Must-see movies are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale. Written by James Rocchi.
Title: Alien
Date: 1979
Vitals: It’s a haunted house movie … in outer space! Ridley Scott’s grit-grime working-class space truckers pick up an unexpected hitchhiker — and, along the way, kick off a franchise that’s still going. The plot may be classic (and on loan from other Sci-Fi tales like It! The Terror from Beyond Space and The Voyage of the Space Beagle), but Scott’s direction and H. R Giger’s visual design still thrill and chill.
Famous Names: Ridley Scott (Dir.), Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt (Cast).
Crunchy Goodness: 5
Sequels: Aliens, Alien 3, Alien 4, Alien Vs. Predator and the forthcoming Alien Vs. Predator 2.
Sights You’ll Never Unsee: John Hurt’s awkward and immensely painful “birthing” sequence, and Ian Holm as a paranoid android with a very gloppy systems problem.
Design Breakthrough: H. R. Giger’s phallic creatures may have needed better effects to make them move and groove in the later films, but that original design has haunted a million nightmares, and for good reason.
Alien Movies Resource: Includes scripts, trivia, bloopers, cut-scenes and more!
