It's Friday night, y'all. Time for #wenchwatches
Tonight: #alien
Post
We've rewatched Alien a few times here already, but I have a friend who hasn't actually seen it yet, so...
Let's watch!
I've mentioned before how I watched the Alien franchise backwards, and indeed, the first installment was the one I watched last. In fact, I watched all the Alien films one Christmas holiday season as we were borrowing a laserdisc player. I had wrapped everyone's presents -- including my own -- that year while watching this film.
Right away we're struck with the film's iconic set design. Unlike the pristine sets of Star Trek, this one had more of a lived in feel. You can immediately see the dirt and dinginess of a spacecraft that is, in effect, a place of work. Instead, Alien takes more of it's cues from the likes of "Silent Running". The lighting is moody, with excellent use of light and dark to enhance the sets, rather than douse them in blinding light.
The effect plays right into the characters of the film. These aren't explorers, ambassadors, or scientists...they're laborers. They're working stiffs.
There's a kind of oil-rig-in-space kind of vibe among the characters. They aren't friends, they're co-workers brought together by circumstance and the hope for the big payoff at the end of their tour.
