Alien (1979): The Director’s Cut | Review

Ridley’s classic sci-fi flick builds tension from beginning to end.

While today’s The Matrix crowd marvels at big-budget Neo vehicle, I’d rather sit down and see this again for the first time. While his next film would go onto being his career’s best work, a cult classic in Blade Runner which also got the director’s cut treatment, but this is not the work in which he will most likely be remembered by. I wasn’t a huge fan of the other films that were spawned in the series but Alien: The Director’s Cut is perhaps better appreciated today knowing that there isn’t much out there that can come close to measuring up to this sci-fi horror flick and don’t expect the Alien vs. Predator to change much either.

Whether if Ridley Scott added some parts or subtracted them, this polished trimmed-down silver-aged edition is served up with the same edge of your seat story which contains a wealth of moments that make this film one hell of a fun ride. While you might find yourself laughing instead of yelling at the top of your lungs especially during the monster spewing out of a human’s body sequence, you might still forget a thing or two if you haven’t seen it in a while, on one occasion this seasoned film viewer admits to having his heart skip a beat.

Every good goose-bump, sci-exploration flick contains some amount of cheese, this one has got its share and not only is it amusing to watch but you’ll get a kick out of computers which are nifty enough to remind me of the big, green screen tanks we had in elementary school. I think it is enjoyable to witness a strong female character in a young Sigourney Weaver (The Ice Storm) who kicks some alien ass, but it is the alien, or the lack of seeing the thing which steals the show on many occasions and further demonstrates that when CGI didn’t exist that the ideas were just as good…I wonder if a certain Mr. Lucas has thought about this notion. Ridley’s scare-fest is great in creating an atmospheric nightmare complete with great campy noises or silences, better than average space set décor, and fun sloppy good effects from the prop department with slimy things and the very first drink milk pre-ad campaign in Ian Holm’s memorable sequence. What I especially re-enjoyed was how Ridley creates the tension and keeps building it until the ridiculous end, noticeably it is the camera work which helps as the shots keep getting tighter and closer leaving our imaginations with way too much hang time to contemplate what will happen to the rest of the ship’s crew where surprisingly the token black guy actually outlasts many of the white people. Its as if we put on a space suit of our own and help the characters hold the flashlight, if you have time to notice then you might feel the grin on your face and perhaps the cut-off blood circulation from the tightened grip of your date.

The timing for the release is like getting a Christmas present for the Halloween. We might know how good the filling is in inside but its nice to see a clean print and a really fun and effective humans-versus-aliens scenario. What Alien: The Director’s Cut did for the 70’s is what the space monster films of the 50’s did for the 50’s, except that Ridley’s re-released classic is timeless and still has me regaling in the fear of the great unknown and enjoying the whole going to the theatre and dropping some popcorn experience.

Rating 4.5 stars