The Worst Film Ever

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Precisely what American / mainstream cinema needs today: a believable strong heroine. Sigourney Weaver's delivers her character so well that the viewer is totally engrossed in one of the all time greatest science fiction films. As if there, with her, in this ship, with the alien, floating in the seemingly immense void of Space. Impressive and entertaining as 'Prometheus' was, Scott seemed to have been unable to recreate the magic of Alien, nor find the strength of Weaver in his characters and cast. The design of Giger's Alien, the ship and every other element were so impressive in 1979 that they appear to have laid a blueprint for most American (and much of non-American) science fiction. Even three decades after its release, the set and designs, cast and camera work deliver a thrilling experience.

'Alien' is a slow-burning and masterful science-fiction horror that well deserves its critical acclaim. Having never been a huge fan of the science-fiction genre, I never felt that compelled to watch it, but given the fact that this is often referred to as "one of the best horror films ever made" I decided to give it a shot - and it absolutely exceeded my expectations and I can confidently say that this is one of the best horrors I have ever seen. Every single aspect of this film is flawless, from its elaborate set design to its captivating cinematography. Scott's direction is polished and skillful, building up great amounts of tension (with the help of a fantastic score by Jerry Goldsmith) and resulting in a fantastic and terrifying climax. But what really shines in this film is the acting, with a profound and real performance from Sigourney Weaver. Weaver brings the character of Ripley to life and makes her feel like a real character. By displaying the right amount of terror and the perfect amount of badass, Weaver's character becomes an instant favorite among any horror movie franchise. The plot of Alien is nice and straightforward, as most horror films should be, leaving the focus to be on the survival of the characters. What makes Alien stand out from the rest, is its underlying metaphors that give the film depth and complexity. Overall, this was a brilliant film that can effortlessly be penned as one of the best horror films made.

This is one of the greatest movie that was ever made. Watching this movie (also Star Wars) at a young age has made me the person I am today.

I can definitely understand the rating Alien has, however, watching it now, the problem isn't the special effects (they're fine and clearly amazing for their time), rather, the problem is how drawn out the story feels.It takes around 40 minutes for Alien to start. Before that is a long winded journey of suspense and discovery, then after it finally really starts, there's more of the same at too many parts. For instance, a longer time than necessary is spent looking for the cat (Jones), right before Brett is killed, and that time itself was directly preceded by another sequence filled with too much shadowing.The pacing wouldn't be such an issue, if at least the suspense was able to live up to it. The coolest part by far is when the parent alien was attached to Kane. It was ominous and appropriately nightmarish. Thereafter, especially given Dallas's constant nonchalance, the film feels, lengthy.Also, we never really get to fully see the alien in its entirety, and maybe that was by design, but because of the pacing, I found myself needing something in the film to look forward to, and since the story was already a far gone conclusion, it left the spotlight on the alien.This may seem like a negative review, however, I did enjoy this film, though it lost my full attention at some points due to its near inactivity, or seemingly sedate flow. I'd love to give it more, however my experience of it just can't allow it. 6/10.