A whole new genre is created: sci-fi horror.

A monster movie, I guess, sure, and not much more, but Scott’s Alien is a landmark in tone. It is all tone. From groggily waking up in the neat-looking but dingy Nostromo to sittin’ around griping about work as though in an off-broadway black box theater (meant as compliment.) Even though this is just a monster movie, you still have to pay attention to find out what is going on.

They’d never make a movie like this anymore, as made evident by every sub-par entry in the franchise after this point.