Dir.

RidleySco5
ReviewbyEmilyClarkson

Alien(1979)

Alienisascihorrorlmthatwasscreenedin1979anddirectedtheinfamousRidleySco5.The storyissetinthefuturetoaworldwherespacetraveliscommonplace.Thefocusofthestoryis onasalvageshipcalledtheNostromoanditscrewofseven.Ontheirwaybacktoearth,the NostromocrewsshipinterceptsasignaltheyassumetobeanSOSandfollowittoitssource. TheirinvesMgaMonleadsthemintoterribledangerasAliencreaturelurkintheruineddebrisof anothershipanditisreadytowreakitshavocontheunsuspecMngNostromocrew.

TheintroducMonofAlienisdeceivinglyslow; Thereisnodialogfortherst6 minutes.(IMDb,2012)helpingtosetthescene ofaship,withacrewonthejob,doingwhat theyaresupposedtowhenexternal circumstancesintervene.Thecamerawork includesalargeamountofpanningthroughthe spacesoftheshipNostromo.Theshipisnota glossy,perfectsetofcurvaceousglassesand plasMcs,butanarrayofdisorganizedtubing, metalwork,gangwaysandvacuumformed plasMcs.Itvisuallydescribesareallywellused, funcMonalplaceofwork.DespitetheseVngof afarungfuture,thevisualconcepMonfeels relatable.(g1and2)

Fig1:IMDb,2012)

Fig2:IMDb,2012)

Whentheaudiencesareintroducedtothealienplanettheyarethrownintoaplacethatis immediatelyforeboding.ThemajorityofsetdesignsfortheseparMcularsceneswerebytheSwiss surrealistH.R.Giger.ManyofGigersworkscarrythemostexplicitmoMfandarequitecerebralin nature;diggingintothedepthsofFreudiansexualpsychology.Hehasbeentodescribedtobea visionarywithanuncannyabilitytodepictthedeepdarkrecessesofthehumanpsycherevealed bymodernconsciousnessresearch.(Grof,2005)TherepeMMveuseofribbedpipeworkinstrong, lighMnghelpstocreateatexturethatisrepulsive(g3)Asifitwasntenoughtohaveasetthat subconsciouslyfrightenedaudiences,theproducershadGigercreatetheirterrifyingalien creature.Thetallgangling;monstrosityis,forthemostpartofthelm,partlyhiddeninshadows. Butwhenitisseen,strikesastrongpangofintrigue,fearandrevulsion.(Fig4)

Fig3:b,2012)

Fig4:b,2012)

TheintroducMonofGigersAlienisaveryhorricallyprimalone.Itsentryintothestorylineagain runsalongthelinesofFreudspsychologyandGigersartworkofuncomfortablyinMmate subjectschildbirth.Gigerdiscoveredindependentlyfromthepioneersofmodernconsciousness research,theparamountpsychologicalimportanceofthetraumaofbiologicalbirth.(Grof, 2005b)However,forthesakesofahorrorlm,ithasbeentransformedintoacompletelybrutal event.Atwostageprocessthatwillonrstviewing,shockmostaudiences.Itisthischestburst scenethathasbecomeoneofthemostfamousinsciencecMonhorrorlms,(it)was consideredthesecondscariestmoviemomentofallBmeonBravo'sThe100ScariestMovie Moments.(IMDb,2012).Itsfamecausedmainlybythesheerhorroroftheideabutalsothe visualeects.(Fig5)

(Fig5IMDb,2012)

RidleySco5sstagedirecMonhelpedtocreatean immersiveatmospherefortheaudiencewhenthe crewmembersoftheNostromotalkedtoone another.Theywouldbespeakingintermi5ently, someMmesoverthetopofeachotherandtheadded useifimprovisaMonbythecastonlysolidiesthe realism,parMcularlyinthegroupsceneswherethe actorsareeaMngaroundthetable. ThemostinteresMngofcharactersfromAlienwouldbe EllenRipley,playedbySigourneyWeaver.(Fig6)The partsheplayedwasoriginallywri5enforaman.Even whenthepartwasgiventoWeaver,somemasculine characterisMcswerekept.Italteredthestereotypical ideabehindfemalecharactersinhorrorlms.Shewas seentobefrightened,asshouldbeexpected,however shewasresourcefulandnotascreamingwreck.She parMallystoodagainstthenalgirlphenomenon riddlingthehorrorgenre.(Thenalgirlisusuallythe lastcharacterledaliveinahorrorlmandmost typicallyfemale(Murray,S.C,2012))

(Fig6:IMDb,2012)

RidleySco5pushedtheboundariesofspecialeectstothepointoftheabsolutelydisgusMngbut yetmadeabsolutelysureitwasthemostrealisMcwhenitcametothedeathsofvicMmsandalso creaMngAlienorganisms.Byuseofgenuineorganicmaterial,Sco5createdathoroughlyrealisMc dissecMonscene(Fig7)andothereectsthat,mostlikely,disgustaudiencesbe5ernowthan somecurrentCGfakery. TheplotlineofAlienisdecidedlyclichbutitisonethataudiencesneverseemtoMreof watching;Anenclosedspaceharboringademonicmonsterthatseparatesandpicksoatrapped partyonebyone.Butitwouldappearoverthelastthirtythreeyears,audiencesaresMll fascinatedbythecreatureitself,thedesignandthegorywayinwhichitdispatchesofitsvicMms. ItisAlien'sunique,tacBleworldthatmadeitsoamenabletosequels(Newman,2008)Alien wasinitsownwayuniqueandhasresultedinthelmbeingconsideredacultclassicofthe horrorgenre.ItisalmtoberecommendedforitstradiMonallyrealisMcspecialeectsand watchedforthepacingandsuspensethatnevergetsold.

(Fig7:Scarr,2011)

BibliographyReferences Grof,S(2005)H.R.GigerandtheZeitgeistoftheTwenBethCentury:ObservaBonsfromModern ConsciousnessResearch h5p://www.primalpage.com/grofgige.htm (25/10/2012) IMDb(2012)Alien h5p://www.imdb.com/Mtle/50078748/ (23/10/2012) Murray,S.C(2012)TheFinalGirlinHorror h5p://www.bellaonline.com/arMcles/art66128.asp (25/10/2012) Newman,K(2008)Alien h5p://www.empireonline.com/reviews/ReviewComplete.asp?FID=9531 (25/10/2012)

BibliographyPictures Scarr,P(2011)FaceHuggerDissected h5p://bloggingblue.com/2011/11/05/waukeshapoliMcsdissectedyuck/dissecMonaliens/ (25/10/2012) IMDb(2012)AllPhotosfromAlien h5p://www.imdb.com/Mtle/50078748/mediaindex (25/10/2012) BriMshFilmInsMtute(2012)Alien h5p://explore.b.org.uk/4ce2b6bbe2a40 25/10/2012)