ALIEN

 

     For my very first article, I chose to talk about my all-time favourite film, Alien (if you hadn't understood yet...). I will be talking about Ridley's Scott iconic first episode of the series, but also more globally about the whole franchise.

"In space, no one will hear you scream..."

Watching the first Alien film was a very special moment for me, and undoubtably many other people. The film in itself was produced in 1979 by Ridley Scott, in the sci-fi/horror genre. 

When it came out, it was a marvel of technique and directing, offering the audience a brand new experience of cinema. But what makes it so iconic?

But before that, let me present hastily the plot with of course no major spoilers. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her trusty crew are woken from cryogenic sleep on board the shipping vessel Nostromo, after receiving a mysterious distress. A search party is sent, but come back in hurry as a member is infected by some kind of parasyte. Once on, board the alien grows into the classic xenomorph, and the rest is obvious.

   First of all, the design of the Xenomorph and the Nostromo (the space vessel), usually the image that pops up to mind when mentioning this movie, and for a good reason. Drawn by H.R.

 Giger for the first film, this design has later evolved for the more recent movies. People should keep in mind that visuals effect were very limited at the time, so the first alien was an actual model, using no CGI, which brings me to second point: the atmosphere.

                  Original alien sketch by Giger                            Xenomorph model from the first film

Another point that makes the first Alien special is the atmosphere created by Ridley Scott. Throughout the film, the fully grown alien does not show much, only the glint of teeth or the shadow of a tail. This makes it stand apart from the usual gory trash horror film, it introduces a new type of fear: you're not scared of what you can see, but of what you cannot see. This effect also comes from the flashing lights, the nerve-racking sound-track and the almost biological looks of the lower levels of the Nostromo.

ANATOMY

Now that you know about the origins of this franchise, lets dive deeper into the actual alien. It is a complicated species, said to be "the deadliest creature" in the universe. I'll explain the stages of growth

1. The Ovomorph

First stage of the alien cycle, those eggs are also the start of the horror in most alien films. They are laid by the alien queen, in the royal chamber, on their home planet or on colonies.

2. The Facehugger

Hatched from the latter eggs, those seek a live host to "impregnate". They will latch onto its face and strangle the victim, controlling the air-flow to keep the host alive and hostage. They free a tiny embryo in the body, which will soak up DNA and internal organs.

3. The Chestburster

When the embryo planted by the facehugger has matured, it will, in an extremely gross and iconic scene, literally burst through the victim's chest and escape to hide in the darkest place it can find, leading to the last stage of a Xenomorph's life cycle.

4. The Xenomorph

The ultimate and deadliest form of an alien, the adult Xenomorph can take various shapes, depending on its host and origin. There are multiple classes of aliens, the drones, which are colonizers, and the warriors, which will create a hive and protect the queen. 

Thank you very much for reading this article, even though now not watching is an insult to me. If anyone has seen the films, feel free to say which was your favourite, even though the first film is obviously the best one. I will of course publish another Alien-themed article, maybe about the Predator ( or yautja species, for any fan), or some of the newer films.