Alien's 45th anniversary screening outshines new releases at the box office
Last weekend in April, the box office winner in America wasn't the current leader but a film that closed the first ten at the box office. Why? Among the titles with the highest attendance was a film produced 45 years ago: "Alien—8th Passenger Nostromo."
Due to a lack of new productions during the pandemic, American cinemas started showing older titles. These special screenings were often combined with the anniversary of the film's premiere. This idea was very well received by audiences, and even though Hollywood studios are now operating at full capacity, there's nearly every week an anniversary title appears in theatres.
This week, it was "Alien—8th Passenger "Nostromo. The 1979 production is considered by most critics and viewers to be the best science fiction horror in cinema history. Its "cult status" is so prominent that last weekend, the film from 45 years ago attracted about 150,000 viewers in American cinemas, making it among the ten most popular titles of the weekend.
Despite the exceptional fame of "Alien," such a strong performance was probably unexpected. Ridley Scott's movie is well known to almost all adult viewers. It's often shown on television and available for streaming at any time.
What can be said about a production that is so familiar to everyone? Perhaps the fact that it was made 45 years ago reminds us that creators have already hit a wall in many film genres and struggled to develop and produce better films. This is interestingly true, especially in science fiction genres.
When it comes to "Alien," viewer opinions are split. Some consider Ridley Scott's film to be the best in the series, while others prefer James Cameron's movie made seven years later, "Aliens—The Final Clash." Meanwhile, on 15 August, "Alien: Romulus" is set to premiere in Polish cinemas.
The story will unfold between the events of the first and second parts of "Alien" but will not be narratively related to the previous films. There are no illusions; the film will certainly not rival the classic. However, the good news is that its producer is Ridley Scott, who, out of respect for the work he himself created in the late 70s and later developed, is unlikely to release a weak film.
