My all-time favorite film!

Not just super iconic but also the most influential Sci-Fi/Horror movie of all time. Its dark atmosphere captures you from the beginning. It even has first "Cyberpunk" ideas. Other innovations: the first female lead in a big blockbuster film, black guy doesn't die first, super unique creature and its life cycle. I'm not surprised this is the 3rd most imitated film in history. Real masterpiece!

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" I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies."

Never seen it & have no desire to do so.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

I like Alien and I like Aliens. What do you think of Aliens?

My favorite movie of all time is actually the second. Has all the good stuff from the first film with one of the first successful marriages of horror and action with a much more memorable cast.

The documentary on it is great too, by the way:

And if you really love Alien, you might as well get the full backstory with this one too:

Stirch, if you weren't such a great and longtime member of the MoFo I'd say "for shame on you!"

Alien should be a standard in film making schools because it's everything the OP said.
Okay, it might be a bit too intense for people who don't like sci-fi or horror (and is not suited for young children), but I would say, despite its genres, it is one of the few "perfect" films.

It excels at every level: acting, pacing, atmosphere, soundtrack, special effects, etc.

And the sequel is brilliant in that it continues the story, yet presents a fantastic yet very different ACTION film. A sequel should never just be a repeat of the original, and that's what makes Aliens so successful - it carries on the story and various aspects of the original, yet is its own complete film unto itself.

Too bad about number 3 though - it just tried to repeat the original in a different setting.

Uh, what movie are you talking about?

Middling film. Seen it twice and disliked it twice. Not my kind of vibes. The Italian rip-offs are better.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Check the header, instead of the usual breadcrumb it'll indicate that this was posted directly from the Alien page.

I'm curious. Which are these?

Alien Contamination (it's good)
Terminator II (mostly an Aliens rip-off despite the title)
Alien 2: On Earth (haven't seen yet, but might be good)

BTW Zombi: La creazione is a total masterpiece, too. Nothing to do with Alien (maybe except for the final scene) but it's genuinely a masterpiece of the zombie B-movie genre.

Middling film? Seriously?
With any and all criticisms considered, at the absolute worst, I'd consider it a pulsating oddity!

Yeah, maybe I had a bad day on both of my watches. Or maybe I just can't agree with the vibes this film gives off. I generally dislike Ridley Scott as an auteur (apart from Blade Runner), too, so that might be a hint.

I understand what you're saying. Compared to a film like... say... The Music Man (1962), Alien is a definite downer!

(Still, they should have had someone aboard the Nostromo say, "There's trouble in River City" after the xenomorph first appeared.)