The Beast Within: Making Alien




release year: n/a
genre: documentaries
viewing setting: home Bluray, 11/9-13/20

synopsis: From the definitive Blu-Ray boxed set, this is the first cluster of assorted documentaries about the 1979 movie Alien.

impressions: All of these are on disc 5 of the set, and are the major pieces which together comprise "The Beast Within" (the other group is called "enhancement pods" and totals another 80 minutes.) Breakdown:
  • Star Beast: Developing the Story - creation and changes to the basic story and plot
  • The Visualists: Direction and Design - how they searched for a director and eventually chose Ridley Scott
  • Truckers in Space: Casting - notes about the casting of the seven roles
  • Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978 - details of the studio they filmed in
  • The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet - how they created the ship's interiors and the planet's surface
  • The Eight Passenger: Creature Design - all about the various phases of the alien's life-cycle
  • Future Tense: Editing and Music - the making of the film's musical score
  • Outward Bound: Visual Effects - details the movement of the ship in space
  • A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film - peoples' memories of their reactions, and memories of how well the film did in theaters

    acting: n/a

    final word: These were the major supplements for this movie, from the definitive Alien Anthology Bluray set; I'd highly recommend these (and the other chunk, if you want even more.)

    back to the main review page