@@tonyf6837 There are some good fan edits that cut out some of the special addition but still include a few things that work. Not actually watched it, but I think "Aliens: No Hope Edition" might be what I would consider the ideal cut.
18:26 "why is it raining" It's raining because Brett is in one of the landing leg compartments, you can see the huge folded leg up on the ceiling. When the leg was retracted from the icy cold atmosphere of the planet back into the warm air of the ship, it immediately formed a ton of water condensation, which is why Brett is comfortable showering in it since he knows where the water came from
I'd not thought of condensation as the reason in the film, it makes sense. The Non canon, but real life reason, is because Ridley Scott thought it would look good on camera. And that's it. No other reason. It made me laugh when I heard that in an interview.
Everyone always gives the crew crap because they make mistakes. You have to remember these guys aren't explorers or military, they're basically long haul truckers. they're not really trained for exploration. That's probably why the company sent them. So they would screw up and get themselves killed so there are no witnesses.
I always thought the logic behind that was silly: What if the crew had managed to kill it? Or they blew up the ship with it aboard? The whole plan depends on everyone dying and the ship making it intact back to Earth with the Alien also being intact. Why not send a ship full of Androids like Ash or send a team of Company Commandoes and Scientists who are specifically trained to analyze and collect everything if they knew an Alien ship was there? The Company could've done this in secret. Why did the Company not send another expedition to LV-426 when it was clear the Nostromo was lost? It could easily use the cover story of it being a search and rescue op. The whole thing would be like the modern equivalent of putting a Gas Station clerk in a rocket, telling them to land on the Moon and being all shocked when they crashed. I have my own theory about what actually happened. Basically there's just too much that could go wrong and not enough that could go right to make it a viable or a logical plan.
In terms of practical effects, usually studios make their creature props out of plastics, but in the case of alien, they visited the meat market every day to get actual organic pieces to craft together to make the eggs, face hugger, and other creature models. That’s part of what made the film so powerful. You can feel the difference.
I think the sequel Aliens is the one commenters were saying you need to see, since it’s also directed by James Cameron and has an actor from the Terminator movies that you would recognize. I hope you see that soon, Aliens is my all-time favorite
i personally think it ruins the lore of the xenomorph. from a mythical alien creature to glorified alien killer bees that serve a queen... but no surprise with cameron. other than that i still think aliens is great, its a deviation of the franchise from thriller/horror to action
@@markcruz359 it became insectoid when aliens made it this. Nothing in the original movie says that. Hence why scott re explained the origin of the xenomorph with his new twist.
They actually built the whole interior of the ship for this. It wasn't your standard set with one wall missing where all the cameras and stuff are set up, it was actually fully enclosed. As such, all camera shots are actually from within the confines of the rooms we see. This adds to the feeling of claustrophobia, and also presumably allowed the actors to immerse themselves more fully in the scenes.
Now this is a fun fact! This is one of my all time favorites movies and I didn't know about the interior of the ship thing. This just adds a new level of appreciation for this iconic masterpiece! I've been saying for years that modern horror movies can't stand up to the old-school ones and stuff like this is one of the reasons why.
One of the greatest horror and sci-fi movies ever. Ellen Ripley is one of the most badass protagonists of all time. And, even to this day, the chestburster scene is horrifying.
@@wiredspider They had a some idea, because it's not like the mechanical contraption was subtle. But, I don't think they told them how much blood they were going to throw around. They did catch Veronica Cartwright's honest reaction to getting sprayed with blood. As for the rest, it was a great mechanical effect, so it did catch them off guard
Great memories! Watched this in the theater when I was 15 years old on a first date. Had to sneak out of the house because I wasn't allowed to date yet. She was 16 and driving her parent's car. I was so nervous that I spilled Wendy's fries in the car but I guess she didn't mind because we've been married for 33 years now. Great reaction. Thanks.
Also, side note, Lambert is supposed to be the audience surrogate (as per the director’s own words as well), so her freezing up and stuff is what would likely happen to a normal person if that kind of thing happened in real life.
One of the reasons a lot of native New Zealand bird life was wiped out is because it evolved a Freeze reaction to danger from hunting birds, which was completely unsuited to introdiced predators like cats. It's a real thing.
As a Technician, I completely understand the 17 hr to 24 hr schedule jump. it's actually quite common if you have a deadline, you give yourself a little wiggle room to meet that deadline. it's not so much to make yourself look good but it's there in case if any mistakes happen and you need to backtrack a bit or if a certain part or piece is being difficult. then your suspected timeframe is not "behind schedule" you're now "on-time". it's just an added bonus that it makes you look better with that extra leftover time.
The work of HR Giger, responsible for the design of the alien, the interior of the alien spaceship, etc, really made this film. Isolated his work seems weird, but it just fits this universe so well.
@@wiredspider The first two movies Alien and Aliens, plus perhaps the game Alien: Isolation and the Dark Horse comics alternate continuity past Aliens, are all there is for me. Which is to say that while I do not abide Hollywood's efforts past the second film, there is a fair bit of good continuation past Aliens aside from the cinematic universe. I like the Dark Horse Comics continuity for its more open world building and its portrayal of a more dynamic human civilization learning to deal with some relatively hostile neighbors.
"Aliens" is definitely a must watch - one of the best sequels in film history. All other movies of the franchise (and I hate the world "franchise", in most cases to me it stands for "milking a dead cow", instead of coming up with good, creative and NEW stories) are optional. I still enjoyed 3 and 4, but completely lost interest at the point when it came to the crossover stage of Alien VS Predator.
Best thing about Ellen Ripley is she survives by doing what she does best: Doing her job properly. It isn't plot armor or foolish behavior, she lives because she prioritizes worker safety, knows the layout of her ship like the back of her hand, and knows the systems and tools well enough to think 5 steps ahead so when the time comes, even panicking, she can get on with it and do the steps no matter how terrified she is. Her character is unironically a good survival-skills lesson. And though the Company are the bad guys, it isn't because "work is evil", it's because the Company ISN'T following its own rules and ISN'T respecting the reality of its personnel and equipment. Ripley doesn't lives by cheap tricks and dumb luck; she lives by being damn good space-freighter who knows what she's talking about.
In regards to Ripley being the only one with brains in this movie: That's right and perfectly intentional. You have to keep in mind what exactly their job is: They're glorified truck drivers. This crew is in no way, shape or form trained or equipped to deal with a situation like this.
And I was a child when it came out. They showed it later on TV when I was eight, and I snuck down to our basement to watch it. It was a very long walk back to my room in the dark after this one.
You can see the Alien as Dallas climbs down to the same level as it. Dallas’s flame is reflected on its head and it just waits until he turns around to it. Patiently.
to be fair to the other chick, they're space truckers not like a science team. also it wasn't just ash (who is bilbo in lotr btw) it was the company they were working for.
@@whilryke Yeah, she's a self-insert for probably about 85% of us in Alien. The actress, Veronica Cartwright, has been in other horror films, including The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. and The Witches of Eastwick (horror comedy).
One of the greatest examples (along with Jaws) of building tension in a film, where less is more, and where the buildup so fantastically illustrates how that final full reveal can be so impactful and terrifying at the same time. Loved the reaction Ange!
The alien wasn't an animatronic for the most part, it was a guy in a suit. He was called Bolaji Badejo and he was an art student from Nigeria, studying in London. He got the Alien gig because one of the movie's casting team literally bumped into him in a London pub. He was 6'10" tall and very thin, which was ideal for the role. Sadly he died at the age of only 39. The only part of the alien that was animatronic was the telescopic jaw. Despite the best efforts of HR Giger and the effects team, the suit didn't look that great in the cold light of day, which is why Ridley Scott chose to film it in glances, short cuts, moody lighting and unusual positions. If you analyse the movie frame by frame, it's in remarkably few of them. For the most part, it's the audience's imagination that fills in the blanks and makes it work. Superb film making.
NO. The special edition is interesting but in no way better than the theatrical. I implore all who read this to watch the theatrical first. It was the best. They got it right the first time. And never vote for Kamala Harris. She is pure evil.
For a first time watch, I actually suggest the theatrical cut of Aliens. The Special Edition spoils some suspense and surprises later in the movie. Some of the restored material is interesting, but isn't really necessary, strictly speaking. If there was a version without the first restored scene, it would be great. Or maybe with that scene placed later, as a flashback?
@@anubis66678 I agree. I like the additions for the most part, but that first scene should never have been put back into the movie. Without it I'd recommend the special edition 100%, but with it I kind of agree that for a first viewing the theatrical cut is the way to go.
Fun fact: all the script said was "Alien emerges". The crew had no idea what was going to happen and the looks on their faces were genuine (especially Veronica Cartwright who was splashed with blood).
No they all knew that it was going to come out of Kane's chest. But yeah they weren't prepared with how graphic it was going to be. The script was a little bit more detailed than that. Watch the documentary: The Beast Within.
@@Uhfuecu - Parker (Yaphet Kotto) is from Live & Let, The Running Man and Homicide: Life On The Street (all seasons) Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) & Bosch (season 1)
You're committed to watching the director's cut of ALIENS now! Oh and I saw this not in theatres but on TV, Sept 1982.."tense as hell" is how I would describe that first viewing.
“Movie watching is a passive activity that allows you to think and consider multiple options. The pressure of a situation can f**k with your decision making process”-Griffin Newman, actor and cohost of the Blank Check podcast Lambert isn’t dumb, she’s a human that feels fear. And btw, I just found out that “fight-or-flight” is what that state was originally understood to be, but there’s actually a lot of other responses one could have, including *FREEZE.* So Lambert _was_ experiencing that! So leave her alone!
Exactly. This is why Ripley is calm and rational when she denies Dallas & co access back on the ship. Her life isn't in immediate danger (also following protocols) and she hasn't experienced what Dallas, Lambert and Kane experienced. Characters in horror movies don't know they're characters in horror movies. ✌️🤟🤘
19:45 actually, funny enough, they do establish in later movies (Alien3) that the aliens do take on characteristics of their hosts, so calling it "Kane's son" isn't so far from the truth.
I still say she shouldn't have been the one to verbally direct Dallas through the junctions. Angelina even pointed out that she was too emotional. Her panicking only made things worse.
There's also a theory that Lambert was in a relationship with Kane, and so was traumatised even more badly by his horrific death than the rest of the crew. That'd also explain why she's so keen to get him back on board and into the infirmary, and belts Ripley in the face for opposing that.
Awesome reaction! Love this movie, a classic. When this movie came out in 1979, it scared the HELL out audiences. There were a couple other scary movies that came before that also set a high mark for traumatizing audiences, "The Exorcist," and "Jaws," but nobody had seen anything like this in a sci-fi movie. The visual and audio effects, cinematography, acting, and script combined to scare the pants off audiences. In this era it might be hard to believe, but back then some people were not only cringing and hiding, but screaming, throwing up, and running out theaters. You should definitely watch the sequel "Aliens," but most people agree that the others are optional. (Some more than others.)
Remarkable what career boosts so many people got from Alien, I’m sure Ian Holm got a ton of work from it, it absolutely made Sigourney Weaver a star, John Hurt followed with the Elephant Man, which was a fine performance
When I was on submarines, I imagined that it was similar to what space flight would be like. The isolation, the cramped quarters, the same people every day, the fact that all you have is what you brought with you. Now I have a greater appreciation for space movies.
So glad that you finally saw this masterpiece. Aliens is a must as the sequel directed by James Cameron. Together, they are some of the best scifi movies ever. Btw, the glasses were cute.
19:50 The disturbing part is that the xenomorphs are technically progeny of the host, to an extent. They take on, in minor aspects, genetic attributes of the species they burst out of, in this case, Kane.
I saw Alien in theaters this year for the 45th anniversary and was the only one in the admittedly small theater it was being screened in. Even though it was bright daylight outside, it was still creepy and cool to watch completely alone on a big screen.
Fun fact: During the meal when the alien burst out of Kane's chest only Tom Skerritt (Dallas) and John Hurt (kane) knew what was going to happen. The rest of the crew only read a very vague script that read "It emerges." So all of their reactions were genuine.
Allegedly, they kept the concept art from the actors, so when they encountered the Alien on stage, that was their first time seeing it. Also, Lambert didn't expect to get a full load of film blood onto her face, so that reaction was genuine, too.
And the slap Lambert gave Ripley was a real slap. Ridley Scott was arranged to turn the actress against Sigouney Weaver enough for her to take advantage of this tense scene in order to give her colleague a hard time.
This movie absolutely PERFECTED the slow burn. The whole time your on edge thinking “This is when the scary thing happens” but the tension…..just….keeps….building!
@@konowd theres a comedy group called "the thrilling adventure hour" its really good but a guy with them does an impression of him that's amazing but I wouldn't trust any of my knowledge because it's like 95% from that
Always love the commentaries you do! Funny how you started your exploration of the "morality" with what happens in the movie. If you read into it even more you can see how the morality choices begin before the action actually starts. The company making it necessary for a cargo ship to stop halfway from earth to investigate any "signal" of potential intelligent life. The company putting a cyborg onboard without telling the crew, even the captain. Programming that cyborg to be able to ignore even usual company policy/procedure - aka overstep his obvious commander, Ripley, when Dallas and Kane weren't onboard as well as ignoring quarantine procedures and plenty of other choices. And the fact that you included the reaction to discovering Ian Holm's future role at the end....that was cute and awesome.
A few years ago some high school drama teacher made a freaking school play from Alien with his students. Even Sigourney Weaver attended. You can find it on UA-cam.
Around the 20 minute mark, I loved how you commented about the absurdity of calling the Xeno Kane’s son after he was so violated by it, which translates perfectly into the themes of abuse that the film works with. The whole life cycle of the Xenos is supposed to represent exactly that, a violation of the human body, and it goes so much deeper too, the parallels between this and the Company, the physical abuse but also the abusive system in which they’ve been thrown, oh god such a good movie and franchise. I’m glad you liked it and I hope you watch more. Some of the later films are severely overlooked and underrated, but I swear they’re all really good and unique.
Angelina, Ian Holms is in this movie (the guy who the evil robot who tried to 💀 Ripley), also played Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the rings….. I wrote this before seeing the ending
Sigourney Weaver was just an upcoming actress when this film came out, especially compared to Tom Skerritt as Dallas and John Hurt as Kane who were well established actors. It would have been a shock to the audience when these characters were killed off so early in the film. The characters were written to be played by any gender, which is why the crew are only referred to by their surnames. But Weaver's performance as Ripley shot her to stardom and became the "Sci-fi Scream Queen" leading her to be casted in other sci-fi horror such as Ghostbusters. You might also recall her from a prior reaction of The Cabin in the Woods as The Director of the Facility. 1:58 James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver worked together in the sequel film Aliens. I'm pretty sure that's why he got her onboard to appear in Avatar.
Alien is up there for one of the greatest movies of all time. It was revealed in books that ships on the alien universe would take animals like cats onboard to hunt/kill vermin like mice and rats
Fun Fact: the shot of the crew entering the alien space ship is actually Ridley Scott’s kids, because the model of the spaceship was so small, the only way to make it look big was to have kids play the crew
It wasn't small the space jockey and the platform it is over is taller than a grown man. The spaceship set was quite big but to make it look really massive and push the perspective they used Ridley Scott's kids.
This is a pure horror movie that just so happens to be in space. I saw it later on in life, so I can imagine people watching this back in the day made them poopies. Also, Fun Fact, Jones the cat also got impregnated by the Alien and had to rebrand their career to become Goose the Flerken in the MCU (Captain Marvel).
Great reaction! Now you absolutely have to see James Cameron's awesome sequel "ALIENS". From scifi-horror to scifi-action & horror. Some fans think, that the second movie is superior to the first one, but this remains to be discussed. But if you do, be sure to watch the EXTENDED VERSION - it's much better than the theatrical cut.
Great jittery, "whistling-in-the-dark" reaction. I went with 3 friends to see this in theater in 1979 (I was let in at 16 yrs old). I will never forget the couple on a date sitting in front of us. 30 mins into the movie and I heard the girl crying to her boyfriend, "I don't like this, I want to go home." I was terrified the entire time, even during the "non-scary" scenes. My buddy Danny jumped so hard at the chest-bursting scene he shot his popcorn bucket 3 rows forward. Like Star Wars reset how Sci-Fi Fantasy/Adventure films would be made, THIS film reset the Horror genre bar.
Saw it in the theater when it came out - big screen, great sound system. People were hiding under their seats in terror. They traced the transmission to two kilometers away from where they landed - they literally say this. It's funny how no one notices the cat when they're having breakfast after waking up - it's always later when Jonesy is grooming. The beast is a (very tall) guy in a suit with a separate "head part" for the closeup teeth and mouth shots. The beast's mechanical mouth/lips/extending teeth special effect is covered with KY jelly. No joke. Hilarious how when you meet Parker he's complaining about the bonus situation and your reaction is, "Always one guy being unparticipating - the butthole of the group, the debby-downer," then when Ash starts to fall apart it's "Always one guy that's going to be the antagonist" and soon after, "We can't lose Parker!" LOL People always recommend Aliens - and it's great - but for a difference you should consider watching Ridley Scott's previous film - his first feature motion picture - "The Duelists" a period drama set during the Napoleonic wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries - it's about as different from Alien as a movie can be. Pretty much every shot is a postcard and Harvey Keitel (played fixer Walter Wolf in Pulp Fiction) plays the antagonist. It's gorgeous and as Scott's first film, an incredible achievement. I recommend it.
I actually recommended this on stream last night! This was the first horror movie that I saw and since Alien Romulus got released, it’s perfect timing that you’re now tackling this.
The second film: Aliens, is the one with multiple actors from the Terminator films. The adopting mother (Jenette Goldstein) of John Conner in Terminator 2 is in it, one of the thugs (Bill Paxton) who Arnold meets early on in Terminator 1 is in it, Kyle Reese from Terminator 1 is in it (Micheal Biehn), One of the two detectives in Terminator 1 is in it (Lance Henrikson). So clearly James Cameron enjoyed working with them and wanted them to work with him again.
Lance Hendrikson was actually cast as The Terminator originally - before Arnold expressed interest in the role. Clearly Arnold was the better fit, and Hendrickson was cast as one of the cops. But Cameron is loyal to his actors and tends to use the same ones on many projects, so Hendrickson and others have certainly gotten their value out of their Terminator roles.
"Alien": A youngster is boarding the "Nostromo." What will she make of this "old, long, slow-moving, character-centered, no-DFX" movie? 3:45 The Company is sending the equivalent of a freighter crew to "do science" on an unexplored planet! 7:26 The Space Jockey, a mystery for years. 9:34 The first jump scare. 9:50 This conversation has become iconic due to recent events. 10:20 The Face Hugger, grossing out the audience for years. 10:32 You are watching the Special Edition version, since I didn't see this scene back in 1979. 11:19 Acid Blood! 14:22 A Props Dept. work of ART, made of sea animals. 15:10 Kane's last meal. 15:43 The Xenomorph, scaring audiences for over 40 years. 16:54 Along came Jones. 18:56 Say hello to Bolaji Badejo. 21:10 You're in command, Ripley. 22:41 In 1979, this was my "WTF? Ash ISN'T Human!?" moment. 23:42 Most didn't see this coming. 25:34 I've read that Lambert is standing in for us, the audience. 27:35 I didn't see this scene, either, in 1979. 28:06 Escape route cut off, stop Destruct to gain time for Plan B. 31:57 Tonight's entree on the shuttle "Narcissus" is Steamed Xenomorph in Shell. 32:18 Correction, Char-Broiled Xenomorph. This and the next movie made newcomer Sigourney Weaver a major movie star. On to "Alines" (1986)!
I really enjoyed your reaction! You have a great sense of humor, which, when combined with your fear, made this a very fun watch. I also loved that you are the first to point out Lambert's specific flaw: ..."She has no 'fight or flight'. No one else has worded it that way, though that was exactly her problem. This was fun! I look forward to seeing your reaction to Aliens! ❤😊
'I think I'm mentally prepared to watch this movie.' That's adorable. Oh, and it was K-Y Jelly for the slime. And Ian Holm - Ash - hated milk...and he still did that scene!
If you love Alien, you should give the sequel Aliens a watch. I can’t help but miss Bill Paxton aka Private Hudson every time i watch that 1986 classic and that legendary line of his: “That’s it game over man, game over!”.
That line... What made it work for me was that hyper stressed whine Bill could get into his voice - his character was just about to freak all the way out! 😅
Go easy on Lambert! Most people forget the third "F." Its Fight, Flight, or Freeze. There *are* people who, in a panic situation, just shut down like that.
*Yes,* I watched it in the theater, when I was about 15. I knew it was a horror, but still had star wars in my head... That view of space changed! Kind of traumatizing, _(hid my face in the chest busting scene)_ but over time I really appreciated the "Alien" franchise for its vision(s). Nice to re-visit that experience vicariously through your eyes. _Thumbs up._
The third part of the expression is "fight, flight or freeze", people can be so cataleptic with fear that everything shuts down and they're immobile, frozen in place. Ripley is a badass and a timeless character, and one would hear little argument from anyone who has seen ALIEN that the crew would have been better off if they'd listened to Ripley. The number of times though viewers have expressed "how stupid the rest of the crew was", we shouldn't lose sight of the fact the crew are civilians driving a commercial freighter and that's what they are trained for. They're not military and they certainly weren't trained for an extreme, horrifying encounter like they had. Sure each of them demonstrated varying levels of capability during the worst crisis of their lives, but they were all doing the best they could.
Yooo great reaction. I actually agree with your take on sci-fi spaceship crews needing to be portrayed accurately as a select group of extremely qualified and competent individuals. We forgive movies like Alien because of when they came out, how amazingly well-made they are, and because of the crew being portrayed as a trucking crew rather than astronauts. I can't give the same suspension of disbelief to Ridley Scott's later 2017 entry, Alien: Covenant. At a certain point you just CAN'T believe that a crew of people in space could be so dumb and ignore what must be heavily instructed protocol. I'm taken out of EVERY movie where this happens. The sequel, Aliens, handles this much better for the most part.
Time for the next one, Aliens. Great sequell. Lot more action with more aliens. And yes, Ripley is in this again. Think you've gonna love it. By the way, Sigourney Weaver was indeed in Avatar and also in Ghostbusters.
A delightful and intense movie reaction! In a film Angelina has Not yet reacted to, the Alien creature is much happier when it sings and dances on stage.
Great reaction! ❤ You asked what they used to make it all slimy... The literally used 5 gallon buckets of KY Jelly. If you watch the DVD and add the directors audio, they talked about how many hundreds of gallons of KY Jelly was used in the movie!
I watched the movie when it premiered back in 1979. My friend insisted we watch the film in the front row. I was looking up to get a full view of the screen. When Kane looked in to the egg and the face hugger jumped out, I thought i had whiplash!
I'd really like to recommend that you don't listen to anyone who tells you to just watch Alien and Aliens and stop there. All the Alien movies including 3 and 4 are interesting (except perhaps Prometheus and Alien Covenant for my part, but some people like them a lot too). Because the strength of this saga is that each movie is very different from the last and is the true expression of its director (different each time) !! 😊😊
I agree about continuing. 3 and 4 are horrible movies when COMPARED to 1 and 2. But on their own they are still pretty good movies. 3 was a great concept not quite handled well and 4 was just silly fun. I don't like the prequels though. I think the Alien is something that doesn't need and origin story.
Amazing. 45 years ago. One of the most iconic films of it's era and genre. The great Ridley Scott's second film and first of his many masterpieces. This was Sigourney Weaver's second film, first role as an lead actress and one of her most iconic roles ever. 5 of the castmembers are no longer living. One of the writers called it, 'JAWS in space' and was deep in it's nightmarish nature. Truly pushing the boundaries of it's tones and the creativity within it's production. The creature was designed by the H.R. Giger from his bio-mechanical artwork known as Necronom IV. Theatrical cut or director's cut, the first installment is untouchable in it's presentation. Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects among so many awards it received. Earliest movie merchandise was a graphic novel, toys, calendars and Halloween costumes. Total major influence on sci-fi horror thrillers for years to come. The preceding films in the mainline series go up and down in terms of reception & box office. You got about 6 more films to go including Alien:Romulus.
I saw ALIEN on Saturday, May 26th, 1979, the day after the premiere! It was in Chicago at the State-Lake theatre. There was a packed audience, and we didn't know what to expect. I took my girlfriend (future wife), and for 2 hours it was nonstop screams and jumps! We had never seen a creature like this before, and this was one of the best, scariest times I ever had at the movies.
Re. the sliminess of the Alien… this movie was single-handedly responsible for a chronic shortage of KY Jelly in the London area in ‘78/‘79! Oh, and the Alien was primarily a man in a suit - a Nigerian art student by the name of Bolaji Badejo, who was cast in the role because of his incredible 6’ 10” physique. The head of the suit only had limited functionality, so all the close-up insert shots of the head and mouth were done with a separate, highly articulated cable-actuated head, made by Carlo Rambaldi and his team (who would later be responsible for making E.T.; Rambaldi & co would receive Oscars for both movies).
In in-universe chronological order, it's: Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien, Alien: Romulus, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection. This is SUCH a fun, thoughtful franchise with a real mean steak
Certainly back in the 1700's (and possibly from when international sea-borne trade became common around the Mediterranean, so maybe Roman/Phoenician times? ), in the British Merchant Marine, it was common to have a cat on-board, to take care of any rodents getting at the ships food or any grain being shipped...so having a cat on board Nostromo is a nod to that tradition.
Oh. You have no idea how excited I am to see you react to this. Alien or the whole Aliens and Predator universe is a more of a classic favorite of mine for horror movies.
My favorite line in the movie is when they find out they have to go & investigate the transmission, Parker says, "I wanna go home & party!!" 🤣 And nobody ever says anything about how the chestburster seemed to be born with roller skates on 😂😅
Ah, the extended cut. I haven't seen this version in ages. FYI, Ash didn't say it was Kane's son, he said "it gained some." As in, it got real big, real quick. A great movie to check out this time of year is The Thing (1982). Talk about great practical effects!
Yes, the last scene with Dallas wasn't in the theatrical release. it filled out another step in the Xenomorph lifecycle, like designed, but then it causes a little continuation problem with the sequel ...
I don't see anyone commenting this but the alien was an actor in a suit not an animatronic. Bolaji Badejo was the actor and this was his only movie afaik.
One thing you know going in, which audiences didn't know in '79, is that Weaver was the star. It is interesting to watch how Ridley Scott de-emphasizes Ripley in the opening scenes. In particular, it was new to have a woman lead an action or sci-fi film at the time, and ways he could have made her heroic initially - like having her go on the ground mission - are avoided. She also is given second billing amongst a cast of mostly unknown actors. The "final girl" trope was not firmly in place for horror movies - this movie, along with Halloween, kind of cemented it in the 70s. So it was entirely unclear going in who the "hero" was.
Make sure you watch the other Alien movies too, including the Predator movies! Also, you MUST play the game Alien: Isolation, it's an incredible experience!!!
"He will alienate the cat!" You have a future in Hollywood sequels! "Cat is traumatised for liiiife." Meanwhile in the cat's head: "Can I haz da liver pliz?"
I think it's great you noticed how good the set looks. There's a documentary called "Memory: The Origins of Alien" that would answer a lot of the questions you had. It's excellent btw. Impressive that they made it for about 11 million bucks back in '78, huh?
I find it interesting to see which reaction creators agree with Ripley saving Jonesy, and which ones say to leave him. Ange is 100% correct tho. You save Jonesy. Every time.
Stick around to the end for an epic realization Rees and I had on stream the other night 😂
Not happy 😢😢😢😢
You should play Alien Isolation. Your welcome.
You should watch The Thing!
Have " Fire In The Sky " on you alien movies list.. you'll be pleased.. good looking !
Hahaha!
now you need to see ALIENS
100%
Theatrical version, NOT the “special’ one.
@@tonyf6837 There are some good fan edits that cut out some of the special addition but still include a few things that work. Not actually watched it, but I think "Aliens: No Hope Edition" might be what I would consider the ideal cut.
If you think Ripley kicks ass in this movie, wait until you see “Aliens”! A tremendous sequel, maybe better than the original.
one of the rare sequel that actually improve on the original
18:26 "why is it raining" It's raining because Brett is in one of the landing leg compartments, you can see the huge folded leg up on the ceiling. When the leg was retracted from the icy cold atmosphere of the planet back into the warm air of the ship, it immediately formed a ton of water condensation, which is why Brett is comfortable showering in it since he knows where the water came from
I'd not thought of condensation as the reason in the film, it makes sense. The Non canon, but real life reason, is because Ridley Scott thought it would look good on camera. And that's it. No other reason. It made me laugh when I heard that in an interview.
Everyone always gives the crew crap because they make mistakes. You have to remember these guys aren't explorers or military, they're basically long haul truckers. they're not really trained for exploration. That's probably why the company sent them. So they would screw up and get themselves killed so there are no witnesses.
Especially in the chest buster scene, when they don't get after it ride away. Just seen only once mentioned acid blood.
I always thought the logic behind that was silly: What if the crew had managed to kill it? Or they blew up the ship with it aboard? The whole plan depends on everyone dying and the ship making it intact back to Earth with the Alien also being intact. Why not send a ship full of Androids like Ash or send a team of Company Commandoes and Scientists who are specifically trained to analyze and collect everything if they knew an Alien ship was there? The Company could've done this in secret. Why did the Company not send another expedition to LV-426 when it was clear the Nostromo was lost? It could easily use the cover story of it being a search and rescue op. The whole thing would be like the modern equivalent of putting a Gas Station clerk in a rocket, telling them to land on the Moon and being all shocked when they crashed. I have my own theory about what actually happened. Basically there's just too much that could go wrong and not enough that could go right to make it a viable or a logical plan.
@@IntergalacticDustBunny Because doing it the way the company did it provided the least risk.
In terms of practical effects, usually studios make their creature props out of plastics, but in the case of alien, they visited the meat market every day to get actual organic pieces to craft together to make the eggs, face hugger, and other creature models. That’s part of what made the film so powerful. You can feel the difference.
Plus a lot of the so called mistakes weren't mistakes at all but sabotage.
Now that Ange is reacting to Alien. She now has to play Alien Isolation.
I'd die I think
She would, indeed, die.
As long as she watches Aliens first. Otherwise she might have that "Have I been in a coma?", or "What have I missed?" feeling.
@@ANGELINAA Do it in VR. :D
Also funfact: They recently announced, they are making Alien Isolation 2 👀
I think the sequel Aliens is the one commenters were saying you need to see, since it’s also directed by James Cameron and has an actor from the Terminator movies that you would recognize. I hope you see that soon, Aliens is my all-time favorite
Plus a few other guest appearances.
i personally think it ruins the lore of the xenomorph. from a mythical alien creature to glorified alien killer bees that serve a queen... but no surprise with cameron. other than that i still think aliens is great, its a deviation of the franchise from thriller/horror to action
@@LS-tk7hp they're insectoid-like alien creatures. Of course they have to have a queen. Theres eggs being laid
Actually 4 Terminator actors if we include both Terminators
@@markcruz359 it became insectoid when aliens made it this. Nothing in the original movie says that. Hence why scott re explained the origin of the xenomorph with his new twist.
They actually built the whole interior of the ship for this. It wasn't your standard set with one wall missing where all the cameras and stuff are set up, it was actually fully enclosed. As such, all camera shots are actually from within the confines of the rooms we see. This adds to the feeling of claustrophobia, and also presumably allowed the actors to immerse themselves more fully in the scenes.
Now this is a fun fact! This is one of my all time favorites movies and I didn't know about the interior of the ship thing. This just adds a new level of appreciation for this iconic masterpiece! I've been saying for years that modern horror movies can't stand up to the old-school ones and stuff like this is one of the reasons why.
One of the greatest horror and sci-fi movies ever. Ellen Ripley is one of the most badass protagonists of all time. And, even to this day, the chestburster scene is horrifying.
Completely agree
Who you gonna call? Chestbuster!
@@ANGELINAA Fun Fact: The actors were not made fully aware of what would happen so their reactions to that scene are REAL.
@@wiredspider If I remember correctly, they all actually thought he had started choking on something he was eating.
@@wiredspider They had a some idea, because it's not like the mechanical contraption was subtle. But, I don't think they told them how much blood they were going to throw around. They did catch Veronica Cartwright's honest reaction to getting sprayed with blood. As for the rest, it was a great mechanical effect, so it did catch them off guard
Great memories! Watched this in the theater when I was 15 years old on a first date. Had to sneak out of the house because I wasn't allowed to date yet. She was 16 and driving her parent's car. I was so nervous that I spilled Wendy's fries in the car but I guess she didn't mind because we've been married for 33 years now. Great reaction. Thanks.
In maritime tradition, having a “ship’s cat” was considered good luck by sailors, and it’s a great touch that Ridley Scott included.
Also, side note, Lambert is supposed to be the audience surrogate (as per the director’s own words as well), so her freezing up and stuff is what would likely happen to a normal person if that kind of thing happened in real life.
Lambert's death scene reminds me of why I don't like the phrase 'fight or flight.' Because there is a third 'F', and that's 'freeze.'
There are four, actually: fight, flight, freeze, or faint.
Survival is Fight or Flight, Freeze/Faint is death
@@ETwin999Sometimes freeze does work. Deer are the best at it. Movement attracts most preys' eyes.
And fawn
One of the reasons a lot of native New Zealand bird life was wiped out is because it evolved a Freeze reaction to danger from hunting birds, which was completely unsuited to introdiced predators like cats. It's a real thing.
As a Technician, I completely understand the 17 hr to 24 hr schedule jump. it's actually quite common if you have a deadline, you give yourself a little wiggle room to meet that deadline. it's not so much to make yourself look good but it's there in case if any mistakes happen and you need to backtrack a bit or if a certain part or piece is being difficult. then your suspected timeframe is not "behind schedule" you're now "on-time". it's just an added bonus that it makes you look better with that extra leftover time.
"I am brave. I am brave. Uuuuuuuurrrr."
I wonder when Ange is going to realise she's Lambert.
The work of HR Giger, responsible for the design of the alien, the interior of the alien spaceship, etc, really made this film. Isolated his work seems weird, but it just fits this universe so well.
Which is why I refer to the motion sensors in "Aliens" as "Giger counters".
"I didn't know she was in this" Sigourney Weaver, whos career was built on the aliens franchise, you didn't know she was in this?
The Alien franchise has definitely had its ups and down but it’s influence on horror and sci-fi is undoubted. Legendary.
Absolutely!!!
The first two are perfect tho haha xD
had two ups and 15 downs :P
@@wiredspider The first two movies Alien and Aliens, plus perhaps the game Alien: Isolation and the Dark Horse comics alternate continuity past Aliens, are all there is for me. Which is to say that while I do not abide Hollywood's efforts past the second film, there is a fair bit of good continuation past Aliens aside from the cinematic universe. I like the Dark Horse Comics continuity for its more open world building and its portrayal of a more dynamic human civilization learning to deal with some relatively hostile neighbors.
"Aliens" is definitely a must watch - one of the best sequels in film history. All other movies of the franchise (and I hate the world "franchise", in most cases to me it stands for "milking a dead cow", instead of coming up with good, creative and NEW stories) are optional. I still enjoyed 3 and 4, but completely lost interest at the point when it came to the crossover stage of Alien VS Predator.
Best thing about Ellen Ripley is she survives by doing what she does best: Doing her job properly. It isn't plot armor or foolish behavior, she lives because she prioritizes worker safety, knows the layout of her ship like the back of her hand, and knows the systems and tools well enough to think 5 steps ahead so when the time comes, even panicking, she can get on with it and do the steps no matter how terrified she is.
Her character is unironically a good survival-skills lesson.
And though the Company are the bad guys, it isn't because "work is evil", it's because the Company ISN'T following its own rules and ISN'T respecting the reality of its personnel and equipment. Ripley doesn't lives by cheap tricks and dumb luck; she lives by being damn good space-freighter who knows what she's talking about.
"That cat is traumatized for life!"
The cat: "Damn, I always wanted to do that"
😂😂😂
In regards to Ripley being the only one with brains in this movie: That's right and perfectly intentional. You have to keep in mind what exactly their job is: They're glorified truck drivers. This crew is in no way, shape or form trained or equipped to deal with a situation like this.
The slimy stuff drooling out of the alien’s mouth is KY jelly. That’s what they often use in horror films for slime and goop.
I was looking for this comment. I figured someone would have answered it
And when you're done watching a masterpiece like Alien, you have to remind yourself, wow! this was actually made in 1979 😮
No CGI
That’s why it still holds up, it looks and feels very real
And I was a child when it came out. They showed it later on TV when I was eight, and I snuck down to our basement to watch it. It was a very long walk back to my room in the dark after this one.
@@MrUndersolo hahaha hahaha hahaha 😂😧
You can see the Alien as Dallas climbs down to the same level as it. Dallas’s flame is reflected on its head and it just waits until he turns around to it. Patiently.
Spooooooky ~
You can also see it hanging among the chains in the "wet room" and you can see it among the pipes on the shuttle before Ripley notices it.
@@badscientist42069 I think the "wet room" is a landing gear bay; the huge hanging thing is one of the Nostromo's legs in its retracted position.
to be fair to the other chick, they're space truckers not like a science team. also it wasn't just ash (who is bilbo in lotr btw) it was the company they were working for.
Furthermore most people would lose it as much as Lambert if placed in that situation.
@@whilryke Yeah, she's a self-insert for probably about 85% of us in Alien. The actress, Veronica Cartwright, has been in other horror films, including The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. and The Witches of Eastwick (horror comedy).
One of the greatest examples (along with Jaws) of building tension in a film, where less is more, and where the buildup so fantastically illustrates how that final full reveal can be so impactful and terrifying at the same time. Loved the reaction Ange!
The alien wasn't an animatronic for the most part, it was a guy in a suit. He was called Bolaji Badejo and he was an art student from Nigeria, studying in London. He got the Alien gig because one of the movie's casting team literally bumped into him in a London pub. He was 6'10" tall and very thin, which was ideal for the role. Sadly he died at the age of only 39. The only part of the alien that was animatronic was the telescopic jaw. Despite the best efforts of HR Giger and the effects team, the suit didn't look that great in the cold light of day, which is why Ridley Scott chose to film it in glances, short cuts, moody lighting and unusual positions. If you analyse the movie frame by frame, it's in remarkably few of them. For the most part, it's the audience's imagination that fills in the blanks and makes it work. Superb film making.
There’s a xenomorph and facehugger in the collection at MoPoP.
Oh wow, didn't know that. Greetings from Lagos, NG.
Make sure you watch the special edition for the sequel! Much better than theatrical cut
I completely agree...more character moments & depth.
NO. The special edition is interesting but in no way better than the theatrical. I implore all who read this to watch the theatrical first. It was the best. They got it right the first time. And never vote for Kamala Harris. She is pure evil.
For a first time watch, I actually suggest the theatrical cut of Aliens. The Special Edition spoils some suspense and surprises later in the movie. Some of the restored material is interesting, but isn't really necessary, strictly speaking. If there was a version without the first restored scene, it would be great. Or maybe with that scene placed later, as a flashback?
@@anubis66678 I agree. I like the additions for the most part, but that first scene should never have been put back into the movie. Without it I'd recommend the special edition 100%, but with it I kind of agree that for a first viewing the theatrical cut is the way to go.
Fun fact: all the script said was "Alien emerges". The crew had no idea what was going to happen and the looks on their faces were genuine (especially Veronica Cartwright who was splashed with blood).
No they all knew that it was going to come out of Kane's chest. But yeah they weren't prepared with how graphic it was going to be. The script was a little bit more detailed than that. Watch the documentary: The Beast Within.
I knew someone who was there that day on the set who told me Harry Dean Stanton was wasted on tequila, he’s really seeing some pink elephants there
Ash ( Ian Holm ) is Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings
Dallas ( Tom Skerritt ) is from Top Gun and Poltergeist 3
And Kane is Ollivander from the Harry Potter series
@@Uhfuecu - Parker (Yaphet Kotto) is from Live & Let, The Running Man and Homicide: Life On The Street (all seasons)
Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) & Bosch (season 1)
Actors, huh?
Tom Skerritt also stars in my dreams ~~~
You're committed to watching the director's cut of ALIENS now! Oh and I saw this not in theatres but on TV, Sept 1982.."tense as hell" is how I would describe that first viewing.
“Movie watching is a passive activity that allows you to think and consider multiple options. The pressure of a situation can f**k with your decision making process”-Griffin Newman, actor and cohost of the Blank Check podcast
Lambert isn’t dumb, she’s a human that feels fear. And btw, I just found out that “fight-or-flight” is what that state was originally understood to be, but there’s actually a lot of other responses one could have, including *FREEZE.* So Lambert _was_ experiencing that! So leave her alone!
Exactly. This is why Ripley is calm and rational when she denies Dallas & co access back on the ship. Her life isn't in immediate danger (also following protocols) and she hasn't experienced what Dallas, Lambert and Kane experienced.
Characters in horror movies don't know they're characters in horror movies.
✌️🤟🤘
19:45 actually, funny enough, they do establish in later movies (Alien3) that the aliens do take on characteristics of their hosts, so calling it "Kane's son" isn't so far from the truth.
The ship is a space truck pulling cargo. Lambert was a navigator on a space truck. She didn't need to be a courageous bad ass.
Bernie Taupin and Elton John predicted truckers in space with Rocket Man
I still say she shouldn't have been the one to verbally direct Dallas through the junctions. Angelina even pointed out that she was too emotional. Her panicking only made things worse.
There's also a theory that Lambert was in a relationship with Kane, and so was traumatised even more badly by his horrific death than the rest of the crew. That'd also explain why she's so keen to get him back on board and into the infirmary, and belts Ripley in the face for opposing that.
@@tommcewan7936 Doubtful
@@tommcewan7936 that's pretty cool.
Awesome reaction! Love this movie, a classic. When this movie came out in 1979, it scared the HELL out audiences. There were a couple other scary movies that came before that also set a high mark for traumatizing audiences, "The Exorcist," and "Jaws," but nobody had seen anything like this in a sci-fi movie. The visual and audio effects, cinematography, acting, and script combined to scare the pants off audiences. In this era it might be hard to believe, but back then some people were not only cringing and hiding, but screaming, throwing up, and running out theaters. You should definitely watch the sequel "Aliens," but most people agree that the others are optional. (Some more than others.)
Remarkable what career boosts so many people got from Alien, I’m sure Ian Holm got a ton of work from it, it absolutely made Sigourney Weaver a star, John Hurt followed with the Elephant Man, which was a fine performance
When I was on submarines, I imagined that it was similar to what space flight would be like. The isolation, the cramped quarters, the same people every day, the fact that all you have is what you brought with you. Now I have a greater appreciation for space movies.
15:50 - Ang: "What do you MEAN, don't touch it?"
Had you forgotten it bleeds a highly corrosive acid? Yeah, I wouldn't wanna mess with that, myself.
So glad that you finally saw this masterpiece. Aliens is a must as the sequel directed by James Cameron. Together, they are some of the best scifi movies ever.
Btw, the glasses were cute.
19:50 The disturbing part is that the xenomorphs are technically progeny of the host, to an extent. They take on, in minor aspects, genetic attributes of the species they burst out of, in this case, Kane.
I saw Alien in theaters this year for the 45th anniversary and was the only one in the admittedly small theater it was being screened in. Even though it was bright daylight outside, it was still creepy and cool to watch completely alone on a big screen.
Fun fact: During the meal when the alien burst out of Kane's chest only Tom Skerritt (Dallas) and John Hurt (kane) knew what was going to happen. The rest of the crew only read a very vague script that read "It emerges." So all of their reactions were genuine.
Allegedly, they kept the concept art from the actors, so when they encountered the Alien on stage, that was their first time seeing it.
Also, Lambert didn't expect to get a full load of film blood onto her face, so that reaction was genuine, too.
And the slap Lambert gave Ripley was a real slap. Ridley Scott was arranged to turn the actress against Sigouney Weaver enough for her to take advantage of this tense scene in order to give her colleague a hard time.
This movie absolutely PERFECTED the slow burn. The whole time your on edge thinking “This is when the scary thing happens” but the tension…..just….keeps….building!
H r giger is the guy who made the alien and all the design, he's a very fun weird guy
I think he painted a lot of stuff when he was on acid. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to see on acid.
@@konowd theres a comedy group called "the thrilling adventure hour" its really good but a guy with them does an impression of him that's amazing but I wouldn't trust any of my knowledge because it's like 95% from that
I just realized that calling the Xeno 'Kanes Son' was probably Ash referencing the biblical Cain, who brought murder into the world.
Always love the commentaries you do! Funny how you started your exploration of the "morality" with what happens in the movie. If you read into it even more you can see how the morality choices begin before the action actually starts. The company making it necessary for a cargo ship to stop halfway from earth to investigate any "signal" of potential intelligent life. The company putting a cyborg onboard without telling the crew, even the captain. Programming that cyborg to be able to ignore even usual company policy/procedure - aka overstep his obvious commander, Ripley, when Dallas and Kane weren't onboard as well as ignoring quarantine procedures and plenty of other choices.
And the fact that you included the reaction to discovering Ian Holm's future role at the end....that was cute and awesome.
My High School science teacher let the whole class watch this movie! It was terrifying and awesome!
Jealous!!! What a fun teacher
A few years ago some high school drama teacher made a freaking school play from Alien with his students. Even Sigourney Weaver attended. You can find it on UA-cam.
What a Legend!
Around the 20 minute mark, I loved how you commented about the absurdity of calling the Xeno Kane’s son after he was so violated by it, which translates perfectly into the themes of abuse that the film works with. The whole life cycle of the Xenos is supposed to represent exactly that, a violation of the human body, and it goes so much deeper too, the parallels between this and the Company, the physical abuse but also the abusive system in which they’ve been thrown, oh god such a good movie and franchise. I’m glad you liked it and I hope you watch more. Some of the later films are severely overlooked and underrated, but I swear they’re all really good and unique.
Angelina, Ian Holms is in this movie (the guy who the evil robot who tried to 💀 Ripley), also played Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the rings….. I wrote this before seeing the ending
Sigourney Weaver was just an upcoming actress when this film came out, especially compared to Tom Skerritt as Dallas and John Hurt as Kane who were well established actors. It would have been a shock to the audience when these characters were killed off so early in the film. The characters were written to be played by any gender, which is why the crew are only referred to by their surnames. But Weaver's performance as Ripley shot her to stardom and became the "Sci-fi Scream Queen" leading her to be casted in other sci-fi horror such as Ghostbusters. You might also recall her from a prior reaction of The Cabin in the Woods as The Director of the Facility.
1:58 James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver worked together in the sequel film Aliens. I'm pretty sure that's why he got her onboard to appear in Avatar.
21:10 How did you not react to that jump scare?! That is like one of the best jump scares in history of cinema!
I agree. Clearly she was too preoccupied chewing out Lambert.
Alien is up there for one of the greatest movies of all time. It was revealed in books that ships on the alien universe would take animals like cats onboard to hunt/kill vermin like mice and rats
Fun Fact: the shot of the crew entering the alien space ship is actually Ridley Scott’s kids, because the model of the spaceship was so small, the only way to make it look big was to have kids play the crew
It wasn't small the space jockey and the platform it is over is taller than a grown man. The spaceship set was quite big but to make it look really massive and push the perspective they used Ridley Scott's kids.
This is a pure horror movie that just so happens to be in space. I saw it later on in life, so I can imagine people watching this back in the day made them poopies. Also, Fun Fact, Jones the cat also got impregnated by the Alien and had to rebrand their career to become Goose the Flerken in the MCU (Captain Marvel).
That… does not sound like a. Fact at all
45 years old and still an epic movie. Aliens was even better!
Great reaction! Now you absolutely have to see James Cameron's awesome sequel "ALIENS". From scifi-horror to scifi-action & horror. Some fans think, that the second movie is superior to the first one, but this remains to be discussed. But if you do, be sure to watch the EXTENDED VERSION - it's much better than the theatrical cut.
Alien is one of the best sci-fi and movie series to be released. Love this!
Great jittery, "whistling-in-the-dark" reaction.
I went with 3 friends to see this in theater in 1979 (I was let in at 16 yrs old).
I will never forget the couple on a date sitting in front of us. 30 mins into the movie and I heard the girl crying to her boyfriend, "I don't like this, I want to go home."
I was terrified the entire time, even during the "non-scary" scenes.
My buddy Danny jumped so hard at the chest-bursting scene he shot his popcorn bucket 3 rows forward.
Like Star Wars reset how Sci-Fi Fantasy/Adventure films would be made, THIS film reset the Horror genre bar.
"Alien" and "Aliens" are must-see movies for any sci-fi fan. Ignore the next two.
Saw it in the theater when it came out - big screen, great sound system. People were hiding under their seats in terror. They traced the transmission to two kilometers away from where they landed - they literally say this. It's funny how no one notices the cat when they're having breakfast after waking up - it's always later when Jonesy is grooming. The beast is a (very tall) guy in a suit with a separate "head part" for the closeup teeth and mouth shots. The beast's mechanical mouth/lips/extending teeth special effect is covered with KY jelly. No joke. Hilarious how when you meet Parker he's complaining about the bonus situation and your reaction is, "Always one guy being unparticipating - the butthole of the group, the debby-downer," then when Ash starts to fall apart it's "Always one guy that's going to be the antagonist" and soon after, "We can't lose Parker!" LOL People always recommend Aliens - and it's great - but for a difference you should consider watching Ridley Scott's previous film - his first feature motion picture - "The Duelists" a period drama set during the Napoleonic wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries - it's about as different from Alien as a movie can be. Pretty much every shot is a postcard and Harvey Keitel (played fixer Walter Wolf in Pulp Fiction) plays the antagonist. It's gorgeous and as Scott's first film, an incredible achievement. I recommend it.
I actually recommended this on stream last night! This was the first horror movie that I saw and since Alien Romulus got released, it’s perfect timing that you’re now tackling this.
The second film: Aliens, is the one with multiple actors from the Terminator films. The adopting mother (Jenette Goldstein) of John Conner in Terminator 2 is in it, one of the thugs (Bill Paxton) who Arnold meets early on in Terminator 1 is in it, Kyle Reese from Terminator 1 is in it (Micheal Biehn), One of the two detectives in Terminator 1 is in it (Lance Henrikson). So clearly James Cameron enjoyed working with them and wanted them to work with him again.
Lance Hendrikson was actually cast as The Terminator originally - before Arnold expressed interest in the role. Clearly Arnold was the better fit, and Hendrickson was cast as one of the cops. But Cameron is loyal to his actors and tends to use the same ones on many projects, so Hendrickson and others have certainly gotten their value out of their Terminator roles.
For Aliens, watch the extended version.
"Alien": A youngster is boarding the "Nostromo." What will she make of this "old, long, slow-moving, character-centered, no-DFX" movie? 3:45 The Company is sending the equivalent of a freighter crew to "do science" on an unexplored planet! 7:26 The Space Jockey, a mystery for years. 9:34 The first jump scare. 9:50 This conversation has become iconic due to recent events. 10:20 The Face Hugger, grossing out the audience for years. 10:32 You are watching the Special Edition version, since I didn't see this scene back in 1979. 11:19 Acid Blood! 14:22 A Props Dept. work of ART, made of sea animals. 15:10 Kane's last meal. 15:43 The Xenomorph, scaring audiences for over 40 years. 16:54 Along came Jones. 18:56 Say hello to Bolaji Badejo. 21:10 You're in command, Ripley. 22:41 In 1979, this was my "WTF? Ash ISN'T Human!?" moment. 23:42 Most didn't see this coming. 25:34 I've read that Lambert is standing in for us, the audience. 27:35 I didn't see this scene, either, in 1979. 28:06 Escape route cut off, stop Destruct to gain time for Plan B. 31:57 Tonight's entree on the shuttle "Narcissus" is Steamed Xenomorph in Shell. 32:18 Correction, Char-Broiled Xenomorph. This and the next movie made newcomer Sigourney Weaver a major movie star. On to "Alines" (1986)!
22:06 That chick is acting how a lot of people would, suggesting they just hop in the shuttle and run away, even if they all die.
Agreed. Id rather die in the shuttle than at the hands of the creature.
I really enjoyed your reaction! You have a great sense of humor, which, when combined with your fear, made this a very fun watch. I also loved that you are the first to point out Lambert's specific flaw: ..."She has no 'fight or flight'. No one else has worded it that way, though that was exactly her problem. This was fun! I look forward to seeing your reaction to Aliens! ❤😊
Please give the Star Trek franchise a chance. 🖖🖖🏻🖖🏼🖖🏽🖖🏾🖖🏿
'I think I'm mentally prepared to watch this movie.'
That's adorable.
Oh, and it was K-Y Jelly for the slime.
And Ian Holm - Ash - hated milk...and he still did that scene!
If you love Alien, you should give the sequel Aliens a watch. I can’t help but miss Bill Paxton aka Private Hudson every time i watch that 1986 classic and that legendary line of his: “That’s it game over man, game over!”.
That line... What made it work for me was that hyper stressed whine Bill could get into his voice - his character was just about to freak all the way out! 😅
A great follow up, saw it opening weekend and it was a blast
Another one for you if you haven't since seen, Kane (John Hurt) is also Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter.
2:59 THIS LOOKS CRAAAAZZYYYY OUT OF CONTEXT LMAOOOOOOO
Go easy on Lambert! Most people forget the third "F." Its Fight, Flight, or Freeze. There *are* people who, in a panic situation, just shut down like that.
I wasn't sure before, but now I wonder how you might deal with Event Horizon.
*Yes,* I watched it in the theater, when I was about 15. I knew it was a horror, but still had star wars in my head... That view of space changed! Kind of traumatizing, _(hid my face in the chest busting scene)_ but over time I really appreciated the "Alien" franchise for its vision(s). Nice to re-visit that experience vicariously through your eyes. _Thumbs up._
The third part of the expression is "fight, flight or freeze", people can be so cataleptic with fear that everything shuts down and they're immobile, frozen in place. Ripley is a badass and a timeless character, and one would hear little argument from anyone who has seen ALIEN that the crew would have been better off if they'd listened to Ripley. The number of times though viewers have expressed "how stupid the rest of the crew was", we shouldn't lose sight of the fact the crew are civilians driving a commercial freighter and that's what they are trained for. They're not military and they certainly weren't trained for an extreme, horrifying encounter like they had. Sure each of them demonstrated varying levels of capability during the worst crisis of their lives, but they were all doing the best they could.
Yasss finally 🔥 hopefully u do the whole alien/predator saga🫶🏼😭
Yooo great reaction. I actually agree with your take on sci-fi spaceship crews needing to be portrayed accurately as a select group of extremely qualified and competent individuals. We forgive movies like Alien because of when they came out, how amazingly well-made they are, and because of the crew being portrayed as a trucking crew rather than astronauts. I can't give the same suspension of disbelief to Ridley Scott's later 2017 entry, Alien: Covenant. At a certain point you just CAN'T believe that a crew of people in space could be so dumb and ignore what must be heavily instructed protocol. I'm taken out of EVERY movie where this happens. The sequel, Aliens, handles this much better for the most part.
Time for the next one, Aliens. Great sequell. Lot more action with more aliens. And yes, Ripley is in this again. Think you've gonna love it. By the way, Sigourney Weaver was indeed in Avatar and also in Ghostbusters.
A delightful and intense movie reaction!
In a film Angelina has Not yet reacted to, the Alien creature is much happier when it sings and dances on stage.
"Geez, not again!"
@@Cau_No 🎶Hello my baby, hello my honey...
Great reaction! ❤ You asked what they used to make it all slimy... The literally used 5 gallon buckets of KY Jelly. If you watch the DVD and add the directors audio, they talked about how many hundreds of gallons of KY Jelly was used in the movie!
In addition to fight or flight, there's also freeze or fawn. Lambert froze.
Yup. U cant blame her for that was absolute fear.
I watched the movie when it premiered back in 1979. My friend insisted we watch the film in the front row. I was looking up to get a full view of the screen. When Kane looked in to the egg and the face hugger jumped out, I thought i had whiplash!
I'd really like to recommend that you don't listen to anyone who tells you to just watch Alien and Aliens and stop there. All the Alien movies including 3 and 4 are interesting (except perhaps Prometheus and Alien Covenant for my part, but some people like them a lot too). Because the strength of this saga is that each movie is very different from the last and is the true expression of its director (different each time) !! 😊😊
I agree about continuing. 3 and 4 are horrible movies when COMPARED to 1 and 2. But on their own they are still pretty good movies. 3 was a great concept not quite handled well and 4 was just silly fun.
I don't like the prequels though. I think the Alien is something that doesn't need and origin story.
Amazing.
45 years ago.
One of the most iconic films of it's era and genre.
The great Ridley Scott's second film and first of his many masterpieces.
This was Sigourney Weaver's second film, first role as an lead actress and one of her most iconic roles ever.
5 of the castmembers are no longer living.
One of the writers called it, 'JAWS in space' and was deep in it's nightmarish nature.
Truly pushing the boundaries of it's tones and the creativity within it's production.
The creature was designed by the H.R. Giger from his bio-mechanical artwork known as Necronom IV.
Theatrical cut or director's cut, the first installment is untouchable in it's presentation.
Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects among so many awards it received.
Earliest movie merchandise was a graphic novel, toys, calendars and Halloween costumes.
Total major influence on sci-fi horror thrillers for years to come.
The preceding films in the mainline series go up and down in terms of reception & box office.
You got about 6 more films to go including Alien:Romulus.
I saw ALIEN on Saturday, May 26th, 1979, the day after the premiere! It was in Chicago at the State-Lake theatre. There was a packed audience, and we didn't know what to expect. I took my girlfriend (future wife), and for 2 hours it was nonstop screams and jumps! We had never seen a creature like this before, and this was one of the best, scariest times I ever had at the movies.
Re. the sliminess of the Alien… this movie was single-handedly responsible for a chronic shortage of KY Jelly in the London area in ‘78/‘79!
Oh, and the Alien was primarily a man in a suit - a Nigerian art student by the name of Bolaji Badejo, who was cast in the role because of his incredible 6’ 10” physique. The head of the suit only had limited functionality, so all the close-up insert shots of the head and mouth were done with a separate, highly articulated cable-actuated head, made by Carlo Rambaldi and his team (who would later be responsible for making E.T.; Rambaldi & co would receive Oscars for both movies).
In in-universe chronological order, it's: Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien, Alien: Romulus, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection.
This is SUCH a fun, thoughtful franchise with a real mean steak
Certainly back in the 1700's (and possibly from when international sea-borne trade became common around the Mediterranean, so maybe Roman/Phoenician times? ), in the British Merchant Marine, it was common to have a cat on-board, to take care of any rodents getting at the ships food or any grain being shipped...so having a cat on board Nostromo is a nod to that tradition.
Oh. You have no idea how excited I am to see you react to this. Alien or the whole Aliens and Predator universe is a more of a classic favorite of mine for horror movies.
“The Thing”!! One of the greatest!
*John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982. Not the 2011 version/prequel that is also called The Thing.
The Unholy Trinity of Sci-fi Horror: Alien ('79), The Thing ('82), and Terminator ('84).
My favorite line in the movie is when they find out they have to go & investigate the transmission, Parker says, "I wanna go home & party!!" 🤣
And nobody ever says anything about how the chestburster seemed to be born with roller skates on 😂😅
The wide shots on the moon they land on have children in half-sized spacesuits to make the set look twice the size.
Ah, the extended cut. I haven't seen this version in ages.
FYI, Ash didn't say it was Kane's son, he said "it gained some." As in, it got real big, real quick.
A great movie to check out this time of year is The Thing (1982). Talk about great practical effects!
Yes, the last scene with Dallas wasn't in the theatrical release.
it filled out another step in the Xenomorph lifecycle, like designed, but then it causes a little continuation problem with the sequel ...
This is why closed captioning is your friend!
This Director's Cut is actually 1 minute shorter than the Theatrical Cut.
I think there's a fan made 'super cut' floating around somewhere.
✌️🤟🤘
The Exorcist, The Howling, The Thing and The Witch are terrific movies to watch this Halloween season!
I don't see anyone commenting this but the alien was an actor in a suit not an animatronic. Bolaji Badejo was the actor and this was his only movie afaik.
Carlo Rambaldi did the animatronic head. Because obviously the mechanisms would not allow an actor said to be inside the alien skull.
That's why alien is a true classic, it stand the test of time.
One thing you know going in, which audiences didn't know in '79, is that Weaver was the star. It is interesting to watch how Ridley Scott de-emphasizes Ripley in the opening scenes. In particular, it was new to have a woman lead an action or sci-fi film at the time, and ways he could have made her heroic initially - like having her go on the ground mission - are avoided. She also is given second billing amongst a cast of mostly unknown actors. The "final girl" trope was not firmly in place for horror movies - this movie, along with Halloween, kind of cemented it in the 70s.
So it was entirely unclear going in who the "hero" was.
Make sure you watch the other Alien movies too, including the Predator movies! Also, you MUST play the game Alien: Isolation, it's an incredible experience!!!
"He will alienate the cat!" You have a future in Hollywood sequels!
"Cat is traumatised for liiiife." Meanwhile in the cat's head: "Can I haz da liver pliz?"
I think it's great you noticed how good the set looks. There's a documentary called "Memory: The Origins of Alien" that would answer a lot of the questions you had. It's excellent btw. Impressive that they made it for about 11 million bucks back in '78, huh?
I find it interesting to see which reaction creators agree with Ripley saving Jonesy, and which ones say to leave him.
Ange is 100% correct tho. You save Jonesy. Every time.