Although Alien is about as blatantly science fictional as any movie can be, it's also one of the finest horror films of recent decades. This is not a slam-bang action thriller but rather a tense, suspenseful story that trades in sheer terror. Director Ridley Scott does an excellent job of upping the ante as the crew realizes their brief diversion to LV-426 is turning into a nightmare that they might not make it out of. As crew members succumb to the fearful--yet almost unseen--alien one by one, Scott cranks up the fear to heart-bursting levels.

Another excellent touch is the Nostromo itself, which looks more like a well-used oil rig than the pristine white ships many SF movies favor. Scott's future is a gritty one where characters are forced to get their hands dirty at every turn, and there are no sterile, antiseptic robots to take care of all the messy work. This also leaves plenty of hidey-holes and dark passages for the alien to hide in, something it does with frightening regularity.

If there is a problem with Alien it is that it might not stand up well against its action-packed sequel, Aliens. The two films are about as diverse as can be considering they are direct siblings, and viewers looking for cool effects and non-stop action might overlook Alien for its high-octane sequel. Because, while Aliens is a movie perfect for repeated viewings, Alien should probably be savored sparingly, since knowing when and where the alien will strike tends to dilute the terrifying ambiance.

But that is certainly no condemnation, and Alien undeniably stands up well on its own as one of SF's finest films. The recent release of the fourth Alien movie--Alien Resurrection--should provide a perfect excuse for viewers who want to turn on their VCRs, turn off their lights, and be utterly terrified.