Alien (1979)

Country of Origin: UK/USA
Year of Production: 1979
Running Times: 116 (UK, Germany)     117 (USA)
Format: Eastmancolor     Panavision     35mm     70mm
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby     70mm 6-Track (70mm prints)

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Brandywine/Twentieth Century Fox
Executive Producer: Ronald Schussett
Production Executive: Mark Haggard
Producers: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill
Associate Producer: Ivor Powell
Production Manager: Garth Thomas

SCRIPT
Script: Dan O'Bannon, David Giler (uncredited), Walter Hill (uncredited)
Story: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Schussett

DIRECTOR
Director: Ridley Scott
1st Assistant Director: Paul Ibbetson
Assistant Directors: Raymond Beckett, Steve Harding
Trainee Assistant Director: Bob Jordan

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Derek Vanlint
Lighting Gaffer: Ray Evans
Camera Focus: Adrian Biddle, Colin Davidson
Key Grip: Jimmy Wallers
Lighting: Lee Electrics
Electrical and Video Coordinator: Dick Hewitt
Video Equipment: Sony UK
Stills: Bob Fern
Processing: Rank Film Labs
Prints: DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Terry Rawlings
Editor: Peter Weatherley
1st Assistant Editor: Les Healy
Assistant Editors: Peter Culverwell, Bridget Reiss, Peter Baldock, Maureen Lyndon
Post Production: EMI Elstree Studios, England

MUSIC
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Conductor: Lionel Newman
Music Editor: Bob Hathaway
Additional Music: Howard Hanson (from Symphony no. 2 (Romantic)), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)
Music Recorded At: Anvil Recording Studio, Denham, England

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Derrick Leather
Re-Recording Mixer: Bill Rowe
Re-Recording Assistant: Ray Merrin
Sound Editor: Jim Shields
Dialogue Editor: Bryan Tilling
Dolby Consultant: Max Bell

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up Supervisor: Tommy Manderson
Make Up: Pat Hay
Hair: Sarah Monzani
Costume Designer: John Mollo
Wardrobe Supervisor: Tiny Nicholls

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisors: Brian Johnson, Nick Allder
Floor Effects Supervisor: Allan Bryce
Alien Effects Co-Ordinator: Clinton Cavers
Alien Head Effects: Carlo Rambaldi
Special Effects Technicians: David Watkins, Phil Knowles, Roger Nichols, Dennis Lowe, Neil Swan, Guy Hudson
Alien Designer: H.R. Giger
Small Alien Co-Designer/Creator: Roger Dicken
Additional Alien Mechanics: Carlo DeMarchis, Dr David Welling

VISUAL EFFECTS
Matte Artist: Ray Caple
Supervisor Modeller: Peter Voysey
Modellers: Eddie Butler, Shirley Denney, Patti Rodgers
Miniature Effects Director of Photography: Denys Ayling
Miniature Effects Operator: David Lichfield
Miniature Effects Camera Focus: Terry Pearce
Miniature Effects Key Grip: Peter Woods
Miniature Effects Model Makers: Martin Bower, Bill Peerson
Special Optical Effects: Filmex Animation Services
Special Graphic Effects: Bernard Lodge
Title Designers: Frankfurt Communications/R. Greenberg Associates /Tony Silver Films

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Michael Seymour
Art Directors: Les Dilley, Roger Christian
Assistant Art Directors: Jonathon Amberston, Benjamin Fernandez
Visual Design Consultant: Dan O'Bannon
Set Decorator: Ian Whittaker
Property Master: Dave Jordan
Production Buyer: Jill Quertier
Concept Artists: Ron Cobb, Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Chris Foss
Construction Manager: Bill Welch
Head Carpenter: George Gunning
Head Plasterer: Bert Rodwell
Head Painter: John Davey

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Kay Fenton
Production Accountant: Bill Finch
Production Assistant: Valerie Craig
Assistants to Producer: Alice Harmon, Lori Covel
Assistant to Director: Sandy Molloy
Advertising and Publishing Consultants: Stanley Bielecki, Charles Lippincott
Unit Publicist: Brian Doyle
Jones Trained By: Animals Unlimited

LOCATIONS
Studios: Shepperton Studios; Bray Studios, Windsor, England

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Ray Scammell
Stunts: Eddie Powell

CASTING
Casting (USA): Mary Goldberg
Casting: (UK): Mary Selway

CAST
Sigourney Weaver (Ripley)
Tom Skerritt (Dallas)
John Hurt (Kane)
Ian Holm (Ash)
Veronica Cartwright (Lambert)
Yaphet Kotto (Parker)
Harry Dean Stanton (Brett)
Bolaji Bodajo (the alien)
Jones the Cat (itself)
Helen Horton (voice of Mother)
Eddie Powell (the alien (uncredited))
Percy Edwards (alien vocals - uncredited)

The crew of a space freighter are woken from hypersleep to investigate a distress signal coming from a remote, forbidding planet. When the exploration team return, they bring with them a parasitic alien that grows at an alarming rate and begins picking off the crew one by one...

Ridley Scott's breakthrough film remains one if the most influential science fiction films of all times. Often imitated but rarely equaled, it's a beautifully filmed if often nonsensical film that grabs its audience by the throat from the off and never lets go. It may not be much more than an old-dark-house movie in outer space, but it's done with such style it scarcely seems to matter. (Full Review)

Germany
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox of Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: CBS FOX (1090-05)

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Video Distributor: CBS-Fox
Laserdisc Distributor: Encore EE (1088)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Laserdisc Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0876084); Fox Video (8760-85); CBS FOX (1090- 80); CBS FOX (1090-85)
DVD Distributor: Alien 20th Anniversary Edition (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 4110430)
(Supplements: audio commentary by Ridley Scott; isolated musical score on a separate audio channel; alternate music and production sound track; deleted scenes; artwork and photo galleries; outtakes; web links; booklet with production notes); The Alien Legacy (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 4110439)

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: 12

Germany
Rating: 16

Ireland
Rating: 15

Netherlands
Rating: 12

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X; 18

USA
Rating: R

1979
San Sebastian International Film Festival
Silver Seashell - Best Cinematography and Special Effects

1980
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects (Nick Allder, Denys Ayling, H.R. Giger, Brian Johnson, Carlo Rambaldi)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (nomination) (Roger Christian, Leslie Dilley, Michael Seymour, Ian Whittaker)

Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films, USA
Saturn Award - Best Science Fiction Film Best
Supporting Actress (Veronica Cartwright)

British Academy Awards, UK
Best Production Design (Michael Seymour)
Best Soundtrack (Derrick Leather, Bill Rowe, Jim Shields)
Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music (nomination) (Jerry Goldsmith)
Best Costume Design (nomination) (John Mollo)
Best Editing (nomination) (Terry Rawlings)
Best Supporting Actor (nomination) (John Hurt)
Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Role (nomination) (Sigourney Weaver)

Golden Globes
Best Original Score - Motion Picture (nomination) (Jerry Goldsmith)

Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation

1978
July
8: production begins

October
21: production ends

1979
May
25: USA - theatrical release

September
6: UK - premiere at Odeon, Leicester Square, London

October
25: West Germany - theatrical release
26: Finland - theatrical release

November
2: Sweden - theatrical release

December
25: Argentina - theatrical release

1980
January
13th: UK - London theatrical opening

1982
July
11: UK - television broadcast (on LWT)

1984
March
25: USA - television broadcast (on ABC)

July
25: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

1986
April
14: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

1992
May
29: UK - television broadcast (on ITV)

October
8: USA - laserdisc release (CBS FOX (1090-85))

1995
November
15: USA - laserdisc release (Fox Video (8760-85))

1996
April
19: UK - laserdisc release (Encore EE (1088))

1999
June
1: USA - DVD release

2000
May
15: UK - DVD release

2003
October
19: USA - Director's Cut television broadcast (on Fox Movie Channel)

In space no one can hear you scream.

Alien - Das Unheimliche Wesen aus Einer Fremden Welt - German title
Alien - De Achste Passagier - Dutch title
Star Beast - early title

SEQUELS
Aliens (1986)
Alien³ (1992)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)

SEE ALSO
Alien 2: Sulla Terra (1980)
The Arrival (1996)
Blade Runner (1982)
Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984)
A Close Shave (1995)
Contamination (1980)
The Creature Wasn't Nice (1981)
Creepozoids (1987)
Danger Mouse (1981 - 1992)
Dark Star (1973)
Death Machine (1995)
The Faculty (1998)
Event Horizon (1997)
Evolution (2001)
Forbidden World (1982)
Galaxina (1980)
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
Hollywood Halloween (1997)
Inseminoid (1980)
It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)
Lily C.A.T. (1987)
Men In White (1998)
Mi nismo andjeli (1992)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)
Ninja Mission 2000 (1999)
Nowhere (1997)
Predator 2 (1990)
The Puppet Masters (1994)
Queen of Blood (1966)
The Relic (1997)
Scared To Death (1980)
Scream 2 (1997)
Severed Ties (1992)
Shiryo no wana (1988)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
Spaceballs (1987)
Species (1995)
Species 2 (1998)
Terrore nello spazio (1965)
There's Nothing Out There (1991)
Titan Find (1984)
Toy Story (1995)
Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1995)
Urusei Yatsura 2: By-tifuru dorîmâ (1984)
Wacko (1981)
Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
My Science Fiction Life (2006)
Terror in the Aisles (1984)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Broadcast no.1169 (2 August 1982) p.30 (UK)
article

Empire no.192 (June 2005) pp.144-147 (UK)
illustrated article (C.V. Ridley Scott by Ian Nathan)

Empire no.199 (January 2006) pp.220-223 (UK)
illustrated article (At Home/DVD Club: Ridley Scott by Rob Fraser)

Empire no.201 (March 2006) pp.77-88, 90-101 (UK)
illustrated article (201 Greatest movies of all time)

Empire no.209 (November 2006) pp.165-174 (UK)
illustrated article/advertisement (The essence of greatness)

Film Score Monthly vol.10 no.3 (May 2005) pp.24-30 (USA)
illustrated article (Pet Sounds by Kyle Renick)

Films in Review vol.36 no.12 (December 1985) p.601 (USA)
article

The Listener vol.108 no.2772 (5 August 1982) p.34 (UK)
note (Video Family: Time Bandits New Waves by John Peel)

Movie Maker vol.17 no.4 (April 1983) pp.212-213 (UK)
review

Starburst no.349 (May 2007) pp.68-71 (UK)
illustrated article (The Starburst Vaults)

Starburst no.350 (June 2007) pp.68-76 (UK)
illustrated article (30 Defining Moments)

TV Times vol.104 no.39 (17 September 1981) p.26 (UK)
review

TV Times vol.108 no.28 (10 July 1982) p.55 (UK)
credits

KEYWORDS

technology, vacuum, aliens, cats, animals, monsters, bio-weapons, space travel, space, xenomorphs, flamethrowers, old dark houses, the future, spacecraft, computers, androids, cryogenics

CONTRIBUTORS

Mark Hasan; Kevin Lyons

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008