FIRST EXPOSURE

First time I was exposed to anything Alien, my mother was watching Aliens in the lounge room, I must have been about 7 or so I guess? Anyways, I remember walking in first when the Alien attacks Hicks and Ripley in the elevator and Hicks gets acid splashed, Mum sent me out of the room but I wanted to stay and watch, so I walked back in a bit later when Bishop was getting tailed by the Queen and ripped in half. I thought it was a missile launching out of his chest. Got sent out again after that. Stupid parental units not letting me watch scary stuff :-P that is the earliest memory I have of anything Alien. Been hooked ever since :-D

my first exposure was the ALIENS film around 1986, I was 12. My parents owned a restaurant near Tulsa...there was a guy working there that mentioned he was going to see it and I begged all day to go with him - and to my surprise they let me. He sat in the back with some of his friends and I found some buddies close to the front. I was horrified and amazed at the same time. I was so close to the screen that I felt vulnerable...when it was over, I had gnawed all my fingernails, scooby doo style!! I still have crazy dreams about the xenomorphs (and I am almost 40)...cant get enough of this stuff;)

Furguson VHS with matching curved screen TV in 1982 for me! I was 10 at the time and was forced to watch Alien by my 14 year old sister and 3 of her friends, with no pillow! They had all watched it the day before and thought it would be funny to make me watch it all. Little did they know thier little plan backfired and they introdued me to one of the best sci fi films of all time. I just hope Prometheus brings back some of that tension that was encountered all those years ago.........

When I was growing up in the 80's there was this mom and pop video store called West End Video....My love of movies was born in that store as I walked up and down the isles, fascinated by the stacks of movies...and I wanted to see so many of them...there were certain VHS tapes I'd pick up to read the synopsis on the back over and over again because, well, they were usually rated R and I wasn't allowed to watch them..... In one corner, there was this one tape I'd come back to with every visit...it was silver with a black front, freyed edges and an egg hovering over a grate, cracked and split with green light...as well as the beautifully creepy tagline, "In Space, no one can hear you scream." On the back, it had a small pic of Giger's SpaceJockey and one of Sigourney Weaver with her leg up on a console, staring off into space. I always had to come back to that tape, if only to see that SpaceJockey of which I could not get enough.... Fast forward a couple of years and I can remember eating dinner at this tiny pink table me and my sister used to eat at as kids in the dining room, which was adjacent to the living room where my parents were watching 'Aliens' on tv. My sister and I didn't want to finish dinner and they wouldn't let us watch the movie until we were finished...and even then, when we had, we were forced to watch in on this tiny black and white tv from the 60's in the dining room because my parents wanted to watch something else......I could only remember the special edition scene in the tunnel where the auto-turrets were tracking and firing......years later when we taped it off tv, that scene was missing and it drove me nuts because I knew I had seen it... My first alien film that I saw from beginning to end was 'Alien 3'.....I must have been about 11 or so......I can remember a friend telling me all about it. He'd seen it at another friends house. I wanted to see it so bad as I was an alien fan without ever having seen an alien movie and it was driving me nuts...I begged and pleaded until my mom finally gave in and we rented it for a sleep over.....Not long after that, we taped 'Aliens' off of tv and I was finally able to see that....It wasn't until I was about 13 or 14 that the same friend scolded me for never having seen 'Alien' and practically beat me up side the head for it...we rented it for another sleep over and the rest is history......I'll leave out 'AR' because that was a seriously dissapointing shot at seeing an alien movie in theaters...OH the pain...... I was blessed to 'Alien' in 2003 on the big screen and that was very cool, but I still wish they hadn't asked Ridley to edit a new cut, because I can't stand that so-called director's cut...totally ruins the tension, flow and pacing...but I digress...... Since I was eight or nine, all things 'Alien' have had some place in the back of my mind and to this day I am amazed by that first movie every single time I see it...

I was 25 when I saw Alien here in Los Angeles. I had never heard of Ridley Scott, actually no one had...this was a foreign film, shot in England and it had no profile to speak of. I only learned about this film from an article in Crawdaddy, a rock and roll magazine and it had no pictures of the Alien of course, and only the barest of details. At the time, I was always seeking the latest thriller or monster movie and on the surface, Alien looked like very common fare in that regard....many many films catering to the youth market were always being announced and there was absolutley nothing that distinguished it from any other film of the time. What cannot be related by me to anyone reading this except those who saw it out of the box is what it was like to see this film in it's original era on the big screen....it was not a simple routine viewing of a film.... it was an unexpected fundamental shift in one's perception of what film was capable of doing to one's sense of experience. It is frustrating and sad that I am not eloquent enough to accurately describe that experience and I hope that all who see Prometheus are not disappointed....I know that I won't. I've only had this experience twice in my life...the other was seeing 2001 when it came out..again, here in Los Angeles.

I was 25 when I saw Alien here in Los Angeles. I had never heard of Ridley Scott, actually no one had...this was a foreign film, shot in England and it had no profile to speak of. I only learned about this film from an article in Crawdaddy, a rock and roll magazine and it had no pictures of the Alien of course, and only the barest of details. At the time, I was always seeking the latest thriller or monster movie and on the surface, Alien looked like very common fare in that regard....many many films catering to the youth market were always being announced and there was absolutley nothing that distinguished it from any other film of the time. What cannot be related by me to anyone reading this except those who saw it out of the box is what it was like to see this film in it's original era on the big screen....it was not a simple routine viewing of a film.... it was an unexpected fundamental shift in one's perception of what film was capable of doing to one's sense of experience. It is frustrating and sad that I am not eloquent enough to accurately describe that experience and I hope that all who see Prometheus are not disappointed....I know that I won't. I've only had this experience twice in my life...the other was seeing 2001 when it came out..again, here in Los Angeles.

Forever War....I think you did put it rather nicely..I wasn't born until 82' and yet, as a student of film, I know exactly what you mean.... "What cannot be related by me to anyone reading this except those who saw it out of the box is what it was like to see this film in it's original era on the big screen....it was not a simple routine viewing of a film.... it was an unexpected fundamental shift in one's perception of what film was capable of doing to one's sense of experience. It is frustrating and sad that I am not eloquent enough to accurately describe that experience "

Hi everyone. My first contact happened when I was 5 years old. One day my father was watching Alien on TV and I was at his side, I did not know what was about to see. I believe in that same year had seen Dune, the Guild Navigator impressed me a lot. The first images I saw were when the exploration team arrived at the derelict ship and did not believe what I saw, a mysterious and desolate environment ... I thought the hallways of the ship were made of ribs and bones. Seeing Alien under the protective arm of my father is for me a memory that is priceless, it was great being able to see a film that was mature, visceral and transcendent beyond Saturday morning cartoons and Ray Harryhausen’s fantasy films. 40 days... we are almost there!

My first contact was pretty inauspicious. Accidentally saw it on TV at around 6 years old. It was well into it when I started watching. Something about the white interior of the Nostromo, and the black, polished, bio-mechanical presence of the alien affected me deeply, which I would not realize until many years later when I saw the trailer for Aliens, then it happened all over again.

@Forever War: i get your description quite well i saw a few iconic films from the 1970's in their first runs, the mindset of moviegoers back then was pretty much naive compared to how they are now, it was a time that (sadly) will most likely not ever repeated in that specific wondrous as you stated in your post @craigamore: for some reason, i thought you had seen ALIEN first run in the cinema, your obvious admiration of this film comes thru in all of your posts. its interesting to find out that you cherish this film as though you'd seen it back in 1979 @everyone else....thank you for sharing your memories hopefully, we all will have new and fresh memories to cherish after June 8th....something to look forward to!

For me it was the 1980's and i think I was roughly about 10 at the time. I had taped Alien off TV...Aliens hadnt come out yet and I didnt really know much about the movie before I started watching it. It was great to see it that way without spoilers of any kind...I already knew this movie was something special as soon as those opening credits rolled. Up till then every sci fi movie id seen was flashy and almost tacky, this seemed real. If you have no idea its comming I dont think anything can prepare you for the chest burster scene that first time. Its a funny thing..as years go on I realise whata very different and amazing movie it is. Ive watched it countless times now and every time there is something new to see. I was just old enough to see Aliens in the theater..it was great to see it that way the first time around but time hasnt been as kind to Aliens..it was an action blockbuster classic but the original Alien is more like art to me..i put it above 2001. The most amazing use of music to enhance visuals i have ever seen...people need to recognise what an amazing music score Alien has. Alien 3 had a similar feel to me..its not Alien thats for sure but it was the true spiritual sucessor to Alien. I saw A3 at the theaters at a strange time in my life so it messed iwth my head a little. Id rate A3 above Aliens now though. Dont wish to even talk about Alien Res..a franchise killer. The first AVP was ok....shouldnt be considered an alien movie...AVP2 shoud never be seen....Please keep Paul ws Anderson away from anything to do with alien in future...let him continue to make endless resident evil movies for his wife to star in..hes become uwe boll which saddens me. he showed such great promise after 'Even Horizon'.

My first exposure to Alien was the scene at the gas station restaurant with John Hurt in Spaceballs. I was very young and despite the fact that it was a joke it still scared my pants off. I also remember my mother explaining what an alien toy was to me in the toy store when I asked. That was probably sometime around the Alien Resurrection. Some years later we went to Disney World and there's this ride where they take you through all these movies like it's a tour. You go through like Cassablanca and other stuff that was not nearly as interesting and then there's Ripley with the flamethrower and all the strobe lights and this stuff starts dripping down on me and the f%! drops down out of the ceiling at you. Scary stuff for a young kid. I didn't actually see Alien until my mother decided I should watch it during seventh grade. Saw the 2003 Director's Cut. I thought it was just about the best and scariest thing I'd ever seen. Still can't watch it alone at nigh. Saw Aliens shortly after that. Although I had to see the other two, Alien 3 and resurrection through my own motivation. That summer I literally spent all my time just watching for times on the television when alien would be on tv, but it never was. Alien 3 was on all the time though. Just about every other night actually, so I watched that religiously. Alien 3 will always have a special place in my heart because of that. That's basically how I first saw Alien. And then some.

Thanks Shardy...'Alien' means a lot to me.....

I too was 9 years old. My dad was taking my cousin, who was 16 to see ALIEN at the local drive-in. I begged to go and somehow was included. I can agree with other posters that seeing a movie back then was quite different. It was more of an event. You couldn't just rent it in 6 months. In most cases, this was your one shot. It was also the only way to get the full cinematic effect, with a huge, wide screen, and superior, surround sound (our drive-in had FM broadcasting, and my dad's car had a quadrophonic sound system, rock-on 70's). So it was a big deal. I'll never forget what I saw! I already loved sci-fi and real space exploration, so I was sucked in from the credits. I was blown away by the incredible realism. As the camera worked it's way through the awakening of the Nostromo, I felt as though I was looking through time, at a reality yet to unfold, far in the future. I'd never imagined real, working atronauts and believed I could oneday work in space as well. Then the SJ. Wow. This was the first believable alien I'd ever seen. It was incredible. As for the Alien: I sat up late on Saturdays watching "Shock Theater" for fun. Those B-movie BS monsters scared for a few hours, then slipped into obscurity. This was different! This thing was transferred via art from someone else's nightmare directly into mine! It seemed real. Somehow horrible and elegant (almost beautiful) at the same time. It was also utterly unstoppable (well, almost). It has resided somewhere in the shadows of my periphery ever since. It was instantly my favorite movie! I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT FOR PROMETHEUS!

Wow, this has got to be my favourite topic, so many stories to read and to relate to. My first exsposure to Alien was through this [img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg5w0hpy441qaisygo1_500.jpg[/img] I used to play it a lot with my friends, and was mesmerized by the monster's appearance, as well as the picture of the SJ seat, which I couldn't quite understand. Some years later I read on a magazine an article about the brand new Aliens. There were no spoilers, no revealing pictures, but I was enthralled by the synopsis but I was still too young to go to a theatre. The first time I got to see Alien I was sent to bed by my parents as soon as the chestburster emerged. Some time later, watching Aliens, I was sent to bed early again, too much strain! Yet they had the power to give me nightmares. The first time I managed to watch them in full was on VHS in broad daylight! A few years later came Alien 3, and I was very excited, but no cinemas in my area showed it! When Alien Resurrection came out I went to see it twice, back to back, but the excitement was followed by delusion. Unfortunately, no cinemas in my area showed the 2003 DC of Alien. I don't think I have ever been so excited for a movie as I am for Prometheus. That's why I am going for the first midnight showing at the Imax. I feel like I am 13 again.

Wow, this has got to be my favourite topic, so many stories to read and to relate to. My first exsposure to Alien was through this [img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg5w0hpy441qaisygo1_500.jpg[/img] I was too young to see the movie. I used to play it a lot with my friends, and was mesmerized by the monster's appearance, as well as the picture of the SJ seat, which I couldn't quite understand. Some years later I read on a magazine an article about the brand new Aliens. There were no spoilers, no revealing pictures, but I was enthralled by the synopsis but I was still too young to go to a theatre. The first time I got to see Alien I was sent to bed by my parents as soon as the chestburster emerged. Some time later, watching Aliens, I was sent to bed early again, too much strain! Yet they had the power to give me nightmares. The first time I managed to watch them in full was on VHS in broad daylight! A few years later came Alien 3, and I was very excited, but no cinemas in my area showed it! When Alien Resurrection came out I went to see it twice, back to back, but the excitement was followed by delusion. Unfortunately, no cinemas in my area showed the 2003 DC of Alien. I don't think I have ever been so excited for a movie as I am for Prometheus. That's why I am going for the first midnight showing at the Imax. I feel like I am 13 again.

NoXWord, I agree, this is the most enjoyable thread I've come across as well! BTW, that game is awesome! I'd love to run across one. Thanks for the great picture. If you get bored, how about some close-ups of the images on the board? Thanks!

I saw Alien premiere in Philadelphia, Pa. with my oldest brother. I was 18 and knew nothing except for the images i had just seen in a comic store, across the street from the theatre. After downing a few beers, courtesy of my Bro', i was primed and ready....2001: A space Horror In space, only Ridley can make you scream!

I have that WHOLE set of trading cards all neatly inserted into card wallets. Perhaps itll be worth something after Prometheus.

Shardy, you & I seem to be part of the GenX generation. I was even a few years younger than you when I saw 'Alien' & it was due to dear ol' Dad thinking that since it was a sci-fi film, then hey, it _has_ to be like 'Star Wars,' right? WRONG! Somehow he managed to miss or ignore not only the 'R' rating, but also the tagline "In space no one can hear you scream." (Well, it _was_ in pretty small text on the poster) So I had the privilege of not only seeing the entire Alien franchise in proper chronological order, but also seeing the original masterpiece that started it all in an actual movie theater. Utter terror aside, I believe seeing 'Alien' at such a tender age rendered me virtually incapable of being scared by any horror film that came afterward. Halloween? Puh-leeze. Hellraiser? So what? The Shining? Nicholson's hammyness spoiled it. Predator? Why should I be afraid of a Rastafarian crab? Carpenter's 'The Thing?' Don't make me laugh. Even though 'Alien' was inspired by the original 1951 'The Thing,' Carpenter's meatball on legs just can't compete with Giger's beyond-creepy creature designs. Now here's a completely off-topic nerdy question that relates to your avatar, Shardy. Why did Scott choose a bio-hazard design that looks exactly like the Purina pet-food logo? As a kid, I wondered about that when I first saw the movie... and geekgal that I am, I still wonder about it!