Galapagos Retroseans – “Alien – Eighth Passenger Nostromo”

42 years have passed!

The premiere of Alien – Eighth Passenger Nostromo took place on May 25, 1979. It was definitely a groundbreaking work that took the sci-fi horror genre to a whole new level. By the way, he initiated a series in which a woman plays the main and heroic character. The aforementioned Ridley Scott is responsible for its directing. It was also an extraordinary moment in his career for him. The Brit had previously shot The Duel , which was appreciated by critics, but turned out to be a financial flop. The artist did not break down and he was already planning to create a new version of Tristan and Isolde , but he changed his mind after watching Star Wars. He engaged Dan O’Bannon, the man who was responsible for some of the special effects in Star Wars and worked on the Dark Star . Now he has become an Alien screenwriter . Several actors, already known to a wider audience, were cast in the main roles. They were, for example, the popular ‘Duke’ from the MASH series, i.e. Tom Skerritt, with numerous appearances in Harry Dean Stanton’s westerns, a freshly baked Golden Globe laureate and an Oscar nominee for the Midnight Express John Hurt or the outstanding theater actor Ian Holm. However, the main role was entrusted to debutant Sigourney Weaver, who, although she played many fantastic roles in the following years, for the audience forever was Ellen Ripley.

It is also worth adding that production in Poland debuted on January 2, 1980. The film in our country was promoted on an unusual poster by Jakub Erol.

I’m no stranger to anyone

It would be difficult to find a person who has not seen at least fragments of the Alien , much less heard of him. We move to the year 2122 on the space freighter “Nostromo”, which returns to Earth. Awakened from hibernation, the crew members read the SOS signal sent from the moon of Acheron and rush to the rescue. During this mission, one of the team members is attacked by an unknown life form. His friends take him to the ship, which turns out to be a fatal mistake for them. From now on, no one can feel safe …

Alien – eighth passenger of the Nostromo it is certainly a timeless work to which you can come back and show it to future generations. Anyway, it initiated a whole series, and other parts are still produced today. Our title character also appeared in numerous computer and role-playing games, comics and books. His likeness is also visible on the T-shirts, not to mention the figurines. What made it go down in the history of cinematography? Certainly special effects. Although the title is about to end half a century, it still looks very good. Xenomorph has not aged since then, and even Nostromo itself or trips into the cosmic abysses gain recognition after many years, and do not force you to snort or turn a blind eye to shortcomings. The climate is also good. Together with the heroes, we go on a journey on a ship from which there is practically no escape. Chased by a monster, we can feel the growing terror and claustrophobic surroundings. This feeling is enhanced by great music created by Jerry Goldsmith, who previously also created soundtracks, incl. downOmen , Planet of the Apes , Hive or Twilight Zones . By the way, you can also feel the tension between the increasingly frightened crew members. Their disagreements are extremely realistic, and this is also due to the fact that most of the cast did not look very favorably on Sigourney Weaver, and their reluctance spread to their characters. The director himself did not help either, creating a very difficult set design and demanding superhuman effort from the artists. Working in heat, narrow passages or on uncomfortable ground made the viewer even more authentic. All this contributed to a real hit, appreciated by both viewers and critics. After all, he was awarded an Oscar.

Come on board

Although many years have passed since the premiere of Alien , he still has a huge crowd of fans. So it’s no surprise that the movie continues to be released in a variety of media, including DVD. This time, Galapagos Films decided to prepare such a copy for us and I will tell you right away that it is a real treat for fans of this production. You will get an edition in which you will find practically three versions of the Alien . The first is the original 1979 film. The second is the director’s cut, extended with previously removed scenes and with an improved soundtrack. You can also watch the episode with the commentary by Ridley Scott himself. During the following scenes you will hear the director in the background talking about creating his hit and curiosities from the set. So you will meet Aliento the kitchen! For this, however, you will need a good command of English, as Polish subtitles are not included with this option. The menu is also written in this language, so for some the settings may be a bit problematic. In turn, you can watch the production itself in Dolby Digital 2.0 and with a Polish, Czech or Hungarian voiceover. If, on the other hand, you choose the original version, the sound will change to 5.1, and you will have several subtitles to choose from, including Polish ones, of course.

Just a classic

If any of you by some miracle has not seen the stranger yet , then you must make up for it. It is a true masterpiece of the genre and, by the way, a pop-culture phenomenon that accompanies us over the years. It is a pity that the sequels are not able to refer to the original (well, maybe with the exception of Aliens – the decisive clash ), and sometimes they do not even try, hoping that they will attract to the cinemas with the title alone. The first part should be appreciated all the more, as well as its latest edition. Galapagos Films decided to give fans something special. The extended version or the director’s comment will certainly complement your knowledge about the production. So let’s reach for the DVD and invite Xenomorph home. He will certainly appreciate, hug …