‘Alien: The Eighth Passenger‘ is one of the great classics in the history of cinema, science fiction and horror elevated to the highest expression in a timeless work that continues to be talked about several decades later. With the imminent release of ‘Alien: Romulus’, its next installment, we are ready to talk about the origins of the monster, the undisputed protagonist of the film.
‘Alien’ places us in an atmosphere of maximum tension on the USCSS Nostromo, with lighting that constantly puts us on alert and an unforgettable crew, but nothing would make sense if it weren’t for the creature, and to know it well you have to see each of its phases, which the film shows us, continually increasing the terror we feel.
The origins of the Alien and all its phases
Ridley Scott y H.R. Gigertwo unique figures who together were able to create a legendary universe that continues to generate the same feeling of terror and abandonment today. Time stands still for ‘Alien: The Eighth Passenger’, and the design of the xenomorph and the conceptual art by Swiss artist HR Giger continue to cause fascination today.
Below is the life cycle of the classic xenomorph from the saga and its different phases:
The Egg
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All the terror and atmosphere generated in ‘Alien’ would be nothing without the creature, and the story of this one begins in its most primitive phase. Deep in the alien ship, a large number of Alien eggs appeared, the first encounter with the xenomorph had already occurred, its first life cycle.
After the disturbing encounter with the Engineer, static and lifeless but threatening, the eggs were the opposite. An organic design as well, but full of viscosity and life. Built from semi-transparent fiberglass so that their interior could be seen, when the eggs were opened, their interior was filled with sheep intestines covered with a cow’s stomach. Thanks to this disturbing structure, their appearance felt as real as it was horrible.
Facehugger
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The second phase of the Xenomorph is also one of the most terrifying. It is a kind of fleshy arachnid that has long fingers that resemble the shape of humans, reduced in size and adding the sexual organ. To build it, Giger used a rubber case filled with clams, oysters, fish and a liver, adding a ray tail and fully articulating it. Again, the idea of providing it with organic and real things increased the feeling of terror.
Rompepechos
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The protagonist of one of the most legendary scenes in the history of cinema and, of course, of the saga. A birth as terrifying as it is brutal from the inside of a human being, and which Giger defined in his first model as a kind of horrible little chicken-dinosaur, and in this way he decided to remove its legs and body, leaving it with its final form of head and tail.
Actress Veronica Cartwright, who plays Joan Lambert in ‘Alien’, described it as “cute, a penis with teeth”, but when she saw it in action among litres of blood that were detonated with small explosives, she was so scared that she even fell to the ground.
Adult Xenomorph
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Finally, the monster in its final phase, possibly the most terrifying creature in the history of cinema. The Alien, a design in which Ridley Scott and HR Giger agreed to create it without fangs, fur, claws and scales, taking as a base the painting Necronom IV by the Swiss artist. One of his most iconic works, it was painted in 1976 and has had a huge impact on popular culture.
The Necronom IV seeks to visually represent the deepest fears and obsessions of human beings. A disturbing work with cold and metallic tones in its colors, which was perfectly conveyed in the film. The xenomorph is built with rubber, silicone, snake vertebrae and treated plasticine. The barrier between the human and the creature is massive, there is no possibility of communication, its insectoid features and biomechanical appearance will never go out of style.
These are the classic phases of the Alien, although over the decades other creatures such as the Alien Queen have appeared that can emerge through this fascinating and, at the same time, disturbing life cycle.