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Alien
In space no one can hear you scream.
( Horror / Sci-Fi )


Alien Poster

MPAA Rating:
R
[sci-fi violence/gore and language]

US Runtime: 117 min

Country of Origin: United States of America

Premiere Date:
May 25, 1979   [USA]
 
Director: Ridley Scott
 
Writers: Dan O'Bannon   [Screenplay]
Dan O'Bannon   [Story]
Ronald Shusett   [Story]
 
Producers: Gordon Carroll   [Producer]
David Giler   [Producer]
Walter Hill   [Producer]
Ivor Powell   [Associate Producer]
Ronald Shusett   [Executive Producer]
 
Cinematography: Derek Vanlint
 
Edited by: Terry Rawlings
Peter Weatherley
 
Music Composed by Jerry Goldsmith
 
Production Design: Michael Seymour
 
Costume Design: John Mollo
 
Casting by Mary Goldberg
Mary Selway
 
Production Companys: 20th Century Fox   (US)
Brandywine Productions   (US)
Brandywine Productions Ltd.
 


Plot Summary:

    After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.

Cast: (First 20, for the rest click 'Show All Cast & Crew' below.)

Tom Skerritt
Dallas
Sigourney Weaver
Ripley
Veronica Cartwright
Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton
Brett
John Hurt
Kane
 
Ian Holm
Ash
Yaphet Kotto
Parker
Bolaji Badejo
Alien
Helen Horton
Mother (voice)
 

Show All Cast & Crew

Miscellaneous Companies:

Animals Unlimited
Jones trained by
Anvil Recording Studios
music recorded at
Lee Lighting Ltd.
lighting
R/Greenberg Associates Inc.
title design
 
Sony U.K. Ltd.
video equipment
Steve Frankfurt Communications
title design
Thorn EMI Elstree Studios
post-production
Tony Silver Films
title design
 
 

Special Effects Department:

Filmfex Animation Services Ltd.
special optical effects
 
 

Filming Locations: (Now With Clickable Links To Location On Google Maps)

 

Tech Info:

Budget:
$11,000,000
Revenue:
$104,931,801
Camera:
Panavision Cameras and Lenses
Color Info:
Color (DeLuxe)
Laboratory:
DeLuxe, USA / Rank Film Laboratories, Denham, UK
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Cinematographic Process:
Panavision
Film Negative Format:
35 mm - Kodak 5247
Printed Film Format:
35 mm / 70 mm
Production Dates:
05 Jul 1978 - Dec 1978

Quotes:

  • [After discovering the alien bleeds acid.]
    Parker: It's got a wonderful defense mechanism: you don't dare kill it.
     
  • [Last line]
    Ripley: Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier in about 6 weeks. With a little luck, the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of The Nostromo, signing off.
     
  • Ripley: Come on, Ash, I mean, the Science Department should be able to help us. What can we do to drive it?
    Ash: Yes, well, it has adapted remarkably well to our atmosphere considering its nutritional requirements. The only thing we don't know about is temperature.
    Ripley: OK, what about temperature? What happens if we change it?
    Ash: Let's try it. Most animals retreat from fire, yes?
    Dallas: Fire, yeah.
     
  • [Ripley has tried to disengage the self-destruct.]
    Ripley: Mother! Turn the cooling unit back on! Mother! ...You bitch!
     
  • Lambert: I can't see a goddamn thing.
    Kane: Quit griping!
    Lambert: I like griping.
     

Trivia:

  • An early draft of the script had a male Ripley.
     
  • The alien's habit of laying eggs in the stomach (which then burst out) was inspired by the spider wasp (ichneumonid) that lays its eggs in the abdomen of spiders. This image gave Dan O'Bannon nightmares, which he used in creating the story.
     
  • In the space jockey scene, the three crew members Lambert, Dallas, and Kane are portrayed by Scott's two children and another child; this was done to make the model appear larger.
     
  • Much of the dialogue was developed through improvisation.
     
  • The models had to be repainted every evening of the shoot because the slime used on-set removed the acrylic paint from their surfaces.
     


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