My Alien Primer

I don't think it's a bold statement at all to say that Alien is the best horror movie of all time. There's probably a few other candidates out there, but I don't think I'd get yelled at by anyone of note if I tried to write that in stone. There's a chance I could make the argument for it being one of the best science fiction films, as well, but that's a bit pricklier of a pear. There's Star Wars and Blade Runner in the way, but in either case, it's on the top five, easily, for whatever that's worth.

With that said if you don't think so, then damn your eyes.



My first exposure to the Alien series was probably back when Alien 3 came out. I can still see the black and green billboard for the movie hanging over Gerlac's liquor store on Fair Oak's. Back then Aliens was on TV all the time and at one point or another my sister (not sure which sister) sat me down and made me watch it. Since then I've seen all of the films at least half a dozen times (with the exception of the teriary Versus properties, which are garbage of the lowest order) and I love all of them for very different reasons (some much more different than others).



Alien, though, stands out above the rest. Even thought it has spawned a whole slew of sequels and copy cats and while its plot is more or less the same as any other rubber-suit monster movie or a gothic horror story, it hit on a special combination of factors that make it great. The combination of the time it was released, the set design, the subject matter, and the alien itself are what makes it special, not just to me, but to movies in general. It also doesn't hurt that it was executed incredibly well, on a relatively low budget, by an up and coming film director and a wonderful cast. All of these factors somehow add up to a work of art that is greater than the sum of its parts.



I think it was Kurt Vonnegut that said anyone who hasn't read "An Occurrence at the Owl Creek Bridge" is a twerp, well anyone that hasn't seen Alien is a twerp, as well. It's not only classic cinema, but it's really good cinema, which is something that unfortunately does not always sync up.