Review: Alien (1979)
★★★★
The year was 1979, the end of the 70s, and in terms of Sci-Fi, we had Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars (Episode IV - A New Hope), and Superman: The Movie. In '79, we got Ridley Scott's Alien.
Alien is a fantastic film. It's not like your average Sci-Fi film; it's a classic sci-fi horror film that puts us in the spotlight and perfectly builds up tension. We know something is going to happen, but what exactly, we don't know.
The film starts off with the crew headed home when they're assigned to check out an abandoned ship on the way. Little did they know, that was a mistake. What they were about to find out was going to be a big surprise to all.
The film has excellent pacing; it takes its time in telling the story. Normally, with pacing like that, the film never works. But Ridley Scott does it in a way that makes us want to know what will happen next or if the crew will make it out alive. We also don't get to see the Alien perfectly until the end, which, again, makes us want to know more.
The score is done by Jerry Goldsmith, and he does an excellent job in setting up the tension. The music kicks in when the adrenaline kicks in and whenever something bad is about to happen. Not many composers are able to do such a thing, but Goldsmith is a genius at heart.
45 years later and this movie is still scary; it doesn't even look like it was made in 1979, it feels like this movie came out 10 years ago.
Unfortunately, this film is hardly studied by filmmakers. Most filmmakers these days study modern horror films, and I hate to say it, but they all suck. They have lost their charm on what makes a great horror film. To that, just watch Alien, Halloween, The Shining, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
"Alien" succeeds in its storytelling, pacing, score, character development, set design, tension, tone, everything! It's easily one of the best horror films ever made.
I'm very aware that people prefer the sequel, "Aliens (1986)," over this film, and that's okay. Both are excellent, but I've always prefered "Alien" over "Aliens."
Just remember, in space, nobody can hear you scream.