1/ ALIEN. 1979. DIRECTED BY RIDLEY SCOTT.

I love this movie! It is among my absolute favourites. Why do I think that? Because this is a perfect film. There is nothing wrong with Alien. Sigourney Weaver is Ellen Ripley, second in command on her ship, the Nostromo. The crew (including Tom Skerrit, the late John Hurt, Ian Holm and Harry Dean Stanton) pick up an alien lifeform on a desolate planet. One that soon turns out to be extremely hostile. Soon the invincible creature narrows the crew down to one, and it is up to her to outsmart it.

From the get-go, Alien is a terrific film. This was one of the forerunners of modern sci-fi and has become the blueprint for almost every horror film made since. This is not a film of jump-scares. The creature is barely shown. The horror lays in atmosphere and symbolism. Not a moment goes by where you don’t feel the fear and oppression of the situation. You’re almost thankful when you see the alien, because then you know where it is. And even then, there is all the sexual overtones. The creature itself is feminine in structure, yet it’s also very phallic. This adds to the sense of perversion and violation whenever it attacks. The characters are so relatable that you have no trouble sharing their fear with them. It is well written. It is well acted. It is well directed. It looks amazing, even today. It’s very subtly horrifying. Everything is perfect.

I could go on name scenes from this film that stick out in my mind (I’m sure we’re all aware of the chest-bursting scene). Ridley Scott, one of my favourite directors, really out-did himself on this one and I can’t express my love for this film enough. There are, again, two versions of this film. Personally, I prefer the theatrical cut. The director’s cut is still a great film, make no mistake, but it has a scene that reveals what happens to the alien’s victims. To me this takes away from the film a bit. Part of the enjoyment is not knowing what it’s doing to its victims. But it really is just down to personal preference for both versions. What more can I say? Well, a lot more. I admire its purity.

Here’s to hoping for the best from Alien Covenant. This series is a mixed bag. They certainly fell from grace at one point. And true enough, neither series has yet healed from the fall. But the good is just so good. I will always look forward to seeing a new entry, hoping for signs of the franchise’s former glory. Hopefully Ridley Scott and Shane Black (who’s making 2018’s The Predator) can bring these series’ to that greatness once again.

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