All three films from the original Alien Trilogy are works of the great, exceptionally talented directors who aren't only great with their stories, but stunning with their visuals as well. There should be a Alien Trilogy Frames book, like it was for the two Star Wars Trilogies, showcasing best screencaptures from each film. All three films are full of stunning, sometimes even breath taking shots and I wanted to pick my top 10 from each, but it proved to be impossible to only pick 10, so I decided to do a Top 15. I also wanted to showcase some of the split second shots that are barely registered by the viewer. There are many hidden gems in those frames, and I think some of them are so good they deserve a spotlight. So lets take a look in chronological order and Ill explain each one of my choices
Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien has very deep, very dark dominating blacks. In a lot of it, its the blackest dark that's dominating the screen, with splotches of images on it. Its as if an image drawn on a black paper. Lots of it is also backlit and bathed in dark blue.
Remember that I had to narrow it down to 15, which was hard enough as it was. So just because I'm not listing certain shot that doesn't mean I don't recognize the beauty of them
1. The first shot in the film, not counting the ominous planet during the credits which is a great shot in itself, is already one of my favorite shots. The way Nostromo is submerged in the silent, chilly shadows of space sets up the eerie, ghostly atmosphere
2. The shot of crytoube, with its composition and disturbingly sterile white. While white is usually calming, there's an underlying dread in those shots, thanks also to the creeping camera and the music. It is also kind of an eerie fact that the first one to die is the first one that wakes up
3. It's a miniature shot but still directed with Ridley Scott's full involvement and it shows in its great lighting and framing. Really like the colors too
4.The shot of the derelict from up close could as well be a scifi painting. Its shrouded in mist and dark blue hue. The way its lit, colored, and presented in this contrasty, misty environment makes this one one of the winners for me
3. It's a miniature shot but still directed with Ridley Scott's full involvement and it shows in its great lighting and framing. Really like the colors too
4.The shot of the derelict from up close could as well be a scifi painting. Its shrouded in mist and dark blue hue. The way its lit, colored, and presented in this contrasty, misty environment makes this one one of the winners for me
5. In many of the shots I won't be very original, and naturally a shot of the derelict pilot, also called the Space Jockey, makes my selection as well. The imagery, the evenly displayed haze, the colors, the shadows. Not to mention the imagery itself, of the bones of this impossible, legless creature that grew out of the chair. H. R. Giger's design, whose style is one of a kind, and it's masterful presentation make that shot as special as it is
6. This one is also a rather obvious choice. Beautiful matte painting with great eerie mood and look. I mean, just look at it. It was even eerie for me to look to that tunnel up ahead and wonder what could be found there
7. The moving camera and very low but evenly distributed light set up an unsettling but at the same time sort of calm atmosphere
8. Now this one may not be as obvious choice for some as the other ones were, but I had always loved that shot. The composition of the frame, the strong light beaming out of the opening, the backlit characters that emerged from it.
9. A shot of machinery, but one of my favorite shots from the film. I really like the way the light is used in this shot, how the foreground machinery becomes a silhouette
10. This one appears only in Director's Cut. I like how the alien is just casually there among the machinery, sleeping and swiveling like some kind of monstrous bat. I like how the machinery is scarcely lit, and how the little of that light that gets through the dense setting falls on the outline of the alien
11. Also from the same sequence, is a shot of the alien regaining its footing after its landing. Beautifully lit and colored, pure perfection
12. This first ever closeup shot of the alien's jaw has always been one of my favorite ones from the film. No particular reason behind listing this one other than it just being really badass
13. Its hard not to pick creature shots and I was thinking to omit most of them because there's just so many great shots outside of the alien, but its design is just so captivating and its presented in such great imagery I just couldn't go around it. So this is one of those split second shots from what I would call one of if not the most terrifying scenes in films. In this shot we can see the mind boggling work of H.R Giger, especially his paint job on the alien which, with all the splotches and bruises, makes the creature look absolitely organic and alive
14. This one is also a split second shot which youll most likely miss if you won't freeze frame it. This one is a rare instance in which you can see whats under alien's dome
15. Also a split second shot, in this shot I like the colors used and just the attack pose of the alien
1. The beginning itself was full of great shots and imagery, and it was hard to decide between a few shots but eventually I picked this one. So this one is a quintessential Aliens shot, with harsh backlight, haze and steely, neon blue tone. Love it
2. A great dissolve of Ripley's face into a globe of Earth. The transitioning shot is just a beautiful image
3. Somehow I really like the night shots of Ripley in the Gateway Station Medical wing. I like how the space lights the room from the window
4. Most of the interiors in Aliens are lit from the sides, and it looks terrific. Really enjoy that panning shot of the Sulaco bay
5. The introducing shot of the Sulaco is terrific, but I have to go with this one as far as the shots of the ship. I like the lighting contrast on those two, the angle and the colors
6. I like the composition of this shot, the lighting, the feel, and overall look of how the Acheron mountains sit in the background. I like how that yellow vehicle is composited in with all the primarily dark blue colors, this simply makes a great shot for me
7. This is a phenomenal matte painting shot. It looks like a science fiction illustration straight out of some vintage scifi.
8. One of those very brief shots, but very known ones. It lasts about a second and the beam of light goes across the frame, never really allowing the eye to study details but just to see the busy, terrifying movement of the crawling army of aliens
9. This one is definitely one of my top favorites from the trilogy. The backlight, the red warning light, the way the shadows fall and then across the next frames extend on the walls from the nightmarish shape.
10. An iconic shot that has always taken my breath away while watching the film. I remember my jaw dropping when I saw it for the first time as an adult. The panning up, slow reveal shows the grotesque, gigantic alien queen backlit in the shape of a black widow spider
11. I like how the strong contrasting light comes out from the grated floor this time, and how the alien queen's head is composited into the shot
12. And this for me is a quintessential Aliens shot, perfectly summarizing its dream-like backlit style. Its just a terrific , stunning shot. Aliens: Book Two Issue #2 cover is loosely based on it. This is also one of my top shots from the trilogy. This may be my favorite shot from the trilogy period as far as the imagery goes
13. Now, this shot is so brief its impossible to register it well without going frame by frame, and it would be a pity if such a great shot would not be highlighted, especially since I think its a terrific, terrific shot of the alien warrior. Not only the pose, but the colors, the lighting, the smoke. My favorite shot of an alien warrior
14. Another one of those brief shots, this frame is excellent, Again, in this interplay of the backlight and shadows, The Queen's silhouette is a centerpiece in this great composition
15. This is also a quick frame, but an absolutely terrifying shot of the alien queen from a low angle, advancing on Ripley with her giant jaws
1. Brief and simple, but I always liked the lighting on it from above. Very brightly lit for a spooky shot like this, but the light itself is very unsettling
2. I always really liked the shot of the detaching EEV. Seemingly simple scifi shot, but lit very well, and somehow feels very ominous
3. This shot is a very obvious one often referenced in Alien 3 related articles. This one image tells a lot about the environment and helps set up the tone
4. The morgue scene is lit very well and creates that cold, clinical and morbid look
5. I also feel that the way Clemens is lit in those scenes is exceptional
6. This one is also an often shown shot from the film. Its a somber, gut wrenching shot overlaying grieving eyes over the funeral proceedings
7. One of my favorite shots and lighting from the film is in the scenes where Spike is giving birth to the monstrosity that is the alien runner. The whole sequence is both grotesque and terrifying, and better lit than its Assembly Cut counterpart
Although, the Ox Burster is also a good frame, albeit gruesome as well, filled with blood, cellar mood and lice everywhere
8. Terrific although horrific shot at the same time, of prisoner Murphy's remnants all over the tunnel, in a typical David Fincher style. The lighting and the framing of the fan is terrific in this shot
9. Now this shot may not be an apparent choice, but it always stuck with me. Its brief and quick, since it shows the shadow of the alien running into hiding, but that shadow, the way this frame is composed and its eerie, candle-lit feel does the job for me
10. The adult alien runner's first appearance, in which he descends from the ceiling upside down like a bat. I love the lighting in this shot, the candle lit rusty brown colors and the way alien's head shines like beetle's back which it always reminded me of ever since I first saw it. The leaking, slimy, dirty, lice infested environment adds to the effect. Very brief but weirdly enough, probably my favorite shot of the creature from Alien 3
11. Dark and moody shot with contrasty shadows showing what kind of a world Fury is. Spiderwebs, grease, leaks, insects and mist from damaged pipes and boilers fill the shots in this scene
12. Another moody location shot. Great lighting and set creating a very distinctive mood and a look of an old, greasy cellar
13. In this closeup the runner looks absolutely horrific and repulsive. I like how its barely stepping out of a deep shadow and its mostly the light reflecting off the moisture off his head that create its image
14. One of my two favorite shots of the alien runner in the movie, beautifully bathed in contrasting shadow, lit with rusty brown
15. While the compositing job on the alien runner leaves a lot to desire, I really like that shot and it screams Alien 3 to me with its colors, shape of the doorways and the characters in it.
