Movie Evaluation Assignment and Lecture Notes

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Mr. Martin

ENG 102

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Alien Movie Evaluation Essay

The sci-fi horror film Alien is a classic to have in a movie collection. This movie laid the

standards for all sci-fi horror films. The most notable feature for this movie is the special effects.

For its time, this movie was a visual masterpiece, and even in more recent times the effects are still

cutting edge. The acting in Alien leaves the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering what

will happen next no matter how many times it is viewed. Another important aspect to this movie

is the setting. The setting really drives this movie home because it makes the audience think.

The most notable feature of the movie Alien is the special effects. The xenomorph has been

haunting people since this movie came out and really defines this movie as a classic. The

xenomorph was someone in a suit, compared to modern day aliens as CGI when even with modern

technology still looks mediocre. Nothing can beat an actor in a monster suit, that is what sticks

with people is the realness of it. Although, the CGI in the film was stunning for its time and even

in modern day it is still amazing. The ship flying through space looked more realistic than the

modern video games where they detail even the smallest pore on someone’s nose, especially

considering it came out in 1979. To this day, Alien has cutting edge special effects which still ranks

it as a top movie.

Another feature in this film that has it ranked as a top classic is the acting. The emotion on

the characters faces seem genuine, like they are feeling and experiencing everything in real time

rather than just acting out a script. Since the actors seem so genuine in their emotions, it connects

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more with the audience and it feels as if they are experiencing everything too. This is an important

feature in movies, especially horror movies, because it gives the movie a better rating. Sci-fi horror,

or even horror movies in general in modern times is more of a spectacle and they are all about the

jump scares. A classic like Alien has suspense, drama, a few jump scares, but it has the audience

on the edge of their seat scared, and it connects more with them.

The setting in Alien sets the ground for the whole movie. It is set in the future, where

humans have more advanced technology, and they can explore further in space than ever before.

This is what really sets the whole movie because it gets the audience thinking before, during, and

after the movie and it sticks with them. Space is completely unknown, humans have discovered

planets, and have traveled to the moon, but anything further than that is nothing and humans have

no idea. This movie gets the audience thinking about possible life in the universe besides humans,

has them wondering if it is friendly, if they discover it what happens next, etc. Having an audience

pondering such things is in its own torturing, it scares people, which is the entire point of a horror

film, especially sci-fi horror. Alien is not the movie of aliens invading Earth, because those movies

have no substance. Alien is about discovery, and it makes the audience think about the questions

no one wants to answer.

Alien has set the standards for sci-fi horror films and is a classic to have in any movie

collection. The special effects were ahead of their time, the acting was phenomenal, and the setting

of the movie really gets people thinking about the possibility of life on other planets and what will

happen when we discover it. This movie makes you think, it has people gripping their seat with

anticipation and fear, and it has done this 40 years and will continue to do so for 40 more.