In 1979, a movie was released that was to capture the imagination of the world, and become a science fiction classic... Alien. 25 years later, the Alien franchise is stronger than ever! The Book of Alien is the definitive companion to the movie, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2004. Taking you right behind the scenes of the production, there are interviews with the key people involved, including legendary designer HR Giger and director Ridley Scott. Lavishly illustrated with scores of stunning design paintings, production art and film stills unpublished elsewhere, the book covers every creative stage, and graphically demonstrates just why the movie won an Oscar for its visual effects. Simply a must-have for any Alien fan.
Titan Books have re-released Paul Scanlon and Michael Gross'
The Book of Alien to coincide with the debut of
Prometheus this week. For long-time fans of
Alien (and even those who have only just been introduced to the franchise through Ridley Scott's latest big screen outing) there is an awful lot here to enjoy. The book is split loosely into four sections which focus on the exterior of the Nostromo, the interior of the Nostromo, the alien planet and ship, and of course the "Xenomorph" itself. An introductory chapter also offers some insight into how the film was conceived. Each of these features a brief overview of the design or creation process and then interviews with the likes of Ridley Scott, writer Dan O'Bannon and Alien designer H.R. Giger, to name but a few.
These sections make up the bulk of the written parts of book and there are plenty of interesting titbits of information. For example, the reaction of those who first saw the movie and how the man who wore the Alien suit was found. However, anyone hoping for a truly in-depth guide to
Alien may find themselves a little disappointed. On the other hand, it more than compensates for that with literally hundreds of fantastic photographs (many of which ARE in fact accompanied by descriptions and extra pieces of information) arguably making
The Book of Alien an essential purchase for lovers of the franchise. Compiled of sketches, concept art, behind-the-scenes photographs and much, much more, they shed a great deal of light on both what might have been and how what did make its way to the big screen came to be.
Perhaps most interestingly,
The Book of Alien shows just how films were made before everything was brought to life by a computer. This not only offers readers a look at the difference between filmmaking now and in 1979, but also demonstrates just what a massive production it was for the time in which it was made. With
Prometheus (a sort-of prequel to
Alien) now being released, it's particularly interesting to read this book and ponder just how much of what didn't make it into the final product actually ended up in that. One scrapped sequence described by Scott definitely feels as if it eventually found its way into
Prometheus, making this all the more rewarding a read. While it's not quite the definitive glimpse into the classic film some may desire, it succeeds in giving us a fascinating and revealing look into the creation of a sci-fi classic.
The Book of Alien is without a doubt a must-buy for fans and an all-round great read.