Alien is a triumph of style over substance, of lean over fat.
Alien: The Director's Cut (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:46
Rotten:3
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: Director Ridley Scott re-edits his 1979 sci-fi classic to produce an elegantly re-mastered film that is as terrifying and effective as ever.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for sci-fi violence/gore and language
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Oct 29, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $1,954,649
Synopsis: For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, movie audiences will be able to experience Alien on the big screen, as Twentieth Century Fox releases Alien The Director's Cut, a special edition of... For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, movie audiences will be able to experience Alien on the big screen, as Twentieth Century Fox releases Alien The Director's Cut, a special edition of director Ridley Scott's science fiction/horror classic, in theaters nationwide this Halloween. For this digitally remastered special edition of what many have called the "scariest movie ever made," Ridley Scott has incorporated new footage never before seen in movie houses. Working closely with Twentieth Century Fox, Scott oversaw a restoration of the original film's negative, as well as further digital enhancements. In addition, Scott and his team of archivists went through over 100 boxes of film footage, unseen in almost 25 years, which were discovered in a London vault. From this wealth of material, Scott selected new "Director's Cut" footage, which then underwent digital restoration, matching it to Alien's news-"polished" negative. The film also features a brand-new six-track digital stereo mix. Fox released the original Alien in May 1979. The film was hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as seminal work of science fiction, and went on to gross over $100 million worldwide, a remarkable number for that era. The film's success spawned a film franchise for the studio, with three adventures in the saga following in 1986, 1992, and 1997. Alien launched the career of Sigourney Weaver, whose character Ellen Ripley became one of the genre's first and most enduring heroines. The film also stars Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Sir Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The producers are Gordon Carroll, David Giler and Walter Hill, and the screenplay was written by Dan O'Bannon from a story by O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Director: Ridley Scott
Director: Ridley Scott
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Alien: The Director's Cut
Going back to the beginning and seeing where it all began, this film had a lot to live up to in my eyes. In the end, I was just left wondering what all the fuss was about.
... one of the few films that can be predicted perfectly, but it?s so well crafted?and so damn exciting?that we just don?t care.
Nearly a quarter of a century down the line, a great film has been made greater.
When Scott was finished, he thought it was too long and that the added material threw the pacing off. Therefore, he cut his own Director's Cut. (Alien Quadrilogy)
Whether this is the first time you have seen Alien, or the third or fourth... The tension never abates – the film never lets you off the hook.
'A chance to see Ridley Scott's ruthlessly efficient shocker back where it belongs, on the big screen.'
For reviewer Todd Gilchrist, puberty began in earnest when he witnessed Sigourney Weaver getting physical aboard a doomed spaceship.
Thrill again to how thoroughly conceived the whole thing is, how impeccably acted and genuine in its suspense.
Turns out not to be one of those movies that improves in the memory, but actually is better than you remember, mostly because it puts its multitude of imitators to shame.
Scott knew how to create tension, and the movie still has plenty of white-knuckle impact, although it's a little tamer than I remembered.
What you will find is that the old mayhem is still masterful and that there is nothing like the big screen for this type of mortally wounded space exploration.
Watching it again reminded me how remarkably the sound engineers did their jobs.
It's scary, smart, well-acted and just as effective now as it was in 1979. Go see it.
Whether altered for the sake of incorporating superfluous extra material (cat fight!) or for reasons even less compelling, the editing rhythms here are way off.
The movie inspired three sequels and remains undeniably frightening. It also marks a significant step in the evolution of modern science-fiction films.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| | The Twilight Saga: New… | 11/20 |
| | Planet 51 | 11/20 |
| | The Blind Side | 11/20 |
| 92% 92% | Bad Lieutenant: Port o… | 11/20 |
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