Alien Review By Erik Haley

         In space, no one can hear you scream. Thus reads the tag-line of one of the most impressive horror sci-fi movies ever made. While it's concept may seem simple, it is one of the greatest horror films because it preys on several human fears: creatures that are far more powerful than us, the dangers of technology and betrayal by people we consider friends and comrades. Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien is one of the horror films that keeps its viewers in suspense of what will happen next, while still using a restricted amount of gore at just the right time.
         The film starts off with the crew of the spaceship Nostromo being woken up from hibernation to answer a mysterious distress call from a ship on a nearby planet. When they arrive on the ship, an alien attaches to a crew member's face and becomes impossible to move. However, the alien eventually falls off and everything seems to be back to normal; until an alien bursts out of the man's chest at breakfast. The alien quickly escapes and the crew try to kill it in case it damages the ship. Unfortunately, there are three problems with this plan. One, the alien has acidic blood, so killing with anything other than fire will cause the ship's hull to be eaten away. Two, the alien is growing, And three, the company who finances the mission has decided that the alien might be more valuable alive rather than dead. It's a game of cat and mouse in a rather cramped maze, and the humans are now the mice.
         The two main characters of the film are instrumental in understanding the appeal of the film. The alien is one of the most realistic special effects in film; it seems like the demon we see in nightmares. The creature knows nothing except for hostility for the crew and devouring them. It cannot be reasoned with and it cannot be killed due to its resistant body. It is a monster that humanity prays to never encounter.The other main characters is Ellen Ripley, the person who takes charge of the Nostromo shortly after the alien appears. She is not hesitant about disregarding the ship in order to make a successful escape; the lives of the crew come before anything else. She is one of the strongest females in horror for good reason; she is more than willing to do anything to take out the creature.
         In addition, the film has a nice criticism of businesses. The profits that can be made from making the alien a weapon are more important to the company than the cargo of the ship or the lives of the crew. The setting on a spaceship makes the entire premise very effective; it is probably the greatest draw to the film. Unlike some other slashers where it would be plausible for the victims to runaway from the killer, there is no where for the characters to run in this film. The main characters are trapped with a monster; they have no hope of survival without drastic measures. This is what makes the film so great, and is unfortunately lost in the sequels. While the second film in the series was a good film, it still does not make as noticeable an impression. The rest of the series is better off forgotten. All in all, the film is one of the most powerful horror films ever made.