Alien

The most famous representative of its genre, its thematically related followers can’t even hold a candle to it. My big sister told me that during a screening in our cinema (during the totalitarian era – what a wonder!), a female spectator didn't manage to leave the hall and threw up during one tense scene. Nowadays, Alien probably wouldn't shock anyone, but back then it was something completely new, unseen. I have two people in particular to thank for that: Ridley Scott, who was in fine form, and H.R. Giger, without whose vision, the result would probably not have been so rewarding. (02/03/2003)

So, I finally watched one of the most famous sci-fi horror films of the last century and I have to admit that I have been deprived for a long time of a perfect piece of filmmaking with an eerie atmosphere that must have caused quite a stir when it was released. In fact, even now, thirty years later, it is a quality piece of filmmaking that many times sends shivers down one's spine, and I personally found myself looking at the screen through my fingers a few times during the film. Sigourney Weaver played the badass Ripley brilliantly and was complemented perfectly by Ian Holm, who incidentally was the centre of an excellent plot. In short, a classic that will surely not succumb to age in the future, as the shots of the spaceship itself or the aliens are breathtaking examples of the great work of the visual effects artists. (16/07/2011)

Fascinating legend, which has been delivering all films with a suggestive atmosphere of unknown evil for over forty years since its creation. Captivating performance by Sigourney Weaver, the impossibility to guess what awaits the crew in the next few seconds, accompanied by darkness, fear, and terror with the help of minimal tricks. An incomparable peak of Ridley Scott and proof that even a film where almost nothing happens in the first half can be perfectly breathtaking throughout the entire runtime. (21/04/2005)

Alien is one of the fundamental works of the sci-fi genre, which meant the definitive emancipation of sci-fi as a full-fledged genre that can be classified in the A-category and compete for the highest honors at film festivals. It completed the process started by Kubrick with his film 2001: A Space Odyssey. At the same time, it rehabilitated the motif of space "monsters" which had been profaned by cheap B-movies of previous decades. The director approached the subject with maximum seriousness and worked very carefully with the screenplay, opting for an excellent collaborator in the form of the previously little-known artist H.R. Giger. It is precisely in terms of visuals that the film does exceptionally well, using a wide range of colors to evoke a gloomy atmosphere. The alien ship appears remarkably strange. The environment of the worn-out spacecraft full of various sounds created by technology creates a special tension that stays with the viewer until the last moments. The slowly increasing tension is followed by shocking "scares." Alien makes an original impression and evokes genuine fear. The actors approached the film with obvious skepticism, considering it to be one of the common cheap genre films, and were pleasantly surprised by the result. The film catapulted Sigourney Weaver into the ranks of the stellar acting elite and guaranteed her very nice salaries in the future. Ripley became her defining role, and many fans simply identified her with the starship officer. I remember the desperate attempts of the youth at the time to get into the movie theater for the screening. The film was hugely popular and also restricted to a certain age. Even many years later, although it is no longer at the forefront technically, Alien still has a very impressive and fully functional atmosphere. Overall impression: 100%. (18/04/2008)

Ridley Scott cannot be denied his directorial skill and sense for a unique creepy atmosphere, but after so many years, it doesn't have quite the same level of horror as it did ten or twenty years ago. The original screenplay, the great cast, and the excellent direction, along with the depressive music and fantastic devilish atmosphere, are all positives, But I still give preference to the militant Cameron. (01/11/2003)