It wasn't the space horror that impressed me about
Alien when in came out 30 years ago; it was all the attention to detail that was usually non-existent in these sf pictures. Director Ridley Scott, Giger and the various production design team members made sure that we felt we really were on some space freighter of the future, grungy and rundown as it was in places. I think it was a detriment to me that I watched a behind-the-scenes featurette on making this film at the same point I went to see it; unfortunately, it took away much of the mystique.
I also really admired the acting in this one; there was a naturalism which was missing in the usual films about the future. Sigourney Weaver is the one who benefited, becoming a big star more through her screen presence than any acting style, but Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright and Yaphet Kotto were excellent as the various members of this doomed crew; Ian Holm was ambiguous; and John Hurt was on screen fairly briefly, but was his usual professional self. They all drew you in to their dilemma - not by being very nice, likable characters but by reminding us of ourselves; it just may as well be us stuck on this creepy ship.
The sequel was
Aliens (1986) by James Cameron, a different style but also effective. The later ones,
Alien3 and
Alien Resurrection, just seemed to be copying this, less successfully. And
Alien vs Predator was just a kiddie show. This first one remains the adult, innovative, professional effort, even if it does copy the plot of
It!The Terror From Beyond Space (1958).
BoG's Score:
8 out of 10 
