History NightmareFuel / Alien

** Ripley hiding in the Locker, seeing the Alien hiding through the locker glass (image above), can generate nightmares and fear, since [[AloneWithThePsycho she is alone in the shuttle along with the Xenomorph]]. Ripley is completely unarmed, wearing only a white undershirt and skimpy panties, she feels vulnerable inside the shuttle with the creature, Ripley is sweating and breathing hard, she watches the Alien in the locker, while there are [[EpilepticFlashingLights strobe lights]] inside the shuttle. Ripley seems to realize how incredibly intelligent the Xenomorph ''is'' and she sees that it will be coming for her soon.

* Ripley hiding in the Locker, seeing the Alien hiding through the locker glass (image above), can generate nightmares and fear, since [[AloneWithThePsycho she is alone in the shuttle along with the Xenomorph]]. Ripley is completely unarmed, wearing only a white undershirt and skimpy panties, she feels vulnerable inside the shuttle with the creature, Ripley is sweating and breathing hard, she watches the Alien in the locker, while there are [[EpilepticFlashingLights strobe lights]] inside the shuttle. Ripley seems to realize how incredibly intelligent the Xenomorph ''is'' and she sees that it will be coming for her soon.

** When they interrogate him, the sight of his decapitated head, covered in his own fluids, next to his torn-apart body, is deeply disturbing. Not helped by his completely calm, neutral demeanor, or his unsettling smile. Can't blame Parker for [[KillItWithFire using a flamethrower to finish him off]] afterwards.

* Ash. Second only to the Alien, he's arguably the most terrifying presence of the film. At first, he's easily the least likable character due to his cold, no-nonsense, detached attitude, and his seemingly TooDumbToLive actions which he [[NeverMyFault barely shows true regrets for]] making him a callous jerk whose actions feel purposefully unhelpful... because they ''ARE''. He's actually a sleeper agent following an EvilPlan of the MegaCorp he serves, which consists in bringing back any alien lifeform while considering the crew and the cargo as "expendable". And he's not just a sleeper agent, but a freaky, [[OrganicTechnology more organic-looking]] robot with SuperStrength filled with [[NauseaFuel disgusting]] fleshy cables and a milky goop instead of blood. The idea that there was another HumanoidAbomination aboard the ''Nostromo'' all along and it's perfectly disguised as a fellow human is a concept that never fails to provide endless ParanoiaFuel, and it goes to show that even when faced with an alien eldritch horror, space will change mankind very little and the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters real monsters]] we are liable to encounter will be the person next to us.

* Giger's unique design of both the Xenomorph and the sets. ''You can see the human skull that the alien's head is [[http://www.prometheusforum.net/uploads/userpics/574/pLH1POJ57C3NQ.jpg based around]]''. Not to mention, the creature is so carefully designed to actually blend in with the rest of the environment. Meaning that these guys can and will appear everywhere. Made especially worse when you realize that the design of the Xeno often means you've been looking at it ''the whole damn time!''

** Fun Fact: [[https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/zombie-fly-parasite-killing-honeybees/ there are real life creatures that reproduce like this]].

* Here's a fun fact for your dreams: the Xenomorphs will NEVER be stopped. No matter how many you take down with power loaders or nuke from orbit ([[MemeticMutation the only way to be sure]]), they're going to crop up on some other planet and start it all over again. You can thank both the Predators and the various humans [[CorruptCorporateExecutive greedy]]/[[TooDumbToLive stupid]]/[[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind-controlled]] enough to help the Xenomorphs spread and survive.

** Brett's death is terrifying, as in the theatrical version, Brett stares at the Alien for a second before the Xeno kills him with its inner mouth. In the extended edition, the Alien pulls Brett towards him while using its tail to ensure he can't run, and lets Brett scream and call for help before he is killed. The Alien had the chance to kill Brett quickly, but instead let him stand there terrified. The Alien enjoyed watching Brett look terrified, indicating it can actually be sadistic and genuinely evil.

** This scene is made worse by Lambert panicking on the radio, screaming for Dallas to move, and then "Not that way!" an instant before the Alien stretches its arms out towards him, shrieking.

** The book ''Alien: Out of the Shadows"'' revealed what happened to Lambert: the Alien ''ripped a hole in her face''.

* For some reason the Aliens never managed to stick with a specific sound effect for their squeals and screeches throughout the movies, but the voices they've had over the years have always been unnerving and their screams in the second movie were arguably the scariest and most well known. For context, there's a shot during the hive attack where we see Hicks shooting something off-screen, and a Xenomorph lets out a human-like squeal. [[http://youtu.be/A7n3TFDF-mo?t=13s Listen here.]] Tellingly, their vocals in the second have been reused for most of their video game appearances and the second AVP movie.

* In-universe, Ellen Ripley herself... before and after she was cloned. Feared by both Aliens and some humans. YEP, you heard that right. Even the ''XENOMORPHS'' are '''''afraid''''' of this one human. It goes further in the ''[=AvP=]'' EU, with even Predators respecting and fearing her.

** What arguably makes it worse is that, at least to some viewers, the Xenomorph IS beautiful in an alien, otherwordly sort of way. It has a sleek, symmetrical design that doesn't trigger a horror response when just seen as an image.

** Something that makes the scene before even more terrifying is the fact that the Xeno DOESN'T attack Ripley on the ''Narcissus''. It makes its presence known just enough to get Ripley to back away, and then goes back to resting. And then we realize just how intelligent it is. It KNOWS that Ripley has nowhere left to run and it's perfectly happy to leave her alone until it gets bored.

** Brett's death is terrifying, as in the theatrical version, Brett stares at the Alien for a second before the Xeno kills him with its inner mouth. In the extended edition, the Alien pulls Brett towards him while using its tail to ensure he can't run, and lets Brett scream what is it and calling for help before he is killed. The Alien had the chance to kill Brett quickly, but instead let him stand there terrified. The Alien enjoyed watching Brett look terrified, indicating it can actually be sadistic and genuinely evil.

** This scene is made worse by Lambert panicking on the radio screaming to move it and then screaming "Not that way!" instants before the Alien stretches its arms out towards him shrieking.

** The book "Alien: Out of the Shadows" revealed what happened to Lambert: the Alien ripped a hole in her face.

** During the entire movie, Ripley manages to take nearly everything pretty well, including finding Parker and Lambert's mutilated corpses and finding Dallas and Brett half-transformed into eggs, so seeing her lose her cool and almost break down while running through the ''Nostromo'''s claustrophobic hallways inspires a deep feeling of terror in one's heart.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[JumpScare Screeechhh!!!]]]]

* For some reason the Aliens never managed to stick with a specific sound effect for their squeals and screeches throughout the movies, but the voices they've had over the years have always been unnerving and their screams in the second movie were arguably the scariest and most well known. For context, there's a shot during the hive attack where we see Hicks shooting something off-screen, and a Xenomorph lets out a [[UncannyValley human-like]] squeal. [[http://youtu.be/A7n3TFDF-mo?t=13s Listen here.]] Tellingly, their vocals in the second have been reused for most of their video game appearances and the second AVP movie.

* Ash. Second only to the Alien, he's arguably the most terrifying presence of the film. At first, he's easily the least likable character due to his cold, no-nonsense, detached attitude, and his seemingly TooDumbToLive actions which he [[NeverMyFault barely shows true regrets for]] making him a callous jerk whose actions feel purposefully unhelpful... because they ''ARE''. He's actually a sleeper agent following an EvilPlan of the MegaCorp he serves, which consists in bringing back any alien lifeform while considering the crew and the cargo as "expendable". And he's not just a sleeper agent, but a freaky, [[OrganicTechnology more organic-looking]] robot with SuperStrength filled with [[NauseaFuel disgusting]] fleshy cables and a milky goop instead of blood. The idea that there was another HumanoidAbomination aboard the ''Nostromo'' all along and it's perfectly disguised as a fellow human is concept that never fails to provide endless ParanoiaFuel, and it goes to show that even when faced with an alien eldritch horror, space will change mankind very little and the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters real monsters]] we are liable to encounter will be the person next to us.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alien_movie_screencapscom_13037.jpg]]

* Once Ash is revealed to be an android, his personality shifts dramatically. He immediately assaults Ripley, violently throwing her against the walls of the ship and then trying to suffocate her with a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything rolled-up pornographic magazine]]. The look of [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness pure violent rage on his face]] is terrifying to behold after his previous calm demeanor. When Parker and Lambert come to rescue her, it takes their combined strength just to pull him off her, and his movements become more erratic until he is brutally decapitated by Parker, and still fights back until Lambert stabs him to death.
** When they interrogate him, the sight of his decapitated head, covered in his own fluids, next to his torn-apart body, is deeply disturbing. Not helped by his completely calm, neutral demeanor, or his unsettling smile. Can't blame Parker for using a flamethrower to finish him off afterwards.

* The famous John Hurt chestburster sequence, the gory details of which weren't told to most of the cast before the scene was shot, only that the camera crew were all wearing plastic (the look of horror on Veronica Cartwright's face as she's sprayed by a jet of sheep's blood is genuine; she also fainted later. Note to any amateur film makers reading that this kind of thing with bodily fluids quickly became a way to get hit with massive lawsuits or harassment charges after this event and would never be allowed on set today.) Bravo fittingly named it the 2nd scariest moment in film history.

* Once Ash is revealed to be an android, his personality shifts dramatically. He immediately assaults Ripley, violently throwing her against the walls of the ship and then trying to suffocate her with a rolled-up magazine. The look of [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness pure violent rage on his face]] is terrifying to behold after his previous calm demeanor. When Parker and Lambert come to rescue her, it takes their combined strength just to pull him off her, and his movements become more erratic until he is brutally decapitated by Parker, and still fights back until Lambert stabs him to death.

* The famous John Hurt chestburster sequence, the gory details of which weren't told to most of the cast before the scene was shot, only that the camera crew were all wearing plastic (the look of horror on Veronica Cartwright's face as she's sprayed by a jet of sheep's blood is genuine; she also fainted later. Note to any amateur film makers reading that this kind of thing with bodily fluids quickly became a way to get hit with massive lawsuits or harassment charges after this event and would never be allowed on set today.)

** Something that makes the scene before even more terrifying is the fact that the Xeno DOESN'T attack Ripley on the Narcissus. It makes its presence known just enough to get Ripley to back away, and then goes back to resting. And then we realize just how intelligent it is. It KNOWS that Ripley has nowhere left to run and it's perfectly happy to leave her alone until it gets bored.

** Brett's death is terrifying, as in the theatrical version, Brett stares at the Alien for a second before the Xeno kills him with its inner mouth. In the extended edition, the Alien pulls Brett towards him while using its tail to ensure he cant run, and lets Brett scream what is it and calling for help before he is killed. The Alien had the chance to kill Brett quickly, but instead let him stand there terrified. The Alien enjoyed watching Brett look terrified, indicating it can actually be sadistic and genuinely evil.

* In the director's cut of Alien, there is also the scene where Ripley finds Dallas and Brett in the process of being changed into alien eggs. It is not only revolting, but it's also UncannyValley.

* Here's a fun fact for your dreams: the Xenomorphs will NEVER be stopped. No matter how many you take down with power loaders or nuke from orbit (the only way to be sure), they're going to crop up on some other planet and start it all over again. You can thank both the Predators and the various humans greedy/stupid/mind-controlled enough to help the Xenomorphs spread and survive.

* The menus for the Alien Anthology blu-Ray set are quite eerie. To elaborate, they are framed as being a computer terminal that displays footage from the films along with information on key points from them. This is all accompanied by the eerie humming of the Nostromo's computer from the first film, which renders the menus a very creepy, clinical feel.
** The menu for the 4K remaster of the original film continues the trend, featuring panning shots of the empty halls of the Nostromo accompanied by the very desolate wind sections of Jerry Goldsmith's score, occasionally broken by static and footage of the screaming victims of the Alien before ending on the snarling beast itself in a JumpScare.

** During the entire movie, Ripley manages to take nearly everything pretty well, including finding Parker and Lambert's mutilated corpses and finding Dallas and Brett half-transformed into eggs, so seeing her lose her cool and almost break down while running through the Nostromo's claustrophobic hallways inspires a deep feeling of terror in one's heart.

* As noted above, there are several times throughout the film where the Xenomorph is so well camouflaged that it can be placed right in the plain sight in the frame and still not be seen until a second viewing like with Brett and Dallas's "death" scenes and the last jump scare in the escape pod. Even on a first watch, the audience eventually catches on to this, and it makes the dark, flashing corridors of the Nostromo even more terrifying: every single pipe, tube, or wall could be the Xenomorph.

** Fun Fact: [[http://news.yahoo.com/zombie-fly-parasite-killing-honeybees-230200867.html there are real life creatures that reproduce like this]].

** What arguably makes it worse is that, atleast to some viewers, the Xenomorph IS beautiful in an alien, otherwordly sort of way. It has a sleek, symmetrical design that doesnt trigger a horror response when just seen as an image.

** There's another even earlier where Brett is in the area with dripping liquid and the camera pans across the ceiling as he looks around. The Alien is hanging docilely in the chains above, but theres no music sting and so you would be forgiven for not noticing it in your first watch.

* The famous John Hurt chestburster sequence, the gory details of which weren't told to most of the cast before the scene was shot, only that the camera crew were all wearing plastic (the look of horror on Veronica Cartwright's face as she's sprayed by a jet of sheep's blood is genuine(she also fainted later). (Note to any amateur film makers reading that this kind of thing with bodily fluids quickly became a way to get hit with massive lawsuits or harassment charges after this event and would never be allowed on set today.)

** This scene is made worse by Lambert panicking on the radio screaming to move it and then screaming "Not that way!"instants before the Alien stretches its arms out towards him shrieking.

** Theres another even earlier where Brett is in the area with dripping liquid and the camera pans across the ceiling as he looks around. The Alien is hanging docilely in the chains above, but theres no music sting and so you would be forgiven for not noticing it in your first watch.

** Something that makes the above scene even more terrifying is the fact that the Xeno DOESN'T attack. It makes its presence known just enough to get Ripley to back away, and then goes back to resting. And then we realize just how intelligent it is. It KNOWS that Ripley has nowhere left to run and it's perfectly happy to leave her alone until it gets bored.
* The famous John Hurt chestburster sequence, the gory details of which weren't told to most of the cast before the scene was shot (the look of horror on Veronica Cartwright's face as she's sprayed by a jet of sheep's blood is genuine). (Note to any amateur film makers reading that this kind of thing with bodily fluids quickly became a way to get hit with massive lawsuits or harassment charges after this event and would never be allowed on set today.)

* In-universe, Ellen Ripley herself... before and after she was cloned. Feared by both Aliens and some humans. YEP, you heard that right. Even the ''XENOMORPHS'' are '''''afraid''''' of this one human. It goes further in the AvP EU, with even Predators respecting and fearing her.

** The menu for the 4K remaster of the original film continues the trend, featuring the very desolate wind sections of Jerry Goldsmith's score, occasionally punctuated static and even screams from the film.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alien11.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:No one can hear you scream.]]