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Alien (1979)

15 117 min  -  Horror | Sci-Fi  -   25 May 1979 (USA)
8.5
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Ratings: 8.5/10 from 256,049 users   Metascore: 83/100 
Reviews: 902 user | 277 critic | 22 from Metacritic.com

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon (story), Ronald Shusett (story), and 1 more credit »

Stars:

Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and John Hurt
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124 photos | 8 videos | 4432 news articles | full cast and crew »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Skerritt ...
Sigourney Weaver ...
Veronica Cartwright ...
Harry Dean Stanton ...
John Hurt ...
Ian Holm ...
Ash
Yaphet Kotto ...
Bolaji Badejo Bolaji Badejo ...
Helen Horton Helen Horton ...
Mother (voice)
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

The crew of the deep space mining ship Nostromo are awaken from hypersleep to investigate a strange signal from a nearby planet. While investigating the signal, they discover it was intended as a warning, and not an SOS. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Egg | Spaceship | Parasite | Alien | Deep Space  | See more »

Taglines:

The scariest movie ever made... just got scarier. (UK 2003 re-release) See more »

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Alien: The Director's Cut See more »

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,527,881 (USA) (28 May 1979) (91 Screens)

Gross:

$185,000,000 (Worldwide) (2004)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox Productions See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The blue laser lights that were used in the alien ship's egg chamber were borrowed from The Who. The band was testing out the lasers for their stage show in the soundstage next door. See more »

Goofs

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The computer readout says to "insure" the safe return of the organism rather than to "ensure" it. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Brett: This is the worst shit I've ever seen, man.
Parker: What you say? You got any biscuits over there?
Ripley: Here's some cornbread.
Parker: Cornbread. Yeah.
Lambert: I am cold.
Parker: Still with us, Brett?
Brett: Right.
Kane: Oh, I feel dead.
Parker: Anybody ever tell you you look dead, man?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Halo (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

"Excerpts from 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik'"
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as W.A. Mozart) See more »