ⓘ Details

Movie TitleAlien

Release DateMay 25, 1979 limited / June 22, 1979 wide

TaglineIn space no one can hear you scream.

Runtime117 minutes

DirectorRidley Scott

Screenplay Written ByDan O’Bannon

Story ByDan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett

Is It a Remake?No. It is an original science-fiction horror film.

BudgetApproximately $11 million

Box OfficeApprox. $78.9 million domestic original release / Approx. $188 million worldwide by some reported totals

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👥 Main Cast

Sigourney WeaverEllen Ripley

Tom SkerrittDallas

Veronica CartwrightLambert

Harry Dean StantonBrett

John HurtKane

Ian HolmAsh

Yaphet KottoParker

Bolaji BadejoAlien

Helen HortonMother, Voice

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Academy Award Winner — Best Visual Effects

⭐ Academy Award Nominee — Best Art Direction

⭐ BAFTA Winner — Best Soundtrack

⭐ BAFTA Nominee — Best Supporting Actor, John Hurt

⭐ Hugo Award Winner — Best Dramatic Presentation

⭐ Saturn Award Winner — Best Science Fiction Film

⭐ Saturn Award Winner — Best Director, Ridley Scott

⭐ National Film Registry — Selected by the Library of Congress in 2002

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📖 Short Plot Summary

The commercial starship Nostromo is returning to Earth when its crew is awakened from hypersleep to investigate a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. After one crew member is attacked by a strange organism, the alien threat gets aboard the ship and begins hunting the crew one by one. As panic spreads through the claustrophobic vessel, Ripley discovers that the creature may not be the only danger on board.

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❝ Key Quotes

“This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.” — Ripley

“I admire its purity.” — Ash

“You still don’t understand what you’re dealing with, do you?” — Ash

“Micro changes in air density, my ass.” — Brett

“Right.” — Brett

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💡 Trivia

Director

Alien was directed by Ridley Scott.
The screenplay was written by Dan O’Bannon from a story by O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.
The 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the film as Episode 110 with Ridley Scott as director.

Cast / Casting

Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley, a role that became one of science fiction’s most iconic heroines.
Tom Skerritt plays Dallas, captain of the Nostromo.
John Hurt plays Kane, whose chestburster scene became one of the most famous horror moments in movie history.
Bolaji Badejo, a very tall Nigerian design student, performed as the Alien in the creature suit.

Soundtrack / Score

The original score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.
The film also uses classical music selections, including music connected to Howard Hanson and Mozart.
Goldsmith’s eerie score helps build the film’s slow-burn dread and isolation.

Location

Production began in England in July 1978.
The film was shot primarily at Shepperton Studios and Bray Studios in England.
The Nostromo sets were built to feel cramped, industrial, and lived-in rather than sleek or futuristic.

Behind-The-Scenes

H. R. Giger designed the Alien creature and key biomechanical imagery.
The chestburster scene became legendary partly because of the cast’s shocked reactions during filming.
The film was released by Twentieth Century-Fox on May 25, 1979.
The production budget was approximately $11 million.

Nostalgia

Alien is widely regarded as one of the most influential science-fiction horror films ever made.
The film launched a major franchise including sequels, prequels, crossovers, comics, games, and television projects.
The tagline “In space no one can hear you scream” remains one of the most famous taglines in movie history.

Easter Eggs

The Nostromo’s computer is called Mother, reinforcing the film’s unsettling themes of birth, control, and artificial authority.
The film’s production design helped create the “used future” look later associated with much of late-1970s and 1980s science fiction.
The creature’s lifecycle — egg, facehugger, chestburster, adult xenomorph — became a defining part of the franchise mythology.

Misc.

Alien opened in Los Angeles and New York on May 25, 1979 before expanding wide on June 22, 1979.
The movie runs 117 minutes.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Don at 4.75, Ken at 3.75, Jon at 4.75, and the Overall Rating as 4.42.

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