45 Years Ago, This Terrifying Film Changed Horror Cinema Forever

Alien at 45: a cult film from its trailer

It is thanks to the imagination of graphic artist, sculptor and designer Hans Ruedi Gige, combined with the script by Dan O’Bannon and the visual mastery of Ridley Scottone of the greatest horror sagas was born. 45 years have passed (September 12, 1979 in France). The public has met a heroine destined to become an icon of cinema, just like the creature in front of her. We are obviously talking aboutAlien, the eighth passengercult film par excellence, anchored in popular culture, which has given rise to several derivative works, including the most recent Alien: Romulus (2024).

Even before its release in theaters, Alien marked the spirits by his band-announcement that reveals little about the film. No dialogue, shots of space, then of an egg, before moving on to strong images. It is impossible to know what the film is about. But the legendary hook, “In space no one will hear you scream“, is enough to arouse curiosity. Even today we can consider this trailer as one of the best promotional shots.

Once in front Alienwe discover the crew of a commercial ship, which has come out of hibernation earlier than expected. The ship, the Nostromo, has detected a signal through its onboard computer. It could be a distress call, the members of this cargo ship must go to the planet where the signal is emitted to learn more. Only once there, one of them is attacked by a creature found in the wreckage of an alien ship.

The Mythical Sequence of the Xenomorph

After a first part that introduces the various protagonists, including Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaverand where the tension is palpable, Alien takes a distressing turn with THE facehugger. This creature that comes out of an egg and attacks Kane (John Hurt), gets in his face and punches him in the throat. There is a natural form of terror in the face of this situation. The creature cannot be removed without killing its host. But then the film takes us by surprise by falling in the blood as another monster bursts out of Kane’s chest in an explosion of blood.

The scene is also legendary, and the terror is multiplied by the reaction of the other protagonists, all as surprised as the viewer. A rendering obtained by Ridley Scott, who had the wisdom to provide all the details to the actors and actresses the birth of the xenomorph. With this evolution of the monster, which subsequently becomes even more imposing and deadly, Alien turns into his last act in the genre of survival. As crew members are eliminated one by one, until only one person remains, There “last girl“Ripley. A script construction used in the past in slasher. However, with Ripley, Alien has paved the way for a new type of last girl. A strong female character who acts as a counterpoint to the muscular male heroes of the time and to come (Mad Max and then Terminator or Rambo).

A new kind of heroine with Ripley and the importance of Star Wars

The irony is that originally Ripley was supposed to be a manbefore being changed to a female role by then Fox president Alan Ladd Jr. Only, if he had imagined a fragile survivor, Ridley Scott’s choice to entrust the role to the imposing Sigourney Weaver offers a different character. From this first Alienthe heroine appears intelligent, prudent, inventive and able to defend himself.

The quality of Ridley Scott’s direction is also undeniable. The director demonstrates mastery at all levels, perfectly constructing his frames and opting for a slow pace, which increases the power. All the more impressive since the director only signed his second feature filmand this without its discovery Star Warswould have embarked on a completely different project. The influence of the first chapter of the saga by George Lucas is also noticeable, both in the first shots of the film, and with the appearance of the xenomorph in a corridor of the ship that recalls Darth Vader.

Ridley Scott’s Success Gives Birth to Six More Films

Thanks to this alignment of the planets, Alien it was a great success. At the time, the film grossed more than $100 million worldwide, with a budget of only $11 million. Enough to motivate the studio to continue the adventure. Only, unlike Sigourney Weaver, Ridley Scott was not called back Aliens, the return (1986). It is in fact James Cameron who produces this second work with his style. This is exactly what he does the originality of the saga and allowed it to renew itself over time. Each film has both the codesAlien and a director’s touchDavid Fincher’s for Alien 3 (1992), even though the filmmaker went through hell and disowned the feature film, that of Jean-Pierre Jeunet for Alien, resurrection (1997).

The franchise Alien has also expanded with spin-offs and video games. Then, Ridley Scott returned to the origins of the saga by directing Prometheus (2012). A film set in 2093, that is 29 years before the events ofAlien, the eighth passenger. The director continued this deepening of the universe with Alien: Pact (2017), before Fede Álvarez had the seventh film in his hands, Alien: Romulusfaithful proposition, which reproduces the codes of theAlien introducing new characters and a new heroine, Rain Carradine, played by Cailee Spaeny. Finally a series Alien: Earth It is scheduled for 2025.

Source: Cine Serie

Ray

Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.