Watching Alien in Theaters for the First Time

Six years ago, I watched the 1979 film Alien. Since then, I've spent countless hours consuming all the sequels, prequels, and books related to the franchise. No movie has hooked me quite like Alien. From the set and creature design to the characters and rather poetic dialogue, it's a masterclass in cinema. Who can forget lines like "perfect organism" or "this is Ellen Ripley, signing off"? Or moments of shock including the facehugger and chestburster scenes. Oh, and that Xenomorph? It's the most original and terrifying thing you'll ever see.

While Alien and Aliens are both exceptional movies, the franchise does have some lows. AVP: Requiem and Alien Resurrection can simply be forgotten, and Alien 3 is widely hated (even though I sort of enjoyed it). And more modern renditions have not been without controversy, namely Prometheus' android, David, who regrettably created the Xenomorphs (face palm). We do have a legacy sequel to look forward to though with Alien: Romulus. Director, Fede Alvarez, has a promising resume with notable films like Evil Dead (2013) and Don't Breathe. Alvarez has shown great interest in the franchise and has watched most of the films. Knowing he is also collaborating closely with Ridley Scott is all the more encouraging. Expect a film with similar artistic choices and horror elements.

The concept of a re-release is really cool. This was my first time ever seeing a re-release, and I must say it was totally worth the price of admission! The 45th Anniversary of Alien is something to celebrate, with nearly two generations now of movie lovers enraptured by its story, and its scares. Ridley Scott is now 86 years old, so it's great we get to celebrate his masterpiece once more in his later years of life. As far as I know, Ridley Scott is still heavily involved in the strategic choices made for the franchise and likely will be as long as he can.

Now, for my theater experience... amazing!! I highly recommend treating yourself with a beer or two when seeing a favorite film of yours in theaters. Being in that room and knowing everyone there was as deeply in love with the film as myself was such a special feeling. I immediately thought of that Christian Bale meme with the head nod to Alfred. And to start the film we got an awesome Q & A with Fede Alvarez and the man himself, Ridley Scott. The two discussed the inspiration for the film, several iconic moments and characters, and the lasting impact Alien has had on the world. To close Fede asked if Ridely had anything to say to the fans. Ridley thought briefly and responded with, "No... sit back and enjoy the movie." A simple and fitting response from the man.

We of course all remember the intro credits with the legendary score form Jerry Goldsmith. Immediately we are transported to a different world. The music score feels foreign, isolated, and deeply animalistic, all things common in Alien. And off we went, once more, for probably the craziest thrill ride to ever grace the big screen.

What surprised me most was how much detail gets picked up on the big screen. You can tell this film was made with that in mind. Watching from home all these years, I was missing out on the beautiful color palates and well-crafted sets. Each nook and cranny are filled with grime and dew from the humidity, noticeable to the human eye. The shots with all characters in the picture are even more enjoyable as we can read into the power dynamics of the crew and the facial expressions more easily (I'm looking at you, Ash). And of course, the Xenomorph is terrifyingly bigger than what I remember at home.

When Ripley blasted that Xenomorph into space and gave us her final message to the stars, a sort of sadness enveloped me... for I knew this could possibly be the highest of highs. Not to say it can't get better, but Alien set the bar absurdly high for all sci-fi horror movies to follow. Maybe someday I'll have a kid who finds enjoyment in Alien and can watch a future re-release with me. And if not, that's OK; I'll go anyways!