Product Description

The terror begins when the crew of a spaceship investigates a transmission from a desolate planet, and discovers a life form that is perfectly evolved to annihilate mankind. One by one, each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left, leading to an explosive conclusion that sets the stage for its stunning sequel, "Aliens."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7647 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-06-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
A landmark of science fiction and horror, Alien arrived in 1979 between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as a stylishly malevolent alternative to George Lucas's space fantasy. Partially inspired by 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, this instant classic set a tone of its own, offering richly detailed sets, ominous atmosphere, relentless suspense, and a flawless ensemble cast as the crew of the space freighter Nostromo, who fall prey to a vicious creature (designed by Swiss artist H.R. Giger) that had gestated inside one of the ill-fated crew members. In a star-making role, Sigourney Weaver excels as sole survivor Ripley, becoming the screen's most popular heroine in a lucrative movie franchise. To measure the film's success, one need only recall the many images that have been burned into our collective psyche, including the "facehugger," the "chestburster," and Ripley's climactic encounter with the full-grown monster. Impeccably directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is one of the cinema's most unforgettable nightmares. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

ONE OF THE BEST SCI-FI FILMS EVER MADE
I decided to buy this movie because I've read many reviews saying it was a great sci-fi/horror film and after seeing it, I truly believe it is. I personally did not find it as scary as some claim it to be, but very intense. As for the "director's cut dvd ", it is far more. It includes the 1979 theatrical cut and director's cut both with commentary tracks and a three-part, three-hour making-of documentary. The new restorations are the best I've seen on any film let alone a film from the 70's. I highly recommend it to any Sci-fi fans or fans of movies in general. A modern classic. 9.5/10

ALIEN (20TH CENTURY FOX/1979)
REVIEW: Nerve-jangling sci-fi/horror flick that has become a modern cinema classic thanks to eye-popping sets, superb special effects, Ridley Scott's spot-on directing, and H.R. Giger's unforgettable monster designs. "ALIEN" takes the basic concept of Agatha Christie's "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" (to cite the most famous of the isolate-a-group-of-people-and-kill-'em-off-one-by-one movie plots), and transplants it into space (complete with a bogus little "Indian" boy). The title creature that threatens the crew of the space ship Nostromo has got to be one of the most terrifying movie villians ever: but is he any match for Sigourney Weaver's tough-as-nails heroine, Ripley? Or the other members of a stellar cast who use every resource they have in order to play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the hungry predator? Director Scott takes a lot of chances with this material, and succeeds on every level in conveying a sense of isolation (which is enhanced by the minimal use of a musical score punctuated by long silences and/or the natural beeping and buzzing of computers and engines and sirens found aboard the ship) and a real atmosphere of claustrophobic dread that creates an almost unbearable level of suspense. The ending itself is a masterpiece of scream-your-lungs-out tension. If you enjoy thrillers or science fiction movies (or if you just enjoy being scared out of your wits): Then "ALIEN" is a must-see film that should keep you awake long into the night. HARSH LANGUAGE: about 54 words (72 if you count the rough language found in the deleted scenes). VIOLENCE: about 9 scenes including some very graphic gore. NUDITY/SEXUAL REFERENCES: only 3 instances involving Weaver in some very skimpy panties, a fairly quick shot of some porno photos hanging on a wall, and the sight of Veronica Cartright's semi-bare chest in the opening scene where they are waking up from hibernation. Also the "sexual" implications of the "face-hugger" scene as well as Giger's phallic alien design.


NOTES FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE: Although an awesome film (and a very, very scary one): the fact remains that "ALIEN" has an awful lot of (needlessly) foul language. The violence itself is understandable (after all it IS a horror movie), and because the evil doer is a completely imaginary creature there is a "distancing" effect that makes it a rollercoaster thrill ride more so than a depressing slasher flick. Credit for a good measure of the film's success belongs to the ensemble cast (who obviously had a great time bringing this story to life), and to the awesome sets and Giger's alien designs which are absolutely knock-out! Add to that the positive heroics of the Nostromo crew who put all their personal, social, and class discrepancies aside in order to fight against a common enemy: and you've got a bullseye of a motion picture. But because of the profanity, the sexual suggestiveness of Giger's designs, and the gore: the film should probably earn a mild OBJECTIONABLE rating from a Christian moral perspective.


ACADEMY AWARDS:

WON: for Best Effects/Visual Effects

NOMINATED: for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration

Excellent SciFi/Horror film for its time
I first saw this film in 1979 when it was first released. It scared the crap out of me then. I recently bought this DVD and watched it again. Still very well acted and sets up its sequel, Aliens, very well. The computer technology ("Mother") on the Nostromo is very dated. The movie "2001, A Space Odyssey" had technology that we still haven't been able to duplicate and it was released 11 years earlier.

A note about this DVD release: Dolby Digital sound is not the default, you have to select it under the Languages menu (Dolby Surround 5.1).