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Alien (1979)

TV_14 117 min  -  Horror | Sci-Fi  -   25 May 1979 (USA)
8.5
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Ratings: 8.5/10 from 254,962 users   Metascore: 83/100 
Reviews: 901 user | 277 critic | 22 from Metacritic.com

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon (story), Ronald Shusett (story), and 1 more credit »

Stars:

Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and John Hurt
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124 photos | 10 videos | 4386 news articles | full cast and crew »

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Top 250 #42 | Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 18 nominations See more awards »

Related Videos

Alien -- Trailer 4 for Alien Alien -- Trailer 3 for Alien Alien -- Teaser Trailer for Alien
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Skerritt ...
Sigourney Weaver ...
Veronica Cartwright ...
Harry Dean Stanton ...
John Hurt ...
Ian Holm ...
Ash
Yaphet Kotto ...
Bolaji Badejo Bolaji Badejo ...
Helen Horton Helen Horton ...
Mother (voice)
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

The crew of the deep space mining ship Nostromo are awaken from hypersleep to investigate a strange signal from a nearby planet. While investigating the signal, they discover it was intended as a warning, and not an SOS. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Egg | Spaceship | Parasite | Alien | Deep Space  | See more »

Taglines:

The Scariest Movie Ever Made. Experience it only on the big screen (USA 2003 re-release) See more »

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Alien: The Director's Cut See more »

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,527,881 (USA) (28 May 1979) (91 Screens)

Gross:

$185,000,000 (Worldwide) (2004)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite releasing a new version of the film titled "Alien: The Director's Cut", Ridley Scott wrote in a statement in the film's packaging that he still feels the original Alien was his perfect vision of the film. The newer version is titled "The Director's Cut" for marketing purposes, featuring deleted scenes many fans wanted to see incorporated into the film (such as the scene where Lambert and Ripley discuss whether or not they've slept with Ash, suggesting there's something not quite right about Ash). He also deleted as much material from this cut to maintain the movie's pacing. See more »

Goofs

Revealing mistakes: The landscape of LV-426 is obviously a segment of the larger planet landscape. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Brett: This is the worst shit I've ever seen, man.
Parker: What you say? You got any biscuits over there?
Ripley: Here's some cornbread.
Parker: Cornbread. Yeah.
Lambert: I am cold.
Parker: Still with us, Brett?
Brett: Right.
Kane: Oh, I feel dead.
Parker: Anybody ever tell you you look dead, man?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Goodnight Sweetheart: The Yanks Are Coming (#3.9)" (1996) See more »

Soundtracks

"Excerpts from 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik'"
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as W.A. Mozart) See more »