If You Love ‘Alien: Earth,’ You Probably Loved 1979’s ‘Alien’—6 Facts and Rare Photos From the Original Set
Find out who passed out during the chestburster scene
Since Alien first hit theaters in 1979, the famed sci-fi franchise has grown exponentially over the years. From its sequels to famed Predator crossovers and now, the first television series, Alien: Earth, it’s safe to say that the original Ridley Scott film piqued the interest of the public. That, on top of the fact that people can’t get enough of all things extraterrestrial, the Alien world has proved to be a success. If you’ve tuned in to Alien: Earth and are feeling the nostalgia, here, we look back on the original Alien film and what went into making it with a few behind-the-scenes photos and fun facts about the movie.
1. The chestburster scene was a shock for those on set
Certain movie moments just stick with you for life, and the scene in which a creature bursts out of John Hurt’s chest in the film was gory enough to get our stomachs churning—but for the actors on set, it was equally as jarring. Details of the scene were kept from the actors and actresses bringing it to life so that their reactions would be as genuine as possible.
“Once the creature was rigged up, they stuffed the chest cavity full of organs from the butcher’s,” said executive producer and screenwriter Dan O’Bannon to The Guardian. “Then they ran a couple of big hoses to pump the stage blood. During all this Ridley moved about, tending to the finest detail. I remember easily half an hour was spent with him draping this little piece of beef organ so it would hang out of the creature’s mouth.” So gory was the scene that Veronica Cartwright actually passed out when the blood hit her!
2. The crew got creative when it came to guts and gore
While they used real meat for the chestburster scene, to depict Ash’s guts after his character’s demise, a different recipe was required. Being that he was an android, his insides didn’t exactly look like a human’s. The nauseating white substance that can be seen in the film was a combination of milk, pasta and glass marbles.
3. Meryl Streep could have played Ripley
While we love Sigourney Weaver‘s portrayal of Ellen Ripley, another big time actress was considered for the part. Ultimately, Meryl Streep wasn’t pursued as she had just lost her partner, John Cazale, from cancer.
4. The actor inside the Xenomorph was found in an unconventional way
As the story goes, Bolaji Badejo, the actor who wore the Xenomorph suit, was discovered by a casting agent in a pub in London. His 6’10” stature made the graphic design student the perfect candidate for the role after an unsuccessful search.
5. Jones the cat had a few understudies
Jones or “Jonesy,” the orange feline in the film who was kept aboard to keep any sort of mice situation under control, was actually played by four different cats.
6. Ridley Scott cast his kids for a specific reason
Scott wasn’t impressed by the size of the ship, thinking the set didn’t quite capture the scale. “When you’re a designer, whatever size it is, the thing turns out to be it’s always not big enough,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s metaphorical, but it’s true. I walked in and looked at the landing leg of the Nostromo. And the ceiling height in the studio to the gantry would be about 50 feet. I said, ’It’s not big enough.’ And they said, ‘What, it’s 50 feet!’ I said, ‘It doesn’t matter, not big enough.’ So we made three cheap spacesuits—one was the cameraman’s child, and the other two were my kids—so that I can put them on the open elevator that’s coming down alongside the landing leg. Suddenly, the leg looks 80 feet. It worked! So I had moving miniatures.”
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