Logan Sork Film Reviews
Alien
People have always been fascinated with exploring the unknown. One of the unknowns we have always been fascinated with is the exploration of space. This has translated into the world of cinema as well, with one of the earliest films being A Trip to the Moon being released in 1912. This showcases man’s desire to explore space and the potential beauty it can provide. Alien is one such film that shows the dark side of space and exploration. Presenting it not as a beautiful paradise for scientific exploration, but as a dark and brutal place, where all must return to their basic human instincts to survive being hunted by one of the most terrifying creatures to ever grace the silver screen.
The film was released in 1979 and is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O’Bannon. The story follows the crew of the oil transport ship Nostromo who’s crew is bound for earth. Their trip is interrupted however when they receive a mysterious distress call which they decide to investigate. Upon their arrival, the crew encounters a derelict space craft with strange eggs in the ship, one of which springs a creature that attacks one of the crew members. Back on board the ship, the crew member gives birth to the terrifying alien organism, leading the crew to escape before the creature eliminates all of them.
What makes Alien so terrifying is the claustrophobia on board the ship. Rather than being a nice, clean refined ship, the Nostromo is dark, dirty and reflects the working-class crew that is aboard. Its cramped hallways and dark corners give the audience a sense of unease before the alien even arrives on set. Once the creature does arrive, the ship is a perfect haven for the creature to hide. Whether it’s the air ducts or the shadows, there is simply no telling when the creature will strike.
As for the creature, the design is one of the greatest creatures in all of film. Designed by Swedish surrealist artist H.R. Giger, the xenomorph (the name later given to the creature) is a work of both beauty and terror. Its design is sits right in the middle of being mechanical and biological. This design allows it to blend in almost seemingly with the ships pipes in its vast corridors, a perfect camouflage for the perfect killer. While the alien is terrifying from a visual standpoint, the fear goes much deeper than its looks. The alien is designed to simulate our deepest fears of sexual domination and hostile takeover of our own body. Even the way the creature is born mimics the situation of a victim being attacked sexually, as the alien creature implants the egg in an unwilling host through a violent means. The alien is not just terrifying from a visual standpoint, but also on a psychological one.
Director Ridley Scott manages to build tension by utilizing methods that many horror films have long since abandoned. Rather than assaulting the viewer with a barrage of quick jump scares, Scott takes the slow burn approach. The first time the creature attacks, we barely see any of it. Through the use of close ups and placing the creature in the back of the frame, we get a sense of what the creature looks like, while also not being able to get a full glimpse of it. This helps build tension as the creature moves slowly towards, allowing the audience to fear every second of the creature’s slow approach. After the attack, the creature returns to the shadows and does not emerge until the next attack. This behavior combined with the long takes and lack of quick cuts and loud noises allow for some of the tensest scenes in cinema history.
Even the characters in the film are fun to watch and well developed. You can really get a sense of pure comradery between the crew as they start off the film, and the cast does an excellent job in conveying this behavior. The real standout of course is Ellen Ripley, played perfectly by Sigourney Weaver, who gives a nuanced performance and goes down to be one of the greatest female heroines in all of film. Despite the overall excellent cast and characters, there are some of course that don’t really get as much development. This is understandable as you do need to have some characters that don’t get as much to do. Despite this, the connections between the characters and the actors portraying them make audiences fear along with them as the alien slowly hunts them down.
Alien is one of the greatest horror films ever made. It has awesome characters, great set pieces and some of the most terrifying moments in film history. All of these elements combine to make Alien a true piece of cinematic art. One that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. Even as we begin to venture into the dark corners of the unknown.
10/10
People have always been fascinated with exploring the unknown. One of the unknowns we have always been fascinated with is the exploration of space. This has translated into the world of cinema as well, with one of the earliest films being A Trip to the Moon being released in 1912. This showcases man’s desire to explore space and the potential beauty it can provide. Alien is one such film that shows the dark side of space and exploration. Presenting it not as a beautiful paradise for scientific exploration, but as a dark and brutal place, where all must return to their basic human instincts to survive being hunted by one of the most terrifying creatures to ever grace the silver screen.
The film was released in 1979 and is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O’Bannon. The story follows the crew of the oil transport ship Nostromo who’s crew is bound for earth. Their trip is interrupted however when they receive a mysterious distress call which they decide to investigate. Upon their arrival, the crew encounters a derelict space craft with strange eggs in the ship, one of which springs a creature that attacks one of the crew members. Back on board the ship, the crew member gives birth to the terrifying alien organism, leading the crew to escape before the creature eliminates all of them.
What makes Alien so terrifying is the claustrophobia on board the ship. Rather than being a nice, clean refined ship, the Nostromo is dark, dirty and reflects the working-class crew that is aboard. Its cramped hallways and dark corners give the audience a sense of unease before the alien even arrives on set. Once the creature does arrive, the ship is a perfect haven for the creature to hide. Whether it’s the air ducts or the shadows, there is simply no telling when the creature will strike.
As for the creature, the design is one of the greatest creatures in all of film. Designed by Swedish surrealist artist H.R. Giger, the xenomorph (the name later given to the creature) is a work of both beauty and terror. Its design is sits right in the middle of being mechanical and biological. This design allows it to blend in almost seemingly with the ships pipes in its vast corridors, a perfect camouflage for the perfect killer. While the alien is terrifying from a visual standpoint, the fear goes much deeper than its looks. The alien is designed to simulate our deepest fears of sexual domination and hostile takeover of our own body. Even the way the creature is born mimics the situation of a victim being attacked sexually, as the alien creature implants the egg in an unwilling host through a violent means. The alien is not just terrifying from a visual standpoint, but also on a psychological one.
Director Ridley Scott manages to build tension by utilizing methods that many horror films have long since abandoned. Rather than assaulting the viewer with a barrage of quick jump scares, Scott takes the slow burn approach. The first time the creature attacks, we barely see any of it. Through the use of close ups and placing the creature in the back of the frame, we get a sense of what the creature looks like, while also not being able to get a full glimpse of it. This helps build tension as the creature moves slowly towards, allowing the audience to fear every second of the creature’s slow approach. After the attack, the creature returns to the shadows and does not emerge until the next attack. This behavior combined with the long takes and lack of quick cuts and loud noises allow for some of the tensest scenes in cinema history.
Even the characters in the film are fun to watch and well developed. You can really get a sense of pure comradery between the crew as they start off the film, and the cast does an excellent job in conveying this behavior. The real standout of course is Ellen Ripley, played perfectly by Sigourney Weaver, who gives a nuanced performance and goes down to be one of the greatest female heroines in all of film. Despite the overall excellent cast and characters, there are some of course that don’t really get as much development. This is understandable as you do need to have some characters that don’t get as much to do. Despite this, the connections between the characters and the actors portraying them make audiences fear along with them as the alien slowly hunts them down.
Alien is one of the greatest horror films ever made. It has awesome characters, great set pieces and some of the most terrifying moments in film history. All of these elements combine to make Alien a true piece of cinematic art. One that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. Even as we begin to venture into the dark corners of the unknown.
10/10