S peaking about his most enduring masterpiece, the director Ridley Scott said he wanted Alien to be an “unpretentious, riveting thriller, like Psycho or Rosemary’s Baby”. It is ironic that perhaps no other film has inspired as much pretentious commentary. Its 40th anniversary today provides a good opportunity to add to the pile. Alien has proved an ideal text for academics, a deep well – or perhaps a totem pole – of Freudian allusion from which critics and theorists have drawn whatever they fancied. Since it was first released, every frame of the film has been pored over for meaning. James Cameron’s excellent sequel, Aliens, has been studied too. (The other films in the series, not so much.) Most of this attention has been occupied by the character of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and the Swiss artist HR Giger’s terrifying design for the alien, or “xenomorph”. But the androids, the spaceship, the uniforms and even the ship’s cat have come in for analysis. In 2019, the rise of the Alien-academic complex shows few signs of slowing down. Partly this is due to the quality of the film. Despite many imitators, the original is still the most gripping sci-fi horror ever made. Its pacing, with a slow start building to a frenetic climax, is masterful. Its design has held up where more recent films look dated. For sci-fi, it depends remarkably little on technology. There are spaceships and weapons and androids, but they are not the main focus. The further we get from the time the film was made, the easier it is to see Alien as an artefact separate from its contemporary technology and the less egregious its clunky computer screens, for example, seem. Harry Dean Stanton has a (violently brief) introduction to the xenomorph (20th Century Fox) In fact, the low-fi aesthetic is part of the reason it still feels fresh. It was only Scott’s second feature. Coming from advertising, he knew the importance of setting mood and tone in as short a space of time as possible. Although the film is set in futuristic deep space, the Nostromo feels as claustrophobic and real as a basement. In his review at the time, Derek Malcolm wrote that Scott and his special effects team had created “a sweaty little world on its own”. This was very much the plan. John Hurt said that Scott wanted his ship to feel as if it had been drifting around space for “donkey’s years”. The interior of the ship was cobbled together from the skeletons of old planes. For the facehugger dissection, oysters were stuffed into a mould. When the baby alien explodes from John Hurt’s chest, the reaction on Cartwright’s face was real: the actors had not been told what was about to happen. Rather than elaborate CGI, the aliens are rubber suits and puppets. A layer of smoke was blown through the whole set, too thin to be seen but enough to give the film a gritty, murky film. “It’s basically a haunted house film,” the critic David Thomson explained. “The only difference is that the old dark house just happens to be a spaceship.” Yet it is also true that some of Alien’s themes have grown more pertinent since it appeared. On its original release some critics saw it as a reaction to Vietnam, with the crew of the Nostromo engaged in guerrilla warfare against an unknown and often invisible enemy. Certainly it has some of that intensity, which it shares with other action films of the late Seventies and early Eighties. (It was released in the same year as The Deer Hunter, which confronted the themes head on.) With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq fading from memory, that kind of fighting feels less relevant to the viewer in 2019. The chestburster scene came as much a surprise to the cast as it did to audiences (20th Century Fox) These days other elements appear in the foreground. Compared to the aristocracy of Star Wars, where the Force is something you are either born with or not, or the techno-meritocracy of Star Trek, where ships are full of insufferable nerds, the world of Alien is refreshingly blue-collar. These things will eat you regardless of your rank. Their design still inspires revulsion. As Thompson has said, Alien is a rape film in which the victims are male. Using a proboscis to force eggs deep in a host’s body, the aliens mirror human sexual reproduction. The adult xenomorph’s mouth, in which sharp teeth part to reveal another sharp-toothed proboscis, a phallus with a kind of vagina dentata at the end, is all horrors to all people. Rewatching Alien on an unseasonably hot February, I found it hard not to feel the inklings of a climate reading, too, with the Nostromo as Earth itself; a haven hurtling through a hostile universe, into which humans in their recklessness have introduced new existential threats. When the environment is so hostile, even banding together might not save you: nobody can hear you scream. The gender politics have never felt more acute, and it’s noticeable that few of the contemporary reviews make mention of it. (In general they fail to identify the film as the masterpiece it is now acknowledged to be, preferring to focus on its cheap thrills.) The film was never intended to be a feminist statement. Famously, Ripley was meant to be a male character until late in the day. Sigourney Weaver was cast just weeks before shooting, apparently after a tip-off from Warren Beatty. Scott built an entire set just to audition her. Films to watch before you die Show all 35 1 /35 Films to watch before you die Films to watch before you die Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) With this update and upgrade of the 1930s serial adventure, Steven Spielberg turns what could have been pastiche into a practically perfect film. Harrison Ford’s daring archaeologist is almost always out of his depth but has impeccable underdog charm, and Douglas Slocombe’s casually stunning cinematography is matched by one of John Williams's finest scores. Indy is ultimately irrelevant to the entire plot, interestingly, but his indefatigable effort to do the right thing still inspires. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Spirited Away (2001) Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki's films delight kids with their bright colours, imaginative characters and plucky heroines (usually). But there's meat to their bones for adults to digest, especially in this towering fantasy epic. As young Chihiro takes a job in a mysterious bathhouse peopled by spirits in order to save her parents, viewers can explore everything from deeply rooted interpretations of traditional Japanese myth to Miyazaki's fascination with Western filmmaking and the Second World War. And visually it’s unparalleled. HO Toho Films to watch before you die Avengers (2012) Yes, but hear us out: Avengers is a grand experimental film. Marvel risked four popular franchises on this superhero throw of the dice, something never attempted in cinema history. They won, and made the fizzing chemistry of the unlikely gang who must save us from aliens look easy. But the failure of every Marvel imitator since makes clear how impressive this billion-dollar gamble really was, and how difficult it is to tell character-driven stories in blockbuster cinema on this scale. And as a bonus, it has a Hulk. HO Marvel Studios Films to watch before you die The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick’s creep-show classic is remembered for the indelible images of that violent finale chase, but its reputation and influence stem from the slow-winding tension that precedes it. Jack Nicholson is the struggling writer whose sanity frays over a winter season at an isolated and haunted hotel; Shelley Duvall plays his increasingly desperate wife. Touching on questions of domestic violence as well as delivering a ghost story for the ages, this will get under your skin and stay there. HO Warner Bros/Hawk Films/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Films to watch before you die Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) One of those remakes that justifies remakes, Philip Kaufman’s beautifully skilful spin on the McCarthy-era alien-clone thriller translates it wickedly to the psychobabble age of the 1970s, with a bit of post-Watergate panic thrown in. Donald Sutherland’s lugubrious health inspector is a nicely grumpy enemy of the pod people, and the hysteria ratchets up masterfully. PS Films to watch before you die The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson's meticulously mannered and beautifully composed films are not to all tastes, but when combined with a cast of this calibre and a more-than-usually heartfelt script, they are capable of magic. Gene Hackman plays the disgraced patriarch of a family of geniuses, making one last attempt at redemption. With a who’s who of Hollywood in support, it’s a story that is as bizarre, hilarious and moving as family life itself. HO Buena Vista Pictures Films to watch before you die Lawrence of Arabia (1962) David Lean’s First World War epic about TE Lawrence remains a filmmaking milestone, the movie that Steven Spielberg rewatches before starting each new film. Its genius is to combine huge scale battles – notably the attack on Aqaba – with psychological insight into the toll that the war took on Lawrence’s mind. The white-led casting of Arab characters is appalling to modern eyes, but with its daring, dazzling filmmaking it remains one to watch despite that. HO Rex Films to watch before you die Bicycle Thieves (1948) A devastating portrait of the poverty trap, Vittorio De Sica’s neo-realist masterpiece remains all too relevant. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) is offered a desperately-needed job – but it requires a bicycle, and when his is stolen he and his son resort to desperate measures to get it back. Shot with non-professional actors who lived in circumstances close to that of their characters, this is a study in compassion and empathy. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Farewell My Concubine (1993) Spanning five decades of Chinese history, this sprawling epic follows two stars of the Peking Opera from harsh childhood training through the perils of the Second World War, the Communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. Director Chen Keige drew on his own experience of the Cultural Revolution to shape this groundbreaking, tormented romance both between Zhang Fengyi’s Ziaolou and Leslie Cheng’s Dieyi, and between Ziaolou and his former prostitute wife Juxian (Gong Li). HO Miramax Films Films to watch before you die Tokyo Story (1953) Pauline Kael thought that the basic appeal of movies was the “kiss kiss bang bang” of action and romance, but Yasujirō Ozu demonstrates that film is capable of much more in this quiet family drama. It’s a simple story about two elderly parents visiting their adult children, only to find that the younger generation is busy with other things. But it’s also a meditation on the passing of time, and on grief, and on the constant push towards the new that will break your heart every time you watch it. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Double Indemnity (1944) If we have learned anything from film noir, it is that murder pacts never work out well for both parties. That’s certainly the lesson when Fred MacMurray’s infatuated salesman offers life insurance to Barbara Stanwyck’s femme fatale Phyllis against her unloved husband. The scheme gives way to a riveting stew of suspicion and paranoia, with Stanwyck’s ruthless determination warping MacMurray’s Neff out of all recognition as director Billy Wilder tightens the screws. HO Rex Features Films to watch before you die Days of Heaven (1978) Terrence Malick’s second, and for many, greatest film is a mesmerisingly gorgeous love triangle set in the Texas Panhandle in 1916, loosely based on an Old Testament parable. Richard Gere and Brooke Adams are the lovers who pose as brother and sister to fool a rich, dying farmer (Sam Shepard). Nestor Almendros’s astounding magic-hour photography rightly won an Oscar, and Linda Manz supplies heartbreaking, plainspoken narration as Gere’s younger sister. PS Paramount Pictures Films to watch before you die Citizen Kane (1941) The problem with calling something “the greatest film ever made” is that it begins to sound like homework. Forget that: beyond all the technical dazzle and ground-breaking filmmaking Orson Welles’s masterpiece has red blood in its veins and a huge beating heart.<doc-sep>In space, it seems everyone's getting in on the screaming these days. The first of six new Alien-inspired short films commissioned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece is officially set to blast off on March 29. Alien: Containment offers up a new claustrophobic tale of terror with everyone's favorite acid-for-blood xenomorphs as it follows four survivors stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space. As they try piecing together the details of the outbreak that led to their ship's destruction, the quartet find themselves unsure if one of them might be infected. It's written and directed by Chris Reading. Following Alien: Containment, IGN will debut a new short each week and beginning May 3, all six will officially hit the official @AlienAnthology social channels and AlienUniverse.com, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes content. And by the looks of the new red band trailer that just hit the web teasing the sextet, we're in for a face-hugging good time. Video of Alien 40th Anniversary Shorts: Red Band Teaser | ALIEN ANTHOLOGY The short flicks, which premiered at Emerald City Comic Con two weeks ago, came about as part of a partnership between 20th Century Fox and crowd-sourcing community Tongal. After soliciting 550 pitches on the Tongal platform, the studios tapped six emerging filmmakers to create thrilling new fan-inspired stories for the Alien canon that would honor the classic film that forever etched chest-bursting in moviegoers' nightmares and launched one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time. Along with Alien: Containment, the initiative produced such tantalizing titles as Alien: Alone, written and directed by Noah Miller; Alien: Harvest, directed by Benjamin Howdeshell; Alien: Night Shift, written and directed by Aidan Breznick; Alien: Ore, written and directed by the Spears sisters; and Alien: Specimen, written and directed by Kelsey Taylor. No word whether any goddamned robots were involved in the latest productions or if the shorts will be as cool as the daring Alien stage adaptation a New Jersey high school just put on. We’ll have to wait and see. For synopses of the rest of the shorts, click here.<doc-sep>
Leading production designers who helped create the look of "Star Wars," "Avatar," and "Dumbo" praise New Jersey high school kids. The 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s iconic “Alien” received a stunning homage Friday night: A student production from a New Jersey high school drama club went viral. Twitter was abuzz with video footage and industry praise, including a shout out from Adam Savage of “MythBusters” (“OMFSM i need to see this. Wow”). On March 19 and 22, North Bergen High staged a faithful adaption titled, “Alien: The Play,” replete with hand-made Xenomorph costume and re-enactment of the Facehugger scene. While crude, they still bear the unmistakable look of H.R. Giger’s legendary designs. Overseen by drama and art instructors Perfecto Cuervo (who even made a trailer) and Steven Defendini, the production boasted a rare combination of outside-the-box ingenuity and improvised craftsmanship from a half dozen students. A standard Xenomorph costume was purchased on clearance and enhanced with a plastic skeleton from Target and foam donated by a local scenery company (which also provided material for the sets, including egg cartons for the computer lab). “We really took nothing then made something that didn’t exist because we wanted to see what it looked like,” said Defendini. It’s a grander, more “surreal” step-up from last year’s production of “Night of the Living Dead.” Oscar-winning production designers Rick Carter and Rick Heinrichs were suitably impressed: “The can-do imagination on display just in the viral online video of this production of Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ shows how deeply visionary both the original film and these young students are,” said Carter, who earned Academy Awards for both “Lincoln” and “Avatar.” “There’s an authenticity that comes from the collaging of existing materials, which has often been at the heart of the best sci-fi design in movies,” added Carter via email, who’s currently wrapping up the Skywalker saga with “Star Wars: Episode IX” for director J.J. Abrams. “And the expressionistic use of lighting and sound amplifies the suspenseful mood so provocatively. As they follow in deep footsteps, they are taking enormous leaps of imagination that will serve them for a lifetime of theatrical and cinematic visualizations. It’s so impressive and inspiring to behold!” “It makes me happy to see the level of passion and creative talent on display in the images and video,” said Heinrichs (who won the Oscar for Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow” and most recently designed the director’s live-action reworking of “Dumbo”). “Just for the students to take on the project, starting with nothing but an audacious belief in what they wanted to achieve, and then to actually pull it off is extraordinarily golden.” “There’s a continuity in their approach to the art — the costumes, sets, and lighting design — and a sophistication to their sense of scale and detail that emotionally elevate the whole production,” added Heinrichs. “They will take this lesson of dedication and success with them into their lives and careers and their teacher deserves an Oscar for it!” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.