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Alien

  • 1979
  • R
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
929K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
155
26
Alien (1979)
A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.
Play trailer2:05
8 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorSci-Fi

The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating an unknown transmission.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating an unknown transmission.The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating an unknown transmission.

  • Director
    • Ridley Scott
  • Writers
    • Dan O'Bannon
    • Ronald Shusett
  • Stars
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Tom Skerritt
    • John Hurt
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.5/10
    929K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    155
    26
    • Director
      • Ridley Scott
    • Writers
      • Dan O'Bannon
      • Ronald Shusett
    • Stars
      • Sigourney Weaver
      • Tom Skerritt
      • John Hurt
    • 1.7KUser reviews
    • 307Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #52
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 18 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos8

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:05
    Watch Theatrical Version
    Alien
    Trailer 1:06
    Watch Alien
    5 Award-Winning Sci-Fi Films to Stream
    Clip 1:00
    Watch 5 Award-Winning Sci-Fi Films to Stream
    A Guide to the Films of Ridley Scott
    Clip 1:40
    Watch A Guide to the Films of Ridley Scott
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    Clip 4:04
    Watch 'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Clip 3:47
    Watch How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Alien | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:17
    Watch Alien | Anniversary Mashup
    How 'Alien' Inspired Ridley Scott on "Raised by Wolves"
    Interview 3:19
    Watch How 'Alien' Inspired Ridley Scott on "Raised by Wolves"

    Photos316

    Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt in Alien (1979)
    Sigourney Weaver, Bolaji Badejo, and Percy Edwards in Alien (1979)
    Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979)
    Bolaji Badejo in Alien (1979)
    Bolaji Badejo in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt and Ridley Scott in Alien (1979)
    Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, and Harry Dean Stanton in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt and Percy Edwards in Alien (1979)
    Harry Dean Stanton, Bolaji Badejo, and Percy Edwards in Alien (1979)
    Veronica Cartwright, Bolaji Badejo, and Percy Edwards in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt in Alien (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sigourney Weaver
    Sigourney Weaver
    • Ripley
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Dallas
    John Hurt
    John Hurt
    • Kane
    Veronica Cartwright
    Veronica Cartwright
    • Lambert
    Harry Dean Stanton
    Harry Dean Stanton
    • Brett
    Ian Holm
    Ian Holm
    • Ash
    Yaphet Kotto
    Yaphet Kotto
    • Parker
    Bolaji Badejo
    Bolaji Badejo
    • Alien
    Helen Horton
    Helen Horton
    • Mother
    • (voice)
    Eddie Powell
    Eddie Powell
    • Alien
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ridley Scott
    • Writers
      • Dan O'Bannon
      • Ronald Shusett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Ridley Scott's Films, Ranked by IMDb Users

    Ridley Scott's Films, Ranked by IMDb Users

    Cinema legend Ridley Scott has directed several iconic film masterpieces. See how IMDb users rank all of his feature films as director.
    See the rankings
    Production art
    List

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      It was conceptual artist Ron Cobb who came up with the idea that the Alien should bleed acid. This came about when Dan O'Bannon ran into a wall with the screenplay in how to handle the last half of the movie. He needed a good reason for why the crew members don't just shoot the thing and kill it but still not make it an indestructible monster that can't be killed. The acid blood was the idea that solved this problem.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 35 mins) A crewman with a black panel of some kind is visible through the smoke as Ripley runs through the corridors at the end of the film.
    • Quotes

      Ripley: Ash, can you hear me?

      [slams her hands down on the table]

      Ripley: Ash?

      Ash: [awakens and starts speaking in an electronic and distorted voice] Yes, I can hear you.

      Ripley: What was your special order?

      Ash: You read it. I thought it was clear.

      Ripley: What was it?

      Ash: Bring back life form. Priority One. All other priorities rescinded.

      Parker: The damn company. What about our lives, you son of a bitch?

      Ash: I repeat, all other priorities are rescinded.

      Ripley: How do we kill it, Ash? There's gotta be a way of killing it. How? How do we do it?

      Ash: You can't.

      Parker: That's bullshit.

      Ash: You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility.

      Lambert: You admire it.

      Ash: I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.

      Parker: Look, I am... I've heard enough of this, and I'm asking you to pull the plug.

      [Ripley goes to disconnect Ash, who interrupts]

      Ash: Last word.

      Ripley: What?

      Ash: I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.

    • Crazy credits
      The title of the movie is slowly created one line at a time at the top of the screen during the opening credits, starting out with the I, then the slash in A and the backslash in N, and then the vertical lines in L and E (so it looks like / I I I \). After that, the ensuing lines of each letter are added slowly one at a time until the title is fully visible.
    • Alternate versions
      The 2003 DVD release plasters the 1979 version of the 20th Century Fox logo with the 1980's version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Star Trek: The Next Generation: Datalore (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Incidental music from 'Symphony No. 2 ('Romantic')'
      by Howard Hanson

      [Played over end credits]

    User reviews1.7K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Milestone
    The beginning of one of the greatest series of all time. This film will always remain a classic. It's scary, influential and insanely entertaining. Not just that but Ridley Scott actually has a great sense of style and mood and he plays with that a lot, to make us shiver. There's also an interesting mystery surrounding the Alien which we know practically nothing about. Sigourney Weaver is just as powerful as usual and really brings strength to the film; they make one. Last but not least, the musical score. Wow! It's fantastic. I think the Alien series is known for that aspect as well. Let's hope they'll continue the series and dang we need it all on DVD !
    helpful•200
    71
    • Pluto-3
    • Aug 14, 1998

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    FAQ38

    • How long is Alien?Powered by Alexa
    • Where is the planetoid the Nostromo visits, and does it have a name?
    • How does the spaceship create gravity? The spaceship does not seem to be rotating, although rotation is necessary to create gravity in the space.
    • Why can the alien be alive in the atmosphere in the spaceship, which contains much more oxygen, which should be toxic to the alien, than in the planet the alien resides?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 22, 1979 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Disney+ Hotstar (id)
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Alien: Le huitième passager
    • Filming locations
      • Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • Brandywine Productions
      • Scott Free Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $11,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $81,900,459
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,527,881
      • May 28, 1979
    • Gross worldwide
      • $106,285,522
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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