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Alien

  • 19791979
  • RR
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
841K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
300
70
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
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
9 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorSci-Fi

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

IMDb RATING
8.4/10
841K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
300
70
  • Director
    • Ridley Scott
  • Writers
    • Dan O'Bannon(screenplay by)
    • Ronald Shusett(story by)
  • Stars
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Tom Skerritt
    • John Hurt
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ridley Scott
  • Writers
    • Dan O'Bannon(screenplay by)
    • Ronald Shusett(story by)
  • Stars
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Tom Skerritt
    • John Hurt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.6KUser reviews
    • 317Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #53
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 18 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos9

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:05
    Theatrical Version
    Alien
    Trailer 1:06
    Alien
    A Guide to the Films of Ridley Scott
    Clip 1:40
    A Guide to the Films of Ridley Scott
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    Clip 4:04
    'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Clip 3:47
    How "Carnival Row" Gets Lovecraft Right
    Alien | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:17
    Alien | Anniversary Mashup
    How 'Alien' Inspired Ridley Scott on "Raised by Wolves"
    Interview 3:19
    How 'Alien' Inspired Ridley Scott on "Raised by Wolves"
    "Counterpart" Executive Producer Jordan Horowitz on the Art of Espionage
    Video 1:56
    "Counterpart" Executive Producer Jordan Horowitz on the Art of Espionage
    The Watchlist With 'La La Land' Producer Jordan Horowitz
    Video 1:23
    The Watchlist With 'La La Land' Producer Jordan Horowitz

    Photos329

    Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt in Alien (1979)
    Sigourney Weaver and Bolaji Badejo in Alien (1979)
    Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979)
    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 and Bolaji Badejo in Alien (1979)
    Veronica Cartwright and Bolaji Badejo in Alien (1979)
    John Hurt in Alien (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sigourney Weaver
    Sigourney Weaver
    • Ripleyas Ripley
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Dallasas Dallas
    John Hurt
    John Hurt
    • Kaneas Kane
    Veronica Cartwright
    Veronica Cartwright
    • Lambertas Lambert
    Harry Dean Stanton
    Harry Dean Stanton
    • Brettas Brett
    Ian Holm
    Ian Holm
    • Ashas Ash
    Yaphet Kotto
    Yaphet Kotto
    • Parkeras Parker
    Bolaji Badejo
    Bolaji Badejo
    • Alienas Alien
    Helen Horton
    Helen Horton
    • Motheras Mother
    • (voice)
    Eddie Powell
    Eddie Powell
    • Alienas Alien
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Ridley Scott
    • Writers
      • Dan O'Bannon(screenplay by) (story by)
      • Ronald Shusett(story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In the distant future, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo are on their way home when they pick up a distress call from a distant moon. The crew are under obligation to investigate and the spaceship descends on the moon afterwards. After a rough landing, three crew members leave the spaceship to explore the area on the moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with the consequences. —blazesnakes9
    alienspaceshipouter spacecreaturefemale protagonist210 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • In space no one can hear you scream.
    • Genres
      • Horror
      • Sci-Fi
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The blue laser lights that were used in the alien ship's egg chamber were borrowed from The Who. The band was testing out the lasers for their stage show in the soundstage next door.
    • 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

      [last lines]

      Ripley: Final report of the commercial starship Nostromo, third officer reporting. The other members of the crew - Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash, and Captain Dallas - are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier in about six weeks. With a little luck, the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.

      [to Jonesy the cat]

      Ripley: Come on, cat.

    • 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 laserdisc release features a separate section with the scenes not included in the theatrical release. This is the new material:
      • After being awakened from hypersleep, Kane wanders out to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, he says "Rise and shine Lambert".
      • The crew gathers on the bridge and listens to the signal coming from the derelict craft.
      • Lambert confronts Ripley about Ripley's reluctance to let them back on the ship with Kane and the facehugger. Lambert tells Ripley, Parker and Brett how the face hugger got on Kane.
      • Ripley radios down to Parker and Brett to see how they're progressing on the repairs, Parker and Ripley exchange tense words over the radio.
      • After the face hugger's acid eats through a few floors, the crew returns to the med lab to check up on Kane's condition. Ripley sees an X-Ray of Kane's chest and asks Ash, "What is that dark stain on Kane's lung?" The rest of the crew starts asking if Kane's going to live, Dallas tells everyone to go back to work.
      • After Kane's death, the crew gathers around at the meal table to discuss what they're going to do with the escaped alien. Brett announces the cattle-prod idea and suggests "catching" the alien in a net.
      • Longer version of Brett's death. This scene had Brett frozen with fear as the alien grabs his head, he yells "Parker!" and then blood poors from beneath his cap. The alien lifts him up into the landing gear and Ripley and Parker come rushing in. Parker stands where Brett once was and looks up; blood drips on his shirt and then Brett's cattle prod falls to Parker's feet.
      • Part of a scene that involves Parker, Ripley and Lambert trying to flush the alien out of the air lock. As they are about to succeed, an alarm is triggered and the alien rushes out of the airlock (getting its tail caught in the closing door, and spilling acid that causes a hull breach). Parker falls unconciously to the floor, Ripley does the same and Lambert and Ash come to their rescue. Ripley vocalizes her suspicions about Ash by accusing him of setting the alarm off.
      • After Dallas's disappearance, Ripley (being suspicious of Ash) asks Lambert if she's ever slept with him.
      • The build-up to Lambert's death is much longer. (Watch the alien's shadow on the wall, it walks in, crouches down, then immediately gets up) A scene where we see the alien enter, crouch down and wait until Lambert notices its presence was cut. When Lambert sees the alien, it uncoils its tail and walks (like a crab) over to Lambert.
      • After Ripley discovers the remains of Parker and Lambert, she makes another discovery. Ripley enters the landing gear area of the Nostromo (where Brett got killed) and discovers a cocooned Dallas and Brett mutating into an egg. Dallas pleads, "Kill me". Ripley flames Dallas and the Brett-egg and then runs to set the ship on self-destruct.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bride of Monster Mania (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      Incidental music from 'Symphony No. 2 ('Romantic')'
      by Howard Hanson
      [Played over end credits]

    User reviews1.6K

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Prophetic & Visionary...
    Allegorically and quite unintentionally a tale of a virus, ignorantly released its only aim is to destroy us, the wheels set in motion, a search begins for a new potion, but perpetuation has begun and there's absolutely nowhere you can run - from the evolutionary transformations, variations and mutations, the prequels, sequels and unequals yet to come.
    helpful•9
    0
    • Xstal
    • Oct 30, 2021

    FAQ29

    • 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: The Director's Cut
    • Filming locations
      • Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Brandywine 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
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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