Alien (1979)

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

25 mayo 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Frase comercial:

In space no one can hear you scream.

Plot:

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Plot Keywords:

Impregnation | Expendable | Sole Survivor | Science Officer | Creature

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 18 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Iconographic Horror

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)
listado alfabético del resto del reparto:
Eddie Powell	...	Alien (uncredited)

Dirigida por
Ridley Scott

Créditos del guión (WGA)
Dan O'Bannon		(story) and
Ronald Shusett		(story)
Dan O'Bannon		(screenplay)

Producida por
Gordon Carroll	....	producer
David Giler	....	producer
Walter Hill	....	producer
Ivor Powell	....	associate producer
Ronald Shusett	....	executive producer

Música original por
Jerry Goldsmith

Fotografía por
Derek Vanlint

Montaje por
David Crowther		(director's cut)
Terry Rawlings
Peter Weatherley

Diseño de producción por
Michael Seymour
Roger Christian		(uncredited)

Dirección artística
Roger Christian
Leslie Dilley		(as Les Dilley)

Decorados
Ian Whittaker

Diseño de vestuario por
John Mollo

Departamento de maquillaje
Pat Hay	....	makeup artist
Tommie Manderson	....	makeup designer (as Tommy Manderson)
Sarah Monzani	....	hair stylist

Dirección de producción
Garth Thomas	....	production manager

Ayudante de dirección
Raymond Becket	....	assistant director
Steve Harding	....	assistant director
Paul Ibbetson	....	first assistant director
Bob Jordan	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator
Jonathan Amberston	....	assistant art director
Ron Cobb	....	concept artist
John Davey	....	head painter
Benjamín Fernández	....	assistant art director
Chris Foss	....	concept artist
Jean Giraud	....	concept artist (as Jean 'Moebius' Giraud)
George Gunning	....	head carpenter
Dave Jordan	....	property master
Dan O'Bannon	....	visual design consultant
Jill Quertier	....	production buyer
Bert Rodwell	....	head plasterer
Bill Welch	....	construction manager
Gari Bacon	....	props (uncredited)
John Chisholm	....	prop man (uncredited)
Stuart Rose	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Keith Short	....	sculptor (uncredited)

Departamento de sonido
Max Bell	....	stereo 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

Efectos especiales
Nick Allder	....	special effects supervisor
Alan Bryce	....	floor effects supervisor (as Allan Bryce)
Clinton Cavers	....	alien effects coordinator
Carlo De Marchis	....	additional alien mechanics
Roger Dicken	....	small alien forms co-designer and maker
H.R. Giger	....	alien designer
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	....	alien head effects
Neil Swan	....	special effects technician
David H. Watkins	....	special effects technician (as David Watkins)
Dr. David Watling	....	additional alien mechanics
Anton Furst	....	special effects (uncredited)
Bob Keen	....	modeller (uncredited)

Visual Effects
Denys Ayling	....	director of photography: miniature effects
Martin Bower	....	supervising model maker: miniature effects
Eddie Butler	....	modelmaker
Ray Caple	....	matte artist
Shirley Denny	....	modelmaker
David Litchfield	....	operator: miniature effects
Bernard Lodge	....	special graphic effects
Terry Pearce	....	focus: miniature effects
Bill Pearson	....	supervising model maker: miniature effects
Patti Rodgers	....	modelmaker
Peter Voysey	....	modelmaker supervisor
Peter Woods	....	key grip: miniature effects
Alan Buchan	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Rick Cortes	....	Inferno artist (2003 director's cut re-release) (uncredited)
Bob Keen	....	model maker (uncredited)
Keith Short	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Jon Sorensen	....	visual effects miniatures (uncredited)

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

Camera and Electrical Department
Adrian Biddle	....	camera focus
Colin Davidson	....	camera focus
Ray Evans	....	gaffer
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Jimmy Walters	....	key grip
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)

Otros miembros del equipo
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
Mark Haggard	....	production executive
Alice Harmon	....	assistant to producers
Dick Hewitt	....	electronics and video coordinator
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)
Philip Sharpe	....	effects technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Brandywine Productions
• Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2003) (Germany) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Alien - O Oitavo Passageiro")
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (????) (New Zealand) (VHS) (original video release)
• CBS/Fox (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (video)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (video) (director's cut)

Efectos especiales

• Filmfex Animation Services Ltd. (special optical effects)

Other Companies

• Steve Frankfurt Communications  title design
• R/Greenberg Associates  title design (as R. Greenberg Associates)
• Tony Silver Films  title design
• Animals Unlimited  Jones trained by
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production (as Dolby Stereo)
• Panavision  filmed in
• Rank Film Laboratories  processed by
• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints by (as DeLuxe)
• Lee Lighting  lighting (as Lee Electrics)
• Sony U.K. Ltd.  video equipment
• Shepperton Studios  made at (as Shepperton Studio Centre, England)
• Bray Studios  made at
• Anvil Recording Studios  music recorded at (as Anvil Recording Studios, Denham England)
• E.M.I. Elstree Studios  post-production (as E.M.I. Elstree Studios, England)
• Intrada  soundtrack (complete score) (uncredited)

También conocida como:

Alien: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)
Star Beast (USA) (working title)
Alien - El octavo pasajero (Argentina) (International: Spanish title) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Alien, el octavo pasajero: El montaje del director (Spain) (director's cut) [es]
Octavo pasajero, El (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language. (director's cut)

Duración:

117 min | USA:116 min (director's cut)

País:

UK | USA

Idioma:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sonido:

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

Clasificación:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) (2003) | South Korea:15 (re-rating) (2003) | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 (original rating) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (director's cut) (2003) | New Zealand:M (re-release) | Finland:K-18 (director's cut) (DVD rating) | Italy:T | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 (DVD rating) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) (director's cut) (2003) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) (director's cut) (2003) | 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 (director's cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #25541)

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Brandywine Productions

Trivialidades:

20th Century Fox doubled the budget from $4.2 million to $8.4 million on the strength of seeing Ridley Scott's storyboards.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ripley comes out of the closet with her spacesuit on in the shuttle to try and get rid of the Alien and she straps herself into the seat the straps are up over her shoulders. Then she scene switches to her fingers pushing the switches and the scene then goes back to her in the seat and the straps are down on her arms. The next time the scene changes again the straps are up over her shoulders.

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:

Featured in Giger's Alien (1979)

Soundtrack:

Excerpts from 'Symphony no. 2 (Romantic)'

Iconographic Horror

ALIEN received mixed reviews when it debuted in 1979--largely from science fiction critics, who accused it of being little more than a sort of Friday the 13th in Outer Space, a blood-and-gore horror flick given a futuristic twist via special effects. But while these accusations have more than a little truth, it has been an incredibly influential film--and even today, in the wake of CGI effects, it still holds up extremely, extremely well.

The story is well known: the crew of an interstellar craft responds to what seems a distress signal, only to encounter a remarkably lethal alien life form that boards their ship and sets about picking them off one by one. Some of the special effects are weak (the alien spacecraft and the android "revival" are fairly notorious). There is little in the way of character development, the film has a fairly slow pace, and the story itself is predictable; you can usually guess who is going to die next.

BUT. The art designs are incredible: the entire look of the film, from the commercial nature of the spacecraft to the iconographic alien itself (brilliantly envisioned by Giger) is right on the money. Director Ridley Scott encouraged his cast to ad lib from the script, and the result is a shocking sense of realism--and the somewhat slow pace of the film and the predictability of the story gives it a sense of relentless and ever-mounting paranoia that is greatly enhanced by the tight sets and camera set-ups. With its odd mixture of womb-like organics and cold mechanics, ALIEN is a film calculated to send even the most slightly claustrophobic viewer into a fit of hysteria.

The entire cast, led by Tom Skerrit and Sigorney Weaver, is very, very good--and the film abounds with memorable images and scenes ranging from John Hurt's encounter with the alien egg to Skerrit's search of the ship air ducts to Weaver's terrifying race against time as the ship counts down to self-destruct. Seldom has any film been so consistent in design, cast, direction, and out-and-out fear factor, and although certain aspects of ALIEN are open to legitimate criticism the end result is powerful enough to bring it in at a full five stars. A word of warning, however: you'll need to send the kids to bed for this one. And you'll probably be up half the night afterward yourself! Recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer