Sneak Previews - Alien (1979) - Siskel & Ebert

[@josephdurbin8736]

I remember vividly seeing this in the theater. I was all of 23 years old and probably had caught a buzz for the movie as most were doing in the 70's. This movie was so intense that when it was over and I was walking to the car I could still feel my body vibrating from having been so tense and on the edge of my seat. Those who say this is slow and not much of the creature shown need remember in 1979 you did not have CGI. There were actual effects artists who built sets, built monsters and we loved it all.

[@mikesilva3868]

Well said Joseph 😊

[@synchlaviersample4287]

Which city did you see the movie in ?

[@paogate1384]

This film still outperforms a lot of the garbage being made today. It’s sequel was also an amazing film.

[@paogate1384]

This film still outperforms a lot of the garbage being made today. It’s sequel was also an amazing film.

[@southlondon86]

Sir on seeing the adult alien for the first time did people scream? The reactions I’ve read about all centre on the chestburster scene.

[@lthammox]

Alien is simply one of the greatest masterpieces ever to be put on screen. If they only knew how lucky they were in those days - oblivious to all the detritus of today.

[@russellgoulding4263]

That's putting it nicely. I usually use a coarser word to describe most of the movies made nowadays.

[@tronam]

⁠​⁠@@russellgoulding4263There were tons of garbage films being made back then too, now completely forgotten. We get the benefit of time distilling those decades down to only the cream of the crop films that transcended the junk of their era.

[@flutebasket4294]

Arguably, Siskel would never live to see it.....

[@fuckamericanidiot]

​@@tronam Ahh yes, the old "there's no reason why there would ever be a nadir or a peak in the number of quality movies at any time ever, based on nothing whatsoever" argument. In music it's ignorant enough to think that way but in movies it's even more egregious. With music, you can at least always argue that tremendous music can be recorded on a very small budget and often is. But with movies, yes you can have tremendous independent movies but unlike pop music, almost EVERYBODY wants to see a dearth of classic Hollywood movies at any one time....but if the people in charge of financing are not interested in funding art or originality of any kind then they will always be few and far between. What do we have now? Endless sequels, remakes and toy/video game adaptations without an original idea in sight.....controlled and funded mostly by Disney who seem intent on running beloved franchises into the dirt. It's not big or clever to be dismissive of the validity of the OP. You're just incorrect.

[@jrzygurl]

@@lthammox it was a game changer no doubt about it ..the greatest sci-fi horror of all time and yes I would argue perhaps the greatest film of all time given the impact that it had on the industry.... like the alien itself the movie is perfect

[@christopherchadwick2659]

4:35 '... this is not the greatest science fiction film ever made...'. This is arguably the greatest science fiction film ever made--definitely the greatest science fiction horror film ever made--and it gets better each time I watch it.

[@BRNREK47]

Amen to that. It both raised and set the bar so high for it's time it went over the heads of the people who simply weren't quite ready for it. Then subsequently chose to look the other way. Real moviegoers were blown away. It scared the hell out of me when I first saw it more than 35 years ago. It's still like you said , the greatest sci-fi horror film ever made and one of the greatest films ever made period.

[@RocStarr913]

It doesn’t exactly have the greatest character development. Even now, that’s still true.

[@rufus-t415]

Siskel likes to review a movie by stripping away elements. Can't do that. Those are parts of the movie that made this an exceptional sci-fi film.

[@kylecurry577]

Alien...an absolute masterpiece...!!!

[@mykal.7424]

I was very, very young and my family went to go see Alien in 70mm in a jammed pack theater . I was so terrified i couldn't watch it again until i was in my late teens . As great as Aliens was , It didn't have quite the impact as Alien did. Alien is still the best in the series . And one of the greatest films ever made .

[@jrzygurl]

I was 19 years old when I first saw this in my home town of Maplewood New Jersey and I was blown away I saw it 17 more times at the movie theater and have seen it dozens more on TV.... it is my favorite film of all time and that will never change

[@southlondon86]

17 times, sir!?? That’s insane!

[@jrzygurl]

@@southlondon86 lol... I know, right!!🤣 I just could not get enough of it!!!,,, keep in mind at that time they were single movie theaters with ginormous screens!!,,, and the funny thing is the only reason I went to see the movie the first time was because my younger brother and his friend needed a 17 year old or older to get into the movie theater because it was rated R.....lol.... oh, it might surprise you to know I am not a sir...lol....im a girl...hence the Jrzygurl...🤣🤣🤣... I think there is a misnomer out there that only guys enjoy these types of movies....lol... but yes to your point 17 times is insane!!!,,,, 🤣🤣👽👽🤷‍♀️

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

How many times did you see Aliens? ;)

[@jrzygurl]

@@HistoritorJimaldus lol....saw it twice at the theater and countless times on DVD and streaming....🤷‍♀️😄,, keep in mind this was 1986 and I was a little busier than I was in 1979 LOL

[@s.g.7777]

I absolutely loved these 2, & I miss them! May they: R.I.P.!

[@mctapoutos7426]

I don't one of the worst critic's around

[@majestyk3337]

Amen, best critics ever.

[@penoyer79]

There's nothing wrong with a haunted house horror film if it's done well, and Alien is arguably the best. Judge it for what it is.

[@Soulfly415]

They were both quite overrated as film critics. They disliked a ton of great classics, and later "changed" their minds, when they saw these movies getting a lot of recognition. Alien wasn't received very well by the majority of critics when it came out, it was ahead of its time for the idiots to appreciate it, so Siskel and Ebert were both jumping on the bandwagon. Fast-forward 10-20 years later and Alien is recognized as a timeless masterpiece... what does Ebert do? Puts Alien in his top 100 movies of all time list. So i wouldn't take any of Siskel and Ebert reviews too seriously, they were both bandwagon jumpers... they would judge the movies not by heart, but based on the overall mainstream criticism they would get at the time of their theatrical run.

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

Ebert added it to his great movies list. Siskel saying that it’s not the “greatest science fiction film ever made” is no slight against Alien. That a worthy contender.

[@nikosvault]

​@@Soulfly415 Both bandwagon jumpers? Siskel disliked back-to-back oscars winners (Silence of the Lambs and Unforgiven) and stood by his reviews. Ebert changed his mind on less than 30 of the 8000 movies he reviewed (a guy from the University of Urbana Champaign actually went through all of his reviews). Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I think you are projecting your own insecurities buddy.

[@Soulfly415]

@@nikosvault Considering that both, Unforgiven and Silence of the Lambs, were amazing movies that stood the test of time, it only convinces me further that Siskel and Ebert were pretty overrated as critics. But i still kinda liked Siskel and his take on some movies. Ebert on the other hand came off as pretty clueless on many occasions, for example, Full Metal Jacket, which Siskel actually liked and defended well against his colleague's idiotic criticisms.

[@christianhafer9819]

@@Soulfly415 Well, they both had their boner moves. Firstly, the both gave thumbs up to Alien, so let's get that straight. But, Siskel liked Batman, Batman Returns, Die Hard and Mrs. Doubtfire. Ebert did not. Conversely, Ebert liked the Terminator, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Siskel did not. Neither of them liked Home Alone. I mean, they both had their own tastes, and liked some movies that turned out to be classics, and hated movies that turned out to be classics. Then they loved movies that no one's ever heard of. So, whatever. They both liked Alien and Aliens, I believe, so, whether you agree with them or not, they're the most successful critics of all time. People still talk about Siskel and Ebert. How many people even know other critics by name? Lol.

[@anonuser1]

Near flawless film for which its overall influence is almost peerless.

[@exiles_dot_tv]

It's crazy to watch The Black Hole from the same year Alien came out, with twice the budget of Alien, and yet Alien looks lightyears ahead and holds up so much better.

[@jameswilliams-zr8co]

its perfect, period, and a classic

[@mattengland653]

Well said - indeed its influence could be described as peerless.. Seminal in its ability to pour dread on top of dread.. without actually showing you much in the way of gore/jump scares etc. it’s like you’re learning, experiencing and trying to figure out what the hell is going on with the crew. Ridley Scott nailed this - not sure he’s ever said if that was purely by design or was a result of budgeting / effects limitations but it was the herald for that technique for sure

[@Del-Canada]

I still remember this episode vividly. I was terrified they were going to show the Alien. I was only 9 at the time.

[@Del-Canada]

​@@waterisland9727 Back in 79 we weren't as desensitized. Now I am a horror junkie. Not this new rubbish though.

[@thegingerbreadman5149]

That’s very endearing. And what an informed movie goer you must have been.

[@Del-Canada]

@@thegingerbreadman5149 :)

[@rudolfreindeer1112]

Hey was this actually filmed in 79? Because the sets and looking at Ebert and Siskel I thought it was from the 90s and they were doing a retrospect

[@rudolfreindeer1112]

Hey was this actually filmed in 79? Because the sets and looking at Ebert and Siskel I thought it was from the 90s and they were doing a retrospect of alien

[@rogersmartinjr.8588]

I saw the 45th anniversary re-release a week ago. Still stunning after all these years. 45 years?! I was six in '79 when my dad took me to see it. Time flies... Rest well, dad.

[@gulfstream7235]

I wouldn't bring a 6 year old to that movie...

[@SDfan2002]

@@gulfstream7235Depends on who the 6 year old is.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Gene Siskel: It's not the greatest sci-fi film ever made Well, it's probably in the top five, Gene! It has stood the test of time, too. An amazing achievement on all counts. And Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack cannot be overstated: It fills you with dread and loneliness from the very first frame of the movie. And of course it has one of the greatest sequels in the history of film.

[@yousircantknow8987]

It's a horror film. The tagline was "No one can hear you scream in space."

[@DrWhom]

the lyrical theme that accompanies the scene where they break away from the refinery and commence their landing was actually written as the main title. RS wanted something more chilling and minimalistic for the main title. JG had been working on the piece for days and knocked the new piece off in half a day or so - of course RS was right as the new piece works better with the visuals and setting the tone overall but it is rather surprising to get a gorgeous new cue well into the movie...

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@DrWhom Yep. There's a documentary about the production of the musical score somewhere here on KZbin that goes into it in more detail. Some of the music, if I remember correctly, was temp music put in early in development but RS liked it so much they kept it. At least two sections of music were from previous work from JG and RS. But, the final result is the important thing and it works perfectly.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Funny how Siskel never aged. He looked 43 for 15 years after he lost the porno mustache.

[@SunlightGwyn]

0:16 “Bug eyed monsters” The Xenomorphs don’t have eyes.

[@unj]

surely Roger's using that term colloquially. He's just trying to say the monster is appropriately hideous.

[@barbaralee7385]

I remember when Alien was released and in my opinion many critics were simply wrong about it in many ways. I’ve seen way more violent films than Alien for one thing, but that’s how intense the atmosphere was. People thought they saw more than they did. As the years have gone on and so many filmmakers have tried to imitate Alien people have come to appreciate how good the film was. You don’t truly appreciate Alien until you watch the numerous craptastic rip-offs it spawned. But really it can take time to realize how special a film is and that is what has happened with Alien because today it is regarded as a masterpiece by pretty much everyone.

[@DrWhom]

this. there was quite a bit of hysteria around how gory it is, and boy does that add on first viewing

[@olliehopnoodle4628]

And we loved Ripley because of the character arc. She became a resourceful badass. Even more so in the second movie. No fake ideas that she could toss around a 250lb man (or alien). The second movie when she jumped into the loader to fight was awesome. Very similar to Sarah Conner. Sarah's arc was in the first movie and then the second movie she was 100% badass.

[@petec434]

Given its cultural legacy, it may be hard for younger people to believe that Alien was neither universally acclaimed nor heralded as a breakthrough movie when it was first released. I remember mixed reviews and backlash against the more gruesome aspects of the film (much like Siskel and Ebert's reactions here). There certainly was no big demand for a sequel (possibly because the R rating prevented Alien from gaining a truly mass audience). While Alien created most of the franchise's lore, blockbuster-level popularity didn't really kick-in until 1986 with Aliens.

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

Through some clever Hollywood accounting, Alien was reported to have lost money for Fox.

[@CJW0056]

Reminds me of Siskel dismissing Jurassic Park as "just a monster movie". Ok but... It was revolutionary for its time.

[@offspringfan1288]

Jurassic Park is quite overrated, and no offense but revolutionary? Yes it was a technical achievement that was made in the wake of The Abyss and Terminator 2. Just saying.

[@cmajor886]

@@offspringfan1288 It was a masterpiece. The CGI and how they were able to make those Dinosaurs seem real was AMAZING!

[@robfinlay8058]

@@cmajor886 Alien holds up a lot better than Jurassic Park despite being about 15 years older. 90s CGI does not hold up at all.

[@cmajor886]

@@robfinlay8058 I think Jurassic Park is just as good as Alien, IMO. It’s the only movie in the franchise where the dinosaurs look believable.

[@robfinlay8058]

@@cmajor886 I think the Dinosaurs look like cartoons. It in no way looks like they were really there with the actors. The alien in Alien looks like it was really there with the actors. Because it was.

[@scringe1]

The pace of this film is what makes it so special. The trailer gives off impact too.

[@RankAndFileGuy]

"This is not the greatest science-fiction movie ever made.". Literally one of the biggest understatements in movie history.

[@shihanuke3683]

May 25th 1979 was a nice sunny day when this film hit theaters .It was on the cover of American Film Institute magazine. It also competed with the somber media coverage of American Airlines flight 191 that crashed at Chicago's Ohare airport earlier that day. We went to the show anyway to take our minds away from mourning those people on that plane.. There were no lines yet. From the first seconds of the opening credits, the slow pan, the primal soundtrack, the howling , etc. Immediate claustrophobia in space. This was different and we were in for it. I see that film now and I still mourn the seven who died on the Nostromo. Now its required viewing in film studies in graduate schools. it's deconstructed and studied in universities along side Citizen Kane. A political saber in the argument of Roe vs. Wade. A film classic right down to the Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack.

[@TsukiumisGuy]

I agree. I saw Jerry Goldsmith conduct the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in the early 90s and he started the concert with the opening theme to Alien. Still one of the most unnerving scores I have ever heard.

[@canadiantraveller281]

It wasn't a nice sunny day in Chicago, unfortunately.....Google the date ......

[@bobspence5322]

Lol they said not for young kids no one told my folks cause this was the first movie I was taken to in my life at less than a year old. They claim I screamed the whole time but memories are vague yet I still have some not clear as ET a few years later. Roger made a good point about the space jockey scene. Awesome movie with great sequel. 4:46

[@jasonbraun3149]

Alien was an absolute classic when it came out and set the standard for decades. I saw it in the theater with hundreds of screaming viewers. What I find really odd about this review is that they didn’t even mention Sigourney Weaver by name and it made her a superstar.

[@vigilante8374]

She didn't have much of a personality in the first movie (she just happened to be the one to survive.) No one had much of a personality, other than the android. That's one of the biggest flaws of the first movie, which its biggest fans tend to overlook.

[@NemeanLion-]

How can they not be blown away by this film? I saw this in the early 80’s and never in my life felt such suspense or seen a creature like that. All the creatures in big budget films looked like muppets up until this film. This creature looked horrifying not just because it was menacing, but it also made evolutionary sense. All the other monster movies always put fake hair, extra unnecessary horns and extra eyes for no good reason. This thing looked like a genuine creature you could run into if you got marooned on an alien planet. To this day, my worst nightmares involve this alien either hunting or running after me.

[@rockutron9000]

They were rarely blown away by anything. To them everything is derivative. They aren't critics as much as entertainers doing critique, sometimes it was funny, other times they looked like total tools.

[@redadamearth]

Neither one was an "entertainer". If you knew anything about either of their careers, you know they were serious writers and journalists from the time they were young - and they didn't even WANT to do the show when it first started; they were basically roped into doing it, which is why the episodes from the *mid*-70's were so awkward. They got better at the presentation side of it, but while you may not agree with them on everything, they were not just "entertainers" - and there were COUNTLESS films they were "blown away" by, if you watch many of the episodes, giving rapturous reviews to numerous movies - and OFTEN, movies that didn't even get much publicity and championing independent filmmakers - which NOBODY else was doing for that big of an audience. Yes, they were absolutely wrong about a lot of movies, as many critics often are - but they also celebrated just as many.@@rockutron9000

[@josephbyrnhopf2481]

Amusing to note that in a science fiction story taking place in 2122 that Hollywood was caught behind the times with Dallas popping in a cassette tape of Mozart. "the compact disc (CD) was invented in 1979". I had just visited an audio store demoing CDs a couple hours before seeing the picture.

[@moedark4390]

yes , its not for young kids....why my sister and brother took me to see this film when i was 7 , ill never know.

[@granthoover9045]

😂😂😂

[@baileyboy3021]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@LanceVanceDance84]

My father saw it in theaters when he was in his 20s and then showed it to me on VHS in the '90s when I was 6. I was terrified beyond belief, but it instantly became my favorite horror film and it still is to this day. The love I have for this movie is unreal. As long as the kid watching it has a firm understanding that it's not real, then I don't see a problem. I will forever be grateful to my father for showing it to me back then and turning me on to my favorite movie monster.

[@moedark4390]

@@LanceVanceDance84 hah, ya..my story continues, that night after seeing it, I stayed the night at my sisters place, they went next door to party with the neighbors place and left a family friendly sitcom on TV for me to watch(Benson) as I tried to go to sleep. Unfortunately it was an episode where someone had an alien baby. Ugh!!!

[@TheyCallMeBruce13]

because they were awesome

[@buckaroobanzai7063]

Siskel’s review is the best ever. If you strip away what’s great about the movie, it isn’t great. Hard to argue with that logic.

[@TheNavalAviator]

Definitely a very visually compelling movie to this day.

[@alenzfrenz8157]

Me and a couple of my buddies snuck in to see this movie right when it first came out in the theatres, we were only 12 years old so we went during the matinee and payed for a PG movie ticket and when know one was looking we walked into Alien. I had seen the trailer and wanted to see it, but had absolutely no idea what I was about to see. To this day it was the greatest movie experience of my life, even more so than Star Wars which I saw in 77 when I was 10, Empire when I was 13 and E.T. which I saw in 82.

[@pepsiguy52883]

Hey Siskel it was one of the best sci fi movies ever made lol

[@TheFlixFiles]

My favourite movie of all time. First saw it in the very ealry eighties on Betamax, and since seen it over a hundred times. ❤❤

[@thomashynes4042]

And after 45 years the movie holds up well and is still horrifying and a CLASSIC

[@BillBird2111]

The movie industry was changing when Siskel and Ebert started with their successful series of shows, and I don't think Gene Siskel especially liked the way it was changing. This isn't the only groundbreaking film that he didn't like. He also gave a strong thumbs down a few years later to The Terminator. Today, that film is considered a classic. As is Alien. He wasn't fan of either of them.

[@taOGrimace]

I always loved the sci-fi aesthetic that film set for retro-future props. The motion detector, to the computer screens. The film gives off so much atmosphere.

[@SB992REBORN]

A truly claustrophobic terrifying film as the sequels are a truly thrilling terrifying film!

[@RobertVincentMusic]

Exactly. I'm claustrophobic.. and that definitely added to the terror for me when I saw this as a teenager.

[@user-dr2yz8um3d]

Alien (1979) is 45 years old! It remains an instant classic in the genre of science-fiction and horror This was the movie that put director Ridley Scott on the map making $184 million Ultimately it made unknown actress Sigourney Weaver into a household name while also bringing one of the most iconic creatures into mainstream culture The alien or Xenomorph itself is one of the scariest designs ever coming from inspiration of famous sketch artist HR Geiger; his creations are a cross between something nightmarish and sexually suggestive And the creature doesn’t show up until after one hour and you can tell its limited movement due to budgetary reasons Still it makes for a brilliant monster being over 6 feet tall, moves around like a reptile, has acid for blood, and uses its tongue as a projectile weapon to kill its prey acting as a primal fear of the unknown The film works immensely thanks to its cast, sharp suspense, intense scares, wonderful elaborate set designs particularly with the mysterious Space Jockey, a sense of dread and genuine fear thanks to the dark corners of the ship mixed with the strobe lighting, and an effective score by Jerry Goldsmith There's also no shortage of violence and gore with Scott showing the true terrors of being trapped in space with a deadly extraterrestrial The chestburster scene is still one of the most shocking moments in cinema Weaver makes for one of the best scream queens too being that at the beginning she's not the main focus but acts as the concerned voice of reason This was ahead of its time but also a product of the post-Vietnam war era inspiring decades of aspiring filmmakers It's amazing too that it spawned 6 sequels and two spin-offs, video games, comics, clothing, toys, and celebrated at fan conventions The fact that this franchise has made $1 billion thanks to rereleases to this day is an impressive feat What 'Jaws' did for the ocean this does its job amazingly in the outer reaches of space A brilliant blend of suspense and good old fashioned claustrophobic scares, 'Alien' remains a study of artistic precision

[@DrWhom]

she does not scream a whole lot, I think Lambert does the screaming

[@cheryl9389]

Saw the 45th anniversary this year...i say alone in the theater... WOW 😂

[@johnb7337]

It's interesting how this movie and Blade Runner weren't fully appreciated for what they were right away. Terminator was as much of a shift but not quite as groundbreaking, and it was seemingly easier to appreciate.

[@danthomas2146]

I tape recorded the clips of Alien from this episode and played them over and over until I got the dialogue memorized.

[@salvitoripopadillo4539]

These guys didn't know what they were seeing. They didn't realize that film has never been the same.

[@keithmacintyre1889]

I first saw the original ALIEN in the theatre in 1979 when I was 12-years-old... In fact, it was the VERY FIRST R-Rated film that I EVER SAW in a movie theatre... I had to literally FIGHT with my mother and father to get ONE of them to take me to see it... I put up SUCH a temper tantrum that they eventually caved in... My father lost the coin toss, so HE took me... During the now-classic ultra-violent chestburster death scene of John Hurt, my father turned to me, worried about the well-being of his son, and asked me if I wanted to leave... "SHUT UP, DAD... LEAVE ME ALONE!", I angerly whispered back annoyingly under my breath, "I'M WATCHING THE MOVIE!"... Yes, it WAS scaring the hell out of me... But I was ALSO absolutely LOVING it... So we stayed... and that day I saw a cinematic CLASSIC... I was TOTALLY TRANSFORMED by what I was seeing up there on the screen as I sat there in the darkness. I had NEVER seen ANYTHING like that before... It blew me away! Ridley Scott's 1979 film ALIEN is simply one of the GREATEST movies EVER made. It is PERFECT...It is ICONIC... It is a MASTERPIECE.

[@DrWhom]

I saw it when I was 11. My dad took me, no temper tantrum required (I think a joke was cracked about me doing the laundry if I wet myself) and people did leave during the session... but I think we shared the same experience - the flick was so immersive, you are sat there at the mess table with them

[@luxaeterna8170]

I noticed a trend over time with Siskel where he disliked most movies with "Violence" whether they were a good or bad film.

[@citygirl5705]

He was ALWAYS bitching about violence. It's amazing he gave "The Thing" a thumbs up.

[@Horriflick]

@@citygirl5705 it’s not amazing. He liked a lot of violent movies. He just didn’t like violence in lieu of a story or for its own sake. It’s lazy. He liked Alien, but he wanted to make sure the audience knew what it was in for.

[@ianthomas4568]

This film could easily of been a B movie but luckily for us it was in the safe hands of Ridley Scott!

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

Star Wars and the sci-fi craze that came from it helped massively in making Alien A-grade material, Fox were itching to get another hit out and Alien was on their desk! Such a classic!

[@househeadericmd]

The best cast for a sci-fi movie ever! Weaver, Cartwright, and Harry dean Stanton were amazing!,

[@Belloqs]

Also Ian Holm's best work IMO.

[@alcd6333]

Amazing film: recreates the haunted house genre aboard a space vessel. the producer (Dan O'Bannon) earlier made "Dark Star" - a crazy space satire made for around $60,000. For "Alien" he had a large budget (over $10 million) and he put it great use.

[@ConradSpoke]

Yes, I was "frightened too much" by Alien. Only saw it once.

[@ollieox9181]

Most of us, when seeing a movie, get a pretty good idea how it will do - a basic thriller, drama, or comedy that will do all right and then be forgotten? A flop? A masterpiece? Siskel never seemed to recognize a masterpiece - even when it was playing on the large screen, right in his face.

[@tubenachos]

Just 2 years after Star Wars this was where Sci-Fi and Horror can't mix but Scott pulled it off

[@qweqqweq2090]

alien was one of the rare films to have a sequel just as good as the original. even rarer still was how original the sequel was, doing different things and focusing on action instead of horror.

[@ABC-yt1nq]

The second one, IMO, was an action-adventure movie. Essentially zero horror because Cameron made the Aliens vulnerable, interchangeable creatures. Shoot them - they die. Run over them - they die. The faceless enemy horde that is as compelling as any other horde of interchangeable baddies. Cameron makes great action-adventure. T2 was, IMO, brilliant. But not horror.

[@user-yv4mm6bx3c]

Funny thing is Siskel, uses the phrase 'young people' and he was only in his early 30s when he did this review.

[@AdnanBen-Abdellah]

Alien is one of the best Films ever made. Roger and Gene are dead wrong here. The movie is way different than Star Wars and The Thing From Another World. Shame on them. This move is a masterpiece.

[@DrWhom]

listen more carefully he says that the spaceship has the lived in look that was made famous by SW (although SW was not the first) he says that The Thing is one of the things that the alien reminded him of and btw I think alien does owe a debt to The Thing and lovecraftian horror, and that is fine

[@randallmunson2098]

SISKEL has gotten so many reviews wrong I can’t count them. The movie is a classic. I’d like to see the xenomorph come up behind SISKEL and take him out.

[@kramalerav]

Did Roger really refer to this as a "space opera"? I don't know what movie he saw. Even "a haunted house story on a spaceship" is off the mark (that would better describe Event Horizon). Alien was pitched to the studio as being like a Texas Chainsaw Massacre in space, which is much closer to the mark.

[@philmitchell91]

A couple of things make Alien stand out more than your average sci-fi/horrot film (much better than The Thing or Predator for example). The first is the craft of the film itself ie the photography, production and creature design. It's shot impeccably which is what would you eventually come to expect from Ridley Scott. The sets were made fairy cheaply but they didnt look cheap. The xenomorph is probably the best movie creature ever. The second element that makes Alien stand out is the whole ''space jockey'' segment. Without it you still have an excellent scary space movie but this segment takes it to a deeper level, and arguably the most unsettling part of the movie. The movie is mostly about the crew and the xenonorph but it's the unettling questions left behind by the space jockey that you think avout afterwards, or at least choose to if you wish. Having said that, perhaps the Alien prequels have undermined the mystery too much now!

[@ravensong9030]

Siskel: "Strip away the beautiful scenery and the evokative weirdness..." So yes: if you strip away the visuals, the set design, the cinematography, the creature effects, the sound, the pacing, the world-building and you simply read the script out loud then it's nothing special. Clever remark.

[@nikosvault]

Well the plot is very barebone compared to Gene's favorite sci fi (2001).

[@chrisridenhour]

My dad took me to see this when I was 10 years old

[@anakinchosen]

Very powerful horror picture,always the very best.❤

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Alien is the best version. Scotts first masterpiece.

[@ninjabearpress2574]

The only horror movie I take seriously, sci-fi yet realistic.

[@casesoutherland4175]

"Alien" is a perfect masterpiece of horror and suspense that didn't need to be turned into a completely unnecessary franchise. Even though I disagree with some of Gene Siskel's points here on "Alien", I can let that slide because I loved it when he trashed "Aliens"!!

[@herrerasaurstudios7028]

So Gene Siskel liked starship troopers, but didn't like alien How?

[@DeanStrickson]

He didn’t love it, but he did like it enough to give it the “Yes” thumbs up vote. The sequel Aliens Siskel did not like.

[@TheyCallMeBruce13]

Siskel always trashed James Cameron. He didn't like Terminator either.

[@herrerasaurstudios7028]

@@TheyCallMeBruce13 that makes even less sense

[@wingy252]

@@TheyCallMeBruce13 He did like Terminator 2 tho

[@EddieDubs]

Starship Troopers is genius.

[@davidbergin2086]

Just a perfect movie from the start credits to end credits

[@AmIsraelChai4Trump]

WOW!!! I was only 1 year old at the time, so I obviously never saw this Siskel Ebert review... until now.

[@maxxam3590]

This was before I was born, so I never had the chance. Isn't it cool that we get to see it now?

[@keaton718]

I'd argue the best age to see this is while you're a kid. When you still got the imagination to believe it all could be real.

[@rikeralpha100]

Kind of reminds me of the alien isolation GameSpot review decades later 😢

[@erichvonmolder9310]

You can have a great debate on whether this movie is the greatest sci-fi movie of all-time.

[@ianm2170]

I did a blotter before I saw this, and I'm still around, remarkably...

[@Soulfly415]

They used to spoil way too much... i would have never watched them back in the day if i wanted to see a film and be surprised by it.

[@myenemysenemy1043]

I can't believe Siskel got paid to review films 🤣

[@hmicky-mickey]

He's a brilliant film critic! Educated with impeccable taste. Unlike the fanboy/fangirl, movie bloggers that are rampant over the internet.

[@robertwilson214]

My dad taped this on vhs when i was 10, something went wrong and it only taped the first half hour...but thats arguably the most creepy...the trek to the alien ship.The most disturbing scifi movie?.....the thing 'hold my beer'

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

If I was a commercial pilot ordered to investigate that ship, I would have said "Sure! Oops, looks like the door's locked, can't get in! Don't have the tools to break in. Too bad. Well, let's go home! They'll send a more qualified expedition, I'm sure!" Much later, when they return and say say that the door Was open, and that an alien got one of their men, I'd say "so what's your complaint? That the alien didn't get Me instead??"

[@TruthSurge]

He did NOT say "lagoom". I guess those glasses weren't quite strong enough. N, not M! C'mon, Roger, you KNEW it was LAGOON, man!!!! There's no such thing as LAGOOM unless.... you were thinking LEGUME. Close enough!

[@BruceStephan]

Millennials will never understand how realistic the movie looked way back then when there was little decent CGI that was at the time limited to low resolution computer readouts for the spaceship Nostromo . The rest was all man-made special effects . And its still one of the best most realistic science fiction movies made . Id take this over any Smurfs in outer space AVATAR movie any day .

[@residentgomez]

I just don't understand the old adage of "too violent for kids". I grew up on violent movies. I am fine. I am non violent amphipathic man. They don't advocate violence, it's just part of the movies. We like to watch violence. It's in our DNA. It's what makes us human.

[@petecholewinski8602]

For sure, some people can compartmentalize even as kids. The worry probably is that what ends up being 'too much' for a kid is rarely based on logic. I gobbled up horror movies growing up. Loved being scared by them. Never freaked me out or anything. Then at 10 years old - and to this day I can't explain it - I had nightmares all night after seeing that absolutely stupid movie "Empire of the Ants"! Not a great night for my parents!

[@josephdarkhelmet9494]

Sa m e. I was 12 when I saw Alien, the hills have eyes and last house on the left. I loved horror films, violent ones best. And I didn't grow up to be a serial killer, wife beater, or even an asshole.

[@TexRabbit]

@@josephdarkhelmet9494 Good point, but I don’t think that was what S&E is trying to come across, they never condemned films for their violence, I think they were trying to say is Alien at is time was deemed to be too intense, and he wanted to know what audiences were in for

[@Aquahutch702]

I don't know what version of the Alien Ebert saw...

[@Crimsonphilosophy]

First one is the best and simply does not age.

[@AdurianJ]

Its such snobbery/envy to turn your nose up at the movie because its a hauntrd house story. If a story is done well any story can be amazing.

[@markrodriguez9442]

When they find the eggs,that's when the terror is going to start. I like Aliens more than this because it does not scare me too much.

[@DanielLopez-zt4ig]

2:30 why is the screen a square? Was it filmed like that?

[@bruhmingo]

Cropped for TV screens at the time.

[@petecholewinski8602]

LOL! You just made a looooot of people feel reeeeally old! TV screens in the 70's were more squarish, so all TV shows were filmed that way.

[@DanielLopez-zt4ig]

@@petecholewinski8602 i have seen one scene of the movie here and the faces seem fatter, so the black lines (from the original 3:4 i don't know) don't appear in this vídeo. Are these two people really watching in this resolution?

[@mikesilva3868]

Love this movie 🙃

[@xvivalaromanx]

I seriously thought Ellen DeGeneres was the first lesbian, talk show host. Everyone forgets about this show!

[@donroberts5383]

They both disliked a lot of good movies and liked foreign highbrow stuff that you couldn't pay me and most people to go see. I gave them a pass tho,as they both ended up suffering later on from terrible illness. RIP to both of them.

[@mooseyman74]

Brought to a logical ending in Aliens where it should have ended

[@jrzygurl]

Boy oh boy were they off I wonder what they would have to say if they were alive today

[@bmiller949]

Let the dialog flow. We need the full review.

[@DanielWeinreb-vc6et]

They always managed to shit on movies that turned out to be masterpieces. Siskel: "It's not the greatest science fiction film ever made." Bullshit Gene. You were dead wrong. Alien is possibly the best Scifi film ever made, and damn near perfect.

[@TruthSurge]

2:38 having a light beaming right into your face just 8 inches away would definitely NOT be how their helmets would be designed. It's only like that to illuminate their faces for the audience. Kind of looks silly like that. Not much use to blind yourself trying to see what's in front of you.

[@TruthSurge]

@jonathanbirch2022 still, what's the point 8n sh8ning it into the face at all? It's just a contrivance so that the audience could tell which character was which. My view. :)

[@njamatia]

I couldn't watch it in its entirety the first time......

[@kdohertygizbur]

I can why this movie was criticized for style over substance, I love this movie, but , yes, it was more style, Aliens 1986 was perfect, but I give this movie 3 1/2 stars out of 4 because it still scares and it is beautifully edited, designed , acted and directed

[@electricityisaghost4644]

Why didn't they just talk about the bonus situation? If they just discussed the bonus situation, none of this would have ever happened.

[@zalemdreams]

"It's not the greatest science-fiction film ever made" - Gotta love the automatic dismissiveness of many critics whenever an art piece such as Alien comes out. Interesting art often gets unfairly dissected and diminished by passive gatekeepers at the time of its release.

[@timdaugherty4014]

Anytime to hear these two talk about a movie that scared them.

[@skycladobserver9246]

Always thought back then that Siskel was more off than on and looking at this confirms it lol

[@MovieFan1912]

When I first saw it about a year ago, I understood why people consider it one of the best horror movies ever made, but I thought the pacing was too slow for me. The movie felt like a drag to get through most of the time. As a result, it just wasn’t my taste.

[@dlnnyc64]

The pace is part of the genius.

[@ajzepp8976]

As much as I enjoyed whenever these two came on, I can understand why some felt they gave away too much of the plot in their reviews.

[@Kruppt808]

its "NOT" the greatest SCI-FI movie ever..... Gene Siskel Goes on to be one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever along with Blade Runner, Star Wars ect....

[@drewcrew2101]

❤

[@anthonychobotdoespopcultur7762]

Good movie

[@davidtalon5553]

Its not tvs its called monitors .Ridley scott Masterpiece.

[@receptieletoile7595]

Siskel & Fleabert. Old Fleabert is one of the reasons some folk hate movie critics.