Alien (1979)
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A commercial starship crew must survive a deadly extraterrestrial threat after investigating a derelict vessel.
The story
The commercial space tug Nostromo is returning to Earth with a seven-member crew in stasis. When the ship's computer, "Mother", detects a transmission from a nearby exomoon, the crew is awakened and decides to investigate. They land on the surface and discover a derelict alien vessel containing a giant, fossilized alien corpse. However, the investigation leads to a terrifying discovery: a deadly extraterrestrial creature has entered the ship. The crew must now navigate the claustrophobic corridors of the Nostromo while being hunted by the organism, all while trying to complete their mission and return home safely.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The crew of the Nostromo investigates a transmission from an exomoon, leading them to a derelict vessel where Kane is infected by a parasitic organism. The creature eventually hatches from his body and begins a hunt through the ship. The crew faces internal conflict when it is revealed that the science officer, Ash, is an android programmed to prioritize the alien over human life. As the crew is picked off one by one, Ripley takes command. After the destruction of the android and the loss of several crew members, Ripley initiates a self-destruct sequence for the ship. She manages to escape in a shuttle with the ship's cat, only to find the alien has stowed away. In a final confrontation, she manages to eject the creature into space before entering stasis for the journey to Earth.
- First release year
- 1979
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- Dan O'Bannon · screenplay; Dan O'Bannon · story; Ronald Shusett · story
- Cast and characters
- Tom Skerritt · Dallas; Sigourney Weaver · Ripley; Veronica Cartwright · Lambert; Harry Dean Stanton · Brett; John Hurt · Kane; Ian Holm · Ash; Yaphet Kotto · Parker; Bolaji Badejo · the alien
- Genres
- science fiction; horror
- Themes
- survival; isolation; man vs. nature
- Tone and mood
- tense; claustrophobic
- Setting
- A commercial space tug and a derelict alien vessel in deep space.
- Premise and plot tags
- space exploration; alien encounter; survival horror
- Franchise connections
- Alien
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · won; Hugo Award · Best Dramatic Presentation · won; BAFTA · Best Film Music · won
- Production trivia
- The alien creatures and environments were designed by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2002.; The film was ranked by the American Film Institute as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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