ALIEN

This is a movie that has shaped big-screen science-fiction more than any other film bar perhaps 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In a career spanning forty years and numerous classics, Ridley Scott has never surpassed his second feature. How could he?

Alien to this day remains one of the best scifi-horror movies ever to grace the silver screen. From its exquisitely cast actors to its imaginative designs the film has (even more than Star Wars you could argue) shaped the way Hollywood ventures into outer space for decades.

The tension and visual majesty of Alien cemented Scott as one of the great directors of his generation to boot. This umpteenth viewing of the film has only strengthened my long-held belief: Alien is a masterpiece.

release: 1979

director: Ridley Scott

starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton