Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O'Bannon. Based on a story by O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, it follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo, who, after coming across a mysterious derelict spaceship on an undiscovered moon, find themselves up against an aggressive and deadly extraterrestrial set loose on the Nostromo. The film stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto. It was produced by Gordon Carroll, David Giler, and Walter Hill through their company Brandywine Productions, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Giler and Hill revised and made additions to the script; Shusett was the executive producer. The Alien and its accompanying artifacts were designed by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger, while concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss designed the more human settings.

It was met with mixed reviews on release but was a box-office success, winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, three Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction for Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright), and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Critical reassessment since then has resulted in Alien being widely considered to be one of the greatest science fiction and horror films of all time. In 2002, Alien was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

The success of Alien spawned a media franchise of films, novels, comic books, video games, and toys. It also launched Weaver's acting career, providing her with her first lead role. The story of her character's encounters with the alien creatures became the thematic and narrative core of the sequels Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997). A crossover with the Predator franchise produced the Alien vs. Predator films: Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). A prequel series includes Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), both directed by Scott.

Cast

• Tom Skerritt as Dallas, captain of the Nostromo. Skerritt had been approached early in the film's development, but declined as it did not yet have a director and had a very low budget. Later, when Scott was attached as director and the budget had been doubled, Skerritt accepted the role.
• Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the warrant officer aboard the Nostromo. Weaver, who had Broadway experience but was relatively unknown in film, impressed Scott, Giler, and Hill with her audition. She was the last actor to be cast for the film and performed most of her screen tests in-studio as the sets were being built. The role of Ripley was Weaver's first leading role in a motion picture and earned her nominations for a Saturn Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Role.
• Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, the Nostromo's navigator. Cartwright had experience in horror and science-fiction films, having acted as a child in The Birds (1963) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). She originally read for the role of Ripley and was not informed that she had instead been cast as Lambert until she arrived in London for wardrobe. She disliked the character's emotional weakness, but nevertheless accepted the role: "They convinced me that I was the audience's fears; I was a reflection of what the audience is feeling."Cartwright won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
• Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, the engineering technician. Stanton's first words to Scott during his audition were, "I don't like sci fi or monster movies". Scott was amused and convinced Stanton to take the role after reassuring him that Alien would actually be a thriller more akin to Ten Little Indians.
• John Hurt as Kane, the executive officer who becomes the host for the alien. Hurt was Scott's first choice for the role, but he was contracted on a film in South Africa during Alien's filming dates, so Jon Finch was cast as Kane, instead. However, Finch became ill during the first day of shooting and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which had also exacerbated a case of bronchitis. Hurt was in London by this time, his South African project having fallen through, and he quickly replaced Finch. His performance earned him a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
• Ian Holm as Ash, the ship's science officer who is revealed to be an android. Holm was a character actor, who, by 1979, had already been in 20 films.
• Yaphet Kotto as Parker, the chief engineer. Kotto, an African American, was chosen partly to add diversity to the cast and give the Nostromo crew an international flavor. Kotto was sent a script off the back of his recent success as villain Dr. Kananga in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die (1973), and said he rejected a lucrative film offer in the hope of being cast in Alien.
• Bolaji Badejo as the alien. Nigerian Badejo, while a 26-year-old design student, was discovered in a bar by a member of the casting team, who put him in touch with Scott. Scott believed that Badejo, at 6 feet 10 inches (208 cm) (7 ft inside the costume) and with a slender frame, could portray the alien and look as if his arms and legs were too long to be real, creating the illusion that a human being could not possibly be inside the costume. Stuntmen Eddie Powell and Roy Scammell also portrayed the alien in some scenes.
• Helen Horton as the voice of Mother, the Nostromo's computer.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the full write-up at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(film)

★ DISCLAIMER ★ I do not claim to own the screenplay, the music, the artwork or the lyrics of this artistic work. All rights are attributed to their respective owners! This video/audio publication is not meant to infringe any of the copyrights.

★ Cultural, Historical or Aesthetic Significance ★ This artistic work is published here by way of promotion and fandom. I consider this to be a work that has helped shape the collective conscious of society. Either it contributes to it, or it describes the world in which we live , how we cope with our lives, and the questions we struggle with.

★ Non-Profit Publication ★ This site does not seek to profit financially or in any other manner from the content published on it. No kind of gain or benefit is sought from the publication of the content posted here.

★ Copyright Disclaimer ★ Title 17, US Code (Sections 107-118 of the copyright law, Act 1976): All media in this video/audio publication is used for the purpose of review & commentary under terms of fair use. All footage, audio and images used belong to their respective owners. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

All questions and requests can be emailed to: admin@dalek.zone