|
|
| "An overblown B-movie... technically impressive but awfully portentous and as difficult to sit through as a Black Mass sung in Latin... Alien, like Dawn of the Dead , only scares you away from the movies." |
| (Michael Sragow, L.A. Herald Examiner) |
|
| "Occasionally one sees a film that uses the emotional resources of movies with such utter cynicism that one feels sickened by the medium itself. Alien... is so 'effective' it has practically turned me off movies altogether... The movie is terrifying, but not in a way that is remotely enjoyable." |
| (David Denby, New York) |
|
| “There is very little involvement with the characters themselves... A generally good cast in cardboard roles.” |
| (Variety) |
|
| "The roles might have been written by a computer." |
| (Vincent Canby, New York Times) |
|
| “A horrid film, skilful and studied in its nastiness, and there is little the cast can do to mitigate its manipulative horror... those with the stomach for indulgent nastiness may go and gibber.” |
| (Film Illustrated) |
|
| “Empty bag of tricks whose production values and expensive trickery can not disguise imaginative poverty.” |
| (Time Out - NB: This negative review does not appear in the Time Out film guides and has been replaced with a kinder one.) |
|
| “A sort of inverse relationship to The Thing invites unfavourable comparisons.” |
| (Sight and Sound) |
|
| “Some people’s idea of a good time.” |
| (Maltin) |
|
| “Deeply dislikeable.” |
| (Shipman) |
|
| “Highly commercial shocker with little but its art direction to commend it to connoisseurs.” |
| (Halliwell) |
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, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright
