Alien Review - Off The Shelf Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 16 апр 2018
- (Re-uploaded - again) This week Gary and Iain review and discuss, Alien (1979) by Director, Ridley Scott. Starring, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt and Ian Holm.
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One of the best movies EVER. Flawless. Period.
I almost feel bad that fincher had to follow Cameron and Scott 1 and 2
Its not flawless, it has some issues to it.
@@EmilyGloeggler7984 What are they? I'm genuinely interested. Trying to get some public opinion on the movie for a review.
i tend to agree!! aliens is magnificent as well! they should have stopped at aliens. i didnt like any of the alien movies after that. the one where there was the baby alien, the fat thing in a white suit that got sucked out of the ships window, that was a BAD BAD MOVIE!
@crashnbyrne I'd say some of the scenes in the directors cut is pretty bad (with the exception of the alien hanging from the chains). In the theater version the only part that is a little goofy is the end when the alien snaps back and hits the door to the shuttle (he looks like a guy in a suit at that part). That's all I can think of
This is why Off The Shelf Reviews is my favourite RUclips channel! The pure dedication!
Yeah. Actual film nerds. Beautiful!
The deleted hive scene makes sense when you remember it was a lone alien. It would not have the queen , so would need others means of egg production. What they probably would of done, as seen in the comics, is have an alien within the colony molt into a queen once the numbers were sufficient. Both ways can easily exist and make sense. Nice review btw.
Sigourney steals the scene in almost every movie she's in. Just a special actor.
I've always thought the magazine scene with Ash and Ripley was his attempt to kill her while leaving no outward sign of how she'd been killed. It's also a mimicry of what the face hugger did to Kane.
I remember when I saw this for the first time. I was about 15 (about 1985 or so) and was in a large cabin in the woods with my family and the family we were visiting. Everyone went to bed and I was alone watching TV. I was flipping through channels (about 10 channels) and I saw the title sequence of this film and realized a movie was starting so decided on it. As you said in your review the opening sequence was amazing. Me on the floor of the log cabin by myself watching this film was one of the best movie watching experiences I've ever had. It literally changed me.
My thoughts on the Dallas egg, to make it easier to understand, is that this alien was a scout that was able to turn victims into new eggs, without the need for a queen. Maybe not all of them are capable.
That makes no sense.
@@krisorgan Nothing about the movie makes sense.
Riddelly Scott said in a commentary that the whole magazine sequence was an android trying to have sex but not really knowing how to, or something like that. Love this channel , discovered it two years ago!
Definitely less intelligent than "Bender Bending Rodrigues," who scored a "home run" in "Proposition Infinity.";)
Quite possibly the greatest Sci-Fi horror film of all. 10/10
i agree, best film in it's genre.
Sci Fic Horror fill of all time yes. Greatest SCI FIC film period. Not even. And no 2001 isn't it either. Too many choices out there for well told stories that are just as good or better than Alien for the term GOAT to mean anything.
@@noneya3635I think The Thing is a better movie but the xenomorph is easily the greatest creation in movies ever.
this is in my top ten greatest movies ever made. This old rustic secluded remote ship is the perfect backdrop for a great horror movie. Great characters, set locations and terrifying monster design it has it all. Perfect absolute perfect movie
Weaver is Ripley in the same way I see Sam Neill is Alan Grant.
It's impossible for me to imagine any other actress playing Ripley. I've tried... but Weaver made that role her own. Forever.
The thing about the deleted scene with Dallas and Brett? I always thought it made sense. It was just that this version of Alien reproduction exists only when there is no queen to produce the eggs and no guards that could take the role of a Queen. It's an emergency built-in mechanism to shift another life form into an egg, possibly a Queen's egg.
Fun Fact:
There is a wasp that stings and paralyzes a caterpillar. It brings it back to it's nest and lays one egg on the body of the paralyzed caterpillar. The egg hatches and the larva begins to eat the caterpillar. It is careful not to eat the beating heart insuring that the caterpillar will stay alive. This real life sequence could only be called a nightmare such as we see in Alien..
There is also a parasite , i do not know if layed by a wasp, that makes snails climb up trees, make one of its eyes look like a berry so a bird will eat it and then repeat the cycle by shitting out the insect eggs in another place.
Something similar in the Sonoran Desert called the Tarantula Hawk. It will paralize and impregnate a Tarantula, drag it to a burrow (sometimes simply attacking it in its own burrow) and it's babies eat it alive from the inside. Super nasty stinger too.
Note to self: Do not read comments section while eating.
Such a classic movie of mounting suspense and horror. Plus, Ripley is the ultimate kick ass heroine.
Went to see it in the theater when it first opened. I can;t forget it, because during the chest-burster scene, a couple of people got up and ran out of the theater. It was pretty intense in '79.
18:45. Ash never believed the alien was giving kane oxygen. Just a clever idea to not take the facehugger off so he could bring the alien back. "Oh if we take it off it could kill him."
At that point in the film Ash didn't know the facehugger was laying an egg in Kane. Also, in Aliens as Bishop goes through the notes in Hadley's Hope he says: "They killed him taking it off". So there is some truth there.
In the novel he certainly knew.
I've always thought that malfunctioing Ash was attempting to emulate the face hugger. Having been given this 'recovery' mission as a prime directive with crew expendable, his fascination with the organism somehow merged with his orders and led him to try and emulate the creature - forcing something down Ripley's throat!
It's certainly thematic and similarly uncomfortable to what happens to Kane.
Yes.
This screenplay was pitched to the studio as being a kind of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in Space", so it makes sense that they wrote Ash being revealed as a villain like that of the gas station attendant/cook from that film.
In the scene where the android tries to shove a magazine down Ripley's throat, I've always saw the magazine as phallic symbol. I think it's even a porn mag, if my memory is correct. It also kind of mimics the part of the aliens mouth that extends out.
Yes, this. I was going to comment explaining the same thing but you beat me to it. This scene is a great example of Chekov's Gun. Although indeed it doesn't make much sense why Ash would not dispatch Ripley more expediently, him attempting to suffocate her with that smut 'zine is a creative way to reinforce the misogyny of the movie's villains.
THANK YOU! Finally someone acknowledges that this entire series is NOT the creation of either Scott or Cameron. There was a writer who created this world and he gd well deserved the notoriety that everyone else gets.
If you were to ask me what my favorite Alien film is, I would say the first Alien 70% of the time, and Aliens the other 30%. In the end my love for Sci-fi triumphs over my love for balls-to-the-wall action. I love the atmosphere of isolation and world building as these amazing characters travel in deep space. I love the slow pace, and the process of discovery. And the sets are absolutely unmatched.
So I love aliens it’s my favorite of the series but when it comes to where I rank them in my top 10 of films one day it’s aliens number 1 and alien 2 the next day it may be alien 1 and aliens 2 but they both are flawless films
Alien = humans trapped in a closed environment with an alien life form
Thing = humans trapped in a closed environment with an alien life form
Theres a reason they are my two favorite sci-fi horror franchises
Timeless classic! Love it! Cheers for the review!
Ash doesn't stop Yaphet kotto from killing the new-born alien with a pair of scissors to save Yaphet from getting his hand melted by its acid blood - No, he stops him from killing it cos he's been instructed to bring back the alien to 'the company' for bio weapons research - Ash spends the rest of the movie protecting it!
I worked in the film industry for a very long time in sets and art department. I got to the point where i hadn't actually watched a film for very many years(a bit like re-visiting a trauma ;) ). But the enthusiasm that comes from you guys has got me back on the horse. Cheers boys.
If I had ever the chance to make a movie, I would take it in a heartbeat. Especially Existential threat based sci fi psychological horror. For example about a parasite that forces the identity of the host to change so it only serves its need without others having a chance to notice until it’s too late for them. Where the parasite can extort and torture the host to do his bidding. With the host being unable to let others know so he can get help. Until his identity is completely broken and erased from the inside, but still somehow enough being left to make the host feel pain, because that would also feed the parasite.
I am sure there are many novels out there dealing with this. But I find it interesting for a movie.
In reality, no one would have picked up the call to take lead and be a hero, so the company would have gotten hold of it and humanity would be screwed. That’s why I love this movie. It’s so optimistic and hopeful. Almost idealistic in its take on humanity.
In the novels the xenomorph reaches Earth and well... it doesn’t go too well for indigenous life forms.
Hopefully this can stay up longer than a week this time. Phenomenal film.
Practical effects for that face hugger are still outstanding. For its day..magnificent.
Thanks for uploading this again guys 👊🏻
I missed the first review. Awesome to see you guys take apart the film.
I like how Gary always says "cinemaphotography"
Seeing this on the big screen tomorrow night for the 40th anniversary! Cannot wait! 😊 👍
Im glad you guys reuploaded this again in better quality. Tbh when i started watching the version you put up last night my first thought was, "Did they make it blurry on purpose so it wouldnt get taken down?" Lol. Anyway, hope this one stays up for awhile. Alien is my favorite movie (used to be Aliens, but as ive gotten older i appreciate the horror elements of Alien more. I still love Aliens tho) and you guys are one of my favorite review channels. Definitely my favorite British one
Only just noticed this: "It looks flawless, it looks real" at 7.52 The camera knocks the chair lol :) I have watched alien so many times, never noticed that until now. lol!
I always thought the whole bit about not enough room on the escape shuttle for everyone didn't really make any sense. It's only a crew of Seven!
45:51 supposedly Ridley said the Deleted Egg scene was deleted mainly because it broke up the movies pace and possible tension in a bad way.
One of my all time favourite films. Showcases the true art of film making. I was lucky enough to see this a couple of nights ago at a local Cineworld who were showing it for its 40th anniversary. Great experience and so glad I've now seen it on the big screen as intended. Power house of a movie.
I love the secondary reproduction process of egg-morphing when a queen is not present the hive secreted resin structure just needs necrotic tissue that's it no matter if the host is dead or alive
The plot reveal of Ash turning out to be an android was in fact not in the original screenplay, but was written in at the last moment by producer Walter Hill.
I have an immense amount of respect for Alien. It heavily inspired my favorite science fiction franchise of all time, Metroid.
I have spent the whole day watching off the shelf reviews quoting back things to myself in a west country accent, been great fun my luvvers.
Ah ha! Nice one guys, glad to see this back up and in HD
Unique film.Utterly brilliant in every way,not technically perfect but it doesn’t matter.Jaws and Terminator arn’t technically perfect either and it doesn’t matter.They are the pinnacle of film A++
Love this film. The outdated technology can be a bit comical at times but not a huge deal. On 4K you definitely notice incredible detail that before was just blurry darkness on early DVD and such.
Brett's "Right" reminds me of Iain's "Yeah".
I'm one of the lucky ones who saw it way back when and had no idea what happened or anything about what would become the infamous face hugger/chest burster scene. I originally thought the face hugger had likely infected Kane obviously but that it would basically take him over (kind of like a Thing assimilation scenario) and he would be the antagonist from there....little did I know 5/10 minutes later. UGGH, stil the stuff of nightmares like you guys said well.
Whoever said that they don't have FTL in the Alien verse? They must do. And why complain about it taking 10 months to get to a solar system in Alien, when in Aliens it takes 2 weeks to get to the same system? Very obviously they have FTL speeds - very fast ones, too. Also we know how far it is - it's Zeta Reticuli.
I agree how else would the recovery team in alien 3 make it to fury 161
The director's cut with cocooned Dallas and Brett makes sense if you read the original Book/novel....the xenomorph was eating them, but was changed for the movie.
~giger was immense . . .
I was too young to understand when i first saw it but Scott designed the Xeno to be a metaphor for a sexual predator. My thought on why Ash rolled up the magazine was to choke Ripley, stop her for shouting for help and as a metaphor for ash forcing himself on Ripley. Some people think that the Xeno forced itself on Lamber because her trousers are missing. I think its once again the implication of sexual assault as we know the Xeno has no reproductive organs and reproduces by turning people into ovomorphs which is explained that drones if there isn't a queen present will use people to turn into eggs. Its not perfect but it does sort of make sense and would explain how all the ovomorphs got on the space jockeys ship without a queen and why Bretts body was taken away. I can understand why some people would have a problem with it though. Alien truly is a masterpiece, Scott builds a world that just feels real and the characters are so well written especially the chestburster scene which is flawless and I've never been able to decide between Alien and Aliens. Both are two entirely different movies that I don't think can really be compared because they differ in genre.
Iain said his name is Iain!
I love this channel randomly came across it years ago its one of my fav movie review channels…keep up the good work lads
Best horror sci fi ever. Will never be bested.
So, I heard a theory about the 'Dallas cocooned' scene. Basically, a single drone would be able to restart a colony on its own by making its own egg, which would birth a queen. I believe there is precedent, when looking at some insect life (don't quote me on that) - the drone would only be able to make 1 or 2 eggs and queen, while a queen can, of course, make many, many eggs. So, Dallas wasn't implanted with an egg, he was turning into one.
James Cameron actually responded to some fan questions after making Aliens, this back when Cameron was really on his A-game, and his answers are very intelligent - you can find some of this in the special features of Aliens special edition.
I love this film - one of the goat of sci-fi/horror, and sci-fi in general, imo.
Just discovered this channel and I've really enjoyed it - your reviews on The Fly and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, especially.
if I had to pick a favorite moment in this, it would def be the lead-up to Brett's death. The ship looks so good, all that tech and gear all over the place just lends a genuine feel to the movie, the chains and the coolant dripping. Great stuff.
Awesome! I was just watching the prior upload, Alien review when this video posted. I am so happy to see this review-thank you!!
So cool! I going to watch the video all over again. Great review guys.
44 :19 I saw a video recently about James Cameron in an old 87 Starlog interview where he explains the Aliens make an eggness that can be made without and compared to how the Alien Queen makes them too.
The beauty and mystery of this film is why I hate the prequels so much.
@northern_lights the comics had a way better origin for the xenomorphs
@@k9vendettathewolfofmordor529 What's their origin in the comics?
@@dvforever they were an ancient race and had their own planet.
There shouldn't be an origin at all. We should know nothing about them. Even ALIENS, as much as I love it, weakens the fear factor by giving them a recognisable life cycle.
I completely agree - i expected so much from prometheus and covenant - and it was bland action stuff.
Imo Alien is the direct antithesis of films like Startrek and 2001 a space oddisey in that this is what space travel will be like for us.
I used to watch this with just the soundtrack, very beautiful.
If you listen to Ridley Scott on the making of on the Bluray, he says they discussed making the computer hitech (and they already had that in the comics by Mobieus) but Ridley made a concius descision to make everything look shitty and low-tech. And he says the room for mothers center didnt fill any function with all the blinking lights except it "felt and looked right".
Great shout-out for Dan O'Bannen. The original script is still available free online and shows how much Bannon and Shusett really contributed to Alien, contrary to what Carrol and Giler say in 'The Lying Beast Within' documentary. Please do a review of LifeForce1985 for more Bannon space magic.
Much better! Thanks guys, always loved this one!
I was 14 when my uncle took me and my older brother and sister to see this in the theater. It was absolutely amazing and I LOVED it.
But between this and 2001:A Space Odyssey I was put right off any dreams of being an astronaut.
I guess it been brought up before, but Scott said he did not make his director's cut as a "the 'real' version" but "the version as imagined at the outstart". He did not intend to oppose with what Aliens brought to the table.
(Not saying anything about his recent films, but that's another headache, hehe...)
Hopefully this one is allowed to stay on RUclips.
They should have left the damn cat behind
I love this movie heck the entire franchise I remember when I first watched this I was 3 years old and it was in the middle of the night I couldn't sleep so I turned on the T.V. my mom was in bed so was dad and they were having a marathon of Aliens 1-3 this was 1993 and I was hooked I loved it. Mom came out for a glass of water saw light from the living room checked it out and saw me entranced by the xenomorph and I noticed that she was there and I pointed at one and said "mommy can I have it as a pet" scared the living daylights out of her. I still want one as a pet.
Is this no typo? 3 years old.. come on. I mean it could be that you were TOO young to understand anything, which would explain why you were even able to stand it. I was about 11 when i watched it and i was so scared i had to walk out of my room now and then.
Alien reigns supreme but I also love Alien3 it’s completely underrated.It captures that sinister tone of the original and has a fantastic score,great cast and many memorable scenes.
The only thing that needs to be tweeked is the way the xenomorph sticks it's arms out like it's trying to give Dallas a hug. And the Ash doll head transition from Ian to puppet. Other then that the directors cut is the perfect version for me.
Great review as always guys.
Just watched it in 4k. Now to rewatch of the shelf reviews again!
I don't think Ash knew why he was trying to shove Popular Mechanics into Ripley's throat either ! He wasn't himself at the time lol
Great review, as always. I was 10 years old when my family went to see Alien. Needless to say, I was an absolute mess that night. lol The movie went on to become my all-time favorite next John Carpenter's "The Thing" (this is not a comparison so anyone triggered by that statement just relax). The opening title/music, with that howling wind, used to creep me out so much. Now it's like a warm blanket.🤗
From the one.s that ive seen, this is the best review youve done, well observed & described
35:46 When Ripley slammed Ash into the wall and he didn't react, that was my "WTF! He's NOT Human!?" moment.
41:37 That's a STINGER, not a "copulation device."
43:03 I only saw this sequence in the past 10 years or so. It directly contradicts "Aliens" Ripley saying "I don't know" when the Colonial Marines enter the "secreted resin/secreted by what?" and ask her about the cocoons.
56:18 I see that you know about Ripley's "serenade to the Alien" as she "steamed" it in the shuttle.:)
Remember. Theyre always watching. Good shit guys. Suprised you havent done this sooner.
I saw this when it first came out in 1979. I was 22. It terrified all of us. This is one of my very favorite movies and I watch it all the time after all of these years. If you can ever see it on the big screen be sure to! I love your review!
ALIEN, to me, is a staple in Sci-Fi horror. It stayed with me throughout my life as much as Jaws has. I have seen it with just about everyone I know (friend and family). It is nearly perfect as an engaging story as well as a horror film! Everything element works!
perfect movie. a drone is not the same as a worker bee. i like the idea it can reproduce in different ways like an aphid
Actually it's pretty much been confirmed that the facehugger and chestburster are two separate entities and the chestburster just instinctively finds places to hide and attacks pretty much anything it encounters, although later media increasingly portray it as having some low-level intelligence the original idea was for it to pretty much be a biological weapon that kills indiscriminately.
This is my favourite Alien film, Aliens is a great sequel but I prefer the style,look and sheer isolation and terror of the first film, as well as the fact that I prefer the idea of a single lone Alien being this unstoppable killing machine compared to the sequel where they are still a threat but they use swarm tactics which again is still intimidating
Also for a film made in 1979, Alien looks like it was made in like the late 90s early 2000s minus the computer screens whereas Aliens looks great but kinda has an 80s feel to it
Alien is a psychological horror film whereas Aliens is an action horror film.
A psychological horror done properly will always be more atmospheric and frightening and effective.
Now it's being said that alien raising it's tail between Lambert's legs that it's not Lambert it's one of the other crew members.
Those were Brett's legs. It is very interesting that once they used that scene for a female character, all forms of sexual connotations are brought up.
It was from Brett’s death scene. You see Brett’s sneakers and the drops of rain coming down.
In one of the docs you see another deleted shot from Brett’s death, where the stinger on the end of the tail, is stuck into his back.
Alien is a timeless classic! One of my favorite movies! Great review!
21:25
GET THAT MAN SOME
BEPTO BISMOL
Nice! Was hoping you'd cover this movie!
You guys are great. I really appreciate you being so thorough because I'm a science fiction, horror and action flick junkie. I'm very big on detail too as I see both of you are. Alien, Aliens, 1st and last Halloweens and Carpenters The Thing are the 5 best movies in the last 50 years in these genres.
ALIEN Isnt the first time the concept of a Space parasite infiltrating a human host has been done.
I've seen it in a STAR TREK episode, where Spock is attacked, also THE SEEDS OF DOOM episodes of DR WHO, BUT this is the first most classy use of the idea, very facinating and original in it's execution, this being a first film, you can get away with a slower pace, & shift pacing gears in a sequel (which is what Cameron did in ALIENS of course) Ridley Scott took a 2001 Kubrick approach to Directing ALIEN Giving the audience plenty of time to take in the visual, as you might in say...a Museum/gallery, & with the great production design, there was plenty to see, because of the set details it was never boring
The pacing was perfect.
30:00 If parker in the theatrical cut didn´t see the Alien how can he then describe it? The Dir cut explains how he can caus he saw it kill Brett. Makes more sense.
The original script was passed around Hollywood. The chestburster scene was the hook.
“I’m Ian.” - Iain
Just thinking about Ash......................Did you notice that they gave him cat-like gestures and demeanor? When Kane is in agony, Ash is staring intently like a cat with prey. Also, when Ash tries to kill Ripley, the magazine is similar to what a cat does to a mouse; toying with his prey. Felines do this. Whether that was intentional or not, Ash has some of the darker aspects of an animal; in this case a cat or some feline.
Also, Ash was needed on the mission as a medic. At least, it seems to me that he isn't just science, but in charge of basic medical services; BTW, that is a pretty thorough medical room for a "trucker-in space" ship. Just a thought.
I always wondered if the Facehugger was the same essential creature but also if the adult Xenomorph intelligence was on par with the host it originated from or are they just naturally that smart?
The xenomorph has innate intelligence but also genetically adopts a degree of the characteristics of the host.
HEY GUYS YES THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SI. FI. MOVIE. WE WERE THERE IN HOLLYWOOD THE FIRST DAY IT STARTED IN '79. I REMEMBER THE LINE WAS VERY LONG. I HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET TOM VERONICA (TOOK A PICTURE WITH HER) ALSO I HAVE THE ORIGINAL POSTER OF THE MOVIE IN MY BACK ROOM. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO.
RIP Parker. Lambert should have gotten out of the way and you might have got your bonus.
I don't think the pacing is off. I think its perfectly paced so that when it all kicks off it has more of an impact.
These reviews are cute and all, but we all know it's just the road to a one hour review of The Keep, the greatest movie never made.
Yeahhh, it's flawless, no second wasted for anything, it's a masterpiece of movie art on the same level like Titanic or Apocalypse Now or The Godfather or Heat or what else.
Edit: And i agree that the Director's Cut adds nothing valuable, the scene with Alien hanging above Brett is part of that, and i would say that it doesn't look very good there, especially if you are already familiar with the movie.
Thanks for mentioning Dan O'bannon, he was the real father of the only Proto-Alien ever and his scenes with it in Dark Star are legendary for me.
I really like the coccoon scene in the director's cut, even though it kind of contradicts a scene in Aliens where Ripley is asked if she's seen anything like that before and she replies: "No". Or something to that effect lol.
Probably a matter of taste, for me it was a bit too pathetic.
I think the deleted scene were the alien walks backwards on its arms and feet like a child is interesting!
I wish I could erase all things Alien from my memory and watch Alien completely new at an age when I could actually appreciate it. I was born in 86, so I had the Aliens action figures and knew what it was about, and then saw the movie when I was like 10 or 11. So even my first viewing, which was an age when I couldn't really appreciate it, I had already had certain things ruined for me.
I really can't imagine what it was like seeing this in the theater in '79.
And I agree, I think Scott is just spitefully trying to retake "his" franchise. He can't accept that other people contributed to - and improved - the Alien series, and that's why he put that scene in the DC, and it also explains Prometheus and Covenant. And frankly, the turning people into eggs is... just not a good idea. The Queen is just better.
I think the Facehugger->Chestburster is like any other multi-stage parasitic lifeform. One is the offspring of the other.
My favorite part of the movie is that Purina Pet Food as moved into the lucrative Sliding SciFi Spaceship Door market.
Me too
I always took this deleted scene as the fact as that this Alien is alone therefore it has no way to continue it's life cycle, therefore it is morphing the bodies into eggs. This was actually addressed in one of the documenties.