Alien

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Alien

(1979)

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Overview

During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.

Featured Crew

Dan O'Bannon

Screenplay, Story
Ronald Shusett

Story
Ridley Scott

Director

Top Billed Cast

Tom Skerritt

Arthur Dallas
Sigourney Weaver

Ellen Ripley
Veronica Cartwright

Joan Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton

Samuel Brett
John Hurt

Gilbert Kane

Full Cast & Crew

A review by Patrick E. Abe

8.0

Written by Patrick E. Abe on September 21, 2016

Described by Roger Ebert as a "trapped in a haunted house" movie, this movie set the bar for Horror in the Summer.

The "Nostromo," like "Star Wars" spacecraft, looks worn and in use, compared to the "just out of the box" look of "Star Trek" spacecraft. (And I'm a fan of the "Star Trek" universe!) The claustrophobic feel of the "Nostromo" is due to "filming inside of a tube" location shooting next seen in "Das Boot."

A band of "space truckers" are awakened from hibernation, and are shocked to find that they are only half way home. The Company orders them to investigate an Alien transmiss... read the rest.

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Recommendations

07/18/1986

Aliens 7.8

05/22/1992

Alien³ 6.3

11/12/1997

Alien: Resurrection 6.0

10/26/1984

The Terminator 7.4

06/12/1987

Predator 7.3

07/03/1991

Terminator 2: Judgment Day 7.8

06/25/1982

The Thing 7.9

06/12/1981

Raiders of the Lost Ark 7.8

Facts

Status Released

Release Information

May 25, 1979

R
Theatrical (limited)

Meaning

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian 21 or older. The parent/guardian is required to stay with the child under 17 through the entire movie, even if the parent gives the child/teenager permission to see the film alone. These films may contain strong profanity, graphic sexuality, nudity, strong violence, horror, gore, and strong drug use. A movie rated R for profanity often has more severe or frequent language than the PG-13 rating would permit. An R-rated movie may have more blood, gore, drug use, nudity, or graphic sexuality than a PG-13 movie would admit.
June 21, 1979

R
Theatrical

Meaning

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian 21 or older. The parent/guardian is required to stay with the child under 17 through the entire movie, even if the parent gives the child/teenager permission to see the film alone. These films may contain strong profanity, graphic sexuality, nudity, strong violence, horror, gore, and strong drug use. A movie rated R for profanity often has more severe or frequent language than the PG-13 rating would permit. An R-rated movie may have more blood, gore, drug use, nudity, or graphic sexuality than a PG-13 movie would admit.
December 2, 2003

R
Physical

Meaning

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian 21 or older. The parent/guardian is required to stay with the child under 17 through the entire movie, even if the parent gives the child/teenager permission to see the film alone. These films may contain strong profanity, graphic sexuality, nudity, strong violence, horror, gore, and strong drug use. A movie rated R for profanity often has more severe or frequent language than the PG-13 rating would permit. An R-rated movie may have more blood, gore, drug use, nudity, or graphic sexuality than a PG-13 movie would admit.