The Alien Legacy (1999), documentary about 1979 ALIEN film

The Alien Legacy (1999) was a "free" bonus disc for purchasers of the 1999 Alien Legacy Box set (first DVD release of Alien movie series). The "free" bonus disc was acquired via a special mail-in coupon included with the Legacy box set.
There is doc. material in this feature exclusive to it (found nowhere else).
1 hr 8 min (68 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.33 : 1
TheDigitalBits.com -- back in 1999 -- said this:
---
All in all, this is a good look into the making of the original Alien. The documentary boasts new interviews with Ridley Scott, Ron Cobb, H. R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon and others. It's a bit talking-heady, and could probably have been trimmed. But if you're interested in a behind-the-scenes look, particularly at the production design, then this is well worth a watch. I'm not sure I'd buy the whole set just to get this disc, but I'm sure glad I have it.
The shot-on-video quality is generally very good, intercut with film excerpts and older documentary clips. The audio is in stereo, and sounds fine. There are no extras, no chapters, and no main menu - you simply put the disc in your player, and away it goes. On my DVD screener copy, the subtitles defaulted to on - a minor inconvenience. The disc also arrived in a slip-sleeve, of the type that CD-ROMs are often packaged in.

[@atariboy9084]

Dan O'Bannon maybe one of the most underrated man in the face of all film making. Rest In Peace Dan.

[@iggymcgeek730]

It's men not man ffs.

[@glennbateman4483]

​@@iggymcgeek730awww diddums

[@stvbrsn]

I was 11 in 1979. My brother was 15, and our dad knew his boys loved sci-fi more than sports (much to his chagrin, but he got over it) and took us to Menlo Park, NJ opening week. I had been reading about the production in Starlog magazine and was lamenting the fact that I knew it was going to be rated R when it came out… I never thought I would get to see it. This is gonna sound nuts 44 years later, but I can still remember where my brother and I were (hanging out in the basement, probably playing Atari) when our dad came in and said, “you guys want to see this movie Alien? It looks scary.” I remember waiting with umbrellas in the rain outside the theater. Man, what a time to be alive. And I must have seen this perfect, perfect movie somewhere around 30 times by now…

[@quacksackerthegreatstarfir6996]

There are only a handful of movies you can say are truly timeless, and ALIEN is one of them....

[@marlowfr1208]

This has to be the best documentary I've seen about Alien.

[@oldpossum4860]

I first watched this movie crossing the Pacific on a cargo ship in flat calm weather, after dinner, on 16mm film and the parallels with the situation of the NOSTROMO as the film opened were striking: we were all drawn in instantly. There were 2 wives watching and after the chest-bursting scene, they watched the rest of the movie from behind the sofa. I was duty engineer that night, responsible for doing an engine-room inspection at midnight after everyone except the duty deck officer on the bridge had gone to bed. As the film was wound back at the end, the Chief Engineer put his hand gently on my shoulder and said "Be careful down on the engine-room tonight John". I have watched all the Alien and Prometheus franchise films and to my mind nothing measures up to the atmosphere and impact of that first film.

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

As much as I love the Alien films (I have the first 3 films on DVD from 1999), I never knew this documentary on DVD existed until 2020. Thanks for posting it up.

[@keefwins04]

I think the best part of this documentary is the first 5 minutes talking with the writers. And the parts about Geiger were entertaining

[@CMDR_Verm]

As a long time fan of Alien I thought I'd seen every documentary made but I have never seen this gem. The section with John Mollo about costumes and that with the gentleman who owns the various practical objects are fascinating and now, in 2023, I am still blown away by this movie. Long live Alien and I hope it is still discussed a hundred years from now. Many thanks for uploading this.

[@stvbrsn]

Lol, 100 years from now… the story will be one year old, and Ripley and Jones will have just completed their first (of 57) years in the Narcissus’s cryosleep pod.

[@chrissyknowsitall5170]

I really think the music is just as beautiful as the movie is.

[@poppycock31185]

I'm not the biggest sci-fi movie fan in the world but Alien is one of my favourite films and one of the greatest movies ever made. It's more horror than sci-fi, which is probably why I love it so much. Aliens is different but equally as good in my opinion. The first film uses the viewers imagination and genuine terror which is true of most great horror movies. I'm sure a lot of it was to do with the limitations the film makers had at the time but it really worked and produced one of the most atmospheric and truly terrifying films of all time.

[@kendallrivers1119]

Alien and Aliens, Terminator 1 and 2, Predator, The Thing, Jaws and The Exorcist have become my favorites of their genres! Never the biggest fan of horror or sci-fi but these films hooked me immediately.

[@poppycock31185]

@@kendallrivers1119 You've listed many of my favourite films. I love horror but like I said I'm not really into sci-fi. The films you listed all excel their genres and are just amazing in their own right.

[@robinoxford7658]

The overall effect is the photography. The creation of set building without any assistance of any digital platform. Ultimately, when you consider the time that it was made, it was way ahead of anything. , I have to say that the monster is so believable, that it lives in so many peoples heads in nightmares. Overall, it's the work of multiple geniuses, which includes art and direction combined.

[@jedi4049]

I like all those@@kendallrivers1119

[@drTERRRORRR]

I laughed out loud when Ridley Scott said they were not sure if they wanted to meet Giger in person. Makes a lot of sense: Would you really like to be in closed room with a guy with THAT in his head?

[@stvbrsn]

Wow. This is great. There is much conceptual art and a few publicity stills I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before. That full cast shot 17:00 is freaking awesome. I met Sigourney once briefly at the Williamstown theater festival in the 80s. I was struck by how tall she was back then, and hadn’t thought about it until seeing this picture. She is such a legend.

[@williamlydon2554]

Ironically, I’ve likely watched this on VHS more often then Alien itself…

[@walterdavids4002]

Excellent documentary been searching for this for years. Hard to track down the DVD as well. This is great for us Alien fans.

[@robinoxford7658]

The overall effect is the photography. The creation of set building without any assistance of any digital platform. Ultimately, when you consider the time that it was made, it was way ahead of anything. , I have to say that the monster is so believable, that it lives in so many peoples heads in nightmares. Overall, it's the work of multiple geniuses, which includes art and direction combined.

[@ManicallyMellow]

The kind of special effects used for 'Alien' and John Carpenters 'The Thing' are better than the CGI used in film today. It feels like they're more realistic and far more impressive than over the top digital graphics. If I had to name a perfect film it would be Alien.

[@TheRetroShed]

Brilliant documentary. The best movie ever made in my opinion and my favourite of all time.

[@tonyjohnsen3160]

If only all the other alien movies could be as "quiet" and atmmospheric as the first

[@dougyoungman4191]

Reply to a year old comment...but play Alien Isolation (if you haven't already) it does an amazing job of recreating the slow burning quiet and atmospheric sci fi horror of the original movie.

[@kendallrivers1119]

That's great for the first one but Aliens was perfect because it took a different direction which is why both are so wonderfully distinctive.

[@jugo1944]

​@@kendallrivers1119I like Alien more but I agree Aliens was a nice change of pace. I just wish they went back to sci Fi horror more

[@GregMuniz7]

One of the best sci fi horror movies ever made

[@dawudmc]

Saw this as a Kid, i had no clue what i was watching. But it was unlike anything i´ve seen before, and since that, nothing ever came close.

[@Balin93]

All these years watching Dark Star, and I never realized Dan was IN the movie! I've always loved the connection between Dark Star and Alien.

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

Dark Star is a hidden gem, very funny film.

[@ThailandDantotherescue]

I truly adore the Alien film. The first one looks so authentic. It feels like you are trapped inside a documentary. I spent the last 10 years working in offshore oil rigs and production platforms as a paramedic. The industrial look and feel, the chatter between crew members, so matter of fact. I put Alien on at bedtime and drift off to sleep at the slow intro and ethereal musical score. I live in Thailand and as I drift off there is sometimes a Thai lady laying next to me playing on her phone, not really paying attention to the 75 inch flat screen... Until the chest burster scene... LOL!!!

[@nigelcarren]

Thanks a lot mate, you made myself and my cat (Jonesy) very happy on a grey, wet Monday night! 👍🎥

[@COWBOYBARNMAN]

Oh my gosh I really enjoyed this! I saw Alien when it first came out. Alien is still after all these years my favorite movie. I have all the aliens movies and watch them again and again.

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Ridley Scott is a genius

[@johnkeenan1829]

2024: Alien has now been rereleased into theatres for it's forty fifth anniversary. Unbelievable.

[@robertoneill1979]

Great documentary. Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@mitchcornacchia968]

MASTERPIECE.

[@billybobkingston5604]

You know a film is a classic when you watch the making of

[@victorcleland9067]

One of the best films ever.

[@thatllputmarzipaninyourpie3117]

There's a jump scare when I saw it in the theater that's never talked about. Dallas kicks over a box in the lab, and Ripley yelps. Nearly crapped my pants.

[@kidmack1121]

Dallas "buying the farm" in the air duct scene was the one that got me.

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

The best sifi / horror movie I've ever seen, saw it first in 1980 when I was 13 and I haven't slept since. This falls into the lost and better world of 100% hand made movie when CGI was sifi. One of only 2 films in my eyes had an equally good if not better sequel. Alien and Aliens, Terminator and T2 Judgement Day. How many tines I've watched these 4 films God only knows.

[@AkiTerry]

"... and I haven't slept since" 🤣🤣🤣 Lmao

[@jkoblivion4175]

What a find. Thx 4 posting it. Giger is everything.

[@marcelbr815]

Man, how movies got boring after CGI.

[@oldgit4260]

Nowadays all you'd have is green background's everywhere and some nerd would put soulless images into a computer.....RIP old days

[@korzeniek78]

And acting lacks empathy and emotions. It’s all very standardised instead of organic.

[@You_Tube000]

@@MBG.426garbage! it’s not an artist but a computer operator. Ask that computer operator if they can actually sketch, paint and sculpt. They cannot because they are inept.

[@Khultan]

No one mentions that Dan O' Bannon actually can draw.

[@munkeymajic]

I have watched the making of before, not ever seen this version, Thank you for posting this. My favorite movie ever.

[@kendallrivers1119]

Alien, Aliens, Terminator 1 and 2, Predator and The Thing are the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made! They were super influential and changed the game for these types of movies.

[@You_Tube000]

You missed out 1970s Invasion of the Body Snatchers and also Blade Runner

[@anonuser1]

2001 is the greatest sci fi film of all time. Top 10 includes star wars, empire, alien, blade runner. Modern classics which seem to not get love in this conversation are matrix and inception.

[@tonyjohnsen3160]

The sounds in Alien is like ost in themselves

[@canturgan]

The music in this movie is perfect.

[@dannydentarkis6482]

Awesome doco. Thanks for uploading.

[@christophergriffin4643]

The space jockey reveal is the greatest scene in all cinema.

[@simonriddick]

Rip Mr. Cobb. Thank you.

[@THXbox]

Who else saw the original trailer during the re-release of Star Wars in 1978? Frighteningly shocking to my 7 year old brain. It sure wasn’t Close Encounters, that’s for sure.

[@denispetrov2748]

15:19 Giger in front of MAGMA's ATTAHK Album Cover. I knew it was him who created the cover! The music of MAGMA and Gigers paintings are very much alike.

[@ypesh]

Gosh this is sooo good!!! Thank you thank you!!!

[@Studeb]

32:00 No wonder Homer was so amazed by the face dipping birds presented by his half brother, they were from the future. :D

[@samcaglar5791]

sountrack is very good

[@kidmack1121]

I saw the movie in the first few weeks of it's debut. A week day afternoon matinee, and bought the LP that night.

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

41:04 that music....still makes my skin crawl

[@nancydavis1391]

ALIEN IS THE BEST HORROR FILM.....TO THIS DAY!

[@brianjob3018]

For sci-fi horror, maaaybe...

[@QlockworkOrange]

The Shining is...

[@tr7938]

Meh

[@tr7938]

Fun but overrated. The Shining sucks...also overrated.

[@QlockworkOrange]

@Joshua Grande you're about 2 years late on that 🤣

[@Lumibear.]

How have I never seen this before? I watched it twice. Brilliant! Thank you.

[@rameyzamora1018]

As cogent 40 years later as it was 20 years later than "Alien" was released. Thank you.

[@toi_techno]

This is great It's pity this crew didn't make a whole load of films

[@austenpowers]

Thanks for posting dude 👏👏👊💚

[@joeyxl3456]

Thanks for this bro

[@lloydbotway5930]

One of the two best science fiction films ever made. The other one is Blade Runner. Forbidden Planet runs a good third.

[@wyattmccormack2513]

After reading the comments of all of the geniuses here, i felt compelled to add 1 myself. thanks for shareing.

[@leeknights5540]

Best documentary ever

[@EdOConnor]

At the 45 minute mark, showing the insides of the egg. That veinous white membrane is caul fat, a type of membrane that is wrapped around the internal organs of animals--- no doubt in this case from cattle. It's used in cooking and is quite tasty actually.

[@skiptrailer7048]

wow, I love Dark Star, I had no idea he was involved with other movies

[@You_Tube000]

Everybody talks about how great the sequel, Aliens is and most say it is superior. It is not, Alien will always remain the superior film. Every concept in the first film was new. Aliens was not a horror film.

[@carlomaratta5636]

What a fascinating documentary!

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

This and Blade Runner my two favourite movies

[@chantaunpeoenlatula3547]

Muchas gracias amigo

[@edwardwilliams2438]

You have to understand...........this in 1979..StarWars was still reigning supreme as the go to space opera. Strange,silly looking aliens..nothing threatening...non lethal. Then...this epic comes along...with a sleek black exoctic vision of horror. The primal sexual nature of being suffocated..orally violated...then forced to birth your dream lover...violently. Wow...for a 23 year old impressionable medical student....with a vivid imagination. After my first viewing in a darkened theater with squealing strangers sitting next to you. I was hooked for life...this Iconic movie was my Rosetta stone. And the image of future A.I. in Ash...just added to the thrill. Ian Holms was just so diminitive and creepy....the menance is all in his facial expression......when his head gets knocked off......chef's kiss!! You could hear my jaw drop.....Scott had made the space opus of all time. Forget STARWARS!!! I never thought a squeal was ever going to top this epic....Thanks Ridley and James....Kudos !!!!

[@RAM_DOS]

I always wondered how that ship was able to generate its own gravitational field and why the actors in any of these sci fi films are never floating. I guess we will never know.

[@bethevenden4607]

ITS A MOVIE!!!!!!!!!

[@HeatIIEXTEND]

sweet upload !

[@CrashHeadroom]

Huh... That's weird It must just have been the U.S. that didn't get this dvd, I'm from the UK and mine came with it as standard. Talks about it on the "Certifcate of Ownership" card you get with the boxset too :S That sucks you guys had to order it.

[@Johnconno]

41 years later it's still on B Deck and feels older than the derelict spaceship.

[@mattwoolley]

Love the helmet with the GoPro

[@Harri927]

Alien is my favorite horror movie of all time.

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Just incredible stuff

[@cartoonvandal]

As I told the producers on numerous occasions, I simply insist my uniform be held together by lemon piping.

[@iananderson3799]

1:10 It's Jethro !! 😅

[@markbarrett4440]

It's sad to think of all the crew and cast that have died over the years.

[@davidkeenan5642]

Ridley, Tom, Sigourney and Veronica are still alive.

[@d-d-i]

Got scared of that Gizmo on the backround at 26:58

[@ChistopherMoonlight]

I've never seen this before. How great.

[@stephenduckham9736]

Literally had no idea that Jethro had a role in making Alien!

[@Bulltardwin]

Alien is a masterpiece. Timeless.

[@eduardorivera4343]

The Nostromo astronaut padded pants is a MUST have COOLEST PANTS EVER!!!

[@Terradyn86]

ty!

[@johnryan2193]

Dark star was brilliant.

[@Visual_Writer]

Most people don't get that Alien is a Dan O Bannon thing.

[@panfan623]

Don't forget Ronald Shusett...they got the franchise rolling. I loved the ending of this documentary, the part with Dan O'Bannon, brought a smile to my face.

[@paxwallace8324]

I thought Dark Star was hallarious! That Beach Ball😂😅😊😂 that Bomb

[@nicholasjanke3476]

Dan O Bannon said he had an idea for one of the alien films, for an alien to burst out of a person then gradually take some of the apperance and shape of the victim (that idea was kind of used in Alien 3)

[@antidoteify]

38:40 well Giger wasn't an architect but studied and worked man years as an interior designer, he had the skills and the training to translate his paintings in 3D it was his job after all.

[@clairvoyantamnesiac9770]

I love this Alien library here in this site... theres much appreciation for this great sci fi.

[@graphstyle]

Alejandro Jorodowsky ❤

[@octoman511]

soooo this is NOT included on any of the subsequent DVD, blu ray or 4k releases?

[@DerHoschi]

Good documentary, but was Mr. Scott not available for the interview and Bryan Cranston had to step in?

[@melvinch]

Why is this engineer so huge here but are much smaller in the prequels ?

[@stoneryoda9377]

Melvin Chong because they couldn't find a 15 foot guy to go in the suit They look pretty much the same size while in the chair& elephantine flight suit / armour ? in both Alien & Prometheus I like to think Ridley wanted to keep them practical , instead of a CG Space Jockey/Engineer

[@CMDR_Verm]

That was my major problem with the prequel and the Engineers. There is an aspect of Alien lore that was introduced through the stories in the Dark Horse graphic novels where the original space jockey is of a different race that preceded the Engineers, namely the ''Mala'kak''. These creatures were much bigger than the Engineers and resembled more closely the space jockey, i.e. they were not wearing a suit as the Engineers were but were more elephantine in appearance and much bigger in size. There is a train of thought, to which I personally subscribe, that believe Ridley really messed up by suggesting the space jockey was an engineer, a humanoid in a ''rubber suit'' as it were. Just the sort of thing he'd always said he'd wanted to avoid when depicting the Alien.

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

CGI doesn't stand a chance against this physical models

[@Methuselem]

G-Star clothes must’ve taken their inspiration from this film.

[@farticusmaximusOG]

I still hear dan as pinback lol

[@Thunder-acro]

Realistically though, there's no way only 7 people could run a ship as big as the initial plan was, not back then at least not to my knowledge. I could be wrong and if I am I will own my misunderstanding.

[@LCdrDerrick]

I adore the film and the artwork, but it is so sad, that so much work went into the derelict and the jockey, but also the ore processing "barge", which were all stuning, the menacing and sinister appearance of the Juggernaut alone, and we hardly got them to see. But even as a small boy back then, I was confused by the fast growth of the Alien without a proper food souces. Did it eat cockroaches and rats, to build its body?

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

I am going to quote one of the guys on this thread, "it's a MOVIE " a sci-fi movie !

[@rodneydaub3812]

I want to read the novel it was based on

[@nicholasjanke3476]

Ridley Scott looks alot like Robert Culp

[@jamesl.anderson1384]

What Makes A Brother Sister And Friend It’s More Than The Color Of Your Skin It’s The People You Call Family Nine strangers became friends. Nine friends became heroes. On the road to... South Carolina James Leroy Anderson The Movie Bo Jackson Alex Vincent Justin Whalin Christine Elise Lisa Eilbacher Frank Walker Ashley Laurence Imogen Boorman Amanda Pays Joyce Hyser Kim Basinger Wesley Snipes Nia Long Catherine Hicks Chris Sarandon Kevin Bacon Thom Mathews Perrey Reeves Elijah Wood Danielle Harris Ellie Cornell Kevin Zegers Donna Wilkes Lea Thompson William Atherton Brian Doyle Murray Andrew Robinson Linda Hamilton Courtney Cox Robert Duncan McNeil Kurt Russell Kim Cattrall Dennis Dun Kate Burton Donald Li William Hope Fiona Dourif Scott Innes Judge Reindhold John Aston Ronny Cox Alice Adair Hector Elizondo Theresa Randle Gary Oldman Brad Dourif Claire Higgs Helen Hunt Lynn Tyler Vivica A. Fox And Glenda Hatchett Steven Spielberg James Leroy Anderson The Movie Get ready for the ride of your life.

[@rjmacready8830]

I can't hear any of you.