The Original "Alien" Design (That Was Changed at the Last Minute) - Explained

[@ernestschultz5065]

They made the right choice.

[@mrblonde609]

Yeah, thank god. This and Predator are the most iconic creatures in sci fi horror and both designs were products of last minute decisions.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Agreed. It's more menacing and creepy without visible eyes.

[@OfLegendBorn]

@@mrblonde609 The Predator in the novelization was a shape-shifter, and could take on the form of things it touched. It even 'became one' with the roots of the forest in order to chase the soldiers through the ground.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Oh, no question about it. The design used is absolutely scary and one of its scariest features is the lack of eyes.

[@KnowerofThings]

you look familiar

[@bigtravis6159]

They benefited from no social media to spoil the chest burst scene, That shocked audiences for weeks and weeks

[@HEARTS-OF-SPACE]

Even the actors didn't know about it, so their reactions were genuine. Brilliant.

[@STho205]

Social media has made it very hard to make normal movies. The producers are tempted to "leak" stuff on purpose to ramp up the hype. Fans are quick to pre judge anything and scream dumpster fire based on a 20 second clip or character outline.

[@d0nKsTaH]

Weeks? I've known people who hadn't seen Alien until the 2000's.. and they just about got sick when they saw that for the first time. So... "years". :D

[@AdamBartholomew]

Trailers would spoil it long before social media ever could

[@JsscRchlDrsy]

Ah yes! Times before the internet!

[@LtDan2K]

Humans connect with creatures through the eyes. Even with gross/disgusting things our brains can empathize with another creature by understanding that it can see like we do. The alien's perception of sight is so foreign to us that we cant even begin to understand how it views the world. Truly alien.

[@siasti]

We see through the alien's "eyes" briefly in Covenant. It's much like human sight but a little blurry...

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Very true. I've always felt that if cockroaches had eyes like ours we would find it more difficult to squash them under foot.

[@Syklonus]

I dunno, there's an extra added sense of fear when you realise that something is looking directly at you.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

@@Manicpixiedreamgirlforreal The Xenomorph in Alien is not supposed to be an animal. It's a nightmare monster. That's what defines it. The movie is not a praise to Nature, it's a horror story, and thus, the monster is far more supernatural than natural (ignore sequels, which in their turn ignore the core concept of the monster).

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

@@siasti For me, the series stopped in Alien. All the others are movies about other creatures in parallel universes, and Prometheus and Covenant are hardly movies at all, they're just displays of an ageing director who has gone senile and stupid.

[@tehuselessguig3138]

my favorite design detail is the skull under the dome. Even if you manage to look through the chitinous bulb, you'll only find empty, black eyesockets that wont reflect anything back to you.

[@CelestialSwann]

I like to imagine small black, beady eyeballs that sit deep in these eyesockets, imagine managing to break the frontal dome of the creature and witness those godless eyes looking at you from it's boney sockets, truly would make you feel how unapologetic existence is.

[@patrickbyrne5070]

This was going to be the Alien aswell, a slight translucent effect soba skull would be seen in some lighting. They decided to cover it entirely. But youre right.. it’s in there..

[@DatAsianGuy]

@@patrickbyrne5070 other version have this translucent/transparent design down the line.

[@Youcannotfalter]

@@patrickbyrne5070 They also wanted to put maggots under the dome, like it was a pulsating brain. a lot of weird unused concepts out there.

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

Murray Lochrie How far, Are there?????

[@DerNomade1871]

No the eyeless xenomorph was a very very VERY smart decision, and makes the serpent look way more intimidating

[@rojaws1183]

We humans always look at the eyes of a creature we meet. It's a reflex typical for pack animals like us. So a face without eyes look very wrong to us. Very alien. And that is how the xenomorph should be, something strange lurking in the dark.

[@HermitagePrepper]

Yes looks way more menacing

[@VideoSage]

Makes it look WAY more Alien. There is something truly majestic, about something that can see, without eyes, without any obvious sensory device. It's downright beautiful.

[@TVdinnermasterchef]

@@rojaws1183 great comment and you hit the nail on the head, though I didn't think as deep on it till I read this. We stare into eyes as a defence mechanism against ambush predators (such as the masks with eyes worn on the back of the head in areas where tigers roam), implying to them 'I see you, move on to something easier'. You can't do that with the alien, nor would it move on, thus making all our psychological defences worthless.

[@rojaws1183]

@@TVdinnermasterchef Good point. The Alien is designed to be the monster who makes the previous top predator the humans their prey.

[@MrJackal43]

H.R. Giger was a tortured, dark soul... as reflected in his art. He was a god with an air brush, the detail he could render was literally insane.

[@AlienGenotype]

Alien is without a doubt my most fav movie ever made

[@JNPollard]

ΛLIΞИ GΞИOTYPΞ agreed

[@johnnymnemonic6986]

we can tell, lol. It's my favorite also

[@Malice_doll]

DaNes200581 yeah completely agree

[@Kaefer1973]

@ ΛLIΞИ GΞИOTYPΞ It's my favourite horror movie, also my favourite science fiction movie, but my overall favourite changes depending on my mood, sometimes it's Alien, sometimes Groundhog day, when you feel down or depressed, Groundhog day is just a bit more uplifting (No. 3 is "Das Boot", such great atmosphere and music).

[@MrJackal43]

ΛLIΞИ GΞИOTYPΞ I agree with Alien being one of the top two Sci-Fi movies of all time. It was so original, visceral and dark. No one can come up with anything so original these days. Just comic book crap and the continued sodomization of the Star Wars franchise.

[@siasti]

Ron Cobb was also a genius. His designs still look futuristic and believable 40 years later. Incredible!

[@DeadAbeVigoda]

Hands down, the best set artist in history.

[@dancingsocrates9491]

There is a whole collection of elaborate artwork he made for the movie which wasn't used that could be multiple movies in itself! He was incredible!

[@adelbertschulz8049]

HR Gigers choice with no eyes for the alien was absolutly the right decision!This Video is a Little Tribut for HR Giger (died in 12. May 2014), so 5 years ago.

[@sandrahall1867]

Did you Google that, ha he.....

[@adelbertschulz8049]

I'm swiss too :D

[@lipstickzombie4981]

@@sandrahall1867 It was in the newspapers too, I had a clipping. Yeah I'm a dinosaur, keep laughing.

[@Mrwednesday84]

F

[@kennethfharkin]

@@adelbertschulz8049 I am over there a couple times a year for work and have been to the Giger museum twice. That was one seriously messed up dude. The alien is the least unsettling thing in that museum.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I read somewhere that Giger claimed he got his ideas for his art from things he saw during nightmares. If THAT is true, I PITY HIM....

[@rubscratch98]

There is a giga museum. Located in his castle. His work and paintings show his tormented soul. Also his wife ended her life with a shotgun in her mouth. And there are paintings showing his monsters with his dead wife's face.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@rubscratch98 >>> Wow....

[@kennethfharkin]

@@rubscratch98 I've been to it in Gruyere. It is a seriously messed up place.

[@G_Confalonieri]

Giger was an Allister Crowly's follower. It is public. No wonder why his art portrayed beings and biomechanic humans difficult to imagine on your own.

[@leegsy]

He apparently liked to smoke opium so I guess he got some inspiration from that too.

[@rickdeckard7161]

Love it! #ALIEN40 No eyes, Giger summed it up perfectly. The xenomorph is the only being, EVER, that can gaze into your soul without eyes.

[@trashcandatnoobwut2246]

Ryan Ashley the Xenomorph's extra-sensory capabilities likely enable its nervous system to interpret its surroundings in a way that is not too dissimilar to our own mechanisms. Although likely to be based on electrical fields, sound, scent and physical stimuli alone, this could enable a somewhat visual interpretation considering the abilities the Xeno often displays. A shark can detect prey in much the same way.

[@rickdeckard7161]

@@trashcandatnoobwut2246 on the original Giger design it has part of a human skull integrated into it's own. Very hard to see through most of the film. Always made me wonder if it unlocked a human evolutionary trait. A new sense maybe? Because the xenomorph has a tail, but humans lost theirs through time. New baby embryos still start developing it but lose it early on.

[@RAFFAGAN]

@Waldo Rojas yep, and women really go for people who say stuff like that. you ladies man you

[@RAFFAGAN]

@Waldo Rojas I misread you accidentally , "you've obviously never banged a chick" is what i read, sorry aboot that Waldo.

[@rickdeckard7161]

Well that escalated quickly Ok next topic, is it a male or female? And can it "go fuck yourself/itself" like humans say to one another? Aaannndddd..... GO!!! LULZ

[@Bartetmedia]

No eyes made the alien futuristic, unique and unearthly, perfect!

[@eap4177]

Well your not wrong it does make it futuristic

[@Jeff-Vader_head_of_catering]

Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien, was the definition of "the perfect storm", or "catching lightning in a bottle" or however you'd like to refer to it. There were several, several times that the movie could have, and should have failed, because of bad decisions, producers and the studio meddling and micromanaging, casting choices and mistakes, ect, etc. Had any single one of these issues followed through to it's completion, Alien would have failed; and failed miserably.

[@Selatomyr]

Eyeless was the only way to go. A Most original concept that adds to the horrific beauty of the beast.

[@manimprettyhorny7291]

@jay dabs stfu and go back to playing fortnite

[@Flayne009]

Exactly. How do you reason or begin to understand something that has no eyes? It's a big part of what makes it truly alien.

[@zcgamerandreacts2762]

@jay dabs Minecraft is superior and fortnite is inferior.

[@joes2857]

Xenos look kinda goofy with eyes imo. Glad they got removed.

[@Manicpixiedreamgirlforreal]

Most monsters rarely look good with eyes.

[@josephroszell]

I don't like the eyes but I do like how they look like evil versions of classic grey aliens👍 I wouldn't mind seeing this ugly design show up in Prometheus or something or make the eyeball guys be the ones who were at war with the space jockeys Prometheus/covenant still could of tied our origin with the alien but maybe it could of actually been interesting instead of watching two movies about david the Mary Sue bot. Why are alien prequels more interested in weyland yutani than the bigger universe?while making every effort to make it seemingly impossible for weyland to be alive in Alien 3 unless he's immortal or android that bleeds blood or something. like it's my favourite series but neither avp or Prometheus does a good job of just giving us a weyland family tree but atleast avp cast the right fuvking actor to play weyland ,but I mean johnny Knoxville as an old man was more convincing in jackass than that rubber faced horror 😦

[@Syklonus]

I quite like them, but I don't prefer them. Either would have been good, we're just so used to seeing it without eyes that it looks weird. Doesn't mean it'd be less frightening.

[@bloodySunday77]

Not only goofy but something the viewer can understand since it corresponds to the vast majority of animals and of course, humans. The key element of mystery and suspense is things and concepts we don't understand. In fact this had always been a major error of the public's perception of what a creature from outer space might look like: in the vast majority of cases in fiction it looks like an anthropoid. Why should it?

[@robertpardinas4939]

It's unearthly, eyeless, biomechanical form seems more anti-life instead of lifeform. Ash described it as lacking a conscience, remorse or morality, all qualities possessed of a soul and reflected in the eyes. The ominous foreboding atmosphere, the soundtrack, the moment the alien ship was found, the creature's form and that feeling of being adrift in the infinite abyss made that 79' movie a cinematic masterpiece. The instilling of the primal fear of being hunted, killed and eaten, a masterpiece. The phallic and yonic imagery played on the subconscious of the audience, again, a masterpiece. Those feelings of mystery, wonder, dread and aloneness were sadly, never again replicated in the sequels.

[@CelestialSwann]

The closest thing to a real life demon, quality of pure negativity, devoid of comfort and welcomes. Just a murderous epitome of rape and violence that came from the most isolated depths of space.

[@mrmrspettersson8205]

@@CelestialSwann you know I hear that opinion alot... but I just tend to disagree. The Alien is a creature. I watch the film and just see creatures trying to survive. It is the human aspect that terrifies me.. the company that harrasses the creature, sacrifices countless humans to attain it and behaves with psychopathy and total lack of empathy. The creatures seem to tend to one another, tend to their hive and strive so survive at all costs. If I were born on an alien ship where the aliens tried to kill me Id try to kill them all off too. If I were born on a planet with no food or sustenance and then a violent species captured my embryos, studied them and started to kill us off Id want my hive to kill them off too and use them for sustenance. If I were born on a prison world with no one like me, only more alien beings who again are homicidal Id again want to kill them off. I dont see where people get this theory that the Alien being is like a supernatural demon. Demons seek after spiritual things not physical survival and hive survival. The Xeno is just different from us, they are more wild, more like sharks or spiders or things that are more predatory in nature. They are just creatures though, they arent made of rape and violence and they are not deviod of emotion or family.

[@vancouverislandvideoartviv9143]

It's totally true that with eyes, the creature would have been forgotten and just another movie gone to oblivion. That was the perfect and rightful choice. Giger was one of my most powerful influences as an artist myself when I was still a teenager, among Dali, Bosch, Bacon, Greco, and many others, Giger made his case in the inner core of my subconscious mind. Good info man!!!!

[@guerito7571]

I'll also add. 40 years ago today. Can't really believe it. I had seen Star Wars in 77, that was released on the same day. I wanted to see Alien but I was to young and scared. Lol. I remember drawing crude pictures of the iconic movie poster that summer. For my 8th birthday party my best friends mom treated my friends and I to go see Moonraker in late June. I was a big James Bond fan. Thank you ABC sunday night movie. Anyway, Alien was playing at the same theater. I went to the bathroom and walking back saw the theater it was playing. Snuck in and it was the part where Dallas, Lambert and Kane find the derelict. Hung out till the face hugger. Lol. Also on this day, flight 191 crashed at O'Hare airport. An emotional and memorable summer that was.

[@iamalpharius7998]

I know the newborn is far away different to the standard xenomorph. But the fact it has eyes, and the flashes of light on its face caused that creature to haunt my nightmares for years.

[@Redhunteur2]

Giger was the best and my biggest artistic influence and I was heartbroken to hear of his passing. I miss you, brother.

[@singletona082]

Eyes could work, or 'eye like structues' if it evoked the feeling of a skull/corpse. Hhowever for me the thing about the xenomorph design is it is both familair in that 'head, limbs, torso, etc' which is familair. ad then wedges in alien design choices like the acid blood, the secretions, and... the lack of eyes. An elongated head with jaws. No nose, no eyes, no ears. Just this malevolent steel trap of a mouth.

[@shainewhite2781]

Thanks for the video! RIP H.R. Giger.

[@UncleJackOnline]

it looks great without eyes...it looks...Alien

[@hermanata2451]

That's the number one thing I always wondered about the alien; does it have eyes? If I came across an animal that didnt have eyes but was still "looking" right at me I'd be so confused and uneasy lol. It just adds more mystery, eeriness and tension. Plus it looks better without eyes

[@victorbruant389]

bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Isolation2MM.jpg

[@berandom2000]

Happy 40th anniversary, Alien!

[@hammerheadms]

🎉Huzzah🎊🍻

[@BluJean6692]

I just want to compliment your straightforward delivery. You convey the info in a sequence that is easy to follow and you don't ham it up or anything.

[@overhaul.-.]

I’ve been with this channel for a long time, yet I always get excited upon seeing an upload

[@CoinHELPu]

Alien will be my favorite Sci-Fi creature always. No replacement for me and great take on the beginnings.

[@epicvideos6227]

I've always been a huge fan of Xenomorph's design, maybe the most charismatic Horror SCI -FI creature ever. When you see it, you know it's not time to have fun anymore...

[@CaptainRufus]

The eyeless design is part of why it's such a fantastic monster design.

[@Kaefer1973]

Though the tail design is also great.

[@Defender78]

The teardrop eyes were kind of a thing of the traditional UFO/gray aliens, the small humanoid which with the bulb eyes… I wonder the creature with eyes had something to do with the original design since the 1970s were like the peak of UFO stories ... like the Communion book alien

[@grug1343]

@@Defender78 wasn’t it the 50’s when alien stories started appearing?

[@maxbrandt6]

The xenomorph looks much more eerie and menacing because it doesn't see the way most life forms would,. It makes you ask 'it knows I'm here but how?!'

[@1badjesus]

"YA know the thing about a SHAR.. I mean..a XENOMORPH?...he's got…lifeless eyes..black eyes..like doll's eyes.."

[@_Stalc_]

4:35 xeno jesus pulling you up for rapture Also xenomorph with eyes is pumpkin head.

[@JamesSerapio]

Xenomorph + Pumpkinhead = Genestealer from Warhammer 40k

[@erikrichardgregory]

The lack of eyes gave us the impression the creature was driven by instinct, and the lack of eyes took away an "identifiable" aspect of the alien, making it appear more "alien."

[@notamuffin]

Xenos actually DO have eyes, in certain lights, you can see the skull under the dome where the eyes are, but it's insanely hard to see.

[@joevines3428]

I wonder what it would look like with a cracked skull 🤔 I doubt there would be any white in its eyes.

[@leegsy]

It depends on the host it is birthed from.

[@JohannRosario1]

As a teenager in 1978, I remember hearing that it’s entire head was one big eye dome, therefore nothing is ever out of its sight.

[@ryaquaza3offical]

It’s probably just me, but the chestburster with eyes is kinda adorable. I will say, the Xenomorph with eyes really looks more traditional grey alien and I’m not sure if I like it or not.

[@90lancaster]

He just needs his hat and cane and he's off to do his song and dance routine !

[@Outland9000]

Yeah, the little chestburster with eyes and little arms is too cute. They made the right call with no eyes!

[@mrmrspettersson8205]

@@90lancaster like in Spaceballs lol

[@redwolf272]

I agree that eyeless was the right choice. In comics there have been variants that incorporate eyes of some kind but those creatures had a different kind of self-awareness to them, like they could speak or reason.The Big Chap design had those vacant sockets beneath its dome but there was nothing, just a void to start into. You can't reason with a xenomorph. That's part of the reason it's so terrifying. It's a killer and nothing can persuade it otherwise.

[@shainewhite2781]

The original design for the Chest burster was based off of a chicken plucked if it's feathers, with no eyes, and covered in blood.

[@paulstovall3777]

Aside from the beautiful ladies featured in the publications, I well remember Gigers' artistic depictions of the 'Alien' being featured in Penthouse magazine prior to release of the film. At the time, they struck me as being totally alien. The fact that it had no eyes was one of its' most outstanding characteristics. When I went to see the film I found myself at one point squished down into my seat looking at the screen through my fingers covering my face at the time. I thought to myself, 'Jeez, sit up and watch the film.'. 'You're a grown man for crap sake.'. Something which I did. I then glanced around at the rest of the audience in the theater and to my shock, EVERYONE was scrunched down in their seats looking at the screen through their fingers! Ridley Scott had made the right choice for maximum effect. Excellent call.

[@catm4403]

The best choice would have been, obviously, to give him the same eyes as Minilla, the son of Godzilla.

[@sweeneagle16]

One thing that always bothered me was when the alien drops down from the ceiling of the engine room (or wherever they were) to kill the guy (Brett?) and somehow pulls himself back up to the high ceiling. His tail was dangling so he didn't use that. It's interesting the movies never addressed that aspect. When I was a kid I thought maybe it could spin some kind of alien webbing from those tubes that stick out from their back...Or do they use those to breathe? Either way, weird physics in that scene.

[@guerito7571]

The Alien without eyes was definitely the right decision. Though i liked the brief glimpses of the skull.

[@samuelchan699]

I watched a screening of Memory: The Origin of Alien with the director, Alexandre O. Philippe, in attendance and speaking of the making the film. There is a lot of information in that film and I absolutely have to watch it again to pick up the all the details. Unfortunately, Philippe said he had hours upon hours of interviews and information that did not make it into the film. You certainly have done your research and I enjoy the extra bits of background you give about one of my favourite franchises. Thanks!

[@s-my-q9618]

As somebody who's always been terrified of aliens, the alien from Alien is my absolute favorite horror monster it is so goddamn creepy.the choice to not have eyes was a good one in my opinion. Makes it look even more sinister.

[@christianmccann7884]

The design was perfect .. Hats off to Giger and Scott !

[@MistahBryan]

If it DID have visible eyes, I agree... it'd diminish the creature.

[@NewYorkFloridaMan]

I agree, but don't forget how creepy Ripley's offspring (the Newborn Xenomorph) with the human looking eyes was.

[@90lancaster]

It looked forlorn and sad faced to me.

[@NewYorkFloridaMan]

@@90lancaster That's exactly what bugs me out when I see it. It's pretty disturbing to see those human-like emotions on a creature that would probably have a sick smile on its face as it plays with it's food/victims in an innocently childish manner. It just makes my imagination run wild in a dark place. Hat's off to the people who designed it.

[@MapleLeafAce]

It technically had a skull like formation underneath the head carapace. But no eyes in the sockets.

[@formallyknownasj.a.2074]

What up brotha, 40 years later and the Alien design is still the scariest, coolest and most dominant thing on the big screen today.

[@CzarWilkins]

When I was a kid my first Alien movie was Aliens. Didnt understood very well what was going but seeing them just made me afraid of the dark for several years. Now is not so scary but I bet that somewhere in a very distant planet it is waiting for us!

[@Retroid84]

There was an alien comic that came out around the time Resurrection was being released. In it the xenomorph has massive bug eyes and i wondered as a kid why it looked like that but now i think it must have been in homage to the original design as it looks very much like this. Wish i could remember what it was called, it was set in a small town on Earth i think ha?

[@rojaws1183]

Earth Angel.

[@MrFusionCube]

The alien chestburster with eyes at 3:48 looks goofy AF Good decision to stick with the blank carapace

[@metalmadsen]

Nice that they didn't go with the original. Looks like the Xenomorph have put on sunglasses 😎 It would still be scary, but more like a regular movie monster. Nothing special ...

[@PaulA-zp7hn]

Now I'm Imagining the Xenomorph sitting on the beach wearing sunglasses and drinking a cocktail! No eyes keeps it ultra menacing. And keeps him off the beach!

[@metalmadsen]

Paul A 🤣

[@izzysantiago978]

I went at the 1979 release and remember this space classic horror survival movie and how the audience went through many emotions during the movie! Most screamed and even fainted when the alien ripped through Cains's chest!!

[@DonDiesel885]

the newborn is the only alien that needs eyes damn thats a good design. i do like the empty skull look under the dome thoa

[@CelestialSwann]

I was so obsessed with alien as a kid, from drawing them to buying figurines and movies, they shaped my interest of my childhood, R.I.P to the great artist that changed it all.

[@Zeithri]

B.E.M. - Bug Eyed Monster That's probably how Alien would had ended up as if it had big eyes. So they definitely made the right choice there. But in the hilariously bad Aliens: Colonial Marines, in one of the cells, you can find a Xenomorph variation that references one of the original skulls to Alien, with the transparent forehead showing the human skull underneath.

[@Vriskh4oj]

I mean, those guys were pure genius, and creatives. Every frame of the movie is aestheticaly pleasing and incredibly atmospheric. Timeless!

[@Dentson]

So is anyone else excited for the Alien 3 audible?

[@biginchsmallblock]

I didn’t know about it, but im going to go look into it now!

[@toob1979]

The sound of crickets chirping tells you all you need to know. "Alien" was a horror masterpiece. "Aliens" was an action tour de force. "Alien 3" was... a mistake. Beginning to end. The franchise never recovered after "Alien 3," and I can't forgive David Fincher for making it.

[@Dentson]

@@toob1979 at the time of post it was the audio book for the scrapped scrip of Alien 3

[@Joker1225able]

I really appreciate your commentary on Alien Theory - this is another great example of it!

[@In5idious1989]

Excellent video, insight I've never had before about giger and the xeno. Much appreciated. The lack of eyes are definitely important!

[@laertesl4324]

I read an interview of Giger saying he created a sexy creature and they changed it to a disgusting monster because of the drooling. He fought against it but they kept it anyway. I agree, the drooling is not only disgusting, it is ridiculous too.

[@violet-kittychick]

I think the Alien creature / beast is perfect just as it is, it is sad that we have not seen a proper Alien Story for so many years.

[@fredloeper8579]

A vengeful Jedi seeks the home planet of the xenomorphs in order to destroy it.

[@violet-kittychick]

@@fredloeper8579 Jedi to not act on the will for vengeance.

[@fredloeper8579]

@@violet-kittychick Mine does.

[@violet-kittychick]

@@fredloeper8579 Then you are a dark jedi or a sith lord

[@fredloeper8579]

@@violet-kittychick Then you best beware.

[@M1tjakaramazov]

When we first saw the alien as kids in the 80es the fact it didn't have eyes made it the most terrifying thing imaginable. It implied the monster didn't need eyes because it somehow knew everything already, and that meant there was nowhere to hide from it.

[@uncommonunity787]

The eyes look rather cool, but yeah... better off without them. Makes the 'fear factor' go up to 100x.

[@shainewhite2781]

Giger's original artwork is available online in his website.

[@tishamac529]

Instant like the moment I hear you speak. Only wish I could LIKE twice for the content you cover, the art and mythos of something I’ve continued to adore while STILL remaining mysterious and terrifying throughout the years.

[@chriscarrete5303]

I hope we see H.R. Gigers original design with the eyes in a future movie.

[@stoicvampirepig6063]

What so everyone can laugh and say it's a rip off of Alien? Anyway it already happened...can no-one remember Species?

[@RahduDrahkqul75]

We have Alejandro Jodorowskys original vision and artistic team i.e O'Bannon n Giger and failed attempt of the first film adaptation of Frank Huberts' Dune to thank for Alien as we now know it. However we should all shudder to think of or dare imagine Alien without the genius design of H.R. Giger.

[@Playingtheangel88]

The version without eyes is iconic 40 years later, so the decision was good thought. Of course, I like eyeless.

[@garyroberts1552]

When we were filming "Scarecrows" back in 1984..I ran "ALIEN" continuously on my TV (VCR days) in my FX dept production trailer..it was inspiration, it was Art we could only dream of achieving on a lunch money budget and student film crew..yet, out in the overgrown bush of South Florida, totally in the dark, we gave it hell for months..watching "ALIEN" every moment we could.

[@dank_smirk9971]

As the saying goes: "Less is more"

[@TheUrk-tv5el]

Thank You so much for pronouncing Mr. Giger's name correctly!!! Great Channel! Keep up the great work!!

[@Blackblax]

What is scariest to ppl is "the unknown". The Alien species not having eyes makes it look foreign to what we know, therefore it's far more imposing.

[@ShempBob]

Great video...and even greater last question there. They nailed the design without the eyes for sure. It is the way to go. But I can't help thinking that Geiger's overall feel of the creature...its sinew, it sleekness, its mouth(s), its slime...etc., etc, would still keep the momentum going of just how terrifyingly beautiful this creation was...eyes or not.

[@jamescunningham4418]

H.R. Giger was a god

[@WildeFyre69]

He did HATE flying though :)

[@SurfingAlien12]

Touch grass

[@SeanoldBeasley]

Man, this channel is so good.

[@torr-michaelbennetta9785]

No eyes, and just a domed carapace was the absolute right choice. Unique, unsettling, different.

[@jeanackle]

The eighth passenger is the best monster / alien design I ever saw. It's so good that my brain is telling me that "best" isn't the right word (nor is "good"), but it is undoubtedly the best word I can use to describe it.

[@DrawingCyberpunk]

H.R. Giger the master of darkness!!!

[@lowprofile2120]

did they ever explain why the alien dripped slime or water profusely? i swore someone had mentioned this before and it had something to do with its blood as acid and the rich oxygen air around it which caused it to slime up or drip water from its body in some sort of way.

[@DrownedInExile]

No eyes makes the Xenomorph all the more Alien. Which was the point.

[@FabledGentleman]

What you literally just said is this. No yes makes the Alien form more Alien. It was not called xenomorph back then, it was LT Gorman that used that to sound smart in front of a crew that didn't respect him, it is NOT the name of the species. Xenomorph is just a fancy way of saying Alien form.

[@Dk-ns3ge]

FabledSomething Xenomorph is the name we have given to their species. It’s no different to the binomial naming system, where plants and animals have a more scientific name but it’s Latin (yes I am aware that Xenomorph is Greek).

[@superandz]

If it had eyes it would be another monster movie. This was a stroke of genius by Giger.

[@preay12345]

Looks like they used the original design for the end monster in resurrection. Still think that hybrid was a bad idea.

And the hybrid is not very much remembered as part of the Alien franchise.

[@ChrisBryer]

Ridley first met Giger in New York at a party. Giger offered opium to Ridley from a little locket but he declined. Ridley asked Giger "Why do you use that stuff?" Giger replied "Because im afraid of what i see in my mind." Ridley thought that was strange and said "Well, its just in your head." Giver finished by saying "Thats why im so afraid."

[@philp4684]

It was Dan O'Bannon, not Ridley Scott, and it was Paris (France), not New York. Here's an interview where O'Bannon relates that story: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJaUiKOnhtl_erM

[@MichaelRose87]

We're very familiar with eyes, humans have eyes, most animals have eyes. The alien having no eyes makes it look... well, very much ALIEN. If it had eyes it would have been just another generic monster.

[@billjoe39]

some of the Alien figures shown on ebay ( marketed as the original alien, and apparently from 1979) show the alien with human skull features, including eye sockets

[@thedoneeye]

If the Alien had eyes, at 40 years... It'd most likely need glasses by now.

[@catandthesixxness]

Im forty. No glasses yet. Six

[@TesserId]

Don't forget, the movie was introduced first in Heavy Metal magazine as a teaser.

[@epicvideos6227]

The Best thing with giving it NO EYES is you can't imagine this thing has a SOUL. So, it becomes even more scary.

[@danwalk2388]

Id like to see the alien mixed with different animals. Put a face hugger on a shark, dolphin or octopus would bring amazing results I think. Or an ostrich ! Imagine that !

[@ademitchell2251]

Alien is my fave movie of all time. I got the original Alien Giger design tattooed on my left leg about 10 years ago. Check my avatar for a picture of it.

[@billjoe39]

great idea.....wonder if typical tattoo shops have it or you bring your own picture in

[@ademitchell2251]

@@billjoe39 - Cheers mate, one of my close friends runs his own tattoo studio in my local town, so I just gave him a scan from one of my Giger books. Ironically it was one of the most gnarliest tattoos that I've had- it felt like someone constantly dragging my skin up my calf. But, yeah, if you ever want a Giger/Alien tattoo, just print out your chosen design and walk into a respectable Tattoo studio for a consultation. Most decent tattoo artists will have no problem in inking it for you. Stay awesome.

[@Cernunn0s90]

The Xenomorph, and by extension Giger's designs are the only things I've ever seen in multimedia that truly looks believably real, while at the same time being so foreign that it truly feels alien.

[@MPM.Mikus.P.]

*-.A franchise built upon H.R.Gigers psychedelic airbrush ARt.-*

[@thewitchdoctorofficial]

Amazing design, I love the movies. Interesting video, thank you.

[@user936]

Alien Theory KZbin release today, in an alternative universe: Alternative Eyeless "Alien" Design (That Almost made it to the Original Film) - Explained

[@RedVelvetUnderground333]

Gigers work is so beautiful

[@eb49273]

I believe the Alien hybrid in Resurrection had eyes and we all know how scary............er wait

[@donniecatalano]

eb49273 IMO the aliens design got worse and worse, becoming vulgar and similar to some of those b movies. Giger's art was taken, exploited and reused badly. sorry for venting.

[@robertcarmosino6563]

I believe they were based/ model after Clint Eastwood's eyes.

[@oinkleberry]

I think what makes the no eyes design so interesting is how the skull under the dome has eye sockets. It's almost as though it has true vision, but it comes from within, hidden behind a blinding void between it's eyes and yours. An indomitable barrier, indicating the impossibility of crossing. There is no relation you can make when it locks gaze with you. You're in your own world, and it is within it's. This mixes well with Ash's esoteric description of the creature.

[@shina779]

It spawned aliens (alien 2) , and a bunch of terrible, high budget, sub-fanfiction quality level turds.