"Biomechanical" is usually the term I see for that art style. The Swiss artist H.R. Giger popularized a lot of work in this vein when working on the scrapped project, Jodorovsky's Dune, and later this Alien movie.
without Giger, this movie would be nothing. The imagery of Alien are depictions of the visions he had whilst dreaming, or what most people would call nightmares...
My old art tutor at college was the stills photographer on this movie, back in the 70's he had a small photo studio based at Pinewood and one day Ridley Scott walked in and asked if he'd be interested in taking some reference photos for his new film. At the time he wasn't a big name director and couldn't pay much money, my old tutor said yes even though the pay was low because he could tell that they were making something great next door and he wanted to be involved.
@@tremorsfan from memory I think he said it was mostly model shots, the Nostromo, the Alien ship etc, but I think there was some 'on-set' stuff too, so probably!
"In Space No One Can Hear You Scream." What a great tag line. I was twenty years old when this movie was released and it's still worth watching all these years later.
Your comment about the sound alone being terrifying for those who have no idea what's going on is 100% on the money. The first trailer for this movie was just shots of the hallways and access vents with the sounds of screaming and chaos pulled from the movie. And god it hooked people, or st least so I'm told. We analyzed that trailer and it's incredible ability to do so much with so little in a class I took
When this came out, it was absolutely groundbreaking. This was just a couple of years after Star Wars, and to have a thriller set in this cool and interesting space that was also encapsulated and surrounded by a deadly environment was novel in itself to the point of horror. That, and yet there were so many comforting and homey touches that were lacking from films such as Star Wars: the cat, a familiar family-style meal, disgruntled workers... even smoking; it added a layer of realism and connection that draws in the viewer similarly to the breathing and background sounds you mention in the sound design.
This is the direct link back to Dark Star, which Dan O'Bannon wrote with John Carpenter at film school and was basically the "space trucker" template he reworked for this script.
a high school in New Jersey made a stage production of Alien, something no one else had ever done with no budget. the Art Department helped making the props and sets with recycled materials. Ridley Scott heard about it and gave the school 5K for an encore production, and Sigourney Weaver went to see it. She sat front row, right in the middle, and she said afterwards, "That alien was terrifying!" as sets were being changed out behind the curtain, the alien was prowling about in the audience, and walked right by her!
Adam savage did an interview with the art director It’s well worth looking up as what they pulled off is amazing ruclips.net/video/giSvH_EYWCo/видео.html
The original trailer and poster for this movie were genius….they hinted at the content of the movie but told you nothing. “In space no one can hear you scream.” Brilliant.
That sh!t scared me as a kid... but I was horrifically fascinated by it as well. What I also liked about it was that it didn't really show you what was going on, it only hinted at where the story was happening and that it was dark and horrific.
If you play any games, I can genuinely not stress enough how awesome of a (officially canonical) sequel Alien: Isolation is. It follows Ripley's daughter, 15 years after her mom went missing. The game has so much love poured into it and genuinely feels like you're playing through things that are straight out of the first movie (but then since you're the one actually experiencing it, terrifying as all hell) It's especially awesome if you play it before watching the Director's Cut of Aliens, since Ellen Ripley's daughter Amanda (who you play as in Alien: Isolation) is mentioned in that movie ^-^
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The film made $200 million dollars against a $11 million dollar budget. It put Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver on the map. It's considered to be one of the scariest motion pictures ever made. It spawned 3 Sequels 2 spinoff films and 2 crossover films.
@@JamesVSCinema As you mentioned the audio being so terrifying, I totally agree and Alien should have run away with the Oscar for Best Sound. Just brilliant.
Fun fact: None of the actors were told of the chestburster scene so Lambert (Veronica Cartwright)'s scream was 100% genuine. And the acid blood was achieved by having a mixture of chloroform, acetone, cyclohexylamine and acetic acid mixture poured on styrofoam.
not actually true, they obviously new about the scene and what was going to happen they just didn't know how much blood it is gonna be and how strong it is going to squirt out of the opening
Of course they knew. They had all read the script. What they didn't know was how they were going to pull that specific moment off. Veronica Cartwright reacted how she did because she had a high powered jet of fake blood squirted directly at her.
They had all met the "Alien" the day before, and knew the general route the scene was to take, but they did not know how bad. According to Veronica Cartright, they could smell the Formaldehyde in the air from the pigs blood. Veronica did cop a stream of blood to the face, and the "Oh MY GOD !!!!!!!!!!" really was the actress reacting, then promptly slipped on a pool of blood and went arse and legs up.
Watching this movie over and over again as a young teenager is what got me into liking movies on a deeper level and start following music, set and sound design, film technique, editing and why movies affect us the way they do. Will always be grateful.
Most of the horror is left to the imagination which is brilliant. The sequels offer the aliens overexposed, they lose their mystic. The original is just the opposite. Short, partial or shadowed glimpses leave more to the imagination which is always more horrifying. Joseph Conrad understood this well. Painting shadowy, glistening images under jungle foliage writhing to some ambiguous agony. Leaving more unseen always exaggerates the horror.
I agree and well said! The sequel felt more like an action/comedy type popcorn flick and was nothing compared to the original which is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of mood and tension.
Always wonder if remaking The Thing was Carpenter's response to Alien, having worked with O'Bannon on Dark Star at film school. They had supposedly fallen out but had similar imaginations.
IMHO, one of the most effective and inventive horror flicks of all time. An absolute classic that has to be experienced. Even better on the big screen.
I'm definitely in the camp that prefers this movie to "Aliens." I like the claustrophobic atmosphere and the epic build up. All around excellent storytelling. Of course, the sequel deserves all its accolades as well, but I just feel the original is more my style.
Kinda feel that the sequel is the start of an action franchise, whereas this is a stand-alone horror movie. The sequels just happen to use this as a starting point.
I like the two films equally but I also acknowledge that this one is the better horror movie. Aliens was definitely more action based but I loved Ripley’s character development and the story. I was introduced to this series starting with Aliens because it was less scary ( I was 6 at the time). I’m glad that I wasn’t shown Alien first because I probably would never have tried watching it again
In space, nobody can hear you react to movie. But for real, this is a great movie. There must be something wrong with me, but I enjoy the moody, lower budget first movies (like the Terminator, Alien and Blade) more than their bigger and more popular sequels. Something about their more indie/less polished and limited nature, just makes them more appealing for me, as someone who wants to make movies one day. Also, it's crazy how little screen time the Alien gets here. Just 3,5 minutes and it leaves such an impression, because it's not a swarm of monsters that you can just gun down, but rather it's an unseen threat for these regular Joe's. It's the claustrophobia, the atmosphere, and the overall fear of the unknown, that makes the alien memorable. Though it helps that Giger's scary and somewhat sexual design, doesn't look goofy at all. And there is one more fear that this film taps into, and it's rape. Especially for men. The alien literally impregnates a man against his will. It also has a rather sexual design, and Lambert's death has some very rape like implications. That's a rather dark undertone this film has, and even if you don't notice it, it's still unsettling.
The whole use of HR Giger's art was very provocative and sexualised. It's pretty amazing that Ridley Scott managed to keep the weirdness of both Giger and the oddity that is Dan O'Bannon involved throughout, while also allowing natural tensions between the actors (particularly Kotto and Weaver) bubbling to add to the tensions you see bleeding from the screen.
I much prefer Alien to its sequels. Aliens is the full James Cameron experience: it looks great, even today, but the plot is dumb and the dialogue is only hilarious unintentionally.
There's all kinds of weird sexual stuff here. Not only does Kane get orally raped, he dies giving birth. Then Ash attempts much the same on Ripley, with a porno mag, no less. There's the entirety of the Alien's design. The computer is called Mother and its room is oddly womb like. It's almost subconscious in the film, and I think it's a big part of why it's stuck in the public consciousness as a uniquely frightening film.
One of the details of this movie I had missed until seeing it in HD was a key clue to something being up with Ash. He is showing zero signs of physical stress while the rest of the crew is being made up to look like they are in a state of pure panic. Look at the scene right after it gets Dallas in the vent - Parker is sweating profusely. Lambert and Ripley are sweaty with blotchy red skin and eyes. Meanwhile in the background there is Ash looking totally chill not sweating, not crying, showing no signs a human would who thinks they are about to die. It's a great touch that didn't stand out back in the days of VHS.
Every actor in this film is an absolute legend and nearly every scene is a masterclass in subtlety and restraint. I took my dad to see a special showing of this at a local theater a couple of years ago and it was a real treat to see it on a big screen with a first class audio system. Fantastic experience with my dad.
Am I the only one who would love to see reaction to the making of this film, hearing his reaction and comments? All the obsticles, the brilliance of the shooting, creating the sets, etc.?
15:10 It's a thing that gets left out when lay people talk about adrenaline and the 'fight or flight response', because the cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters can also produce a 'freeze' or a 'faint' response, which is in part why, in academic circles, the phrase "acute stress response" or "hyperarousal" is more commonly used now.
My dad took me to see this in the theatre when I was 6 years old. I loved it. I was never bothered by horror movies. I begged for an alien doll for Xmas and was so mad when I didn’t get one.
Saw Alien back in 1979 in the darkness of a big and packed movie theater. Halfway through the film, my buddies, me, and everyone in my row were crunched down, peeking over the chairs in front of us. I sat up and looked around and everyone in the theater was crunched down. You could barely see the top of their heads. Quite the experience.
This is up there for the greatest movie of all time for me personally. The way this movie stokes tension and fear is just mind-boggingly good. The sound design is perfect, art direction is spectacular, and the sci-fi elements are absolutely iconic.
Filmmaking seems to be an all-but-lost art. Sure, studios still make movies, people watch them, they are entertained, and profits are made, but very few contemporary films are memorable and re-watchable. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are indeed exceptions.
I love the constant low-level tension between the crew from the first moment. They've been trapped together for months in this metal can with no escape and are on the verge of having an explosive argument at the smallest slight or wrong word.
Saw this movie ages ago. Still gives me chills to this day. Alien, Aliens, the remakes of The Thing, The Fly, The Blob, all of them still impress me to this day.
The level of detail is off the charts, be it the sets or props or audio mix or the wardrobe and that what makes the film so emersive. It places you right there in a lived in ,functional and believable world and thats not even including the bonus situation :) It is something that is evident in all his films. Still smile when you see Jones watching Brett get killed as he used the same shot in Blade Runner when the owl is watching Tyrell getting killed by Roy, we only hear the act but watch them seeing it. Great stuff as always, hope you are well and continue to be the best person you continue to be, much love
I was 15 when I saw this in the theater. There had never been anything like it and it scarred us so wonderfully! Halloween, Friday The 13th, Star Wars, Jaws, ET…I was so lucky to be a kid from 1975-90.
You are for real bringing me back to a time in my life when I really found a lot of films I came to really appreciate. When I was about 15 I would go with my dad to a used book, music, and movie store. Nothing was typically more than a few dollars. There were shelves upon shelves of used VHS tapes. Each sold for about 50 cents. It's where I could load up on movies. They'd be ones I had heard about but never seen. But very many of them were movies you've done like Alien, 12 Angry Men, It's A Wonderful Life. There's probably a lot more examples that are escaping me at the moment. Watching them with you brings me back to that time. I was young, so I couldn't appreciate them the way I do now, and especially you have a way of pointing out or articulating what I may not consciously be aware of. That, and you seem to have a lot of fun.
This is awesome Ryan! The whole reason why this channel I believe, can bring a lot of good content. Education, entertainment, and further appreciation. Happy you commented this man!
I remember seeing this in the cinema when it came out , the audience were transfixed and you could hear a pin drop which heightened the marvellous sounds which helped make this a great film. I’m delighted you picked up on that. Having John Hurt, Ian Holm and Harry Dean Stanton in major rolls gave the film some gravitas and of course Sigourney became a huge star. So much was good about the film the acting almost gets forgotten. Great reaction and keep going.
Love your review and your channel! I saw this when it first came out in 1979 (I was 22). There was so much anticipation for it back then. The trailer ran on TV. I was terrified even before the movie started. It is my very favorite movie. I've seen it so many times over all these years. Of course your perspective changes when you get older. I never get tired of watching it. To me it's flawless. The sound design is amazing!
You nailed it when you appreciated the patience this movie has. It creates a deliciously paced out sense of atmosphere, mood, tension…that magnificent slow build of dread…just a masterpiece. The Sound alone should have won an Oscar. One of my top 5 favorite films of all time. Fantastic review and I love your appreciation of every nuance in this. 😎👍
In that initial chest-burster scene, the cast knew something dramatic was going to happen, but not exactly what. The look of shock and horror on their faces was real when the alien ripped through his chest, spraying them all with blood. The SFX were so good they scared the crap of the actors in the midst of shooting the scene. Now THAT'S how you make a movie!! No CGI, just god-tier practical effects.
Ripley was such a pivotal character for me growing up as a lil scifi fan. Her fortitude, intelligence, & bad-assery helped me know that space wasn't just for the guys.
the first scene is very slow but actually displays exactly what is later exposed. The computer receiving the message, reaching the conlusion to wake the crew and the actual waking process taking place. Real good cinema
Awesome lil trivia btw, Ridley Scott had not told the cast what *exactly* would happen in the chestburster scene. They knew an Alien of sorts would pop up, what they did not know was the huge amounts of (iirc pig-)blood that would be squirting out. The way actress Veronica Cartwright screams was 100% genuine haha. Ridley's such a troll
You have reached a level of perfection in your ability to give commentary that is well placed and relevant, but doesn't take away from the flow of the movie. I would guess you're editing skills come into play there. Good job man.
@@JamesVSCinema it's noticeable. You should give lessons to some of the reactors on YT.That isn't to be mean. It really is a skill and not too many have it.
I would think you may have seen it already, but if not, Ridley Scott's American Gangster is a darn good true-story crime film set in Harlem, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Throw in the likes of Josh Brolin as well.
The best movies are immersive. You don't just see what & where the setting is, but you can feel it, smell it and know that every item you see had a purpose, even if you never see that purpose on screen.
I remember before "Alien" came out there was a lot of press and magazine articles about the art direction, especially the use of Swiss artist Giger's biomechanical images. I didn't see "Alien" for years because watching "The Exorcist" had freaked me out so much that I avoided any kind of horror movie for a long time. But now, decades later, watching it on reaction channels I realize how important the sound design was.
First time in Sci Fi a character was killed with Jazz Hands! The tension in this movie was genius. When it came out, all we saw was a poster with the egg and “ In space, no one can hear you scream”. The tension and mystery started before we sat down.
I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. I was too young to see it on release but immediately devoured books about it, its making and the Giger art within. Finally saw it a few years later and was far from disappointed! Subsequently I got to see the linkage back from the eerie isolation of 2001 (those breathing sounds) and its "prototype" Dark Star (also brilliant for entirely different reasons!), from which Dan O'Bannon reworked the idea of bickering space truckers doing their day job. It's a masterpiece, and I regard the franchise that came later as a separate entity. This film is a complete one-off, and Ridley Scott should take a huge portion of the credit for that.
@@JamesVSCinema Oh, so you are beginning to recognize my more frequently comments? :) Well, it ´s hard to not stick around when you are giving really interesting inputs on filmmaking
Definitely a classic. Still blows my mind how this looks knowing when it came out. If you ever play video games I highly recommend the game Alien Isolation. It is a fun, scary and intense ride for sure.
Veronica Cartwright made Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Alien back-to-back, two of the greatest horror performances of all time. Her reaction to the chest burst pushes the whole movie into another level of panic.
John Hurts chest with the alien bursting out is often talked about but after that the tenion mounts more and more without blood and gore it had me riveted when I saw it at my local cinema first time.
I loved Alien for years but gained a whole new appreciation when I got to see it in a theater. It was made for the big screen. If you ever get the opportunity I highly recommended the Alien theater experience.
One of my all time favs. And you're right, it's been a long time since I saw a movie that took the time to let you just drink in the environment like this one does. Modern movies have gotten so strict with the formula of beats per minute, action scene per pages, there's just no patience anymore. It's not that they're not enjoyable, a lot of them are, but they just lack uniqueness. I think that's partly what makes movies like this stand the test of time.
HR Giger's design is genius. There are very few fictional creatures that have given me as many nightmares as the zenomorph from the Alien franchise. I can't even tell you how many dreams and nightmares I've had with that thing...and the odd thing is that every time I wake from one I want to jump back it because it's like I want more. lol Such an amazing creature.
Glad to be rewatching this after many years..the sound design is the stand out to me. How about for you!? ------- Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Be safe out there and enjoy the day!
Bit of trivia: Ridley Scott did not tell the actors what was about to happen. He wanted the surprised element as it was filmed. Only John Hurt's character, KANE knew about it. Veronica Cartwright (LAMBERT) freaked out the most as the fake blood splattered on her face. He reaction is priceless!!!
Loved Your video on this and this is a fav film of mine, sticking on alien isolation on for the first time because of this. Oh if you like this film check out Val Verde broadcasting alien commentary. I’ve found them last year and they’re incredibly funny discussing the movie. Very fun to listen to while writing. Again thanks for your great reaction videos.
This is the only movie I can think of where you could listen to the audio alone and not even watch what's on screen and it's probably even more terrifying because it's up to your imagination.
The art style you are thinking of is usually referred to as "biomechanical" and the best known proponent of that style is HR Giger who, as it happens, designed the alien (aka "the Xenomorph") for this franchise :D
Don't sleep on Ridley Scott's 1977 debut masterpiece _The Duellists._ One of the most beautifully photographed movies ever made. It's a film school. And, oh, how I envy the man who's yet to see _Aliens._
I first watched this when I was 12. The scene when Dallas dies scared me so much I stopped the movie and didn’t watch it for five years. Great to see a new vid from you.
The music from this film is so effective. And what makes this movie great is how little they show of the alien, letting your imagination fill in the blanks. The score alone makes you feel like something is behind you.
This movie didn't play at the theater when it came out, but was at the drive in. My friends and I all wanted to see it, but we were too young to drive. My Dad ended up taking me a some friends from school. It was a great way to see this classic film.
This and the first Terminator are legitimately my favourite movies of all time. I live for well realised well executed well helmed gritty engaging science fiction.
I saw this for the first time when I was around 10 years old. It was the first movie I got to see on my own at night. My parents didnt like sci-fi and I think thats why they allowed me to see it. At breakfast the day after I had eyes the size of tea plates. I was hooked, fascinated and wanted more but not horrified. That was the night that I fell in love with the Alien franchise. =)
This is my #1 favorite movie ever, I've seen it dozens of times, and Lambert's death sounds over the intercom still freak me the F out. So horrifying. Best sound design indeed!
Ridley Scott did not give a script. You were told, “Go down there”, etc. When the alien burst out of his body, no one expected it! All of the reactions were true! Loved it
Sorry for post-spamming a bit, but knowing what Ash is and what his task id makes for an interesting re-watch, just watching his reaction or often cold non-reation to so many events.
What hit me seeing it at 14 in 1979 was that no matter how advanced we get, some primitive ancient creature could reduce us to flesh and blood prey and just primal survival instincts.
I'd like to see a sci-fi movie/series show how audio would sound differently on planet's with different atmospheres i.e. helium high pitched, argon low pitched.
This has long been one of my favourite films, and crazily enough, I watched it only yesterday! So thrilled to see you watch this! PS You need a "Oh my Goodness!" T shirt....
After being subjected to over-the-top levels of horror and stress we are given at the end the soothing sounds of Howard Hansen’s symphony #4, to calm our bruised souls. 🤔
Awesome reaction as always! I see everyone wants to tell you about the chest busters scene. But I didn't see anyone mention how Ridley without any of the cast knowing, would push the set walls closer together each day to increase the feeling of claustrophobia for them.
"Biomechanical" is usually the term I see for that art style. The Swiss artist H.R. Giger popularized a lot of work in this vein when working on the scrapped project, Jodorovsky's Dune, and later this Alien movie.
That’s the name!
theres also a new game in development called scorn and its highly inspired by gigers design
Giger ftw
Or techno-organic. Though that might be a comic book term...
without Giger, this movie would be nothing. The imagery of Alien are depictions of the visions he had whilst dreaming, or what most people would call nightmares...
My old art tutor at college was the stills photographer on this movie, back in the 70's he had a small photo studio based at Pinewood and one day Ridley Scott walked in and asked if he'd be interested in taking some reference photos for his new film. At the time he wasn't a big name director and couldn't pay much money, my old tutor said yes even though the pay was low because he could tell that they were making something great next door and he wanted to be involved.
Wow that’s fantastic
Beam me up, Scotty!
Did he get to meet Bolaji Badejo?
@@tremorsfan from memory I think he said it was mostly model shots, the Nostromo, the Alien ship etc, but I think there was some 'on-set' stuff too, so probably!
@@AngieBooStorm Carl Hooper!
"In Space No One Can Hear You Scream." What a great tag line. I was twenty years old when this movie was released and it's still worth watching all these years later.
Your comment about the sound alone being terrifying for those who have no idea what's going on is 100% on the money. The first trailer for this movie was just shots of the hallways and access vents with the sounds of screaming and chaos pulled from the movie. And god it hooked people, or st least so I'm told. We analyzed that trailer and it's incredible ability to do so much with so little in a class I took
That’s so awesome!! Imma check out the trailer now!
When this came out, it was absolutely groundbreaking. This was just a couple of years after Star Wars, and to have a thriller set in this cool and interesting space that was also encapsulated and surrounded by a deadly environment was novel in itself to the point of horror. That, and yet there were so many comforting and homey touches that were lacking from films such as Star Wars: the cat, a familiar family-style meal, disgruntled workers... even smoking; it added a layer of realism and connection that draws in the viewer similarly to the breathing and background sounds you mention in the sound design.
Well said Braham!
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle Very true
This is the direct link back to Dark Star, which Dan O'Bannon wrote with John Carpenter at film school and was basically the "space trucker" template he reworked for this script.
Exactly! Nicely noted! 👍😎
a high school in New Jersey made a stage production of Alien, something no one else had ever done with no budget. the Art Department helped making the props and sets with recycled materials. Ridley Scott heard about it and gave the school 5K for an encore production, and Sigourney Weaver went to see it. She sat front row, right in the middle, and she said afterwards, "That alien was terrifying!" as sets were being changed out behind the curtain, the alien was prowling about in the audience, and walked right by her!
THATS AWESOME WTF.
North Bergen NJ: ruclips.net/video/DX3VaFG7AvU/видео.html
Adam savage did an interview with the art director It’s well worth looking up as what they pulled off is amazing
ruclips.net/video/giSvH_EYWCo/видео.html
The original trailer and poster for this movie were genius….they hinted at the content of the movie but told you nothing. “In space no one can hear you scream.” Brilliant.
Yeah it was awesomely designed.
That sh!t scared me as a kid... but I was horrifically fascinated by it as well. What I also liked about it was that it didn't really show you what was going on, it only hinted at where the story was happening and that it was dark and horrific.
If you play any games, I can genuinely not stress enough how awesome of a (officially canonical) sequel Alien: Isolation is. It follows Ripley's daughter, 15 years after her mom went missing. The game has so much love poured into it and genuinely feels like you're playing through things that are straight out of the first movie (but then since you're the one actually experiencing it, terrifying as all hell)
It's especially awesome if you play it before watching the Director's Cut of Aliens, since Ellen Ripley's daughter Amanda (who you play as in Alien: Isolation) is mentioned in that movie ^-^
James vs Games soon >.>
@@JamesVSCinema haha if you can, alien isolation in VR with audio tracking on is utterly pants wetting if you grew up with these films >
The hours I've spent hiding in a locker...
A lot of the fanbase has agreed that the official lore is "Alien, Alien: Isolation, Aliens." and we just mentally block out the other films.
James honestly if you haven’t, play Alien Isolation. It’s superb and full of all of the suspense and atmosphere that the movie is 🙂
One of my top movies of all time. So claustrophobic and scary and brilliantly done in every way. And Giger's creature design is stil unmatched IMO.
Though the Predator comes really close as far as creature design goes. 🙂
The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The film made $200 million dollars against a $11 million dollar budget. It put Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver on the map. It's considered to be one of the scariest motion pictures ever made. It spawned 3 Sequels 2 spinoff films and 2 crossover films.
Love seeing good work win!
Is Space Balls part of the Xenomorph-verse?
200 million? I feel like that's a lot for 1979
@@JamesVSCinema As you mentioned the audio being so terrifying, I totally agree and Alien should have run away with the Oscar for Best Sound. Just brilliant.
Fun fact: None of the actors were told of the chestburster scene so Lambert (Veronica Cartwright)'s scream was 100% genuine. And the acid blood was achieved by having a mixture of chloroform, acetone, cyclohexylamine and acetic acid mixture poured on styrofoam.
That’s what I’ve been hearing. So wild!
not actually true, they obviously new about the scene and what was going to happen they just didn't know how much blood it is gonna be and how strong it is going to squirt out of the opening
Not true lol. Not how a film set works
Of course they knew. They had all read the script. What they didn't know was how they were going to pull that specific moment off. Veronica Cartwright reacted how she did because she had a high powered jet of fake blood squirted directly at her.
They had all met the "Alien" the day before, and knew the general route the scene was to take, but they did not know how bad. According to Veronica Cartright, they could smell the Formaldehyde in the air from the pigs blood.
Veronica did cop a stream of blood to the face, and the "Oh MY GOD !!!!!!!!!!" really was the actress reacting, then promptly slipped on a pool of blood and went arse and legs up.
Watching this movie over and over again as a young teenager is what got me into liking movies on a deeper level and start following music, set and sound design, film technique, editing and why movies affect us the way they do. Will always be grateful.
Yep, same here. I saw Alien in the theater when I was 13 and I never looked at movies the same after that. ❤️😎
Seeing someone in a suit/puppets has more effect than cgi most of the time.
Most of the horror is left to the imagination which is brilliant. The sequels offer the aliens overexposed, they lose their mystic. The original
is just the opposite. Short, partial or shadowed glimpses leave more to the imagination which is always more horrifying. Joseph Conrad
understood this well. Painting shadowy, glistening images under jungle foliage writhing to some ambiguous agony. Leaving more unseen
always exaggerates the horror.
I agree and well said! The sequel felt more like an action/comedy type popcorn flick and was nothing compared to the original which is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of mood and tension.
As people have already alluded to, the trailer is a masterpiece in its own right. Worthy of a separate reaction video.
Your movie reactions are so insightful and the things you pick up on and comment on are why I truly enjoy your channel. Thanks for another one James!
Anytime!! Hope the commentary gives some added appreciation to this awesome film!
Always wonder if remaking The Thing was Carpenter's response to Alien, having worked with O'Bannon on Dark Star at film school. They had supposedly fallen out but had similar imaginations.
None of the actors knew about the chest-burster scene before hand. Glad you watched it Captain Adams !
Really!? That’s so cool.
IMHO, one of the most effective and inventive horror flicks of all time. An absolute classic that has to be experienced. Even better on the big screen.
You can feel the love for the craft!
"Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility"
One of my all time favourites. What more is there to say?
One of my all time favorite movie lines, absolutely! 👍😎
I'm definitely in the camp that prefers this movie to "Aliens." I like the claustrophobic atmosphere and the epic build up. All around excellent storytelling.
Of course, the sequel deserves all its accolades as well, but I just feel the original is more my style.
Kinda feel that the sequel is the start of an action franchise, whereas this is a stand-alone horror movie. The sequels just happen to use this as a starting point.
Yep, same here. The rest of the franchise just feels like action movies…nothing compares to the original. Not even close.
I like the two films equally but I also acknowledge that this one is the better horror movie. Aliens was definitely more action based but I loved Ripley’s character development and the story. I was introduced to this series starting with Aliens because it was less scary ( I was 6 at the time). I’m glad that I wasn’t shown Alien first because I probably would never have tried watching it again
In space, nobody can hear you react to movie.
But for real, this is a great movie. There must be something wrong with me, but I enjoy the moody, lower budget first movies (like the Terminator, Alien and Blade) more than their bigger and more popular sequels. Something about their more indie/less polished and limited nature, just makes them more appealing for me, as someone who wants to make movies one day.
Also, it's crazy how little screen time the Alien gets here. Just 3,5 minutes and it leaves such an impression, because it's not a swarm of monsters that you can just gun down, but rather it's an unseen threat for these regular Joe's. It's the claustrophobia, the atmosphere, and the overall fear of the unknown, that makes the alien memorable. Though it helps that Giger's scary and somewhat sexual design, doesn't look goofy at all.
And there is one more fear that this film taps into, and it's rape. Especially for men. The alien literally impregnates a man against his will. It also has a rather sexual design, and Lambert's death has some very rape like implications. That's a rather dark undertone this film has, and even if you don't notice it, it's still unsettling.
Agreed.
The whole use of HR Giger's art was very provocative and sexualised. It's pretty amazing that Ridley Scott managed to keep the weirdness of both Giger and the oddity that is Dan O'Bannon involved throughout, while also allowing natural tensions between the actors (particularly Kotto and Weaver) bubbling to add to the tensions you see bleeding from the screen.
I much prefer Alien to its sequels. Aliens is the full James Cameron experience: it looks great, even today, but the plot is dumb and the dialogue is only hilarious unintentionally.
There's all kinds of weird sexual stuff here. Not only does Kane get orally raped, he dies giving birth. Then Ash attempts much the same on Ripley, with a porno mag, no less. There's the entirety of the Alien's design. The computer is called Mother and its room is oddly womb like. It's almost subconscious in the film, and I think it's a big part of why it's stuck in the public consciousness as a uniquely frightening film.
One of the details of this movie I had missed until seeing it in HD was a key clue to something being up with Ash. He is showing zero signs of physical stress while the rest of the crew is being made up to look like they are in a state of pure panic. Look at the scene right after it gets Dallas in the vent - Parker is sweating profusely. Lambert and Ripley are sweaty with blotchy red skin and eyes. Meanwhile in the background there is Ash looking totally chill not sweating, not crying, showing no signs a human would who thinks they are about to die. It's a great touch that didn't stand out back in the days of VHS.
Every actor in this film is an absolute legend and nearly every scene is a masterclass in subtlety and restraint. I took my dad to see a special showing of this at a local theater a couple of years ago and it was a real treat to see it on a big screen with a first class audio system. Fantastic experience with my dad.
Awesome! Did your Dad love it?
James, I love your passion and positivity towards film. Keep doing what you do.
Much love brother!
Am I the only one who would love to see reaction to the making of this film, hearing his reaction and comments? All the obsticles, the brilliance of the shooting, creating the sets, etc.?
15:10 It's a thing that gets left out when lay people talk about adrenaline and the 'fight or flight response', because the cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters can also produce a 'freeze' or a 'faint' response, which is in part why, in academic circles, the phrase "acute stress response" or "hyperarousal" is more commonly used now.
My dad took me to see this in the theatre when I was 6 years old. I loved it. I was never bothered by horror movies. I begged for an alien doll for Xmas and was so mad when I didn’t get one.
I have a Laura Palmer corpse doll
They cried real tears, too!
11:22 What a fantastic scene. Love how the camera comes up with Harry as the alien drops down behind him.
The 80's had the absolutely best effects. The sets and the special effects.
Saw Alien back in 1979 in the darkness of a big and packed movie theater. Halfway through the film, my buddies, me, and everyone in my row were crunched down, peeking over the chairs in front of us. I sat up and looked around and everyone in the theater was crunched down. You could barely see the top of their heads. Quite the experience.
This is up there for the greatest movie of all time for me personally. The way this movie stokes tension and fear is just mind-boggingly good. The sound design is perfect, art direction is spectacular, and the sci-fi elements are absolutely iconic.
yes this film is one of the classics when it comes to sound design
To make the Nostromo outside elevator set look even bigger, they had small space suits made for kids to go down on the platform!
Just so cool!
6:28 In Alien (1979) to enhance the scale of the space jockey, Ridley Scott filmed his children in small space suits
Filmmaking seems to be an all-but-lost art. Sure, studios still make movies, people watch them, they are entertained, and profits are made, but very few contemporary films are memorable and re-watchable. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are indeed exceptions.
I love the constant low-level tension between the crew from the first moment. They've been trapped together for months in this metal can with no escape and are on the verge of having an explosive argument at the smallest slight or wrong word.
Saw this movie ages ago. Still gives me chills to this day. Alien, Aliens, the remakes of The Thing, The Fly, The Blob, all of them still impress me to this day.
The level of detail is off the charts, be it the sets or props or audio mix or the wardrobe and that what makes the film so emersive. It places you right there in a lived in ,functional and believable world and thats not even including the bonus situation :) It is something that is evident in all his films. Still smile when you see Jones watching Brett get killed as he used the same shot in Blade Runner when the owl is watching Tyrell getting killed by Roy, we only hear the act but watch them seeing it. Great stuff as always, hope you are well and continue to be the best person you continue to be, much love
Always Gary! Thank you for this comment. The detail is top tier. In every aspect of filmmaking this film blows it all out the water. And into space.
I was 15 when I saw this in the theater. There had never been anything like it and it scarred us so wonderfully! Halloween, Friday The 13th, Star Wars, Jaws, ET…I was so lucky to be a kid from 1975-90.
You are for real bringing me back to a time in my life when I really found a lot of films I came to really appreciate.
When I was about 15 I would go with my dad to a used book, music, and movie store. Nothing was typically more than a few dollars.
There were shelves upon shelves of used VHS tapes. Each sold for about 50 cents. It's where I could load up on movies. They'd be ones I had heard about but never seen.
But very many of them were movies you've done like Alien, 12 Angry Men, It's A Wonderful Life. There's probably a lot more examples that are escaping me at the moment.
Watching them with you brings me back to that time. I was young, so I couldn't appreciate them the way I do now, and especially you have a way of pointing out or articulating what I may not consciously be aware of. That, and you seem to have a lot of fun.
This is awesome Ryan! The whole reason why this channel I believe, can bring a lot of good content. Education, entertainment, and further appreciation. Happy you commented this man!
Oh man… what a masterpiece!! Such an excellent sci-fi horror
Agreed!!
I remember seeing this in the cinema when it came out , the audience were transfixed and you could hear a pin drop which heightened the marvellous sounds which helped make this a great film. I’m delighted you picked up on that. Having John Hurt, Ian Holm and Harry Dean Stanton in major rolls gave the film some gravitas and of course Sigourney became a huge star. So much was good about the film the acting almost gets forgotten. Great reaction and keep going.
Love your review and your channel! I saw this when it first came out in 1979 (I was 22). There was so much anticipation for it back then. The trailer ran on TV. I was terrified even before the movie started. It is my very favorite movie. I've seen it so many times over all these years. Of course your perspective changes when you get older. I never get tired of watching it. To me it's flawless. The sound design is amazing!
You nailed it when you appreciated the patience this movie has. It creates a deliciously paced out sense of atmosphere, mood, tension…that magnificent slow build of dread…just a masterpiece. The Sound alone should have won an Oscar. One of my top 5 favorite films of all time. Fantastic review and I love your appreciation of every nuance in this. 😎👍
Appreciate you for this one. Love comments like these..truly means a lot to me y’all!
You're almost viewing it through a new lense. A tad older and wiser. It's a good feeling when a movie still holds up.
100% you understood correctly
I like my man’s setup
It’s so simple but so good
Keep it up with the awesome reactions
Always here for them good vibes brotha 🍃
In that initial chest-burster scene, the cast knew something dramatic was going to happen, but not exactly what. The look of shock and horror on their faces was real when the alien ripped through his chest, spraying them all with blood. The SFX were so good they scared the crap of the actors in the midst of shooting the scene. Now THAT'S how you make a movie!! No CGI, just god-tier practical effects.
Ripley was such a pivotal character for me growing up as a lil scifi fan. Her fortitude, intelligence, & bad-assery helped me know that space wasn't just for the guys.
the first scene is very slow but actually displays exactly what is later exposed. The computer receiving the message, reaching the conlusion to wake the crew and the actual waking process taking place. Real good cinema
Fun fact: Everyone’s reaction to the chest burster was genuine. At the time it was one of the most shoving disturbing deaths in a film.
Awesome lil trivia btw, Ridley Scott had not told the cast what *exactly* would happen in the chestburster scene. They knew an Alien of sorts would pop up, what they did not know was the huge amounts of (iirc pig-)blood that would be squirting out. The way actress Veronica Cartwright screams was 100% genuine haha. Ridley's such a troll
The other actors didn't even know exactly what was about to happen so their reactions were even more genuine.
You have reached a level of perfection in your ability to give commentary that is well placed and relevant, but doesn't take away from the flow of the movie. I would guess you're editing skills come into play there. Good job man.
Appreciate this comment my friend. As someone who does pay attention to this..that made my day!
@@JamesVSCinema it's noticeable. You should give lessons to some of the reactors on YT.That isn't to be mean. It really is a skill and not too many have it.
I would think you may have seen it already, but if not, Ridley Scott's American Gangster is a darn good true-story crime film set in Harlem, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Throw in the likes of Josh Brolin as well.
R.I.P Yaphet Kotto, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt and Bolaji Bodejo
Legends.
The best movies are immersive. You don't just see what & where the setting is, but you can feel it, smell it and know that every item you see had a purpose, even if you never see that purpose on screen.
Top ten movie for me. I was blown away and scared out of my mind the first time i saw this. Love what you do man. 👍
Saw this 2nd day out in theaters when I was 14 on a hot Summer day. The line went around the building.
The mother of all jumpscare movies, great to watch this legend with you.
I remember before "Alien" came out there was a lot of press and magazine articles about the art direction, especially the use of Swiss artist Giger's biomechanical images. I didn't see "Alien" for years because watching "The Exorcist" had freaked me out so much that I avoided any kind of horror movie for a long time. But now, decades later, watching it on reaction channels I realize how important the sound design was.
First time in Sci Fi a character was killed with Jazz Hands! The tension in this movie was genius. When it came out, all we saw was a poster with the egg and “ In space, no one can hear you scream”. The tension and mystery started before we sat down.
Lamberts panicked breathing and scream over the intercom is great. You can hear the horror there.
I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. I was too young to see it on release but immediately devoured books about it, its making and the Giger art within. Finally saw it a few years later and was far from disappointed! Subsequently I got to see the linkage back from the eerie isolation of 2001 (those breathing sounds) and its "prototype" Dark Star (also brilliant for entirely different reasons!), from which Dan O'Bannon reworked the idea of bickering space truckers doing their day job. It's a masterpiece, and I regard the franchise that came later as a separate entity. This film is a complete one-off, and Ridley Scott should take a huge portion of the credit for that.
Thank you for this. Glad you wanted to see this again with your filmakereyes,
Me too! Thanks for sticking around 🙏🏽
@@JamesVSCinema Oh, so you are beginning to recognize my more frequently comments? :)
Well, it ´s hard to not stick around when you are giving really interesting inputs on filmmaking
best community on youtube period end of discussion. thanx james for all you do my bro.
you are the BEST. damn, what an awesome group we got here 🙏🏽
@@JamesVSCinema agreed bro. let’s all keep spreading that positivity. this world needs all we can give it.
You are awesome my friend ! James alien is prob my top 5 sci-fi films !
Love your reaction ! Positive to everyone in the channel ! You guys rock !
Definitely a classic. Still blows my mind how this looks knowing when it came out. If you ever play video games I highly recommend the game Alien Isolation. It is a fun, scary and intense ride for sure.
For some reason, I thought you had already reacted to Alien lol. But anyways, this film is a gem (and scarred me at the age of 10)
I love films that can engage you when young, and then see more layers as you get older.
Veronica Cartwright made Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Alien back-to-back, two of the greatest horror performances of all time. Her reaction to the chest burst pushes the whole movie into another level of panic.
John Hurts chest with the alien bursting out is often talked about but after that the tenion mounts more and more without blood and gore it had me riveted when I saw it at my local cinema first time.
I loved Alien for years but gained a whole new appreciation when I got to see it in a theater. It was made for the big screen. If you ever get the opportunity I highly recommended the Alien theater experience.
One of my all time favs. And you're right, it's been a long time since I saw a movie that took the time to let you just drink in the environment like this one does. Modern movies have gotten so strict with the formula of beats per minute, action scene per pages, there's just no patience anymore. It's not that they're not enjoyable, a lot of them are, but they just lack uniqueness. I think that's partly what makes movies like this stand the test of time.
My man's watching one of the classics of classics. Bravo my brother
There's also the (somewhat) animated "Alien III" by William Gibson.
HR Giger's design is genius. There are very few fictional creatures that have given me as many nightmares as the zenomorph from the Alien franchise. I can't even tell you how many dreams and nightmares I've had with that thing...and the odd thing is that every time I wake from one I want to jump back it because it's like I want more. lol Such an amazing creature.
Glad to be rewatching this after many years..the sound design is the stand out to me. How about for you!?
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Be safe out there and enjoy the day!
Bit of trivia: Ridley Scott did not tell the actors what was about to happen. He wanted the surprised element as it was filmed. Only John Hurt's character, KANE knew about it. Veronica Cartwright (LAMBERT) freaked out the most as the fake blood splattered on her face. He reaction is priceless!!!
Loved Your video on this and this is a fav film of mine, sticking on alien isolation on for the first time because of this.
Oh if you like this film check out Val Verde broadcasting alien commentary. I’ve found them last year and they’re incredibly funny discussing the movie. Very fun to listen to while writing.
Again thanks for your great reaction videos.
This is the only movie I can think of where you could listen to the audio alone and not even watch what's on screen and it's probably even more terrifying because it's up to your imagination.
Dude...
Forbidden Planet 😉
The art style you are thinking of is usually referred to as "biomechanical" and the best known proponent of that style is HR Giger who, as it happens, designed the alien (aka "the Xenomorph") for this franchise :D
Don't sleep on Ridley Scott's 1977 debut masterpiece _The Duellists._ One of the most beautifully photographed movies ever made. It's a film school.
And, oh, how I envy the man who's yet to see _Aliens._
Oh man one of the first movies that blew my mind. Def watched it when i was too young but it’s the movie that got me into filmmaking
I first watched this when I was 12. The scene when Dallas dies scared me so much I stopped the movie and didn’t watch it for five years.
Great to see a new vid from you.
All love over here chief. 🙏🏽
On RUclips the making of alien or aliens is a amazing watch, the documentary goes on for 3 plus hours and I highly recommend it
The music from this film is so effective. And what makes this movie great is how little they show of the alien, letting your imagination fill in the blanks. The score alone makes you feel like something is behind you.
I love that only Scott and Hurt knew that the alien would pop out of his chest in that scene. The reactions of the cast were apparently pretty genuine
This movie didn't play at the theater when it came out, but was at the drive in. My friends and I all wanted to see it, but we were too young to drive. My Dad ended up taking me a some friends from school. It was a great way to see this classic film.
I remember seeing this in the theater when it first came out! Gave me nightmares! So well done! Happy you watched it again now that you're an adult!
This and the first Terminator are legitimately my favourite movies of all time.
I live for well realised well executed well helmed gritty engaging science fiction.
Ah yes. Good to see you are watching this! One of my top 5 for sure.
Awesome Movie and Work Bro!!!!👍👍👍👍Greetings from Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸
I saw this for the first time when I was around 10 years old. It was the first movie I got to see on my own at night. My parents didnt like sci-fi and I think thats why they allowed me to see it. At breakfast the day after I had eyes the size of tea plates. I was hooked, fascinated and wanted more but not horrified. That was the night that I fell in love with the Alien franchise. =)
fun trivia. as shooting progressed, the set was slowly moved closer and closer, adding to the sense of claustrophobia
This is my #1 favorite movie ever, I've seen it dozens of times, and Lambert's death sounds over the intercom still freak me the F out. So horrifying. Best sound design indeed!
The best follow up: Director's Edition of Aliens, and Assembly Cut of Alien 3.
Ridley Scott did not give a script. You were told, “Go down there”, etc. When the alien burst out of his body, no one expected it! All of the reactions were true! Loved it
Sorry for post-spamming a bit, but knowing what Ash is and what his task id makes for an interesting re-watch, just watching his reaction or often cold non-reation to so many events.
What hit me seeing it at 14 in 1979 was that no matter how advanced we get, some primitive ancient creature could reduce us to flesh and blood prey and just primal survival instincts.
Alien is one of my Top 10 Favorite Movies. Horror and Science Fiction in one amazing movie.
I'd like to see a sci-fi movie/series show how audio would sound differently on planet's with different atmospheres i.e. helium high pitched, argon low pitched.
This has long been one of my favourite films, and crazily enough, I watched it only yesterday! So thrilled to see you watch this!
PS You need a "Oh my Goodness!" T shirt....
the film that made ridley scott and sigourney weaver icons in film. stunning to this day.
After being subjected to over-the-top levels of horror and stress we are given at the end the soothing sounds of Howard Hansen’s symphony #4, to calm our bruised souls.
🤔
Awesome reaction as always! I see everyone wants to tell you about the chest busters scene. But I didn't see anyone mention how Ridley without any of the cast knowing, would push the set walls closer together each day to increase the feeling of claustrophobia for them.