I Can't Lie To You About Your Chances, But...You Have My Sympathies

 Whoever came up with the idea to use proximity sensors in the Alien franchise deserves a medal.  Remember it?  That black and white screen with the "PacMan-esque" dot heading right towards Dallas when he's alone in the air duct tunnels trying to flush out the alien?  If that part didn't make the hair on your body stand up straight and your heart stop, you may need to see a doctor.

Alien (1979) was a much different movie than the sequels.  It had less action, sure, but it was perfect at setting up a scary atmosphere and taking you over the edge as a viewer.  Some people may not like science fiction without much humor, sarcasm, or social commentary, but Alien took the Sci-Fi genre much closer towards horror.  The alien looked scary, but it wasn't about the "monster", it was about how you would feel if you were all alone, in space, in a huge freighter ship, with said monster on the loose killing off your team one by one.

Ridley Scott is a great director, and the casting was just as good.  Each character was believable, and their emotions were relatable.  Helplessness and anger come to mind when facing a foe that seemingly cannot be stopped.  Things really felt like they turned for the worst when Dallas got chewed up in that air duct.

This blog encompasses many things, but one of my favorite topics has to be atmosphere.  The setting of the story, the characters, their actions, and how you feel when viewing it.  There will be many more blog posts about atmosphere, at least when I feel like writing a blurb about it.  "You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm." That may be a hint....

This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo...Signing off.