Alien (1979)

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers (WGA):

Dan O'Bannon (story) and
Ronald Shusett (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 May 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In space no one can hear you scream.

Plot:

The crew of a commercial deep space mining ship, investigating a suspected S.O.S., lands on a distant planet and discovers a nest of strange eggs.

Plot Keywords:

Spaceship | Egg | Warning | Parasite | Deep Space

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Tom Skerritt	...	Dallas
Sigourney Weaver	...	Ripley
Veronica Cartwright	...	Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Brett
John Hurt	...	Kane
Ian Holm	...	Ash
Yaphet Kotto	...	Parker
Bolaji Badejo	...	Alien
Helen Horton	...	Mother (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Powell	...	Alien (uncredited)

Directed by
Ridley Scott

Writing credits (WGA)
Dan O'Bannon		(story) and
Ronald Shusett		(story)
Dan O'Bannon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gordon Carroll	....	producer
David Giler	....	producer
Walter Hill	....	producer
Ivor Powell	....	associate producer
Ronald Shusett	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Derek Vanlint		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Crowther		(director's cut)
Terry Rawlings
Peter Weatherley

Production Design by
Michael Seymour

Art Direction by
Roger Christian
Leslie Dilley		(as Les Dilley)

Set Decoration by
Ian Whittaker

Costume Design by
John Mollo

Makeup Department
Pat Hay	....	makeup artist
Tommie Manderson	....	makeup supervisor (as Tommy Manderson)
Sarah Monzani	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Garth Thomas	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Raymond Becket	....	assistant director
Steve Harding	....	assistant director
Paul Ibbetson	....	first assistant director
Bob Jordan	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Jonathan Amberston	....	assistant art director
Eddie Butler	....	modeller
Ron Cobb	....	concept artist
John Davey	....	head painter
Shirley Denny	....	modeller
Benjamín Fernández	....	assistant art director (as Benjamin Fernandez)
Chris Foss	....	concept artist
Jean Giraud	....	concept artist (as Jean 'Moëbius' Giraud)
George Gunning	....	head carpenter
Dave Jordan	....	property master
Dan O'Bannon	....	visual design consultant
Jill Quertier	....	production buyer
Patti Rodgers	....	modeller
Bert Rodwell	....	head plasterer
Peter Voysey	....	supervising modeller
Bill Welch	....	construction manager
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Gari Bacon	....	props (uncredited)
John Chisholm	....	prop man (uncredited)
Paul James	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Brian Muir	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Stuart Rose	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Keith Short	....	sculptor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Max Bell	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Andrew I. King	....	sound re-recording mixer: director's cut
Derrick Leather	....	production sound mixer
Ray Merrin	....	sound re-recording assistant
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Shields	....	sound editor
Bryan Tilling	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Nick Allder	....	special effects supervisor
Alan Bryce	....	floor effects supervisor (as Allan Bryce)
Clinton Cavers	....	coordinator: 'Alien' effects
Carlo De Marchis	....	additional 'Alien' mechanics (as Carlo DeMarchis)
Roger Dicken	....	maker: small 'Alien' forms
Guy Hudson	....	special effects technician
Brian Johnson	....	special effects supervisor
Phil Knowles	....	special effects technician
Dennis Lowe	....	special effects technician
Roger Nichols	....	special effects technician
Carlo Rambaldi	....	creator: 'Alien' head effects
Neil Swan	....	special effects technician
David H. Watkins	....	special effects technician (as David Watkins)
David Watling	....	additional 'Alien' mechanics (as Dr. David Watling)
Anton Furst	....	special effects (uncredited)
Bob Keen	....	modeller (uncredited)
Philip Sharpe	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Christian Wolf-La'Moy	....	model maker (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Dennis Ayling	....	director of photography: miniature effects (as Denys Ayling)
Martin Bower	....	supervising model maker: miniature effects
Ray Caple	....	matte artist
Dick Hewitt	....	electronics and video coordinator: main unit
David Litchfield	....	operator: miniature effects
Bernard Lodge	....	special graphic effects
Terry Pearce	....	focus: miniature effects
Bill Pearson	....	supervising model maker: miniature effects
Peter Woods	....	key grip: miniature effects
Alan Buchan	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Rick Cortes	....	Inferno artist (2003 director's cut re-release) (uncredited)
Jon Sorensen	....	visual effects miniatures (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie Powell	....	stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunt coordinator
Monty Jordan	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adrian Biddle	....	camera focus: main unit
Colin Davidson	....	camera focus: main unit
Ray Evans	....	lighting gaffer: main unit
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Jimmy Walters	....	key grip: main unit
Wick Finch	....	electrician (uncredited)
David Johnson	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Micky Wilson	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Mary Goldberg	....	casting: USA
Mary Selway	....	casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Peter Baldock	....	assistant film editor
Peter Culverwell	....	assistant film editor
Les Healey	....	first assistant editor
Maureen Lyndon	....	assistant film editor
Bridget Reiss	....	assistant film editor
Brian Q. Kelley	....	editor: additional material for special edition (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Hathaway	....	music editor (as Bob Hathaway)
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Percy Edwards	....	alien vocalizator (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Stanley Bielecki	....	advertising and publicity consultant
Lori Covel	....	assistant to producers
Valerie Craig	....	production assistant
Brian Doyle	....	unit publicist
Kay Fenton	....	continuity
Bill Finch	....	production accountant
H.R. Giger	....	'Alien' design
Mark Haggard	....	production executive
Alice Harmon	....	assistant to producers
Charles Lippincott	....	advertising and publicity consultant
Sandy Molloy	....	assistant to director
Saul Bass	....	title designer (uncredited)
Robert H. Lemer	....	associate to producer (uncredited)
Jake Scott	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Brandywine Productions
• Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.)
• 20th Century Fox (1979) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Brazil (1979) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1979) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Fox (1979) (Cyprus) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Fox (1980) (Greece) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Film de Mexico (2003) (Mexico) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2003) (Italy) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2003) (Germany) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Alien - O Oitavo Passageiro")
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CBS / Fox Video (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (198?) (New Zealand) (VHS) (original video release)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• City Video International (CVI) (19??) (Netherlands) (video) (Betamax)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Odeon (2004) (Greece) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (director's cut)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (Alien Anthology)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (Prometheus to Alien: The Evolution boxset)

Special Effects

• Filmfex Animation Services (special optical effects by) (as Filmfex Animation Services Ltd.)

Other Companies

• Steve Frankfurt Communications  title design
• R/Greenberg Associates  title design (as R. Greenberg Associates)
• Tony Silver Films  title design
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (as Dolby Stereo) (uncredited)
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints by (as DeLuxe)
• Sony U.K. Ltd.  video equipment by
• Anvil Studios  music recorded at (as Anvil Recording Studios, Denham England)
• E.M.I. Elstree Studios  post-production (as E.M.I. Elstree Studios, England)
• Anvil Recording Studios  music recorded at (as Anvil Recording Studios, Denham, England)
• Intrada  soundtrack (complete score) (uncredited)
• Lee Electrics  lighting by

Also Known As:

"Alien: The Director's Cut" - USA (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language

Runtime:

117 min | 116 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 (director's cut) (2003) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating: director's cut) (2003) | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) (1991) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #25541) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) (2003) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) (director's cut) (2003) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) (director's cut) (2003) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (director's cut) (2003) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | New Zealand:M (re-release) | New Zealand:R16 (original rating) | Italy:T | Finland:K-18 (director's cut) (DVD rating) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Portugal:M/16 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (re-rating) (2003) | South Korea:18 (original rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | West Germany:16 (f) | Israel:16 | India:A | Czech Republic:18 | Japan:G (2010) | UK:15 (video rating) (2010) | UK:18 (video rating: DVD audio commentary) (2003) | UK:18 (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Brandywine Productions

Trivia:

The computer screen displaying Nostromo's orbit around the planet contains a hidden credit to Dr. Brian Wyvill, one of the programmers for the animation. Within the top frame entitled Deorbital Descent, it is possible to isolate the letters "BLOB", Dr. Brian Wyvill's common nickname.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: One of the moons in the system containing LV-426 (the target moon) is out of phase with the others.

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?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in All About 'Thunderbirds' (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Incidental music from 'Symphony No. 2 ('Romantic')

Classic tale of terror

This is one of the finest science fiction films ever made. Everything is so carefully and expertly constructed to the point that repeated viewings are just as good as the first. Also, the atmosphere, along with the amazing sets, is real shocker and few movies have managed to create the same kind eerie feeling.

The story starts with the crew of the cargo vessel "Nostromo" waking up before schedule. They soon realize their on-board computer has detected life on a nearby planet and they go to investigate. One of them unwillingly brings back an...ALIEN (!) which soon becomes a very unwanted passenger. The introduction of the title creature in the famous chest-burster scene is a real jolter. Especially if you watch it after dinner.

The music, too, must be mentioned and it moves the story along with unrelenting terror. However, the lack of music, in certain scenes, works just as well and this combination makes for one of the best musical montages to be put on film.

This is a classic film that spawned a series, which is good overall, and a bunch of copycats, many of which are just sad. "Alien" came first and it is easily one the best. 10/10

Rated R: violence/gore and profanity