So I finally got around to watching this classic piece of scifi horror.

It's all about build-up, build-up, build-up. The beginning scenes do a great job of delving into the eerie, desolate setting of the cargo ship, deep in space, where the crew is awakened from their cryogenic sleep to investigate a signal of unknown origin. The shots are setup with meticulous attention to detail, each a mini-work of art.

Of course, everyone knows what they find when they land on the planet, so the plot is fairly predictable in most regards (with a cool twist here and there), but as the saying goes, the story is all in the telling. Watch, wait, and hold your breath right along with the hapless crew, as the organism evolves, each stage more horrifyingly grotesque than the last. (Though for me, the "adult" proved to be a bit of an anti-climax, since I had seen the third and fourth installments before. Effects technology had evolved significantly since the original Alien was made.)

I'm glad I saw this classic tonight.