Director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) has long been considered one of the greats of his craft. Even at the very old age of 87, the Brit is still diligently making one film after the other and is currently in the cinema with Gladiator II. In contrast to his colleague Quentin Tarantino, he is not thinking of retiring as a director.
The fact that Scott can enjoy this privilege of constant work is of course also due to the successes of his past. So in 1979 he hit the mark with his second feature film as a director and paved the way for himself the way to the Hollywood Olympus. We’re talking about Alien – the scary creature from a strange world.
Tonight the sci-fi horror masterpiece is on TV.
Sci-fi horror Alien on TV: In space, no one can hear you scream
It’s in Alien Crew of the spaceship Nostromo in the center. She wakes up unplanned from her cold sleep because the central computer has intercepted a mysterious radio signal that now needs to be investigated. Instead of Earth, the crew around Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) and third officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) are heading for a celestial body far away from their home planet.
A wrong decision, as will become apparent fairly quickly. When they arrive at the source of the signal, Ripley and Co. discover it an alien specieswho is anything but kind to people. A bloody, slimy nightmare begins.
Unrivaled and style-defining: Alien is a milestone in film history
Even though Alien only exists because Ridley Scott was depressed for three months, the director created one true milestone of sci-fi horror cinema. Since then, every genre entry has had to compete with its own film. The conclusion is almost always the same: Scott’s alien remains unmatched.
All the sequels, prequels and crossover films in the Alien franchise that followed the original did not change this. Because Scott’s work from 1979 is an alien film the likes of which have never been seen again. The director eschewed spectacular action and instead went for it dense atmosphere and precisely crafted set design. Splatter scenes don’t get out of hand either and therefore have an even more violent impact.
The same applies to the titular monster, which you hardly see for a long time. But when it occurs, it just creates the pure horror. This is also confronted with Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, a heroine who, despite her resilience and cleverness, always conveys approachability and thus became an icon of the genre.
If for some reason you haven’t seen Alien yet, tonight on TV is the ideal opportunity to catch up.
Sci-Fi horror tip: When is Alien on TV?
Alien is running tonight on December 8, 2024 at 10:45 p.m. on Tele 5. The channel will broadcast the repeat of the film on December 10, 2024 at 12:45 a.m.
Alternatively, you can watch the sci-fi horror in the Disney+ streaming flat rate, which also offers the entire Alien franchise.