It’s difficult to imagine Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic “Alien” without the clear-minded, strong presence of Tom Skerritt as Dallas, the captain of the ill-fated Nostromo.
But originally, the actor turned down “Alien,” which celebrates its 40th anniversary on May 25, though he thought Dan O’Bannon’s script read well. “There was nobody involved at the time apparently,” said Skerritt. “I read it and thought, ‘it’s solid. It’s not a great script but it’s solid enough I can see it. But it was a $2 million budget! I thought, okay at 2 million bucks this might be an Ed Wood movie.”
As fate would have it, he went to see 1977’s “The Duelists,” for which Ridley Scott unanimously received the award for best first work at the Cannes Film Festival. “I was just blown over by ‘The Duelists,’” noted Skerritt.
“I thought, this is a masterpiece. It’s a painting.
But originally, the actor turned down “Alien,” which celebrates its 40th anniversary on May 25, though he thought Dan O’Bannon’s script read well. “There was nobody involved at the time apparently,” said Skerritt. “I read it and thought, ‘it’s solid. It’s not a great script but it’s solid enough I can see it. But it was a $2 million budget! I thought, okay at 2 million bucks this might be an Ed Wood movie.”
As fate would have it, he went to see 1977’s “The Duelists,” for which Ridley Scott unanimously received the award for best first work at the Cannes Film Festival. “I was just blown over by ‘The Duelists,’” noted Skerritt.
“I thought, this is a masterpiece. It’s a painting.
- 5/25/2019
- by Susan King
- Variety Film + TV
David Crow Sep 25, 2018
We examine how Emma Stone and Jonah Hill's new Netflix show, Maniac, may be the most cinematic TV series ever produced.
This article contains Maniac spoilers.
We’ve been here before. That was the immediate sensation at seeing the underlying Npb labs wherein the fantastical drug tests of Maniac occur. With the circular white table surrounded by a series of wide chairs, and a central overhead light that’s buttressed by a ring of cabinet-shaped television screens, everything about the set is intimately familiar for those who’ve viewed one of the most iconic scenes in science fiction history—the one where an alien pops out of John Hurt’s chest and onto the dinner table in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
However, this homage, which is one of the most overt in Maniac, is more than just an intertextual reference that has been reduced to the...
We examine how Emma Stone and Jonah Hill's new Netflix show, Maniac, may be the most cinematic TV series ever produced.
This article contains Maniac spoilers.
We’ve been here before. That was the immediate sensation at seeing the underlying Npb labs wherein the fantastical drug tests of Maniac occur. With the circular white table surrounded by a series of wide chairs, and a central overhead light that’s buttressed by a ring of cabinet-shaped television screens, everything about the set is intimately familiar for those who’ve viewed one of the most iconic scenes in science fiction history—the one where an alien pops out of John Hurt’s chest and onto the dinner table in Ridley Scott’s Alien.
However, this homage, which is one of the most overt in Maniac, is more than just an intertextual reference that has been reduced to the...
- 9/25/2018
- Den of Geek
Ryan Lambie Oct 2, 2017
We talk to director Ridley Scott about Blade Runner 2049, the lasting influence of the 1982 original, ancient aliens, flutes, and more...
It's mid-September, and a rug-thick layer of secrecy lies over Blade Runner 2049, the belated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. Before our interview with Scott, who executive produces, we're shown approximately half an hour of footage: Ryan Gosling trudging moodily through futuristic landscapes as a new Replicant hunter, K; glimpses of Jared Leto as a new creator of artificial life, named Niander Wallace.
See related Bunny And The Bull interview with Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg Brendan Gleeson interview: The Guard, Don Cheadle, Crocodile Dundee and more
Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival), Blade Runner 2049 looks spectacular, with the same measured, ethereal pace that made the original film such a masterpiece. Exactly what K's mission is - and how it ties...
We talk to director Ridley Scott about Blade Runner 2049, the lasting influence of the 1982 original, ancient aliens, flutes, and more...
It's mid-September, and a rug-thick layer of secrecy lies over Blade Runner 2049, the belated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. Before our interview with Scott, who executive produces, we're shown approximately half an hour of footage: Ryan Gosling trudging moodily through futuristic landscapes as a new Replicant hunter, K; glimpses of Jared Leto as a new creator of artificial life, named Niander Wallace.
See related Bunny And The Bull interview with Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Edward Hogg Brendan Gleeson interview: The Guard, Don Cheadle, Crocodile Dundee and more
Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival), Blade Runner 2049 looks spectacular, with the same measured, ethereal pace that made the original film such a masterpiece. Exactly what K's mission is - and how it ties...
- 9/18/2017
- Den of Geek
Nicolas Roeg's bizarre blend of high drama, searing sex and over-the-top brutality waited a year, only to be given a tiny American release. It then dropped out of sight. We're now in a better position to appreciate the show's great actors - especially Theresa Russell, the boldest and bravest actress of the 1980s. Eureka Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition Small>1983 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 130 min. / Ship Date May 10, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Gene Hackman, Theresa Russell, Rutger Hauer, Jane Lapotaire, Mickey Rourke, Ed Lauter, Joe Pesci, Helena Kallianiotes, Corin Redgrave, Joe Spinell, Frank Pesce, Timothy Scott. Cinematography Alex Thomson Production Designer Michael Seymour Film Editor Tony Lawson Original Music Stanley Myers Written by Paul Mayersberg from a book by Marshall Houts Produced by Jeremy Thomas Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I remember Nicolas Roeg's Eureka as being one of the biggest busts of the 1980s.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I remember Nicolas Roeg's Eureka as being one of the biggest busts of the 1980s.
- 5/21/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
10. Alien
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Dan O’Bannon
UK / USA, 1979
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Boasting one of the greatest taglines of all time – “In space, no one can hear you scream” – Alien blends science fiction, horror, and bleak poetry into what could have easily turned into a simple B-monster movie. In fact, the movie was originally pitched to producers as “Jaws in space,” but thankfully Ridley Scott, who was stepping behind the camera for only the second time, took the film far more seriously. Like Steven Spielberg’s great thriller, most of the running time relies on the viewer’s imagination since Scott carefully restricts how little we see of the creature. Alien can certainly test a viewer’s patience. This is an extremely slow burn (something unusual for the genre) and despite the budget, stellar effects, and ambitious set design, Alien in a sense is a minimalist film...
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Dan O’Bannon
UK / USA, 1979
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Boasting one of the greatest taglines of all time – “In space, no one can hear you scream” – Alien blends science fiction, horror, and bleak poetry into what could have easily turned into a simple B-monster movie. In fact, the movie was originally pitched to producers as “Jaws in space,” but thankfully Ridley Scott, who was stepping behind the camera for only the second time, took the film far more seriously. Like Steven Spielberg’s great thriller, most of the running time relies on the viewer’s imagination since Scott carefully restricts how little we see of the creature. Alien can certainly test a viewer’s patience. This is an extremely slow burn (something unusual for the genre) and despite the budget, stellar effects, and ambitious set design, Alien in a sense is a minimalist film...
- 10/31/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Avco Center Cinemas, Westwood, CA
On Friday, director Ridley Scott arrived in Sydney, Australia, reportedly to scout for locations for Prometheus 2.
Prometheus (2012) starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, was well received by critics and subsequently a box office hit. The sequel is scheduled for a release in March 2016.
I’ll bet Scott never thought in a million years that he’d be scouting locations for another Alien movie almost 35 years to the day after the original hit theaters.
Jump back to opening weekend… May 25, 1979. “In space no one can hear you scream”
I was a 12 year girl when my mother, after much pleading, took me to the Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, Ct on that Friday night. These were the days prior to the words “spoilers” and “internet” when audiences went into a film blind and when parents didn’t take their children to R rated movies.
On Friday, director Ridley Scott arrived in Sydney, Australia, reportedly to scout for locations for Prometheus 2.
Prometheus (2012) starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, was well received by critics and subsequently a box office hit. The sequel is scheduled for a release in March 2016.
I’ll bet Scott never thought in a million years that he’d be scouting locations for another Alien movie almost 35 years to the day after the original hit theaters.
Jump back to opening weekend… May 25, 1979. “In space no one can hear you scream”
I was a 12 year girl when my mother, after much pleading, took me to the Showcase Cinemas in East Hartford, Ct on that Friday night. These were the days prior to the words “spoilers” and “internet” when audiences went into a film blind and when parents didn’t take their children to R rated movies.
- 5/25/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
- 10/28/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
I remember being scared to death of Ridley Scott's Alien when I was a kid. To be honest, it still scares me a bit to this day. You would think that most of the facts surrounding it's filming would be common knowledge to fans. Oddly enough, I did not know the following list of ten things that io9 put together. From The Who's involvement in the film to Sigourney Weaver's audition outfit, there are some awesome facts below.
Here is the list featured in a new book titled Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film:
That famous "chestburster" scene was just as horrifying for the actors. None of them quite knew what was coming, as you might have heard. The book is full of great details about how far Ridley Scott went to keep them in the dark. "If the actor is justacting terrified,...
Here is the list featured in a new book titled Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film:
That famous "chestburster" scene was just as horrifying for the actors. None of them quite knew what was coming, as you might have heard. The book is full of great details about how far Ridley Scott went to keep them in the dark. "If the actor is justacting terrified,...
- 10/18/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.