Horror.com Forums - Talk about horror. - Celebrating 33 years of "Alien"

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The success of "Star Wars" changed everything. While "2001" had been a giant hit a decade ago, most put it down to a fluke, but George Lucas' film suddenly proved that science fiction wasn't just for B-movies, but could be a licence to print money. Every studio in town were chasing the genre, but 20th Century Fox, who had distributed "Star Wars" had a head-start: they already had another space-set script in development, "Alien," by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Walter Hill and David Giler. They swiftly attached new helmer Ridley Scott to the project, and production got underway in the summer of 1978.

The result, released exactly two years after "Star Wars," on May 25th, 1979 (thirty-three years ago to the day) was an enduring classic, which serves as a high watermark of the both the sci-fi and horror genres, and it launched Scott's career. And next week, the director will return to where it all started: the first screenings of "Prometheus," his semi prequel to the original, will take place, with the film hitting theaters around the world on June 1st, before following in the U.S. on June 8th. To mark the anniversary, and the imminent arrival of "Prometheus," we've gathered up five things you might not know about Scott's sci-fi classic. Check them out.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayli...alien-20120525