to low budget action films is probably the best thing they can do now to turn the industry around. John Wick didn't cost too much. Same with Deadpool. If you write a good script first, storyboard it, previz, and then just shoot the thing as planned, movies don't have to cost a whole lot. Budgets get inflated on endless rewrites and reshoots, and all the CGI gets "finished" in the days before the movie gets released because the people in charge are still trying to figure out what the movie even is. And then you get all sorts of idiotic plot holes and things that make no sense or look like garbage because the original script has been butchered and the edit has been recut so many times nobody can even keep track of what's happening. There's maybe three directors still working now who actually even storyboard and have the power to stick to their vision without getting noted to death by the studios.
It took a bit longer than that in the novelization, and the alien went through more development stages, so in the book it’s not an immediate jump from chest burster to full size.
I will always say this about the first Alien film: 1) the Creature F/X is the truth & 2) the format and definition in filming it was unbelievably great, especially for 1979- right now this film is 42 years old and it looks so clear, like it was made 10 years or less, ago.
Welcome to what is, in my humble opinion, the greatest display of practical effects and atmosphere ever committed to film. The twist of Ash being a robot sent by “The Company” to make sure that any side agenda is executed is also a stroke of genius that is sometimes under-appreciated. I love that no character gives any exposition to the Ash situation, Ridley Scott just trusted the audience to draw their own conclusions.
The real shock to me on originally watching was that Dallas died first. He was so cool and so brave you thought he was going to be the hero. Instead briiliantly, Ridley becomes the first FEMALE action hero. Important movie moment.
@@indydave1955 I don't know how many "bleeps" you're counting in that moment, but I count four. There were two more just before, but they seemed separate so I didn't count them LOL
If I remember correctly, in the novelization to the movie it was explained -- or least conjectured -- that the _chestburster alien_ had gotten into the food supplies aboard *Nostromo* and gorged itself. That explained how it grew so large in such a short time.
In the "making of" documentary about this film, Ridley Scott said they went to a local butcher shop and bought offal (guts from slaughtered animals) to use in the gore effects. When you see the alien in the egg? That is the lining of a sheep's stomach.
@@vict0rtayl0r The veiny lattice of the sheep's stomach is often referred to as "Nottingham Lace". Don't know who coined that term, but there you go...
something I remember being oddly impressed with, was crew interactions prior to the story's pace picking up(prior to all the action & horror & screaming & death). it all seemed so ordinary & normal. like they weren't really actors, but real people doing real work & living real lives. great actors make it all look so easy.
100% this! The utter banality of it all sells it so well. Just a bunch of space truckers out there moving some cargo to make a few bucks. Something they must have done many, many times.
That chestburster sequence was one of those cinema changing moments. I was in junior high when this came out and people were stunned and talking about it non stop.
Iconic scene, for sure. We all saw it in the Summer of ‘79, at our town’s drive-in theater. We had just graduated from High School. I did not remember anything about that movie except the Chestburster. This past year, I have watched the movie many, many times, and have read/watched everything that I can about it.
21:41 A commonly discussed Fan theory is that the Alien only lives for a short time and it was looking for a place to die. It's colour seems to be subtly different when it's stowed away on the shuttle.
41 years later and it's still scaring people. The absolute greatest Lovecraftian horror film to ever grace the screen and my favorite film since I first saw it (blew my mind in '79).
Even though the movie was made in 1979, it still holds well today because Scott's use of silence made the environments very immersive. Simone's reaction was very similar to those who watched it in the theaters for the first time. I saw this in a movie theater when it first came out and my heart was pounding when the credits rolled. This was a fun reaction, guys. Well done. (I guess Simone's reactions took the show this time. Sorry George.)
Saw this in the movie theater when it was originally released. It was such a contrast to Star Wars where most ships were lit up with bright hallways and spotless floors. Nostromo was dark and gritty - seemed more like I'd expect a freighter to look. And those ventilation gates would scare the hell out of me as they'd scrape open and closed. Alien is even more terrifying when you are in a dark theater with the huge screen. You're "in" it. As the creature evolved I never really understood what it looked like, where it could be hiding, or what it would do. Also, every time I rooted for a character, such as Dallas, they were brutally killed. I quickly learned there would be no "clinging to a hero." My only moments of relief were in MU-TH-UR's room and things were all lit up. God I couldn't wait to back in there with all the bright lights where nothing bad could happen. While I've seen the movie many times, I remember how much impact it lost on my second viewing. I remember being disappointed and realized suspense and surprise were such important parts of the movie. Without them it wasn't the same for me.
I love that these movies still hold up for a modern audience. It reminds me of all the talk about them when they originally came out. A month or two before the official premiere of Alien, there was a test screening in my home town. Apparently there were a couple scenes deleted after that. A full page newspapaper ad was all black except for an Alien egg in the middle. All it said was, "What the whole country will be talking about this summer begins tonight with a single showing in St. Louis."
Having seen and loved this movie uncountable times since it was released, watching newbies experience it for the first time is sheer joy. Simone’s reaction was SO adorable! Kinda love her a little bit now. 😂 Good job, y’all. 👍🏻
One reason this is such a great horror film is that we don't get to see the entire creature on screen right until it's outside the airlock at the end when it's floating on the end of the line. Until that point we've only had partial views of it allowing our imagination to fill in the details. Now, admittedly, by that time we've got a pretty good idea of what it looks like because we've seen all the pieces and parts but we haven't been able to see it's entire body on screen until that point. It's a very clever way of helping to make it feel mysterious and unnatural.
It was also a great way to hide the fact that the Alien was actually a 7' tall actor in a rubber suit coated in gallons of medical lubricant, which is what it more or less looked like without all the wonderful atmospheric lighting and careful cuts and framing. Proof that you can make amazing practical effects that stand the test of time without a single bit of CG!
Exactly, and no stupid jump scares. Only a slowly building atmosphere of fear. This is what real horror is supposed to look like, jump scares belong in the circus and on the merry-go-round.
The original Alien's style of horror always reminded me of Lovecraft. The critter is never fully there for you to see ( until the end, anyway ), so the audience "builds" it in their heads from the glimpses they get and the characters' reactions. Your mind knows what scares you most, and the movie lets you fill in some of the subtle, almost subconscious details with that yourself through most of the story instead of having someone else determine what's scary for you.
They didn't have the budget or the tech for a full on articulated Alien running around. It would have either been a guy in a suit or stop motion, both look bad for too long on screen. The movie was never meant to be an action picture.
I was eighteen when I saw this in the theater. Haha just try to IMAGINE seeing this in a dark, small town theater with 200 other terrified people. I remember several individuals and couples fleeing the theater during the chest-popper scene, haha. Back then that was horror like we'd never seen before. Scared the piss out of us all, lol. The cool thing is, cinematically this film still stands up great today, half a century later. The imagery, the tension and twists, the scares - all as good as anything made today. -Except for all the smoking everywhere, lol - oh well it was a different time, haha.
The inside lining of the egg was made from cow stomach, and the initial movement of the face-hugger was coiled sheep intestines with pressurized air being forced through them.
To me, the facehugger's guts, both in this film and in the sequel, look like the guts of a shellfish or similar sea creature. For some reason, I have a vague impression that in one or the other, they actually used shellfish guts to represent facehugger guts. Of course, I could be wrong. Thank goodness there is no smell TV, because those guts look like they could smell really gross. And I wouldn't be surprised if it did stink, as a lot of time can be wasted shooting, a lot of reshoots etc and when those are in spotlight for a long time the result can be quite nauseating. And no matter if it's sea creature or mammal guts, they start to smell bad if they stand in a warm place for a long time.
Really liked how you nailed Ash's character early on... Also, yes inside the egg is real meat. They went to a butcher to get some cow's stomach lining, that is usually used to wrap minced meat.
Dan O'Bannon was an incredible genius, and the fully unique look of the Alien complemented his script perfectly. I grew up intimately with this franchise and know a huge amount about it, happy to answer any questions.
FUN FACT: I first watched Alien when I was 10. That night, I had nothing but ALIEN dreams continually all night long. Since then, I've had recurring ALIEN dreams ever since, and still have them to this day. It's like the elements of the film affected things deep within my psyche. It's the ONLY movie I've ever seen to have such an effect and will probably remain as such for the rest of my life. I must hand it to Ridley Scott, he truly crafted a masterpiece of cinema which could not have been more perfectly executed. I like watching these youtube reactors watching Alien for the first time and as they start the movie, they have NO idea what they are in for. As the movie unfolds, the expressions of the youtubers are almost a carbon-copy of crew of the Nostromo. As an example, I've watched certain youtube reactors make the exact same facial expressions as well as hand-gestures as Lambert during the dinner scene as the alien comes out. This shows how Alien puts the viewer in the characters shoes, as if they are actually on the Nostromo experiencing the events for real.
The reactions of the crew were real. They knew there was a shot scheduled but not exactly what it was and they had not seen the prosthetic rig for the chest-bursting scene. Only John Hurt knew what was coming. The screams were real.
I had a recurring nightmare in an env. similar to aliens, where I'm in a post apocalyptic set(like a dark muddy underpass, strangely enough like one that I played when I was a kid)... I would run to get some cover(to an abandoned truck) and if I get caught by an alien I would wake up... I had that dream for days... Eventually I got to the truck... After catching my breath I looked around and was surrounded by a pack of aliens... It was like a scary videogame.... Alien isolation anyone?
Alien was the first R rated film I ever saw - while away at camp at age 13. Yeah, permanently etched in my brain. Scared the living crap out of me for the rest of camp.
I was 8 when I saw Alien and just few years older when I saw Aliens. Though I never have seen them at movie teathers because the first movie came out same year I was born. 1979. My mother recorded Aliens when it came on TV in about, 1992 or something like that in here where I'm from. And it really was the golden age of videos back then. I watched that video so many times that the tape broke. Fortunately, well towards the end of the video, so I managed to fix it by taping it. Today I no longer have that video, but I still remember the commercial break locations. And I have the Alien Quardtrilogy box set on the shelf, which contains all four Alien films, all with the theatrical version and the director's cut. Nowadays I only watch the director's cut of Aliens. Much better, even if it is a bit longer. I'll have to see if I can find a similar box set of Terminator. Hmmm and now I'm thinking about something as silly as who would win in a fight, Alien or Terminator? :D
They did see it was a cat, but they needed the cat in a cage to not get it mixed up with the alien….. for 1979, it’s a unique and way ahead of its time, film….. based on apparently The Old Dark House an old 1930’s film… but set in space…
Loved Simone's reaction to the alien bits and to Ash. I've seen this film so many times I can name the entire cast and repeat half the dialogue, a true sci-fi/horror classic. I saw it in the theater upon release (I'm old) and it still holds up. The alien when the egg opened up looked like a fresh chicken breast to me; it was actually a cow's stomach and tripe. The facehugger was made of a sheep's intestine.
LMAO - loving seeing Simone squirming & coursing out on the first facehugger shots but all respect for picking up there & then the real bad guy in the film but looking forward to the birthing scene and Simone freaking out as she hangings from the ceiling :-) FYI the crew's reaction at the first explosion of blood was real as they hadn't been told it was going to happen like that. EDIT: The tiny panties scene was Sigourney idea, they were going for a more dressed shot but she said after the stress she would want to change and shot this way it would add to the vulnerability of the character
Initially, the Chestburster is less than 1 foot (30 cm) tall. However, it soon undergoes a dramatic growth spurt, reaching adult size in a matter of hours; aboard the Nostromo, the infant Alien grew to be over 7 feet (2.2m) in height by the time the crew located it again.
“Is it going through another stage of change?” in the shuttle. Yes! Ridley Scott in 1979: “That’s why we show so much fluid coming out of it near the end. We’re implying it has to get on with its lifecycle.”
Yes. I seem to recall reading somewhere that they didn't tell the cast about the blood-splash effect in that scene. So, when it happened, those reactions were the unscripted reactions of the cast.
@@nigeldepledge3790 Yeah, they were just told something horrible was going to happen. Those "wtf" faces are real. When the actress falls down, it's real.
Hi Simone! Your face, when you saw what was under the helmet, when they cut it off, was the most authentic depiction of revulsion I've seen in viewing this movie 20 times before through other YT reactors. Worth the time coming here just for that. Thumbs up just for that. OK...gotta go watch the rest. This is so nice because I thought everyone had already seen this one, but apparently not! :)
There was no comparison to the screaming in the big dark theater when 'Alien' came out. The posters gave no clue. Just a weird egg shape . But minute by minute as the journey progressed, the tension and the heart rate climbed. People cringing down into their seat trying not to look, but they has to watch to see which way to run, in case they had to jump out of the way. Every heart was pounding! The actors were required to spend each day of shooting IN the ship mock up. and did not know where it would come from once the cameras were live. And Ridley Scott did not tell them what was about to happen when the alien burst out of the first victim. Their reaction was not acting. It was real! A really good way to give us all a heart attack !
First time watching the channel and I must say, really loving you guys! You've got fantastic, raw reactions on one side, and a more measured, appreciation of movie making on the other. Awesome combination, looking forward to working my way through all that i've missed, in a CineBinge-binge!
My Uncle was the Art, lighting, and set director for this movie and it was where he got his first Oscar nomination. His other work is a lot less scary hihihi
It's insectual. Insectuous? Like an insect. Consider the way insects attack other animals, paralyse them, drag them away, put them in a cocoon and lay their eggs inside the live victim. Look at the way that - I think it's dragonfly nymphs? - kill their prey, with a multiple-jointed jaw that strikes at extreme speed.
The chest burst reaction was great. That shiver and scream by Simone was adorable 🥰 . As close as you can get to watching it for the first time again. You guys should definitely watch Prometheus.
“The Thing that runs around on the floor” sounds like an AMAZING H.P. Lovecraft-inspired “SCP Foundation” short story/film, or at least an old “Metallica” song 😊
Very entertaining reaction. Can honestly say I’ve never heard so many bleeps from a reactor in a single movie. It’s always a hoot to see initial reactions to the chest burster scene. I’ve seen this movie about a million times, so I’m pretty jaded. It’s refreshing to see it through the eyes of someone who’s never seen it before. BTW, anyone ever say you look kinda like Princess Leia?
When I saw Alien at the movie theatre in 79, I was in pure shock and the shock stayed with me for days after, I even had a series of horrible nightmares. It's the only movie that has had that sort of effect on me. There was no other movie to compare it with and for that reason it still stands out.
I remember seeing this when it first came out - I was 17, my girlfriend (now my wife) was 16. She was terrified! After the movie (at about 11PM) we had to walk through empty streets in thick fog back to where my motorcycle was parked - was extremely creepy!
It's often fun to go back to wikipedia and see the "Reception" sections of old movies. Apparently this movie had people running out and vomiting in the theaters. To pull that off with as little gore as they did (compared to classic horror genre staples like Jason, Hellraiser, or Friday the 13th franchises)... is something special. Most "horror" movies are just gross, to me. This one is one of the few that is legitimately frightening.
@@CantankerousDave certainly Lambert who got a face full of blood lol. The other film with this level of body horror (or perhaps even more) is The Thing.
Simply put, Alien is THE BEST Sci-Fi horror movie of all-time, AND, quite possibly one of the best MOVIES ever made! Masterpiece just doesn't quite say enough about this incredible movie!
I saw this movie when it first came out (I was 22). I remember the trailer playing on TV. You can find the original trailer here on RUclips. I was terrified when the opening credits started! The practical effects are still amazing to this day. It may be a slow burn but the tension was almost unbearable the first time I saw it. If you ever get the chance to see it on the big screen be sure to do it!
I saw it on the first showing when it was released. Even though it was early afternoon, there were several couples in the normally mostly vacant theater (esp. for a genre film). Most of the reactions totally echoed Simone's -- if not more. I've never been too startled by this movie because I was so entertained by the folks around the theater that the shock value was totally lost on me.
If you haven't seen Harry Dean Stanton in the 1984 film "Repo Man" I highly recommend it, it stars Emilio Estevez as a punk recruited to be a repo man (he repossesses cars from people who don't make their payments). It's listed as a sci-fi/comedy.
Well, it is a sci-fi comedy. Sci-fi because of what’s in the trunk of the Malibu, and comedy because it’s a satire of it’s time and place. The first and best of director Alex Cox’s movies. (Sid and Nancy was pretty good, too, but I barely remember his other movies.) It’s definitely worthy of its cult status and I love the soundtrack. I had great hopes for Cox, but he kind of petered out.
This may be the best reaction I've seen to this film. I can't help but think this was the way audiences in '79 reacted to seeing something this new and unnerving.
I saw this over a dozen times when it was first released in theaters. Ridley Scott's cinematography, and Hans Rudi Geiger's alien designs are still unbelievable. I still have my "You are my lucky star" opening night button. NFS!
I saw ALIEN when it came out in theaters so it's interesting to see the reactions of people who are only seeing it just now. The real horror of the movie for me was that the characters felt like real people, which made it even more horrifying when they're killed. There was no running away to anywhere... they had to deal with the creature. Even though I'm not a horror movie fan, ALIEN is one of my absolute favorite movies.
The thing in the chair is called the "Space Jockey". One of the most iconic scenes in the Alien franchise. If you watch the prequels they show how it came to be.
24:48 La créature sort toute entière du cerveau génial du peintre suisse H.R. Giger qui a tout inventé, jusqu'à cet incroyable système de gestation, emprunté aux abeilles et aux punaises, ainsi que les oeufs, les larves (araignées), les nids. Mi-organique, mi-métallique, de l'acide à la place du sang, une langue à mâchoires, bref, originalité absolue à tous les niveaux d'imagination. Les planètes et l'espace sont des peintures (Dan O' Bannon), le Nostromo, le lander et la navette de sauvetage sont des maquettes, le décor est à l'échelle (sauf quelques-uns comme la grotte des oeufs, qui est une peinture), le petit alien, la larve et les oeufs sont des animatronics, le grand alien est un acteur-danseur de pas loin de 2 mètres dans un costume. Tout est réel. tout est filmé. Le génie de ce film réside surtout dans sa photographie, la mise en lumière et les angles de prises de vues. Les meilleurs dessinateurs et techniciens du monde à l'époque ont travaillé sur ce film. Le résultat est bluffant. A l'époque de sa sortie, il y eut dans les salles de nombreux mouvements de panique, abondamment relayés par la presse, en particulier à cause de la scène de perforation du thorax, qui a terrorisé les spectateurs tellement cela semblait réel à l'image. C'était du jamais vu. On les comprend en regardant simplement votre réaction, alors que vous êtes très certainement habitué à voir des images gore, sanglantes ou terrifiantes sur un écran. Ce film restera un chef-d'oeuvre pour toujours.
There was like The Exorcist, then Jaws - but Alien took it all as thee scariest movie EVER! This was in 1979, but yeah! The whole movie, sets, costumes, actors, script, etc. all brought it to be at the pinnacle of scary movies. Just be a bit happy in that your watching it from the comfort of your home, everything gets magnified when you're at the dark theater.
1. I was working in a movie theater when this came out. Cool. 2. RIpley to Parker, "You'll get whatever's coming to you". Prophetic. 3. Only John Hurt knew exactly what was going to happen with the chest explosion so the reactions from the rest of the cast were real. 4. Unfortunately we lost Yaphet Kotto/Parker recently and Harry Dean Stanton/Brett about a year ago. 5. Dallas/Tom Skerritt also played in two other must first time/share in Top Gun and Up In Smoke. 😎 6. Aliens has much more action and opens up the rest of the series.
Tom Skerritt was in M*A*S*H* (the original 1970 film) as one of the three main characters, alongside Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould. I'll take that one any day over "Top Gun "and "Up In Smoke", lol. (That IS cool that you were working in a movie theater when it came out! I've never seen it on a big screen! PS: They already watched "Aliens", it's on their page.
@@Acme1970 She is fantastic, and was just as great in the movie she made the year before, "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers". One of the great screamers in horror movies, right up there with Janet Leigh and Fay Wray!
@@TTM9691 He's been in a ton of stuff. It seems like everything he does just "works". Same can be said for the late Harry Dean Stanton. Other movies when I was working the theater were, "Saturday Night Fever", Grease, Up In Smoke and "Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". It got totally trashed by almost everyone but I found it enjoyable. Not bad for someone NOT a Beatles fan.
Simone's reaction to the chestburster was pure 1979 audience. Love your watch-alongs!
Fun fact: the actors in that scene were not informed ahead of time what was going to happen when Kane started to have his attack during the meal. Ridley Scott wanted their reactions to be genuine.
So was I. I remember the audience freaking out the most when Ash first had his head knocked off. Viewers didn’t realize for a split second that he wasn’t human.
@@misteryman526 No. What they were not aware of was that they were going to have air jets with blood aimed at them. They knew how it was going to happen, because it's in the script. It's literally the scene in the script that got the movie made. They were not aware of how bloody it was going to be. Filming that scene was meticulous. Half of the scene is John Hurt thrashing about with a squib on his chest, and then the other half is his head through the table with a fake chest so that the burster can go through.
@@OpenMawProductions Exactly this. Thank you!
Yep I was there. I was 18. That was s*** none of us had ever seen before LOL
The reason Ripley and Parker were upset with Brett for letting Jones the car go was that they were tracking the aien using movements and having the cat running around complicates looking for the Xenomorph. They were not upset because they didn't realize it was a cat.
To me it seemed that Parker wasn't aware of it or else he wouldn't have laughed like that in relief. Ripley saw it was the cat only after she saw Jonesy run away. However after they were relieved it was just the cat they were still upset Brett let the cat go because they might pick it up on the tracker again.
Came here to say this. Their laughter was out of exasperation with Brett not getting that they have to keep the cat from running around and adding an extra dot to the motion tracker.
@@TheMidnightPhil I don't think that' fully apparent. I listened to Ridley Scott's commentary track and he said he loved the moment Parker got really scared as he frantically asked Brett what he was doing. There would be no reason for him to chuckle and act relieved if Parker knew it was the cat after being so distressed.
Okay so here's what happened, I (George) was being a dumbass and mixed up Alien with AlienS last week, and accidentally released the 2nd movie first. Sorry for the confusion! Dont worry, we definitely watched it in the right order.
Funny :)
lol I thought I was going crazy 😝
I think that's how most people experience the Alien franchise
Of course, you should watch the movies in release order to avoid spoilers, but the order you upload them isn't really that important. Now that I think about it, making a mistake - being just human and down to Earth - is a big part of your charm and seems appropriate for you channel.
Meanwhile, that opening! You always have the most awkward intros. I love it, but for some reason, it makes me want you to react to "Revenge of the Nerds" (1984). It's a movie about a bunch of lovably awkward characters finally having their day with the tagline "The odd get even."
@@waterbeauty85 I think they watched in order but scheduled the YT uploads in the wrong order.
i love how George said "...doesnt consider the human factor." at 11:30 . The writers did the best job possible to hint all throughout the movie that he is an android and still masking it behind reasonable human behaviour. masterpiece of writing and cinematography in its entirety.
Ah mate the best viewing of this movie is the second one, seeing all the hints that ash is an android and secretly trying to protect the creature all along and allowing the crew to take action he knows has little chance to succeed. Masterful acting by Ian holm.
@@benstewart7970 He tells them "Most animals run from fire ..." after he reported his analysis to Ripley that the thing grows some sort of regenerative armor making him a "tough son of a bitch". He knew the flame throwers were not going to work.
The Alien's design is very deliberately invoking disgust and fear. It was based on a design by HR Giger and meant to evoke primal fears, particularly of sexual violence. Simone's reaction is precisely what the makers were aiming for. It remains one of the creepiest monsters ever created.
Oh indeed. Giger's Xenomorph design is special. As is the rest of his art. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on your tastes and sensibilities. He works with "biomechanoid" creatures and scenes a lot that can be as creepy as the xenomorph for sure.
But one mustn't forget the other big, european artist who worked on Alien: Jean Giraud AKA "Moebius". He is a French comic artist who gained international respect. He worked on loads of own stuff, did a famous Silver Surfer story for Marvel where Stan Lee praised him as "An artist. I don't mean just a comic book artist, but a REAL artist.".
While Giger designed most of the Alien stuff, Giraud created the still totally believable interior and gear for the Nostromo and her Crew. Also he did the concept art for Tron and - indeed last, but not least, he worked on the sets and costumes of a movie that itself was highly inspired by his "Incal" comic series and it's anti hero "John Difool": The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis has it's own story, but looks and feels a LOT like Incal's world. Absolutely great movie, big fun. Action in every corner - and it features both a stunning Mila Yovovitch and what boils down to a space-youtuber. Years before there was youtube or youtubers. An absolute must see.
Yup, vagina crabs and penis monsters
@@jinyatta4103 vagina crabs that "impregnates" a man orally, who then subsequently "births" the penis alien.
The design team including Giger and the others had been working together for a good deal prior as they were the guys hired to do the designs for Alejandro Jodorowski's ill fated attempt at making Dune.
Jodorowsky's attempt at Dune never got past pre production but the it may be one of the most influential films never made as it influenced the designs of Aliens, Star Wars, and Blade Runner among other films
Giger's art is definitely not for everyone, but from an artistic point of view, his technique was nothing short of genius. The way he shaded even his sketches were fantastic. I love Giger's dark surrealism so much.
*In space no one can hear you scream.*
The greatest movie tag line of all time.
"That looks great for 1979!"
Two reasons for that, first and most important everything in this movie is real. The miniature Nostromo model is several feet across and extremely detailed. The fossilized pilot set is real but they used kids in spacesuits to make it look huge. The Alien is a really tall skinny guy in a suit.
Also this movie has been expertly re mastered to HD. Like I saw the 4k remaster in theaters for the 40th anniversary in 2019 and I was blown away how good it looked. I kept thinking "Holy shit this looks like it was made last week."
Nostromo model was still too small for Ridley. He had to use alot of smoke for it. Even more smoke was used for the Alien ship. Video playback was used to obscure the alien ship even more. As detailed as you think it was, it wasn't enough
This was CRAFTED.
Creativity was alive until when ?... the 90s perhaps ? Then it has been falling steady.
@@edudario1974 The more use of CGI - the less creativity. There are exceptions of course. But generally speaking, limited budgets and reliance on real sets and props FORCES movie makers to get creative.
@@reptomicus Ridley Scott and his famous love affair with smoke machines. It peaked with Blade Runner.
the way Simone opens her eyes on the dramatic parts is so adorable and cute.
she probably has a record of saying "wtf! wtf! wtf! wtf! in sequence :)
i feel sorry for the people in her apartment building, seeing her react to this would have been like watching the original theatrical audience reactions back in 79
I saw this film in the theater in 1979. My best friends mom took me along with him and his sister to see it on a Saturday afternoon. My strict parents would never have allowed it. This was the first R Rated film I ever saw. It changed my life completely. It was my real introduction to Horror. I was already a sci fi fanatic with my head in the clouds cause of things like Star Wars, Close Encounters, Star Trek and Marvel Comics. This showed me that space could be a terrifying nightmare as well. I never felt such a sense of foreboding and dread in my life as I did looking at the derelict alien spacecraft. And things just got worse from there. I will never forget the audience reaction to the chestburster scene. I love watching people see this film for the first time now.
if you haven't, you should watch Markiplier's playthrough of Alien Isolation.
I went to it a couple of times when it was released. I was 19. I even talked my older brother, (Mid 30's) who didn't care for sci-fi or horror movies into going. He walked out after the chest bursting scene.
@@thekpmckay 😱🤣
I was 19 in 1979 and I went in to see Alien with my best friend and my parents. I remember walking out of the theatre once the movie was over and all four of us felt just drained and weak from the tension and shocks.
i see this in cinema !amezing cast ! all super famos actor and .........................ORWELLLLLL! 1984 actor ,yesssssssssssssss
As someone who has been re-watching this movie regularly for over 40 years it was honestly so delightful to watch people actually experience the terror for the first time. It's still amazing after all these years and it's awesome to see young people are still impressed by the super practical effects. Have fun with Aliens!
i love the late 70s early 80s Sci FI aesthetic; you should check out the game Alien Isolation
HR Giger was the genius behind the xenomorph's design and there are not enough compliments to describe the magnificent effect it created, capable of appealing to a deep and primal fear, the source of the most horrible nightmares. However, the brilliant work of Carlo Rambaldi, who was responsible for bringing it to "life", is often underestimated.
If I make it to Europe, I'm totally getting a drink in the Giger cafe...
His works weren't just horror either. It was more than a primal fear. It was also mixed with the erotic in a way that was MEANT to be disturbing in a deeper sense than it merely looking 'inhuman'.
I visited HR Gigers' exhibition as part of my arts project at school and I was deeply disturbed. The xenomorph is scary, but some of his other works are way more disturbing. I think that The Species represents his work a bit better, because he was more into the scary erotic stuff that is deeply disturbing rather than just scary stuff.
Gigers artwork is legit the rare time I've been scared by inanimate paintings as an adult.
And other design, on the planet, the Nostromo design, and things like the space suits, were designed by French comics artist Moebius (AKA Jean Giraud) and Ron Cobb.
I am a proud grandmother of a baby girl born almost 3 years ago. Her name is RIPLEY. This movie is one of mine and my daughter's favorites. Great reaction.
Poor kid. Ellen would have been better
The cat indifferently watching the mechanic being ripped apart by the alien is like "Yup that's what I'd do to a mouse. Nothing strange going on here."
It was one predator watching another predator going 'fascinating'
@@Fordo007 lol
"This is some good stuff, where's my pen?" xD
I have a theory that the cat was in league with the alien. It looks at the cat in the carrier, but instead of trying to break in and get the cat, it goes and hides on the escape ship.
@@MP197742 oh boy, 200 iq play
@@MP197742 Sociopathic Killing machine recognizing another sociopathic killing machine.
18:03, most people watching LOTR first time "Bilbo is so nice!". Those, who remember Ash "Oh, boy..."
Ian's a nice guy in his house, but when he's Holm from home...
I've watched him in a few other roles. Most notably Stephen King's "Storm of the Century."
I saw ALIEN on Saturday, May 26th 1979 the day after its initial release. The audience was not prepared for what we were about to see, and for nearly 2 hours, everybody went berserk! It was one of the scariest movie experiences of my life!
That's great, thanks for sharing that!
Same here, saw it the second day on Saturday. Had a guy next to me literally jump out of his seat.
A lot of people thought "Oh, its science fiction; must by like STAR WARS." Boy, they got a shock.
Same thing here. Saw it at the Egyptian in L.A. in 70 mm and Dolby. The audience was completely caught off guard. The lines were around the block . A great memory !
Wish I had got to see it back then in the cinema but I was far too young. I saw it when I was younger late night on TV in the UK I think in black and white too. It still remains one of my top films of all time even after about 30 years.
I think Ripley was the first real female "action hero" - and I like the way she slowly emerged out of a group and took the lead. Anyways - great reactions!!
There's a great photo out there of Sigourney firing a flamethrower as some kind of test, suit look like Alien but could be from Aliens I think
I'd say Barbarella is the first female action hero.
Dallas was also originally meant to be the 'hero'. nice twist to that.
Ripley has been my hero for a very long time.
Ripely is definitely among the first but not the first, because of Star Wars in 77 and Leia.
"Is this going to be scary?" Yes. It is THE SCARY. Of all time.
Ehh, everyone has their own definition of scary. I think it's one of the best horror movies.
No kidding!!!!
H.R. Giger art style and the Xenomorph design are horrifying yet satisfying. Is it scary? Personally not for me, because I'm fascinated with the alien design (sure call me Mr.Wayland).
Once you dive into the Alien universe and Predator universe it isn't scary at all. 😉
For me, I was too young at age 9 when this was released. But a few years later I watched this on TV.
It gave me nightmares for weeks to come.
I first saw this in a theater not long after it came out. There is a BIG difference between seeing this on a small screen and a big screen with hi-grade sound. It was literally months before I could get to sleep without either A) a lite on in the next room, or B) being dead drunk.
For the “chest buster” scene. None of the cast knew what was going to happen. They got to see the puppet they used, but had no clue as to how they would introduce it. So, everyone’s reaction is real. Also, the insides of the dead “face hugger” they used chicken organs and other things of that nature.
Kane: I feel dead
Parker: Anyone ever tell you LOOK dead
The blood that sprayed everywhere and especially onto fraidy cat Lambert was REAL BLOOD. Sir John Hurt encased himself from the shoulders down in a prosthetic torso that the chestburster would tear its way out of. Apart from Ridley Scott, he was the only one that knew in advance how the scene was to be shot. Their reactions were genuine -- THEY WERE NOT ACTING.
No that’s a myth they knew where and when it was coming and the chestburster
The surprise is the amount of blood they use, that is what surprises the actors bc remember it was 1979, alot of blood and gore was not a thing back then
I seen footage of the scene being set up. There's the crew loading buckets of blood into the air gun and John Hurt's laying in position with a fag in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.
Was probably a long day...
Not true. It was in the script. More blood was used that suspected, that's all.
It doesn't matter that it was the cat and not the alien; they followed the detector to the cat, which means the detector can find the cat. So you want the cat to stay in one place, so you know the thing you're following is the alien.
Yeah, this is my interpretation of why they were annoyed he let the cat go.
They say it in the movie. The detector only detects movements, not specifically what's moving.
@@LightMovies Parker also says to Brett "We had to bag it, now we might pick it up on the tracker again"
Also, with no proper understanding of its life cycle, all they knew was it began with John Hurt getting "infected" (implanted) by the face-hugger and then seeming fine; what if the cat is now..."fine"?
@@jamietaylor5570 Still, sending him off alone to be killed was a rather harsh punishment.
No other horror movie has or ever will age that well. Some people do not like its relatively slow pace, but I think that is exactly what helps building the suspsense.
You were commenting about the ship set a lot. You might be interested to know that it was built as a single set so the actors would really feel like they were in a ship in space.
Yaphet koto has one of the best, understated funny lines in the whole movie: 'It's got a wonderful defense mechanism: you don't dare kill it.'
"I wanna go home and party!"
"Is he talking to his mom on Earth....?" *I literally spat out my coffee LOL
Alien is actually set in 2122 :)
and... "it punched him with his tongue"
Funny.
i just love that a movie more than 40 years old still have the power to horrify, Simone's reaction to the chestburster is definitely one for the books
It's nice to know that something from way-back-when can still hold its own when reacted to in 2021. That's timeless quality.
It's one of the all-time greatest films, the idea that anyone could think it doesn't "hold up" is fully beyond me.
Bloody masterful - before this, alien baddies were pretty ridiculous "B" movies - after this...tread carefully...
Practical effects. Over use of CGI these days can really date a movie or just ruin a film entirely. You look at things like this, animatronics, puppets like the Jim Henson company... They hold up a TON better most of the time. CGI tends to work best when limited, used for environmentals, or to remove things like wires and guides.
@@wardenm practical effects will win me over 90% of the time. I always think of the movie The Thing, when talking about practical effects in regards to monsters.
@@wardenm while i completely agree, i am very curious to see if in a couple of decades CGI will have advanced SO FAR (and we are seeing the beginnings of that already in some game engines and high budget Movies/shows) that it will be equally as convincing and timeless.
The reason it looked "so great" for 1979 was because Ridley Scott decided to film the movie in 70 mm instead of 35 mm; this gave the cinematography incredible detail and clarity making the viewer feel as though he were standing inside the scene.
Of course, his decision increased the budget, significantly but his return at the box office was WAY MORE than just compensatory.🤑
Still at $11,000,000 it wasn't all that big of a budget.
It's not even true. Alien was shot on 35mm, Eastman 100T 5247 film to be specific. It looks great because it had a great director, cinematographer, production designer and art directors.
@@Macbeagle it was. With inflation, $11M in 1979 is about $45M today. And while nowadays no on blinks at spending $100M or $200M on a huge blockbuster, that's a fairly recent thing. $11M was a pretty serious budget for *any* movie in '79, budgets just weren't that high back then even for the biggest projects.
For example, the budget for Empire Strikes Back - the money-is-no-object sequel to the biggest movie in all of Hollywood history (at the time) - was $30M.
@@jeffkoenig7402 They spend $300+ million easy now, and that's before marketing. That's why they keep losing money: to just break even they have to be one of the highest grossing films of all time, and nobody makes a movie to just break even.
Going back to low budget action films is probably the best thing they can do now to turn the industry around. John Wick didn't cost too much. Same with Deadpool. If you write a good script first, storyboard it, previz, and then just shoot the thing as planned, movies don't have to cost a whole lot. Budgets get inflated on endless rewrites and reshoots, and all the CGI gets "finished" in the days before the movie gets released because the people in charge are still trying to figure out what the movie even is. And then you get all sorts of idiotic plot holes and things that make no sense or look like garbage because the original script has been butchered and the edit has been recut so many times nobody can even keep track of what's happening.
There's maybe three directors still working now who actually even storyboard and have the power to stick to their vision without getting noted to death by the studios.
yet despite the increased budget, it's still considered a B movie
In the Second movie "Aliens" Ripley tells the Marines that the Alien killed her crew in less than 24 hours.
It took a bit longer than that in the novelization, and the alien went through more development stages, so in the book it’s not an immediate jump from chest burster to full size.
Novelizations are NOT the same as source novels.
I will always say this about the first Alien film: 1) the Creature F/X is the truth & 2) the format and definition in filming it was unbelievably great, especially for 1979- right now this film is 42 years old and it looks so clear, like it was made 10 years or less, ago.
"There's a scene where something's running around on the ground."
Oh, my sweet summer child...
John in Spaceballs is hilarious *if* you know this movie. "Oh no, not again!"
Welcome to what is, in my humble opinion, the greatest display of practical effects and atmosphere ever committed to film. The twist of Ash being a robot sent by “The Company” to make sure that any side agenda is executed is also a stroke of genius that is sometimes under-appreciated. I love that no character gives any exposition to the Ash situation, Ridley Scott just trusted the audience to draw their own conclusions.
Conclusion: "The Company" is a comment on current corporate ethics, or lack thereof.
"CREW EXPENDABLE." Sounds familiar?
And one of the greatest films ever made.
@@Youcannotfalter Damn right!
The real shock to me on originally watching was that Dallas died first. He was so cool and so brave you thought he was going to be the hero. Instead briiliantly, Ridley becomes the first FEMALE action hero. Important movie moment.
LOVED Dallas.
14:15 - Simone's *quadruple* "wtf" made me LOLOL!! XD
19:55 - Also, that's what she said.
It was a sextuple. But who's counting?
@@indydave1955 I don't know how many "bleeps" you're counting in that moment, but I count four. There were two more just before, but they seemed separate so I didn't count them LOL
If I remember correctly, in the novelization to the movie it was explained -- or least conjectured -- that the _chestburster alien_ had gotten into the food supplies aboard *Nostromo* and gorged itself. That explained how it grew so large in such a short time.
Then it must have a REALLY fast metabolism!
In the "making of" documentary about this film, Ridley Scott said they went to a local butcher shop and bought offal (guts from slaughtered animals) to use in the gore effects. When you see the alien in the egg? That is the lining of a sheep's stomach.
And the guts of the facehugger they probe in the lab is oysters.
Nottingham Lace
@@TheCryptofHorrors-DerCryptaxis What do you mean, Nottingham Lace? I'm from Nottingham and that was an unexpected comment!
The scary movement in the egg was Ridley Scott fluttering a latex surgical glove. But it is still creepy and unsettleing even knowing this trick.
@@vict0rtayl0r The veiny lattice of the sheep's stomach is often referred to as "Nottingham Lace". Don't know who coined that term, but there you go...
something I remember being oddly impressed with, was crew interactions prior to the story's pace picking up(prior to all the action & horror & screaming & death). it all seemed so ordinary & normal. like they weren't really actors, but real people doing real work & living real lives. great actors make it all look so easy.
100% this! The utter banality of it all sells it so well. Just a bunch of space truckers out there moving some cargo to make a few bucks. Something they must have done many, many times.
Probably my all-time favorite movie - so innovative, powerful and creepy. The acting was fantastic from each actor
Totally agree.👍👍
Legends, all of them
That chestburster sequence was one of those cinema changing moments. I was in junior high when this came out and people were stunned and talking about it non stop.
Iconic scene, for sure. We all saw it in the Summer of ‘79, at our town’s drive-in theater. We had just graduated from High School. I did not remember anything about that movie except the Chestburster. This past year, I have watched the movie many, many times, and have read/watched everything that I can about it.
We did the bent arm to replicate the chest buster lol
21:41 A commonly discussed Fan theory is that the Alien only lives for a short time and it was looking for a place to die. It's colour seems to be subtly different when it's stowed away on the shuttle.
41 years later and it's still scaring people. The absolute greatest Lovecraftian horror film to ever grace the screen and my favorite film since I first saw it (blew my mind in '79).
Gigerian :P
Even though the movie was made in 1979, it still holds well today because Scott's use of silence made the environments very immersive. Simone's reaction was very similar to those who watched it in the theaters for the first time. I saw this in a movie theater when it first came out and my heart was pounding when the credits rolled. This was a fun reaction, guys. Well done. (I guess Simone's reactions took the show this time. Sorry George.)
Sadly he then made Prometheus and whatnot which was just.... strange.
@@kinagrill I'd go all the way and say Prometheus is garbage.
@@alfredstimoli2590 Oh it's not garbage... it's just not... GOOD.
Saw this in the movie theater when it was originally released. It was such a contrast to Star Wars where most ships were lit up with bright hallways and spotless floors. Nostromo was dark and gritty - seemed more like I'd expect a freighter to look. And those ventilation gates would scare the hell out of me as they'd scrape open and closed.
Alien is even more terrifying when you are in a dark theater with the huge screen. You're "in" it. As the creature evolved I never really understood what it looked like, where it could be hiding, or what it would do. Also, every time I rooted for a character, such as Dallas, they were brutally killed. I quickly learned there would be no "clinging to a hero."
My only moments of relief were in MU-TH-UR's room and things were all lit up. God I couldn't wait to back in there with all the bright lights where nothing bad could happen.
While I've seen the movie many times, I remember how much impact it lost on my second viewing. I remember being disappointed and realized suspense and surprise were such important parts of the movie. Without them it wasn't the same for me.
15:29 They knew it was the Cat, but the Cat was basically setting off the scanner and giving false alarms while they were looking for the Alien.
I love that these movies still hold up for a modern audience. It reminds me of all the talk about them when they originally came out. A month or two before the official premiere of Alien, there was a test screening in my home town. Apparently there were a couple scenes deleted after that. A full page newspapaper ad was all black except for an Alien egg in the middle. All it said was, "What the whole country will be talking about this summer begins tonight with a single showing in St. Louis."
"Is this gonna be scary?"
"Noooo..."
You're sick, dude.
Remember that Jones the cat is also a survivor from the original Alien movie.
Ridley Scott's latest film is "The Last Duel'. His first film is 'The Duelists' (1977) which is well worth the watch. My favorite film.
Very good call mate 👍🏻
Yep The Duelists is absolute class
For a moment I thought that Ridley Scott had made a remake of his own movie. Keitel and Carradine were both excellent in The Duelists
@@prebenpoejensen8256 A few years back I read the book 'The Last Duel' is based on. It's very interesting. I hope Ridley does it justice.
Having seen and loved this movie uncountable times since it was released, watching newbies experience it for the first time is sheer joy. Simone’s reaction was SO adorable! Kinda love her a little bit now. 😂 Good job, y’all. 👍🏻
One reason this is such a great horror film is that we don't get to see the entire creature on screen right until it's outside the airlock at the end when it's floating on the end of the line. Until that point we've only had partial views of it allowing our imagination to fill in the details. Now, admittedly, by that time we've got a pretty good idea of what it looks like because we've seen all the pieces and parts but we haven't been able to see it's entire body on screen until that point. It's a very clever way of helping to make it feel mysterious and unnatural.
It was also a great way to hide the fact that the Alien was actually a 7' tall actor in a rubber suit coated in gallons of medical lubricant, which is what it more or less looked like without all the wonderful atmospheric lighting and careful cuts and framing. Proof that you can make amazing practical effects that stand the test of time without a single bit of CG!
Exactly, and no stupid jump scares. Only a slowly building atmosphere of fear. This is what real horror is supposed to look like, jump scares belong in the circus and on the merry-go-round.
The original Alien's style of horror always reminded me of Lovecraft. The critter is never fully there for you to see ( until the end, anyway ), so the audience "builds" it in their heads from the glimpses they get and the characters' reactions. Your mind knows what scares you most, and the movie lets you fill in some of the subtle, almost subconscious details with that yourself through most of the story instead of having someone else determine what's scary for you.
@@dacsus can you recommend other films like that? That's what I admire about this film. Aliens was great but not in the same way.
They didn't have the budget or the tech for a full on articulated Alien running around. It would have either been a guy in a suit or stop motion, both look bad for too long on screen.
The movie was never meant to be an action picture.
I was eighteen when I saw this in the theater. Haha just try to IMAGINE seeing this in a dark, small town theater with 200 other terrified people. I remember several individuals and couples fleeing the theater during the chest-popper scene, haha. Back then that was horror like we'd never seen before. Scared the piss out of us all, lol. The cool thing is, cinematically this film still stands up great today, half a century later. The imagery, the tension and twists, the scares - all as good as anything made today. -Except for all the smoking everywhere, lol - oh well it was a different time, haha.
Lol at the fleeing couples hahaha
The inside lining of the egg was made from cow stomach, and the initial movement of the face-hugger was coiled sheep intestines with pressurized air being forced through them.
To me, the facehugger's guts, both in this film and in the sequel, look like the guts of a shellfish or similar sea creature.
For some reason, I have a vague impression that in one or the other, they actually used shellfish guts to represent facehugger guts. Of course, I could be wrong. Thank goodness there is no smell TV, because those guts look like they could smell really gross. And I wouldn't be surprised if it did stink, as a lot of time can be wasted shooting, a lot of reshoots etc and when those are in spotlight for a long time the result can be quite nauseating. And no matter if it's sea creature or mammal guts, they start to smell bad if they stand in a warm place for a long time.
Really liked how you nailed Ash's character early on...
Also, yes inside the egg is real meat. They went to a butcher to get some cow's stomach lining, that is usually used to wrap minced meat.
Same with the inside of the facehugger. They used insides of various animals, like frogs and such. Creative:)
@@Hammern28 oysters, to be specific.
Dan O'Bannon was an incredible genius, and the fully unique look of the Alien complemented his script perfectly. I grew up intimately with this franchise and know a huge amount about it, happy to answer any questions.
Did you see Dark Star?
Saw this in the theater when it came out. It was so new and unlike anything that had been done before.
FUN FACT: I first watched Alien when I was 10. That night, I had nothing but ALIEN dreams continually all night long. Since then, I've had recurring ALIEN dreams ever since, and still have them to this day. It's like the elements of the film affected things deep within my psyche. It's the ONLY movie I've ever seen to have such an effect and will probably remain as such for the rest of my life. I must hand it to Ridley Scott, he truly crafted a masterpiece of cinema which could not have been more perfectly executed. I like watching these youtube reactors watching Alien for the first time and as they start the movie, they have NO idea what they are in for. As the movie unfolds, the expressions of the youtubers are almost a carbon-copy of crew of the Nostromo. As an example, I've watched certain youtube reactors make the exact same facial expressions as well as hand-gestures as Lambert during the dinner scene as the alien comes out. This shows how Alien puts the viewer in the characters shoes, as if they are actually on the Nostromo experiencing the events for real.
The reactions of the crew were real. They knew there was a shot scheduled but not exactly what it was and they had not seen the prosthetic rig for the chest-bursting scene. Only John Hurt knew what was coming. The screams were real.
I had a recurring nightmare in an env. similar to aliens, where I'm in a post apocalyptic set(like a dark muddy underpass, strangely enough like one that I played when I was a kid)... I would run to get some cover(to an abandoned truck) and if I get caught by an alien I would wake up... I had that dream for days... Eventually I got to the truck... After catching my breath I looked around and was surrounded by a pack of aliens... It was like a scary videogame.... Alien isolation anyone?
Alien was the first R rated film I ever saw - while away at camp at age 13.
Yeah, permanently etched in my brain. Scared the living crap out of me for the rest of camp.
I was 8 when I saw Alien and just few years older when I saw Aliens. Though I never have seen them at movie teathers because the first movie came out same year I was born. 1979. My mother recorded Aliens when it came on TV in about, 1992 or something like that in here where I'm from. And it really was the golden age of videos back then. I watched that video so many times that the tape broke. Fortunately, well towards the end of the video, so I managed to fix it by taping it. Today I no longer have that video, but I still remember the commercial break locations. And I have the Alien Quardtrilogy box set on the shelf, which contains all four Alien films, all with the theatrical version and the director's cut. Nowadays I only watch the director's cut of Aliens. Much better, even if it is a bit longer.
I'll have to see if I can find a similar box set of Terminator. Hmmm and now I'm thinking about something as silly as who would win in a fight, Alien or Terminator? :D
They did see it was a cat, but they needed the cat in a cage to not get it mixed up with the alien….. for 1979, it’s a unique and way ahead of its time, film….. based on apparently The Old Dark House an old 1930’s film… but set in space…
Loved Simone's reaction to the alien bits and to Ash. I've seen this film so many times I can name the entire cast and repeat half the dialogue, a true sci-fi/horror classic. I saw it in the theater upon release (I'm old) and it still holds up. The alien when the egg opened up looked like a fresh chicken breast to me; it was actually a cow's stomach and tripe. The facehugger was made of a sheep's intestine.
Peckish now...
LMAO - loving seeing Simone squirming & coursing out on the first facehugger shots but all respect for picking up there & then the real bad guy in the film but looking forward to the birthing scene and Simone freaking out as she hangings from the ceiling :-) FYI the crew's reaction at the first explosion of blood was real as they hadn't been told it was going to happen like that. EDIT:
The tiny panties scene was Sigourney idea, they were going for a more dressed shot but she said after the stress she would want to change and shot this way it would add to the vulnerability of the character
Simone’s reaction to the chestburster scene was fantastic, perfectly captures why I watch your channel :)
lol i spit out my drink when she asked 'is this gonna be scary?'
Initially, the Chestburster is less than 1 foot (30 cm) tall. However, it soon undergoes a dramatic growth spurt, reaching adult size in a matter of hours; aboard the Nostromo, the infant Alien grew to be over 7 feet (2.2m) in height by the time the crew located it again.
“Is it going through another stage of change?” in the shuttle. Yes! Ridley Scott in 1979: “That’s why we show so much fluid coming out of it near the end. We’re implying it has to get on with its lifecycle.”
14:02 The moment we were all looking for. George looks horrified, I love that reaction.😄 Simone look...even more horrified!
Yes. I seem to recall reading somewhere that they didn't tell the cast about the blood-splash effect in that scene. So, when it happened, those reactions were the unscripted reactions of the cast.
@@nigeldepledge3790 Yeah, they were just told something horrible was going to happen. Those "wtf" faces are real. When the actress falls down, it's real.
Hi Simone! Your face, when you saw what was under the helmet, when they cut it off, was the most authentic depiction of revulsion I've seen in viewing this movie 20 times before through other YT reactors. Worth the time coming here just for that. Thumbs up just for that. OK...gotta go watch the rest. This is so nice because I thought everyone had already seen this one, but apparently not! :)
14:10 Veronica Cartwrights reaction was real. They overpressuredthe blood and she had no idea it was going to spray as far as her. 😂
There was no comparison to the screaming in the big dark theater when 'Alien' came out. The posters gave no clue. Just a weird egg shape . But minute by minute as the journey progressed, the tension and the heart rate climbed. People cringing down into their seat trying not to look, but they has to watch to see which way to run, in case they had to jump out of the way. Every heart was pounding! The actors were required to spend each day of shooting IN the ship mock up. and did not know where it would come from once the cameras were live. And Ridley Scott did not tell them what was about to happen when the alien burst out of the first victim. Their reaction was not acting. It was real! A really good way to give us all a heart attack !
First time watching the channel and I must say, really loving you guys! You've got fantastic, raw reactions on one side, and a more measured, appreciation of movie making on the other. Awesome combination, looking forward to working my way through all that i've missed, in a CineBinge-binge!
My Uncle was the Art, lighting, and set director for this movie and it was where he got his first Oscar nomination. His other work is a lot less scary hihihi
"It's got a mouth inside it's mouth" It's called a pharangeal jaw. Moray Eels have them too.
It's insectual. Insectuous? Like an insect.
Consider the way insects attack other animals, paralyse them, drag them away, put them in a cocoon and lay their eggs inside the live victim. Look at the way that - I think it's dragonfly nymphs? - kill their prey, with a multiple-jointed jaw that strikes at extreme speed.
The chest burst reaction was great. That shiver and scream by Simone was adorable 🥰 . As close as you can get to watching it for the first time again. You guys should definitely watch Prometheus.
Drivel.
@@elemar5 hated it
I enjoyed Prometheus. I think most people were expecting more aliens and were disappointed when it was about the space jockey's origins.
Alien. Aliens and Alien 3 are worthy. The rest are unworthy
“The Thing that runs around on the floor” sounds like an AMAZING H.P. Lovecraft-inspired “SCP Foundation” short story/film, or at least an old “Metallica” song 😊
Sigourney Weaver came up with the “your my lucky star” at the end of the movie
Very entertaining reaction. Can honestly say I’ve never heard so many bleeps from a reactor in a single movie.
It’s always a hoot to see initial reactions to the chest burster scene. I’ve seen this movie about a million times, so I’m pretty jaded. It’s refreshing to see it through the eyes of someone who’s never seen it before.
BTW, anyone ever say you look kinda like Princess Leia?
When I saw Alien at the movie theatre in 79, I was in pure shock and the shock stayed with me for days after, I even had a series of horrible nightmares. It's the only movie that has had that sort of effect on me. There was no other movie to compare it with and for that reason it still stands out.
priceless reaction of Simone at the chestbuster scene ! Love it !
I remember seeing this when it first came out - I was 17, my girlfriend (now my wife) was 16. She was terrified! After the movie (at about 11PM) we had to walk through empty streets in thick fog back to where my motorcycle was parked - was extremely creepy!
42 years old, and still one of the best SF movies ever.
That end theme is a classical piece. Against the starry backdrop it's just perfect.
It's often fun to go back to wikipedia and see the "Reception" sections of old movies. Apparently this movie had people running out and vomiting in the theaters.
To pull that off with as little gore as they did (compared to classic horror genre staples like Jason, Hellraiser, or Friday the 13th franchises)... is something special.
Most "horror" movies are just gross, to me. This one is one of the few that is legitimately frightening.
And the reactions around the table during the chestburster scene were legit. The director didn't tell the cast what to expect.
@@CantankerousDave certainly Lambert who got a face full of blood lol. The other film with this level of body horror (or perhaps even more) is The Thing.
25:13 That guy, she said. Your fellow Canadian and simply the best action director (along with Michael Mann, for sure).
Simply put, Alien is THE BEST Sci-Fi horror movie of all-time, AND, quite possibly one of the best MOVIES ever made! Masterpiece just doesn't quite say enough about this incredible movie!
Had to laugh at Simone "wait is this gonna be scary" 😂 It's the definitive sci-fi / horror film, so...yeah!
@@jerodast Agreed! Between Alien and The Thing, you can get the crap scared out of you or grossed out of you!
The details of the chest burster scene were kept from the actors. Their reactions were genuine
I saw this movie when it first came out (I was 22). I remember the trailer playing on TV. You can find the original trailer here on RUclips. I was terrified when the opening credits started! The practical effects are still amazing to this day. It may be a slow burn but the tension was almost unbearable the first time I saw it. If you ever get the chance to see it on the big screen be sure to do it!
Tell me any movie with a story simple as this and done as great in every aspect like "Alien". A masterpiece
I saw it on the first showing when it was released. Even though it was early afternoon, there were several couples in the normally mostly vacant theater (esp. for a genre film). Most of the reactions totally echoed Simone's -- if not more. I've never been too startled by this movie because I was so entertained by the folks around the theater that the shock value was totally lost on me.
15:50 - Yes, they knew it was a cat… they didn’t want the cat running loose while searching for the “thing running around on the ground.” :-)
@@CynsingsStudios Actually it was to prevent it from popping up on the motion scanner again.
If you haven't seen Harry Dean Stanton in the 1984 film "Repo Man" I highly recommend it, it stars Emilio Estevez as a punk recruited to be a repo man (he repossesses cars from people who don't make their payments). It's listed as a sci-fi/comedy.
The life of a repo man is always intense.
Well, it is a sci-fi comedy. Sci-fi because of what’s in the trunk of the Malibu, and comedy because it’s a satire of it’s time and place. The first and best of director Alex Cox’s movies. (Sid and Nancy was pretty good, too, but I barely remember his other movies.) It’s definitely worthy of its cult status and I love the soundtrack. I had great hopes for Cox, but he kind of petered out.
This may be the best reaction I've seen to this film. I can't help but think this was the way audiences in '79 reacted to seeing something this new and unnerving.
Ash is the same actor who plays Bilbo in LotR.
Most of those actors became household names.
Didn't he also play Hercule Poirot in one of the Orient Express movies? I'm fairly sure he played the priest in the Fifth Element by Luc Besson, too.
Her reaction to the Chestburster, priceless ,👍
"It looks so real". Pretty good for 1978.
I saw this over a dozen times when it was first released in theaters. Ridley Scott's cinematography, and Hans Rudi Geiger's alien designs are still unbelievable. I still have my "You are my lucky star" opening night button. NFS!
I saw ALIEN when it came out in theaters so it's interesting to see the reactions of people who are only seeing it just now. The real horror of the movie for me was that the characters felt like real people, which made it even more horrifying when they're killed. There was no running away to anywhere... they had to deal with the creature. Even though I'm not a horror movie fan, ALIEN is one of my absolute favorite movies.
lol OMG!!! Simone “is this a horror film 🤫 and then the chest burster scene reaction “wtf,wtf,wtf” awesome reaction!!!
The thing in the chair is called the "Space Jockey". One of the most iconic scenes in the Alien franchise. If you watch the prequels they show how it came to be.
There was one sequel, Aliens. No other movies were made after that. I will die on that hill.
@@AdamSnyder1234 Well no, there were two other sequels after Aliens. 4 all together. Then there were two prequels.
@@sagnhill We do not speak of them. There was only one sequel.
I love this girl. Her expressions are just gold!
24:48 La créature sort toute entière du cerveau génial du peintre suisse H.R. Giger qui a tout inventé, jusqu'à cet incroyable système de gestation, emprunté aux abeilles et aux punaises, ainsi que les oeufs, les larves (araignées), les nids. Mi-organique, mi-métallique, de l'acide à la place du sang, une langue à mâchoires, bref, originalité absolue à tous les niveaux d'imagination. Les planètes et l'espace sont des peintures (Dan O' Bannon), le Nostromo, le lander et la navette de sauvetage sont des maquettes, le décor est à l'échelle (sauf quelques-uns comme la grotte des oeufs, qui est une peinture), le petit alien, la larve et les oeufs sont des animatronics, le grand alien est un acteur-danseur de pas loin de 2 mètres dans un costume. Tout est réel. tout est filmé. Le génie de ce film réside surtout dans sa photographie, la mise en lumière et les angles de prises de vues. Les meilleurs dessinateurs et techniciens du monde à l'époque ont travaillé sur ce film. Le résultat est bluffant.
A l'époque de sa sortie, il y eut dans les salles de nombreux mouvements de panique, abondamment relayés par la presse, en particulier à cause de la scène de perforation du thorax, qui a terrorisé les spectateurs tellement cela semblait réel à l'image. C'était du jamais vu. On les comprend en regardant simplement votre réaction, alors que vous êtes très certainement habitué à voir des images gore, sanglantes ou terrifiantes sur un écran. Ce film restera un chef-d'oeuvre pour toujours.
There was like The Exorcist, then Jaws - but Alien took it all as thee scariest movie EVER! This was in 1979, but yeah! The whole movie, sets, costumes, actors, script, etc. all brought it to be at the pinnacle of scary movies. Just be a bit happy in that your watching it from the comfort of your home, everything gets magnified when you're at the dark theater.
1. I was working in a movie theater when this came out. Cool.
2. RIpley to Parker, "You'll get whatever's coming to you". Prophetic.
3. Only John Hurt knew exactly what was going to happen with the chest explosion so the reactions from the rest of the cast were real.
4. Unfortunately we lost Yaphet Kotto/Parker recently and Harry Dean Stanton/Brett about a year ago.
5. Dallas/Tom Skerritt also played in two other must first time/share in Top Gun and Up In Smoke. 😎
6. Aliens has much more action and opens up the rest of the series.
And poor Veronica Cartwright got sprayed with all that blood, her reaction was genuine.
Also, Ian Holm passed in June of last year.
Tom Skerritt was in M*A*S*H* (the original 1970 film) as one of the three main characters, alongside Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould. I'll take that one any day over "Top Gun "and "Up In Smoke", lol. (That IS cool that you were working in a movie theater when it came out! I've never seen it on a big screen! PS: They already watched "Aliens", it's on their page.
@@Acme1970 She is fantastic, and was just as great in the movie she made the year before, "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers". One of the great screamers in horror movies, right up there with Janet Leigh and Fay Wray!
@@TTM9691 He's been in a ton of stuff. It seems like everything he does just "works". Same can be said for the late Harry Dean Stanton.
Other movies when I was working the theater were, "Saturday Night Fever", Grease, Up In Smoke and "Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
It got totally trashed by almost everyone but I found it enjoyable. Not bad for someone NOT a Beatles fan.
“Holy sh*t” x6 during the Chestburster scene. Nice 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well, that was entertaining! Thank you, and I can't wait for you to react to Aliens