Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - A 4 Mins Read

    Alien (1979)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    When Alien hit theatres in 1979, science fiction movies had mostly been flying saucer films with goofy looking aliens who abducted good-looking models to their ships to perform medical experiments.

    At the other end of the spectrum, there were space operas that predominantly focused on space battles or weird outer space experiences. No one was really prepared for the kind of experience Alien would provide.

    This movie fascinated audiences immediately with its horrifying ambience and the gory events taking place onboard the claustrophobically dark deep space commercial towing vessel Nostromo.

    alien_201

    Ridley Scott’s film presented us with a science fiction story for the first time that was neither glorious nor romanticised. It was a story about death lurking in the unknown depths of space. His merciless approach in depicting these events catapulted Alien to cult status literally the day it was released.

    It is 2122. On its way home to Earth after towing several 200-million ton refineries to new locations in space, the  Nostromo intercepts a radio signal. The ship’s computer – MU/TH/UR 6000 – affectionately called “Mother” – awakens the crew who have been in hypersleep (pictured above) for ten months to investigate what seems to be an emergency signal.

    After tracking the source of the signal to a nearby small planetoid (LV-426) – a great distance off course and beyond the range of all communication – Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) and Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) set out to explore.

    alien76

    Just as they discover an alien hive on the desolate storm-ravaged planetoid, the ship’s computer finally deciphers the original message, which turns out to be a warning to stay away rather than a call for help. But it is too late already – Kane has discovered some strange eggs in the spacecraft and when he gets close to them, one explodes and sticks firmly to his face.

    The remaining members of the team rush him back to the ship for help, but with every attempt to free their partner from the clutches of the creature he seems to come closer to death. Soon they learn the hard way that they should not have brought the creature on board as Kane is thrown into agonising convulsions by a newborn alien that explodes from within him.

    alien33

    Seemingly indestructible, the alien starts a reign of terror throughout their vessel. One by one, the crew members are killed or secreted away by the alien, which is hiding in the ship’s vent system.

    Desperate, one of the last survivors, Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) plots a strategy to self-destruct the ship and return to Earth in a shuttle.

    Apart from the actual creature (played by Bolaji Badejo, a 6′ 10″ member of the Masai tribe), much of the appeal of the film stems from the characters. A bunch of blue-collar space workers who have trouble coping with their situation and have only one real wish – to get home alive.

    alien34

    Unlike the characters in some of the subsequent sequels, these guys are not moronic, half-brained pseudo-Rambos who talk tough for effect.

    The characters in Alien are truly a believable group of working-class people, who just happen to live in the future and work in space.

    H. R. Giger, famed Swiss artist of the bizarre, designed the planetoid’s skeletal landscape, the derelict spaceship found thereupon, as well as the Alien itself – an elegant, fast and terrible creature that exists to destroy – and destroys to exist.

    The film became Sigourney Weaver’s most important career step as the story’s lead character Ellen Ripley. She also returned to reprise her role in all three sequels.

    alien72

    Ellen Ripley
    Sigourney Weaver
    Captain Dallas
    Tom Skerritt
    Parker
    Yaphet Kotto
    Kane
    John Hurt
    Brett
    Harry Dean Stanton
    Ash
    Ian Helm
    Lambert
    Veronica Cartwright

    Director
    Ridley Scott

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Android (1982)
      Android (1982)
      In an isolated space station millions of miles from Earth in the year 2036, Max 404 - an almost-human robot…
    • Andromeda Strain, The (1971)
      Andromeda Strain, The (1971)
      Penned by science thriller guru Michael Crichton - a former doctor himself - there's no glossing over technical detail in…
    • Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
      Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
      1977 was a killer year for science fiction. One of the year's SF blockbusters featured an asthmatic in a mask…
    • Star Virgin (1979)
      Star Virgin (1979)
      In the distant future, a beautiful Space Virgin (blonde Hustler centrefold Kari Klark) is apparently the last of the human…
    • Alien 3 (1992)
      Alien 3 (1992)
      Given that the first two films stand up as sci-fi classics in their own right, 27-year-old rookie director David Fincher…
    • Aliens (1986)
      Aliens (1986)
      "Get away from her, you bitch!" Director James Cameron's sequel to Ridley Scott's original 1979 outer space nightmare sees Sigourney Weaver…
    • Spaced Out/Outer Touch (1979)
      Spaced Out/Outer Touch (1979)
      This British production (originally titled Outer Touch but released in the US as Spaced Out) featured a trio of gorgeous…
    • Dark Star (1974)
      Dark Star (1974)
      Eighteen parsecs from Earth in Sector EB-90, the spaceship Dark Star continues its apparently unending mission: to destroy unstable planets…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAlice, Sweet Alice (1977)
    Next Article I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Arrivederci Millwall
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 1 x 48 minute episode Billy Jarvis (Kevin […]
    • Look Back In Anger (1959)
      This film version of John Osborne’s landmark play stars […]
    • Linka
      This unique model building system – produced by Thomas […]
    • Blood Sucking Freaks (1977)
      No words can do justice to Joel Reed’s 1977 classic […]
    • Fleur De Lys, Les
      Southampton’s Fleur De Lys were a 1960s Mod squad who made […]
    • Captain Clegg (1962)
      In 18th-century England, the Royal Crown sends Royal Navy […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    23 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.