I was 14 when I saw Alien. It was opening night at the Midland Theater, a big, old, gorgeous movie house in downtown Kansas City. Since the original ads gave *nothing* away, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I remember I had to escape to the lobby at least once so I could calm down. Needless to say it scared the living shit out of me. I'll never forget that experience.
Hearing about people in the audience walking to the back of the theater to keep themselves from being too close to the screen reminds me of when I would hide beside the couch in the living room of my house as a kid whenever a scary scene in a movie would come up.
Saw it in Washington DC, Uptown theater, 70 mm. Huge bloody screen.. twice the first week. When they showed the under side of the face hugger, heard someone gasp and throw up. Some body also had an epileptic event, they stopped the film.
love to see the story of the writer, it was a dream come true for him, a dream for every story writers to to see their movie getting cheered upon. And an awesome moment when he sit there, listening to audience who love it so much.
I wish they would film the live audience reaction like they do today. I was only 7 and didn't watch it until I was 14 on VHS rental. It would be a thrill to re-live the moment, especially to see how audience of the 70's would react to a film so ahead of their era.
My boss went to see one of the first showings in Madison Square Garden, and said there was a power cut half way through that lasted about 10 minutes. She said that everyone was absolutely terrified to leave because it was so dark lol.
Unfortunately, you guys are young enough to have missed the 'golden age' of horror films. The truly frightening stuff was from the 60s through perhaps 1980. There are exceptions today, but you're living in a post-Exorcist, post-Jaws, post-Psycho, post-Halloween, post-everything world. There's not a lot of subtlety in modern horror, and people are far more jaded nowadays than they were back then. Times have totally changed.
I think it's a bit more complicated than that. I think we tend to look more fondly on our youth age (4-20 or 5-30 for some)than we do our current life state. I could say the same thing, that people born after 2010 missed the 'Golden Age', i.e., Pulp Fiction, Twelve Monkeys, The Matrix, Pi, American Psycho, Jackson's Original LotR Trilogy, The Dark Knight, Playstation 2, Playstation (to branch into video games), but there were and always have been good movies and shit movies. I think the reason it feels that way now is due to the way streaming services have started to go. That doesn't mean there aren't good movies released, just that one of the mediums that they're released isn't doing so hot. Hopefully with the writers strike and reaction from audience they'll do an ouchie and rethink their employee model and writing models.
I didn't see this movie until 1998 on cable. I was 18. And when I saw it for the first time, let's just say it scared 😨 the living bejeezus out of me! Never saw anything like this at that point. Truly horrifying!!!
I just saw it at my city theater and (even though I have seen the movie a million times) I just jumped out of my seat and screamed in awesome horror :)) fucking awesome!! :)))
He wrote the first part of the movie, it was basically unchanged. He also came up with the overall theme. He was the one who also forced Scott/Fox to use HR Giger (as Dan is the one who met him in France before the project). Saying he did nothing just shows pure ignorance.
My mom told me she saw Alien in 1979 she thought she was going to see Close Encounters 2 or something-she told me about Veronicas little buddy and how it screwed her up and how much she loved the first 2 Alien movies .Its still intense 41 years later.
@Punk93Metal Back in those days it was scary. Compare other horror movies which were made before Alien. And compare it. + this movie wasn't about the gore, let alone of high level of it. It's about psychological aspects of suspense and loneliness ("In space NO ONE can hear your scream"). If movie has a lot of gore, it doesn't mean it will bring horror.
Neither have I. Then again, I'm only 23 so I've not been around in the time when movies were considered scary. I agree that Americans are definitely drama queens... but so are individuals of every nationality.
You know that shot where Lambert is getting her backside grabbed by the tail before cutting to Ripley running hearing her scream? That shot was actually Harry Dean Stanton for an element they wanted to include for Brett's demise. They switched it for Lambert, as they thought it would be creepier, and they did not need to reshoot for the clip they wanted to use.
I don't understand these descriptions of the screening reactions (and I think they're BS). I was 15 when I saw this in the theater. It was my first R-rated movie: with my mum. But, I saw no similar reactions from people. In fact, even as a kid, I was rather disappointed by how sloppy the movie was. It had a great monster, great set-design, great atmosphere and visuals. But there were logical holes in it. I mean, I wasn't an idiot when I sat down in a theater.
MrDonovon07 Some people just can't stand good horror, alien fits into true horror genre, not this modern Bloodbath jumpscare crap. This had blood, suspense, jumpscares, and more...
Movies have plot holes. It would be remarkable if more then 1% of all movies ever made didn’t. It’s not really what it’s about. It’s about the story and how to make the audience subconsciously live and believe what they see. Humans are not especially logical creatures. Besides; just because it didn’t happen in your theatre in no way proves it never happened
It's probably out there on the DVDs, but it's most likely not the best cut (Scott has said multiple times he thinks the best of the cuts is the theatrical, and I'm inclined to take his word for it). More isn't always necessarily better.
![Reaction To Alien Part 2 [The Making Of A L I E N]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/idr3ktzBVNE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Reaction To Alien Part 2 [The Making Of A L I E N]](/img/tr.png)
![Developing The Story Part 1 [The Making Of A L I E N]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cl4aKjXhZNY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Developing The Story Part 2 [The Making Of A L I E N]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YZflNwAhq4g/mqdefault.jpg)
![Visual Effects Part 1 [The Making Of A L I E N]](/img/n.gif)
I was 14 when I saw Alien. It was opening night at the Midland Theater, a big, old, gorgeous movie house in downtown Kansas City. Since the original ads gave *nothing* away, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I remember I had to escape to the lobby at least once so I could calm down. Needless to say it scared the living shit out of me. I'll never forget that experience.
@Big Chap My Dad did too he said he freaked out when the alien bursted out of that one guy's chest
Hearing about people in the audience walking to the back of the theater to keep themselves from being too close to the screen reminds me of when I would hide beside the couch in the living room of my house as a kid whenever a scary scene in a movie would come up.
Me, too! :D
People running out of the theater and an usher fainting? No wonder this movie is in the Library of Congress!
I really wish I could've been there. Enjoying it on the big screen for the first time with the rest of the terrified crowd.
Me, too. Too bad I wasn't born in the 70s.
Saw it in Washington DC, Uptown theater, 70 mm. Huge bloody screen.. twice the first week. When they showed the under side of the face hugger, heard someone gasp and throw up. Some body also had an epileptic event, they stopped the film.
love to see the story of the writer, it was a dream come true for him, a dream for every story writers to to see their movie getting cheered upon.
And an awesome moment when he sit there, listening to audience who love it so much.
I wish they would film the live audience reaction like they do today. I was only 7 and didn't watch it until I was 14 on VHS rental. It would be a thrill to re-live the moment, especially to see how audience of the 70's would react to a film so ahead of their era.
This movie needs to be re-released in IMAX. I’ll pay to see that
You still don't know what you're dealing with, do you? Perfect. Movie. It's visual imagery is matched only by it's storytelling.
the best sci-fi movie!
My boss went to see one of the first showings in Madison Square Garden, and said there was a power cut half way through that lasted about 10 minutes.
She said that everyone was absolutely terrified to leave because it was so dark lol.
R.I.P John Hurt
This film is the pinnacle of everything that is True SCI-FI HORROR..today & forever..
Unfortunately, you guys are young enough to have missed the 'golden age' of horror films. The truly frightening stuff was from the 60s through perhaps 1980. There are exceptions today, but you're living in a post-Exorcist, post-Jaws, post-Psycho, post-Halloween, post-everything world. There's not a lot of subtlety in modern horror, and people are far more jaded nowadays than they were back then. Times have totally changed.
I think it's a bit more complicated than that. I think we tend to look more fondly on our youth age (4-20 or 5-30 for some)than we do our current life state. I could say the same thing, that people born after 2010 missed the 'Golden Age', i.e., Pulp Fiction, Twelve Monkeys, The Matrix, Pi, American Psycho, Jackson's Original LotR Trilogy, The Dark Knight, Playstation 2, Playstation (to branch into video games), but there were and always have been good movies and shit movies.
I think the reason it feels that way now is due to the way streaming services have started to go. That doesn't mean there aren't good movies released, just that one of the mediums that they're released isn't doing so hot. Hopefully with the writers strike and reaction from audience they'll do an ouchie and rethink their employee model and writing models.
Dan was writer on 'Dark Star'? I thought that was all John Carpenter.
'Dark Star' was one of the funniest shit I've ever seen.
rest in peace, dan o'bannon
he was a legend!
I didn't see this movie until 1998 on cable. I was 18. And when I saw it for the first time, let's just say it scared 😨 the living bejeezus out of me! Never saw anything like this at that point. Truly horrifying!!!
I just saw it at my city theater and (even though I have seen the movie a million times) I just jumped out of my seat and screamed in awesome horror :)) fucking awesome!! :)))
I agree. I saw Alien when I was 10 and never even flinched. I went to bed watching Aliens.
He wrote the first part of the movie, it was basically unchanged. He also came up with the overall theme. He was the one who also forced Scott/Fox to use HR Giger (as Dan is the one who met him in France before the project).
Saying he did nothing just shows pure ignorance.
3:04 I never realised that John Lennon was the art director on "Alien"
My mom told me she saw Alien in 1979 she thought she was going to see Close Encounters 2 or something-she told me about Veronicas little buddy and how it screwed her up and how much she loved the first 2 Alien movies .Its still intense 41 years later.
wow..very few films can incite that kind of a reaction in audiences today. i think we are largely desensitized to the whole experience
nobody looses a head in this movie, and this was also the first movie of its kind, very creative and original
music was genius!!
cracked
The eyebrows on that guy, holy crap. That guy could comb those they are so long.
NOT THE ALIENS! AAAGH! THEY'RE IN MY THROAT! AAAAAAGGGHHH!
'Cause the execs wanted him to cut one together for the DVD. Same thing happened with Spielberg and the first 'director's cut' of Close Encounters.
"They cut the power!"
Wrong movie. That's from 'Aliens.'
True dat. I was going with non-sythetics to counter sondano's argument.
Such a shame on the DVD extras they didn't speak to Yaphet Kotto or Ian Holm. But the Quadrilogy is amazing.
Lol I screamed "leave the fucking cat!" too the first time I watched Alien. I never got why she gave a shit about that stupid animal
I like cats.
We love Jonesy. Jonesy stays with Ripley. Period!
TO HELL WITH THE CAT
keep the cat its the alien detector
Alternate soundtrack: ua-cam.com/video/1p3MJlTY3yg/v-deo.html
Yep, that's the case now, sadly.
@Punk93Metal
Back in those days it was scary. Compare other horror movies which were made before Alien. And compare it. + this movie wasn't about the gore, let alone of high level of it. It's about psychological aspects of suspense and loneliness ("In space NO ONE can hear your scream").
If movie has a lot of gore, it doesn't mean it will bring horror.
Isn't it a blog?
The android Ash does.
@RakiePK
Yes :D
Neither have I. Then again, I'm only 23 so I've not been around in the time when movies were considered scary. I agree that Americans are definitely drama queens... but so are individuals of every nationality.
4 hours!
the hell... i never saw that tail hooking in to the dudes head in the movie... was it a deleted scene?
You know that shot where Lambert is getting her backside grabbed by the tail before cutting to Ripley running hearing her scream? That shot was actually Harry Dean Stanton for an element they wanted to include for Brett's demise. They switched it for Lambert, as they thought it would be creepier, and they did not need to reshoot for the clip they wanted to use.
UA-cam "Brett's death extended scene" you'll see the original footage....amazing
"Cracked"?
FUCK I WANT THAT TOO GODAMNIT!
isnt Dan O'bannon the sweetest man you ever known.
@TheSnowdog21121
hey it detected the alien
If he liked the theatrical cut, why is there a directors cut of this?
He recut it when it was re-released for DVD. That's perfectionism for you.
americlaps since 1985 7:50
@MrGrevy
Oh please. These so called "scary movies" with their high levels of gore is a joke.
i preffer xenomorphs more than zombies
@acemeister666 aha! and so does george lucas.
whats "cracked" supposed to mean?
@LittlePikachu mad bro?
I don't understand these descriptions of the screening reactions (and I think they're BS). I was 15 when I saw this in the theater. It was my first R-rated movie: with my mum. But, I saw no similar reactions from people. In fact, even as a kid, I was rather disappointed by how sloppy the movie was. It had a great monster, great set-design, great atmosphere and visuals. But there were logical holes in it. I mean, I wasn't an idiot when I sat down in a theater.
MrDonovon07 Some people just can't stand good horror, alien fits into true horror genre, not this modern Bloodbath jumpscare crap. This had blood, suspense, jumpscares, and more...
Movies have plot holes. It would be remarkable if more then 1% of all movies ever made didn’t. It’s not really what it’s about.
It’s about the story and how to make the audience subconsciously live and believe what they see.
Humans are not especially logical creatures.
Besides; just because it didn’t happen in your theatre in no way proves it never happened
It's probably out there on the DVDs, but it's most likely not the best cut (Scott has said multiple times he thinks the best of the cuts is the theatrical, and I'm inclined to take his word for it).
More isn't always necessarily better.
yikes
Dan just came up with the title, the whole movie was re written, he practically did nothing, can't stand him, eeeek!!!!
Lame.