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1* ActingInTheDark: While on the set, Creator/SigourneyWeaver reportedly steered clear of the props used to depict the Alien Queen, in order not to desensitize herself to it so she could show proper fear when she would meet it in the movie.
2* ActorInspiredElement:
3** Creator/JamesCameron let the actors playing the Marines customise their costumes much like soldiers in Vietnam did to their combat gear. Creator/BillPaxton wrote 'Louise' on his, as a dedication to his wife. Cynthia Dale Scott (Dietrich) wrote "Blue Angel" on the back of her helmet (as a ShoutOut to ''Film/TheBlueAngel'', starring Creator/MarleneDietrich). Ricco Ross drew a heart with "Heath", short for his girlfriend Heather. Jenette Goldstein wrote a Spanish phrase onto hers, translating as "the risk always survives", perhaps a loose translation of the SAS's famous motto "Who Dares Wins". Colette Hiller (Ferro) wrote the phrase "Fly the Friendly Skies" (the slogan for United Airlines) on hers, appropriately for a dropship pilot. The exception was Creator/MichaelBiehn, who was a late replacement for another actor. He wasn't happy that his gear had a heart on it, because he felt it looked too much like a bullseye.
4** Creator/SigourneyWeaver gave Cameron several notes after reading the script - detailing how she thought Ripley would react to certain situations. Cameron was all too happy to listen to her ideas.
5** Subverted in another case. Creator/LanceHenriksen wanted to wear double pupil contact lenses for the scene where Spunkmeyer gets creeped out by Bishop in the med lab. He came to set with the lenses but the director assured him he was creepy enough already.
6* ActorSharedBackground:
7** Al Mathews plays Sgt Apone. According to his official website he was "the first black Marine in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant".
8** Lance Henriksen is a US Navy veteran.
9* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/HRGiger wasn't available to work on this movie but praised the design of the Alien Queen.
10* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/SigourneyWeaver had turned down offers to do sequels to ''Alien'' for years, afraid of {{Sequelitis}}. However once she read the script, particularly the motherly bond between Ripley and Newt, she signed on immediately.
11* BeamMeUpScotty: Ripley doesn't say "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure", she says "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure". What's worse is that the line is often attributed only to Hicks instead, who was repeating it in concurrence with Ripley.
12* BTeamSequel: To Creator/RidleyScott's ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Hard as it is to imagine now, Creator/JamesCameron was a newcomer when he was tapped for this film; his filmography at the time had only spanned a few years and mostly consisted of under-the-radar B-movies, with his only major breakthrough prior to ''Aliens'' being ''Film/TheTerminator'', just two years before.
13* CastTheExpert: For his Vietnam allegory, Creator/JamesCameron cast Al Matthews, an actual Vietnam veteran.
14* CastTheRunnerUp: William Hope was cast as Hudson before Creator/JamesCameron and Gale Anne Hurd decided to take the character in a different direction. He was instead cast as Lt. Gorman.
15* ChildrenVoicingChildren: In the [[DuelingDubs Director's Cut's]] Japanese dub, Newt was voiced by Creator/MisakiKuno, who was just 10 at the time.
16* CreatorBacklash:
17** Carrie Henn, who played Newt, has said that she hates the line "They mostly come at night. Mostly". Mainly because her friends mocked her delivery with various derivatives. [[note]]E.G. "We mostly go to the movies at night. Mostly."[[/note]]
18** Sigourney Weaver revealed in ''The Alien Saga'', a documentary centered around the films, that she was furious when she discovered the subplot involving her deceased daughter had been removed from the theatrical release of the film, as she considered it to be crucial to her character's development in the movie.
19* TheDanza: All the actors playing Marines (except Creator/MichaelBiehn and William Hope) used their real first names for their characters.
20* {{Defictionalization}}:
21** The Power Loader, brought to you by [[https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbncXbXlaNQdNCQQcsvVZx7HTsbLbap2j Hacksmith Industries]]. Funny enough, [[TheRedStapler some places wanted to buy power loaders when the film was released.]]
22** Similarly, Lage Manufacuring produced [[https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/m41a-pulse-rifle-aliens-real-thanks-firearms-manufacturers/ a functional Pulse Rifle]], and several other amateur hobbyists have also made their own. Don't expect to be able to place an order, though, as these specimens are custom showpieces and not intended for mass production (with the film version being kludged together from two real-life firearms, crafting a functional replica is a perfectly feasible project so long as you can track down the guns used).
23* DeletedScene: Scenes that didn't appear in the Special Edition:
24** After Burke informs Ripley that her daughter has died, he was additionally to tell her, "Some promises you just can't keep..." (referring to Ripley's promise to be home for Amanda's eleventh birthday). Following this, he checks his watch, anxious to get himself and Ripley to the hearing.
25** More footage was filmed of the day-to-day life at Hadley's Hope, including some colonists struggling to cover machinery and vehicles in the gale-force winds.
26** As the Marines wake up aboard the Sulaco, Spunkmeyer is seen saying, "I'm too old for this shit".
27** As the Marines prepare for the drop, Bishop was seen using a remote device to raise the section's APC into the Sulaco's hangar bay on a hydraulic lift. He then uses the remote to drive the APC towards Gorman (seen in the finished film). Model shots for this sequence were filmed but never used.
28** During the initial sweep of the colony complex, Burke watches the camera feeds as one of the Marines surveys a trashed room, commenting that it looks like his room from college.
29** When Newt flees from the Marines into the ventilation system, Drake nonchalantly comments, "Let her go, man, who cares!"
30** After pointing out how Newt never speaks while cleaning her face, Ripley additionally tells her, "It's alright with me. Most people talk a lot, and they wind up not saying anything". Soon after this when Hicks informs them that they are heading out to the Atmosphere Processing Plant, Newt attempts to escape but is caught by Hicks, who she tries to bite on the hand again. This time he pulls away before she can, remarking, "Hope she ain't got rabies".
31** During the Hive ambush, footage was filmed of Hicks propping a wounded Wierzbowski up against a wall after the Pulse Rifle ammunition explodes. He then goes to check on Crowe as seen in the film. A holdover from the removed footage can be seen when Hicks glances around in response to Wierzbowski's screams — the section of wall he looks at is the spot where Wierzbowski would have been sitting just moments before.
32** During the dropship crash sequence, model shots of the crashing ship hitting and destroying the APC were filmed, although were ultimately not used (likely because the footage is not particularly realistic). The scene appears in the novelization, in which the APC is said to be taken out by a piece of one of the dropship's engines.
33** Immediately after Bishop is elected to go to the colony's transmitter, the pounding of the Xenomorphs ramming the pressure door suddenly stops. Hicks points out that the creatures are inside the complex.
34** When Hicks asks Ripley how long it has been since she slept, she pessimistically tells him, "They'll get us". He responds with, "Maybe. Maybe not".
35** Model shots were filmed of the second dropship being fueled automatically aboard the ''Sulaco''.
36** As Ripley searches for Newt inside the Hive, she is suddenly grabbed by a hand. It turns out to be Burke, who is cocooned to the wall with a Chestburster inside him. He says that he can feel it moving, and begs Ripley to help him; she gives him a hand grenade and moves on. As she leaves, Burke tearfully apologises for everything he has done.
37* DevelopmentGag: Hudson teases Vasquez by saying "When they said 'alien', she thought they said 'illegal alien' and signed up". Vasquez's actress Jenette Goldstein actually did make that mistake; she showed up to the auditions dressed as a migrant worker.
38* DyeingForYourArt: All the actors who played the Marines attended a two-week training session with S.A.S. officers, except Creator/MichaelBiehn, who was a last-minute addition. The other main actors, Creator/SigourneyWeaver, Creator/PaulReiser, and William Hope, were deliberately excluded from training, to generate a sense of detachment between their characters and the Marines.
39* EnforcedMethodActing:
40** The scenes on board the Sulaco were filmed last, so that the actors playing the Colonial Marines would have had time to build up a realistic rapport with one another over the course of shooting.
41** Creator/BillPaxton was unaware that his hand would be used in the knife trick. His look of panic is real.
42** Jeanette Goldstein (Vasquez) and Mark Rolston (Drake) became BashBrothers in real life during filming, sharing the experience of being attached to their gun harnesses with [[DuctTapeForEverything gaffer tape]] every day. This was the only way to get the modified steadicam harnesses to stay on. The actors were even discouraged from needing the bathroom all day long because of the time and difficulty of getting the harnesses off and on again.
43* ExecutiveMeddling: The film had many scenes cut from it (though they were restored later in the home video release of the film) that expand upon many plot points in the film. Though some were legitimately dropped (giving away the likely existence of the Queen, for example, or the sentry gun scenes), removing the parts dealing with Ripley's daughter subtracts a major emotional element from the film.
44* FakeAmerican: William Hope, the actor who plays Gorman. Gorman is stated to be American, but Hope is actually Canadian.
45* FakeNationality: Jenette Goldstein, who plays Vasquez, is '''NOT''' Hispanic[[labelnote:Hispanic vs Latina]]Hispanic means from a Spanish-speaking country, but Latino refers to someone from any Latin American country. Goldstein is part Brazilian, which makes her a non-Hispanic Latina.[[/labelnote]]
46* FriendshipOnTheSet: Creator/SigourneyWeaver and Carrie Henn became friends while making the film and their friendship lasts to this day.
47* TheMerch: Combined with MisaimedMarketing, Creator/{{Kenner}} did a series of figures aimed at kids about on this film (and ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'' and ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'') around the time ''Film/Alien3'' came out. It should be noted that the toyline was based on an abandoned cartoon series that had been in development.
48* OneBookAuthor: This was Carrie Henn's only movie that she filmed, as afterwards she decided not to pursue an acting career. Even so, she continues to make some public appearances with other cast members even decades after making it.
49* OrphanedReference:
50** Ripley shouting that they're going to nail Burke "right to the wall for this!" is supposed to foreshadow his death--being cocooned to the wall of the alien hive. However, that scene was deleted from the final cut of the film.
51** For that matter, the scene where Ripley confronts Burke about being responsible for the death of the colonists doesn't make a lot of sense in the Theatrical Cut due to its context (a member of the company ''deliberately'' sent the colonists looking for the derelict ship where the Alien eggs were laid) only being previously discussed in a deleted scene. Nowhere else in the film does it explore ''why'' the colony was attacked and it's implied that Ripley (and hence the Marines) believe that it was only a matter of time due to the invasive nature of the Xenomorphs. The Extended Edition available for home viewing reinserts the scene which helps the viewer understand what Ripley is talking about. Most of the other deleted (and later reinserted) scenes are unnecessary to understand the plot and themes, so it's a little strange that there wasn't a quick reshoot or at least a brief ADR to explain this plot point.
52* TheOtherMarty: Creator/JamesRemar was originally cast as Cpl. Hicks, but then he got arrested for drugs and Creator/JamesCameron had him replaced with Creator/MichaelBiehn shortly after shooting began. A few shots of Remar, mostly from behind, still made it into the movie.
53* PlayingAgainstType:
54** Bishop for Creator/LanceHenriksen. Retroactively, yes; but this is so far the '''only''' character in Creator/LanceHenriksen's career who is a gentle, polite and kind sweetheart. ''Everyone'' else is at best a tired and burnt-out cynic, but as a rule heartless and violent monsters. Until he played the first [[Film/AVPAlienVsPredator Weyland]] years later.
55** Creator/MichaelBiehn later said that he almost never got to play heroic characters like Corporal Dwayne Hicks, saying that people who look at him must see something wicked in his eyes and assume there's something wrong with him. These days, he's arguably best remembered for playing heroes like Hicks and Kyle Reese in ''Film/TheTerminator'' for Creator/JamesCameron.
56** Paul Reiser, who's known as a stand-up comedian and normally plays comic roles, excels in this serious role as sleazy, slimy Burke.
57** Creator/MarkRolston usually plays villains or [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]], but here he plays Drake, who is neither.
58* ProductionPosse: Creator/MichaelBiehn, Creator/BillPaxton and Creator/LanceHenriksen are all Creator/JamesCameron regulars. Jenette Goldstein joined Cameron's regulars starting here.
59* PropRecycling: In the opening scene, the suits (sans the helmets) worn by the rescue team that enters Ripley's ship are the EVA suits from 1981 ''Film/{{Outland}}''.
60* RealLifeRelative:
61** The picture of Ripley's daughter Amanda was of Creator/SigourneyWeaver's real life mother Elizabeth Inglis.
62** Newt's brother Timmy was played by Carrie Henn's actual brother Christopher.
63* RecycledSoundtrack: Though he was ultimately nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his work, Music/JamesHorner was crafting the soundtrack so late into the process of making the movie (due to it being rushed into a summer release) that a few sections had to be filled with stock music from Music/JerryGoldsmith's ''Film/{{Alien}}'' score. The most obvious instance of this in the film is during Ripley and Newt's elevator escape from the Queen. Also ''very'' noticeable is the recycling of Horner's own Klingon theme from ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''.
64* TheRedStapler: Many businesses wanted to buy Power Loaders as forklifts; sadly none were to be bought, since it's a combination of a stunt man sitting in the loader behind Ripley moving the limbs, wires holding it up, and some miniatures work.
65* ReferencedBy:
66** Referencing this film is so common among video games that the ASpaceMarineIsYou trope lists directly using the film's dialogue as a cliche...and that's just the science-fiction [[FirstPersonShooter First]] or ThirdPersonShooters!
67** ''VideoGame/{{Apocalypse}}'' will occasionally have the hero, Trey, quote Hudson during his shootouts. "Oh you want some? You want some too?"
68** ''VideoGame/StarCraft'':
69*** The DropShip is a CaptainErsatz of the one from the film (minus the [[OrnamentalWeapon never-used missile racks]]). It's pilot is even a 1-1 translation of Ferero, who quotes a couple of lines.
70*** Terran SpaceMarines ask "How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?" Come the sequel, they're ''still'' trying to get out of it.
71*** In the prequel/demo, the Zerg are labelled "Xenomorphs". Their [[YouWillBeAssimilated ability to "infest" Terran command centers]] (and, later, any Terran building) was inspired by the xenomorphs making the Atmo processor their hive.
72*** The Battle on the Amerigo cinematic is heavily inspired from the film's first action scene, what with it consisting of overconfident marines getting ambushed ([[VerticalKidnapping starting from the ceiling]]) in a dark environment devoid of people.
73** At the climax of ''Literature/ReaperMan,'' Professor Hix tells the other wizards, "Remember: WILD, UNCONTROLLED BURSTS!" when they're [[ZergRush swarmed]] by [[ItMakesSenseInContext living shopping carts]].
74** One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has Cartman watching the film on TV, and really liking the delivery of "They mostly come at night. Mostly".
75** An episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' depicts the climax of the movie with Bruce (the local AmbiguouslyGay character with a squeaky voice and penchant for rambling conversational tangents) voicing the Queen, who gets distracted from chasing Ripley and Newt by talking to her inner mouth's split personality.
76* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Creator/JamesRemar was dropped from the film and replaced with Creator/MichaelBiehn after getting busted for drug possession.
77* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/JamesCameron and Gale Ann Hurd married during production.
78* ShrugOfGod: James Cameron refuses to say what exactly Arcturian poontang is.
79* SleeperHit: The film wasn't expected to be a great success, as news of the TroubledProduction circulated through the media. People also thought the SequelGap of 7 years was too much time after the original ''Alien'' - the film was only given $17 million as a budget after all. Everyone was surprised when it grossed over $100 million worldwide and got Sigourney Weaver an Oscar nomination.
80* TechnologyMarchesOn: When Gorman and the non-combatants are watching the live feed on the Marines' helmet cameras, they do so on CRT displays. The static also indicates an analog signal. Perfectly normal in 1986, hilariously outdated today.
81* ThrowItIn:
82** Apone's hyping up the Marines before the drop is heavily ad-libbed, and lent added authenticity by his ActorSharedBackground.
83** The "[[DespairEventHorizon Game over, man!]]" line was improvised. Paxton also ad-libbed "another bug hunt?" as a reference to ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'', which Cameron had all of the Marine actors read as part of their training for the role.
84** Hudson's participation in Bishop's little knife trick wasn't in the script. According to Creator/LanceHenriksen, it was discussed amongst everyone except Creator/BillPaxton. The look of complete terror on his face is [[EnforcedMethodActing completely real.]]
85* TroubledProduction: Creator/JamesCameron didn't get along with the English film crew at all, who thought he was a poor substitute for Creator/RidleyScott and disliked him for the simple fact that he was American [actually Canadian] and not British (ironically, Scott himself would have similar problems when he didn't mesh with the American crew of 1982's ''Film/BladeRunner''). The crew was openly hostile to both Cameron and his then wife producer Gale Anne Hurd, whom they openly mocked by claiming she wasn't the real producer and only got the credit because she was married to Cameron. Creator/BillPaxton later said that British film crew drove Cameron nuts with their "indentured" work ethics, stopping filming just so they could have tea and the like; Michael Biehn made fun of the British crew in the audio commentary by saying that they "weren't used to working" (a remark he threw in when Paxton was talking about the "indentured" work ethics). Things eventually hit their breaking point when Cameron clashed with an uncooperative cameraman who refused to light the Alien nest the way Cameron wanted (Cameron wanted dark lighting to create an eerie atmosphere while the cameraman kept going with bright lighting to show off the intricacies of the set) and finally Cameron, fed up with the bad attitudes of his crew, yelled at the guy "YOU'RE FIRED!" and threw him off the set, which led to the crew walking out, requiring Gale Anne Hurd to coax them back once they had all cooled down. The film went over-schedule and over-budget, and Music/JamesHorner had barely any time to throw his (very memorable) music score together - to the point that he swore to never work with Cameron again. [[Film/Titanic1997 He recanted]] [[Film/{{Avatar}} later]].
86* WagTheDirector: The special edition was a result of this. After Creator/SigourneyWeaver saw the finished cut (which deleted the subplot about Ripley's daughter), she threatened to never do another ''Alien'' film. Thus the edition was released.
87* WhatCouldHaveBeen: See the franchise's [[WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Alien}} page]].
88* WordOfGod: According to Creator/JamesCameron, Drake and Vasquez are childhood friends who grew up in a slum together - and they're serving in the marines as an alternative to prison. This fits in with the film being an allegory for Vietnam, as many recruits for that war signed up as an alternative to prison terms.

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