As part of a new wave of keep-the-lights-on-when-you-get-home scary sci-fi flicks, Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) simultaneously gave life to a terrifying new creature and introduced the world to Sigourney Weaver’s badass heroine, Ripley.
When a mining ship gets an SOS from another space vessel, they discover an abandoned spacecraft with one hungry, shape-shifting stowaway with a lot of teeth and acid for blood. Based on the erotic drawings of H.R. Giger, a Swiss surrealist painter, the titular creature burst (literally) onto the screen with shocking force—audiences were not prepared for the intricately violent concepts and glistening shape-shifting that came with Giger’s creation, but they were sufficiently freaked out. Giger won an Academy Award for his work on the art direction of the film, which is hands-down the scariest of the franchise. —Finn Cohen
Alien (1979)
Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16
Midnight (both nights)
Esquire Theatre
590 Downing St, Denver
Tickets $7.25
Arthouse Alert: The Director's Cut of "Alien" in Denver This Weekend (4/15-16)
Looking for a euphemism for "chest-bursting."
Image via Complex Original
Sign up for the
ComplexNewsletter
Your leading source for what’s now and what’s next in Music, Style, Sports, and Pop Culture.
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our
Terms of Serviceand
Privacy Policy