Lately, it seems like you can’t turn a corner without running into someone yammering on about District 9, this year’s contribution to the HECK YEAH ALIENS canon of summer movie fodder. Not that we blame them—between the serious sci-fi street cred, the ultra-cool special effects, and the fact that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is lending his name to the release, the movie kind of HAD to be amazing. And while we at SparkNotes haven’t shelled out for tickets just yet, make no mistake: There’s nothing we love more than a slimy, tentacled, telepathic, and otherwise otherworldly blockbuster about Things From Outer Space.
So today, whilst we save our pennies toward the goal of eventually purchasing a $12 movie ticket (Note to movie theater execs: This had better be good, because you are KILLING US with the price hikes), we’re taking a look back at a few of the great alien genre movies from years past—including some classics from before the year you (and sometimes, we) were born. Did one of your favorites make the cut? Read on!
The movie: The Blob (1958)
The scoop: Back in the fifties, before anybody was concerned about silly things like “believability” or “science-based plot devices,” alien movies were the ideal vehicle for the wackiest shizz ever to spring from the minds of Hollywood producers... and this one is no different. A massive, amoebic blob that oozes across the American landscape, murdering hapless citizens by engulfing them in its amorphous goo-body? Sure, that makes perfect evolutionary sense!
What makes it great: Hilariously retro special effects, hilariously stupid law enforcement officials who refuse to believe the blob exists, hilariously outdated gender roles.
But beware: People who watch The Blob report never wanting to eat Jell-o again.
The movie: E.T. (1982)
The scoop: We don’t know a single person born in the 1980s who didn’t yearn for an extraterrestrial BFF like E.T. From the pee-in-your-pants scary scene where Elliott first sees E.T., to the adorable friendship that grows between them, to the heart-wrenching goodbye at the end, this entire movie is solid alien gold.
What makes it great: The John Williams musical score, the cameo by a seven-year-old Drew Barrymore, the iconic flying bikes scene…do you want us to go on?
But beware: If you make it through Elliott’s tearful promise to “Be good” before saying goodbye to E.T. forever without sobbing hysterically, you have no soul.
The movie: The Hidden (1987)
The scoop: One super-scary alien comes to earth, hides inside of people’s bodies, and makes them do really bad things. An alien policeman (who looks like a regular person) also comes to earth in pursuit of the super-scary alien. The super-scary alien is REALLY SUPER-SCARY YOU GUYS.
What makes it great: High-tension suspense, great acting, well-played comic relief, and did we mention that it’s really fracking scary?
But beware: Not that I'm admitting anything, but let's just say that hypothetically, my mother let me watch this when I was ten... and hypothetically, I had to sleep with the light on for three weeks.
The movie: The Fifth Element (1997)
The scoop: It’s the year 2263, and malevolent aliens are coming to kill us. But other, better aliens are coming to save us! Bruce Willis stars as a cab driver charged with saving the world; Gary Oldman and Chris Tucker deliver scene-stealing supporting performances; Milla Jovovich spends the first half-hour of this movie running around in an outfit made of approximately five pieces of tape.
What makes it great: The Fifth Element’s dizzying action sequences take place in a breathtakingly beautiful world—even when you have no idea what’s going on, the movie is great to look at. (What do we mean? Watch the Diva Dance.)
But beware: Watching this movie may leave you with aspirations of becoming a blue, opera-singing alien.
Of course, this isn't a complete list by any means; these are just some of our favorite alien movies. What are yours? And have you seen District 9 yet?
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