In 1979, the critics said Alien had no character development. And I said, 'Well, what kind of character development do you want, or do you need, if you have that [alien] aboard?' - Sir Ridley Scott

When commercial towing vehicle Nostromo, heading back to Earth, intercepts an S.O.S. signal from a nearby planet, the crew are under obligation to investigate. After a bad landing on the planet, some crewmembers leave the ship to explore the area. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a call for help. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew do not know the danger they are in until it is too late'

Released at the same time as Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Empire Strikes Back, Ridley Scott's Alien was a much darker science fiction film that reinvigorated the genre. Featuring a great cast, the incredibly monstrous alien designed by H.R. Giger and atmospheric direction of Ridley Scott, the film spawned several sequels, graphic novel spin-offs and countless imitations.

Scott added about six minutes of footage to this cut, which was deleted from the original release. He also subtly trimmed about five minutes of material: All I did was go (snip) - and (add) a little expansion. It still moves like an express train.' Sir Ridley Scott