"Bones are bent outward, like he exploded from the inside."
ALIEN (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Of course, "Alien" is as much a masterwork of science-fiction as horror, perhaps even more so. That's okay though, the two genres have been linked since the very beginning. After all, Mary Shelly's novel "Frankenstein" is a story of science run amok, not supernatural horror. Besides that, "Alien" is a truly frightening movie with one of the best and most profoundly horrifying monsters in the history of cinema.
The story is familiar to all by now. The crew of the deep space freighter Nostromo is awakened early from "hypersleep" to investigate what seems to be a distress call of unknown origin. They investigate and discover something....indescribable. Terror and death ensue.
The visuals are so self-assured that it's amazing to consider that this was only the second film from director Ridley Scott. The Nostromo is a masterpiece of design, a truly lived-in spaceship filled with dark corners and narrow corridors in which any horror could hide. The cast is an A-list of great character actors who manage to make real people out of potentially one-dimensional victims. Then there's the title creature, as grotesque a nightmare as I ever hope to see on screen, but also, strangely compelling and fascinating.
This is film-making of the highest order, genre or otherwise. Ridley Scott will always be a director of interest, but once upon a time he could be ranked among the very best. Here's hoping he still might have a masterpiece ir two left to give us.
Speaking of sci-fi horror, wait'll you see what I have for you tomorrow.
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