Alien: The Director’s Cut (2003)
96%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
18 wins & 22 nominations total
Alien: The Director’s Cut is a cinematic masterpiece that has stood the test of time and continues to captivate audiences with its unparalleled suspense and terror. Ridley Scott’s visionary direction and H.R. Giger’s iconic creature design have cemented Alien as a landmark achievement in science-fiction filmmaking. The added material in the Director’s Cut only enhances the already impeccable pacing and character development, making for a truly immersive experience. It’s no wonder that Alien has inspired countless imitators, but none have come close to matching its sheer brilliance. This film is a must-see for any cinephile or horror fan, and a testament to the power of cinema to transport us to otherworldly realms of fear and wonder.
Alien: The Director’s Cut is a classic sci-fi horror film that still holds up today. The tension and suspense are palpable, and the creature design is iconic. It’s no wonder that it inspired three sequels and remains a fan favorite. Plus, who doesn’t love a good space exploration gone wrong? Just make sure to watch it with the lights on and maybe keep a flamethrower nearby, just in case.
Production Company(ies)
Brandywine Productions,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language
Year of Release
1979
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Sci-Fi
Keyword(s)
directed by Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, sci-fi, horror, classic, re-mastered, tension, masterpiece, sustained tension, white-knuckle impact, mortally wounded space exploration, frightening, evolution of modern science-fiction films, sequels, box office success, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Terry Lawson, Robert Denerstein, Lisa Kennedy, Bill Muller, Glenn Lovell, Jeffrey M Anderson, Shawn Bowers, Blake French, Harry Guerin, Eric D Snider, John J Puccio, MPAA rating, produced by David Giler, Walter Hill, Gordon Carroll, written by Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, reviewed by critics, audience score, horror movies, sci-fi movies, Alien franchise, Alien: The Director’s Cut
Worldwide gross: $106,285,522
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $462,205,248
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 318
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 50,404,062
US/Canada gross: $81,900,459
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $356,161,604
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 150
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,527,881
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $15,341,743
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 776
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $47,835,845
Production budget ranking: 828
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $25,759,602
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $388,609,801
ROI to date (est.): 528%
ROI ranking: 239
Tom Skerritt – Dallas
John Hurt – Kane
Veronica Cartwright – Lambert
Ridley Scott – Director
Director(s)
Ridley Scott
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
18 wins & 22 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Visual Effects Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (3)
They really don’t make them like this any more.
February 27, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Turns out not to be one of those movies that improves in the memory, but actually is better than you remember, mostly because it puts its multitude of imitators to shame.
October 31, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Scott knew how to create tension, and the movie still has plenty of white-knuckle impact, although it’s a little tamer than I remembered.
October 31, 2003 | Rating: B+
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
What you will find is that the old mayhem is still masterful and that there is nothing like the big screen for this type of mortally wounded space exploration.
October 31, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
The movie inspired three sequels and remains undeniably frightening. It also marks a significant step in the evolution of modern science-fiction films.
October 30, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
It’s a most satisfying return to one of the few sci-fi films that deserves to be called a masterpiece.
October 30, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News
TOP CRITIC
Alien is a triumph of style over substance, of lean over fat.
November 7, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Going back to the beginning and seeing where it all began, this film had a lot to live up to in my eyes. In the end, I was just left wondering what all the fuss was about.
November 25, 2003 | Rating: C-
Shawn Bowers
Kansas City Star
… one of the few films that can be predicted perfectly, but it?s so well crafted?and so damn exciting?that we just don?t care.
November 23, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Blake French
Filmcritic.com
Nearly a quarter of a century down the line, a great film has been made greater.
November 14, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Harry Guerin
RTÉ (Ireland)
It remains one of the best examples of sustained tension.
November 6, 2003 | Rating: B+
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com
When Scott was finished, he thought it was too long and that the added material threw the pacing off. Therefore, he cut his own Director’s Cut. (Alien Quadrilogy)
November 6, 2003 | Rating: 9/10
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
In the distant future, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo are on their way home when they pick up a distress call from a distant moon. The crew are under obligation to investigate and the spaceship descends on the moon afterwards. After a rough landing, three crew members leave the spaceship to explore the area on the moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship’s computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with the consequences.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any tidbits about the cast for Alien: The Director’s Cut.
Ridley-Scott.jpg
