Fans of the original Alien Film (1979)

[MichaelThomas]

This is for all the sci fi bros out there. There's no doubt that this film is really quite historic. The american film institute ranked it the 7th most historically significant film in it's genre. I love that movie. But. I have to do a project on it soon.

What do you think is the most iconic or significant scene in the film? A scene that sums up every aspect of the suspense and horror.

[jtm622]

Seriously, I've always thought that it was just a high-dollar remake of the old '50's drive-in movie "It! The Terror From Beyond Space."

B-movie Leading man Marshall Thompson made several of decent sci-fi movies in the 1950's...

[Tbone135]

Hmmm...maybe the shot from outside the ship giving the forewarning of the next attack. But that alien busting out of the guy's stomach was really something in it's day.

My wife and I watched all four Alien movies one weekend a couple of years ago. We liked the first, loved the second and I don't want to mention the others.

[RAILhead]

It's been a while since I've watched it -- and it *is* one of my favorite movies. As I sit and think about it, the scene that come to mind is when we see the head of the alien when it's hidden in the wall storage, horizontally. We know it's in the shuttle with Ripley, but she doesn't know it yet...

[Cody]

When Harry Dean Stanton's character goes looking for the cat... the scene goes on and on (we all know what's coming), the suspense becomes next to unbearable, then the alien attacks. It's unlike anything we've seen before: all teeth and slime; no visible eyes (which is one of the most "humanizing" features in a face).

There are plenty of iconic scenes in the film: the ruins of the alien spaceship, the face hugger attack and subsequent hide-and-seek, John Hurt's chest exploding, the claustrophobia of the air vent scene...

Great film. I saw it alone in a theater when it came out, because none of my friends dared go with me.

[rah3]

I always get a strange feeling in my chest when people mention that movie.

-RAH3

[MichaelThomas]

Seriously, I've always thought that it was just a high-dollar remake of the old '50's drive-in movie "It! The Terror From Beyond Space."

B-movie Leading man Marshall Thompson made several of decent sci-fi movies in the 1950's...

You make a good point..but 8 million isnt much of a budget, at least compared to the other films that were "hits" at the time.

[cram]

MOTHER is the name of the controlling entity or computer.
they are mere contractors who don't give a sh** about their job and are looking for a payday.
the fact they are dispensible is (I think.. but could be wrong as it's been a while) why they brought it on board and there was interest in study.

[Leonc]

So many great scenes to choose from. I think the most iconic scene is when Ridley realizes that the alien is in the escape capsule with her and she has to be strong enough and hold it together while figuring out how to blast the thing out of there. I do love the scene where Harry Dean Stanton is looking for the cat too; the suspense is so intense.

[Frankee]

I like the fact that it's an updated version of the haunted house genre. A giant, cavernous ship floating out in the middle of space, light years from anywhere. That kind of desolation and setting is creepy beyond any measure.

[MichaelThomas]

It's definately a cool spin off of a horror film. I think the writer even said he was going for a sort of "Jaws in space" sort of thing.

Personally I cant figure out which character is more terrifying, the Alien, or Ian Holm's character. The scene when he's revealed as an android is pretty intense, I mean he gets his head knocked off with a fire extinguisher. I wouldn't choose it for my project though, I'd think my professor would want something with the primary antagonist.

[A-Bone]

This is for all the sci fi bros out there. There's no doubt that this film is really quite historic. The american film institute ranked it the 7th most historically significant film in it's genre. I love that movie. But. I have to do a project on it soon.

What do you think is the most iconic or significant scene in the film? A scene that sums up every aspect of the suspense and horror.

As someone with an educational background in cinema studies, I am tempted to say that the most iconic elements of the film are (1) the fact that it was an early and unusual proponent of a kind of blue collar science fiction existence -- it was almost alone at its release in not treating the science fiction milieu with the grand, awesome science and technology more commonly associated with the genre--space in Alien is treated as a pretty dingy and dreary work experience like conventional mining (a Marxist reading of the film), and (2) that it featured a strong female protagonist at its center who worked comfortably and effectively in a stereotypically male environment (a feminist reading of the film rendered all the more interesting given the "male gaze" elements that crop up, such as when Ripley is getting ready to get into the sleep pod towards the end). Each of these situate the film comfortably as a product of the 70s for sure.

In terms of suspense and horror, arguably the more precise genres in which to place the film, I agree with the suggestion regarding the almost unbearable tension involved in the scene where Stanton goes looking for the cat. Truthfully, I cannot think of a film that more effectively used darkness and the oppression of the unseen since Jacques Tourneur's original Cat People from 1942.

[John Hurtt]

Got to be the "chest burst" scene. Everyone sitting around eating, and the John Hurt's character starts convulsing and the alien blows out through the chest.

[westex]

A classic; on one of our first dates my wife shredded a napkin from nervous energy while watching it in the theater.

[MichaelThomas]

Man I wish I was alive to see it in theaters when it came out. I'm a pretty young guy surrounded by all these new "scary" films, especially now around Halloween time. But they just don't make an impact on me. I can really say that even now, Alien scares the crap out of me sometimes when I watch it. I feel like everyone tried to borrow from it after that but they never got it quite right.

[rhinocaster]

Several good point have been made about the movie, and I agree with many of them.

I do believe that the single most iconic scene in the movie was the ailen coming out of Kane's chest. That combined with the "Company" willingness to sacrifice the members of the crew to bring back the alien suggested that the only reason we exist at all is to serve others.

If this is a project for you, try to address why Ash (the freaky robot) tried to kill Ripley by rolling up a magazine and shoving it in her mouth. I've always believed that Ridley Scott was trying to say something with that scene.

He probably meant to imply that Ripley was a replicant.:crazy

[macheesmo3]

As someone with an educational background in cinema studies, I am tempted to say that the most iconic elements of the film are (1) the fact that it was an early and unusual proponent of a kind of blue collar science fiction existence -- it was almost alone at its release in not treating the science fiction milieu with the grand, awesome science and technology more commonly associated with the genre--space in Alien is treated as a pretty dingy and dreary work experience like conventional mining (a Marxist reading of the film), and (2) that it featured a strong female protagonist at its center who worked comfortably and effectively in a stereotypically male environment (a feminist reading of the film rendered all the more interesting given the "male gaze" elements that crop up, such as when Ripley is getting ready to get into the sleep pod towards the end). Each of these situate the film comfortably as a product of the 70s for sure.

In terms of suspense and horror, arguably the more precise genres in which to place the film, I agree with the suggestion regarding the almost unbearable tension involved in the scene where Stanton goes looking for the cat. Truthfully, I cannot think of a film that more effectively used darkness and the oppression of the unseen since Jacques Tourneur's original Cat People from 1942.

In reference to the last point I would argue that when the kids are wandering around the house in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( you know someone is coming.. but it takes so long and then BOOM he's there and then gone !!!)
Or the shower scene in Psycho , the camera gives away it's secrets a good 5 seconds ahead of the door opening... Yet it is almost unbearable.

The strong female protagonist had previously been explored in Halloween, as well as Romero's Dawn of the Dead ( which in it's own way was an apology for his treatment of the female lead in NOTLD, who was such a stereotype, but I can appreciate your conclusion)

As far as Alien goes , I think the real key to the point what is the movie about moments are :
When the Capt is in the tunnels and the crew is watching his location on the radar and they see the beep getting closer and closer and then...!!!!!( it in it's own way foreshadows Ripley's move from the main ship to the escape vessel yet the Alien is still there with her)
Also , when the android goes crazy and she has to destroy him , yet return him to function to get the truth. She has become a destroyer herself and it prepares her for what is to come ( and provides with the information she needs to sever her responsiblity for her ship and cargo )

[macheesmo3]

Several good point have been made about the movie, and I agree with many of them.

I do believe that the single most iconic scene in the movie was the ailen coming out of Kane's chest. That combined with the "Company" willingness to sacrifice the members of the crew to bring back the alien suggested that the only reason we exist at all is to serve others.

If this is a project for you, try to address why Ash (the freaky robot) tried to kill Ripley by rolling up a magazine and shoving it in her mouth. I've always believed that Ridley Scott was trying to say something with that scene.

He probably meant to imply that Ripley was a replicant.:crazy

Nice Blade Runner Reference!!( and Harrison Ford's Character has to be human or the whole damn thing falls apart. Plus , I didn't see any white goo when he had his hand punctured!!)

[Berlebster]

Revolution with Alien in movies : The Spaceship is an actor too. Everything singlepiece of gear & furnitures seem to be real & working.

Now for what i know the chest scene is still making me slaughtering more than one napkin....................

[bluesjunior]

One scene not mentioned so far is the opening scene when the ship takes forever to pass the camera. It really gave a perspective to just how gigantically huge the spaceship was. This technique has been used in a lot of films since especially the Star Wars films but I think it was first used in Alien.

[Heinz W]

I love the cinematography. Though Ridley Scott used the wide 'cinemascope' aspect ratio (2.35 to 1) to film the movie he somehow still manages to make the film feel extremely claustraphobic and tight. As huge as the ship is it always seems too small and combined with the awesome score you constantly feel like the alien is just around the next corner or is going to jump out of the next dark recess. The often slow camera movement only adds to the tension. Great stuff.

This movie, along with "Jaws" and "The Exorcist", shows how good they made horror movies before Hollywood began to rely on CGI FX and gore rather than good scripts, dialogue, and the viewer's imagination.

My favorite scene is the one where the captain is hunting the alien in those cramped tunnels and realizes quickly that he is the one being hunted. That scene still makes me jump when he's suddenly face-to-face with the alien.

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I saw it on the big screen and it scared the CRAP out of me. Dark, gloomy, suspenseful and very realistic! ONE Alien and they are all freaking out over it, trying to figure a way to get rid of it. The sequels sucked because then all the sudden they are fighting a bunch of these things and blasting them one by one :bong ..... it's like very unrealistic, :dunno but the first sure was a nail biter! :drink

[pir8matt]

A classic sci-fi horror film that still holds up today. I rewatched it a few months back and was impressed how good it still looks and how scary it still is.

[Heinz W]

I like the first sequel (Aliens) as much as the original. The rest suck big time. Difference is that while Alien is a horror film Aliens is an action movie. They both succeed on those counts.

[Doodad]

Definitely the chest scene. That was new and scary as hell. An intentional "birth" scene in my opinion coupled with the entrance to the alien ship that was conspicuously shaped like female genitals and contained eggs. So maybe the alien was the evil yin to Ripley's human yang. Dunno.

The name of the ship was a clue as well. Nostromo in latin is loosely "our dead meat.":roll

[Doodad]

I like the first sequel (Aliens) as much as the original. The rest suck big time. Difference is that while Alien is a horror film Aliens is an action movie. They both succeed on those counts.

No way man. No way. We're all gonna die man.

Thanks Bill Paxton for that horrible performance. :D

I actually like that one as well. The sergeant is great.

[DiazDude]

The chest burster scene was amazing..Scott kept the cast in the dark as to what was going to happen to get natural reactions and it worked. And in interviews he said he kept dialog in different scenes garbeled to heighten the suspense.
The greatest sci-fi horror flick to me.

[rhinocaster]

One scene not mentioned so far is the opening scene when the ship takes forever to pass the camera. It really gave a perspective to just how gigantically huge the spaceship was. This technique has been used in a lot of films since especially the Star Wars films but I think it was first used in Alien.

Star Wars - 1977

Alien - 1979
:D

[Bussman]

...The strong female protagonist had previously been explored in Halloween, as well as Romero's Dawn of the Dead ( which in it's own way was an apology for his treatment of the female lead in NOTLD, who was such a stereotype, but I can appreciate your conclusion)...

Yeah, I always viewed Ripley as just another "final girl" horror cliché. Good flick though, one of my all time favourite.

[doctorx]

I always like the scene where John Hurt was being lowered into the cavern filled with eggs, and he says "What the hell is this?"

The sight of that massive cavern filled with eggs is just creepy.

[Telecaster62]

Alien is one of my all time favorite movies. Still looks great and holds up today by any standards. I was a 17 year old on a date with my future and now wife when I first saw that movie. The scene at the beginning where the camera is moving down the dark corridors of the ship and suddenly stops and a bright light comes on made me nearly jump over the back of my seat. The Ash "death" scene is visually and aurally terrifying. Sigourney Weaver's acting when it is down to Ripley and the alien is perfection on film. I could literally feel her terror and then her determination.

[MBreinin]

Yeah, when they are exploring the egg chamber in the beginning. I choose this because at this point in the movie you have no clue what to expect, or where this movie is going to go. And then that egg opens up and the face hugger is on Hurt. That blew my mind...and then my mind was REALLY blown when that bastard knawed its way out of his chest.

[DiazDude]

One scene not mentioned so far is the opening scene when the ship takes forever to pass the camera. It really gave a perspective to just how gigantically huge the spaceship was. This technique has been used in a lot of films since especially the Star Wars films but I think it was first used in Alien.

Lets not forget Kubrick's 2001 :D

[dunara]

The theme that runs through the entire Alien series is that of motherhood. This theme is explored rather more crudely in the subsequent movies, but the first movie is subtle and insightful. Read this:http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC32folder/aliens.html

[re-animator]

amazing movie.... to me the scene that stands out and still scares me is when Cain's son comes out for the first time. Caught everybody by surprise, even when you knew it was coming.

[MightyGuru]

When Harry Dean Stanton's character goes looking for the cat... the scene goes on and on (we all know what's coming), the suspense becomes next to unbearable, then the alien attacks. It's unlike anything we've seen before: all teeth and slime; no visible eyes (which is one of the most "humanizing" features in a face).

That's the scene I think of.

[Jon Silberman]

Got to be the "chest burst" scene. Everyone sitting around eating, and the John Hurt's character starts convulsing and the alien blows out through the chest.
But I like the Spaceballs version even better! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZUVeMtYXc

[moozak]

wow... there are a lot of really great scenes in that film! i particularly love the scene where they first explore the downed alien craft. it was dark... not much light on the subject of the fossilized alien in the chair... just enough of a glimpse of this thing to get your heart pounding.

but, i would have to say that "the most iconic or significant scene" in the film would have to be the "chestburster" scene. i mean, that whole buildup of knowing that Kane had been attacked by "something... (but what was it)"... then later - after he had recovered a bit - seeing him writhe in pain and then witness this unknown creature ripping through his chest... and even the momentary silence of the amazed faces of all the actors after the creature ran off -

it's that moment right there... above all others... where you really feel that these guys are seriously in trouble.

i mean, even in the theaters back then... the audience reacted the same way as the actors... screams at first and then... that momentary silence afterwards... as your brain soaks in the horror of what just happened and the unknown of what is going to happen next.

i still get nervous at that scene in the movie... even though we now know what it is and what happened... but still, to this day, that scene is so intense.

i was only 20 years old when that movie came out... and it scared the crap out of me! lol

[mark norwine]

Will no one be man enough to simply state that they dug Sigourney Weaver in her underwear?

OK...I'll go first:

I dug the scene with Sigourney Weaver in her underwear...

[moozak]

... well, now that you mention it! :agree

[zekmoe]

I love it. Fun, scary, although the foley effects sound hokey now and somewhat interfere with the realism, to me at least.

[Doodad]

foley effects?

[A-Bone]

foley effects?

Some of the recorded sound that is meant to simulate the sounds of the actual environment. Think of the sounds of people walking around, opening bottles, using tools and vehicles. In other words, sounds not traditionally thought of as "non-deigetic" or "sound effects".

[ChickenLover]

To this day...I still have never gone looking for a cat.:D

[versatel]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the odd subliminal quickened heartbeat sounds whenever a really scary scene unfolded. I felt manipulated by that---but it was effective. I think people were really affected by that and were unaware of the cause.

[chrisr777]

At the time it came out, I was in school with Tom Skerrit's daughter. So naturally, for me, the scene that stood out was him alone in the tunnel with the flame thrower. Knowing something was coming, but not what or where it was coming from.

[moozak]

At the time it came out, I was in school with Tom Skerrit's daughter. So naturally, for me, the scene that stood out was him alone in the tunnel with the flame thrower. Knowing something was coming, but not what or where it was coming from.

wow... that's cool! do you remember what she thought about the film at the time?

[pfflam]

I always like the scene where John Hurt was being lowered into the cavern filled with eggs, and he says "What the hell is this?"

The sight of that massive cavern filled with eggs is just creepy.I kinda would talk about this scene. The way that his connection to the ship via radio is tenuous, the way that the cavernous ship is so -um- alien, the way the crew on Mother is huddled and anxiously smoking and pacing and the way they are just doing their job . . . there are a lot themes in this scene that could be unpacked using traditional readings, as was mentioned such as a marxist perspective, or feminist etc.
Generally though, I think that it is sort of a microcosm of the entire movie - they enter the Other in in a sort of routinized bewilderment and are in turn penetrated by It, having even Mother become Other, having the boundaries of self and other erased . . . in the end she brings her cat in the pod with her and that sort of signifies an arriving at a sort of stasis, or coming to terms of self with otherness in the same boundary

[could get all Lacanian - n-shit going in this direction!!]

[MichaelThomas]

Thanks for all the insight guys you're all really helping me out with my project here :)

A little off topic, but have any of you seen the alien guitar built by emerald guitars in Ireland? It was inspired by the original Alien artwork and if I'm not mistaken, I think they worked with the original artist to design the thing. It's crazy!!!!!

http://www.emeraldguitars.com/guitars/alien/alien_7.htm

[chrisr777]

wow... that's cool! do you remember what she thought about the film at the time?

All I remember is that she was not allowed to say anything about it before it came out and she was not happy that her dad got killed.

The 70's are kind of fuzzy for some reason.

:bong:bong

[Knuckles]

Loved it. One of my all-time favorites.

The movie was my introduction to the world of H.R. Giger's art.

[pfflam]

I kinda would talk about this scene. The way that his connection to the ship via radio is tenuous, the way that the cavernous ship is so -um- alien, the way the crew on Mother is huddled and anxiously smoking and pacing and the way they are just doing their job . . . there are a lot themes in this scene that could be unpacked using traditional readings, as was mentioned such as a marxist perspective, or feminist etc.
Generally though, I think that it is sort of a microcosm of the entire movie - they enter the Other in in a sort of routinized bewilderment and are in turn penetrated by It, having even Mother become Other, having the boundaries of self and other erased . . . in the end she brings her cat in the pod with her and that sort of signifies an arriving at a sort of stasis, or coming to terms of self with otherness in the same boundary

[could get all Lacanian - n-shit going in this direction!!]I'd add to this the strange sort of subtext that is using the 'Mother' theme - the alien is like a child - it is parasitic on the body of the Mother, on its Other, it even has a sort of perverse birth scene where it seems to be born through the body of a man after penetrating him

- you could think a long time in similar directions: how the egg opens, before it penetrates Kane's mask, two boundaries transgressed, how when she enters the pod at the end she is entering an egg excreted from the body of the Mother, the dynamics of parasite/child/self/Other/Mother seem to play out in a number of ways in parallel. . . . just riffin over heeya

[BadAssBill]

I won't forget the "bursting" scene for another reason. When my dad decided to go see Alien and I asked him what it was about, he described a parallel version of ET. It was obviously not ET, and when the guy started choking and the alien came out of his chest I went running for the doors at the back of the theater. I was 9, and don't like horror movies to this day.

[ungarn]

When Ash tries to kill Ripley...and all the pieces start to come together...

[reno88]

to me a very significant scene is the discovery of the alien craft. the pilot is somewhat humanoid but huge! and it's chest is blown open - clever foreshadowing that i'm sure few caught on the first viewing. i sure missed it. skerritt and co make no mention of the unusual size of the pilot. interesting.

definitely the best - and creepiest - of the series.

[lhallam]

A masterpiece of suspense. Built up for 15 minutes, big scare, then another 15 minutes of build up, finally it's over but no-o-o-o-o-o.


Very Freudian movie, she saves the p*ssy but blows up Mother.

[Rad Skronker]

This has to be in the top ten all time horror movies. It is for me.

The "Alien" monster is so original.

Acid for blood, what a great concept.

I like #2 also.

[freedom's door]

The chest burst scene is the first scene that jumped to mind.
Also when the captain is in the tunnel looking for the alien.
Lastly, a scene no one has mentioned is when Ripley first accesses the mission priority on the computer and it says on the screen: Crew expendable

I think that gave me the sickest feeling of any scene in the film!!!

[hansoloist]

You might want to examine the story as a retelling/repackaging of Bogeyman lore. When it comes down to it, that's what it is--an encapsulation of a sinister and mysterious evil lurking in dark corners and bent on terrorizing anyone in its path.

If you need to focus on a particular scene, the slow boil of Harry Dean Stanton's death is one of the most intense moments ever captured on film. There is something terribly genius and artful about delaying the "payoff" as Scott does.

peace
-jeff

[Echo Are]

I'd pick the chest burst sequence also.

I was 11 when Alien came out, and so I was too young to see it in the theatre(I saw it a year or two later on cable TV). But that's the scene that everybody who saw the movie back then talked about. "Aw, man, the part where it came outta the guy's stomach!" That kind of thing.

[joseph]

...Lastly, a scene no one has mentioned is when Ripley first accesses the mission priority on the computer and it says on the screen: Crew expendable

I think that gave me the sickest feeling of any scene in the film!!!

You beat me to it!!!
Many horrific and eerie moments all described above, but for 'iconic' I'd have to say the same - where she breaks the code and finds out how their whole mission was planned from the start to achieve...

Complemented by the android's head hooked up to spill the bean's afterward...remember that subtle British accent through a phase shifter (Hey, this is the gear page ;))..

" ...It's the ultimate killing machine..."

[jetydosa]

One thing Ive always thought about is the PACE of the movie is so different from current films. The movie is very slow...(not in bad way)...brooding kind of. Lots of silence, emptyness. Quite a contrast to 99% of todays Hollywood movies.

[A-Bone]

One thing Ive always thought about is the PACE of the movie is so different from current films. The movie is very slow...(not in bad way)...brooding kind of. Lots of silence, emptyness. Quite a contrast to 99% of todays Hollywood movies.

And an exercise in genuine horror and suspense. Your point is also why 99.9999% of current horror films do not work.

[duckbunny]

I was at the UK premiere party back in 1979, as it was held at the penthouse of my best friend's family (His Father is an art director). Almost all of the cast was there (IIRC, Yaphet Kotto couldn't make it) and I got autographs, pics, etc. The best part was that I got to meet (and smoke a joint) with Giger, my friend, his Dad, , and the guy sitting next to him in the kitchen - Salvador Dali!

My friend and I had 1st editions (in German) of the book "Giger's Alien," and Giger drew us each a scene in black sharpie, on it's inside cover. Dali - never one to be upstaged, proceded to draw caricatures of each of us in our book's, back page!
By this time, a lot of the film folks had peeked in to see what was going on, and the event was captured in photos that my friend has. I desperately want copies of them, because people sometimes don't believe me!

I have to say, I kind of had a crush on Sigourney Weaver, though she was about 3 inches taller, and 10 years older than me!



-db


P.S. That book is now hermetically sealed and in a safe-deposit box!

[lhallam]

BTW - One of the few sequels that stood up was "Aliens".

"What do we do now?!?!? Game over man!"

The third one never should've been made.

[MBreinin]

I was at the UK premiere party back in 1979, as it was held at the penthouse of my best friend's family (His Father is an art director). Almost all of the cast was there (IIRC, Yaphet Kotto couldn't make it) and I got autographs, pics, etc. The best part was that I got to meet (and smoke a joint) with Giger, my friend, his Dad, , and the guy sitting next to him in the kitchen - Salvador Dali!

My friend and I had 1st editions (in German) of the book "Giger's Alien," and Giger drew us each a scene in black sharpie, on it's inside cover. Dali - never one to be upstaged, proceded to draw caricatures of each of us in our book's, back page!
By this time, a lot of the film folks had peeked in to see what was going on, and the event was captured in photos that my friend has. I desperately want copies of them, because people sometimes don't believe me!

I have to say, I kind of had a crush on Sigourney Weaver, though she was about 3 inches taller, and 10 years older than me!



-db


P.S. That book is now hermetically sealed and in a safe-deposit box!

Wow, my wife is the European art specialist at an auction house. A signed Dali drawing, if authenticated, can be worth $50k easily. We were just discussing that tonight.

Mike

[duckbunny]

BTW - One of the few sequels that stood up was "Aliens".

"What do we do now?!?!? Game over man!"

The third one never should've been made.


Ah, should never have been released in it's then form. If you see the "extended" cut in the quadrilogy box set, you;ll see an alternate beginning, as well as MANY cut scenes that Fincher was forced to make to satisfy the studios' run-time requirements. Those scenes , when added, create a much more complete narrative - i.e. the film begins to make sense. It's a whole lot creepier too. I liked it...in that version. Much, much closer in feel and tempo to the original. ( Oh, and was Fincher ever PISSED at Fox!)


-db

[Bo Faulkner]

the chest scene... no doubt

[pfflam]

I was at the UK premiere party back in 1979, as it was held at the penthouse of my best friend's family (His Father is an art director). Almost all of the cast was there (IIRC, Yaphet Kotto couldn't make it) and I got autographs, pics, etc. The best part was that I got to meet (and smoke a joint) with Giger, my friend, his Dad, , and the guy sitting next to him in the kitchen - Salvador Dali!

My friend and I had 1st editions (in German) of the book "Giger's Alien," and Giger drew us each a scene in black sharpie, on it's inside cover. Dali - never one to be upstaged, proceded to draw caricatures of each of us in our book's, back page!
By this time, a lot of the film folks had peeked in to see what was going on, and the event was captured in photos that my friend has. I desperately want copies of them, because people sometimes don't believe me!

I have to say, I kind of had a crush on Sigourney Weaver, though she was about 3 inches taller, and 10 years older than me!



-db


P.S. That book is now hermetically sealed and in a safe-deposit box!
Doobs with Dali . . . that's the life!!