Paradise Lost's favourite Alien moments

As horror and sci-fi buffs are surely well aware, Alien: Covenant is hitting our screens next month. So it seemed only logical to ask Paradise Lost mainman Nick Holmes to pick his favourite Alien moments! Hurrah!

And it gave us an excuse to post this picture of Nick

Chest Buster Dinner Scene
This scene was pretty incredible when it was first shown and nobody expected the alien to burst through his stomach, a truly terrifying cinematic treat. Nothing else this gory has been featured in a film that I can recall around that time.

Dallas Ventilation Death
Definitely a contender for one of my favourite death scenes. Everything about this scene is great, you’ve got those circular closing vents and the noise they make, the whole claustrophobic feel they’ve managed to create, the motion tracking devices with that perfectly ominous bleeping. The panic over the headsets and the darkness and lighting from that flame thrower.

Purity
I like the fact that his blood is white, appears to make it more shocking somehow. Also it was totally unexpected that he was a machine, furthermore it’s a good speech.

Deleted Cocoon Scene
Ok so Dallas apparently doesn’t actually die in the ventilation shafts after all. I remember hearing about this scene but never saw it until Ridley Scott stuck a shortened version in his 2003 director’s cut. It’s horrific but I’m not really sure what’s going on and it totally messes with the franchise continuity of them needing queens to lay eggs in the later films. Plus the way Dallas says “kill me” just reminds me too much of the fly and it totally slows the pace of the film, right whilst Ripley’s fleeing the ship. That said, it’s still a pretty cool scene though…

They Mostly Come Out At Night
They mostly come out at night… mostly.

Sentry Guns
Another scene from a director’s cut version. I like the use of the alien screams, the mass carnage that they imply is going on, the brief images of aliens being shot to shreds and that constant depleting ammo counter like some sort of ticking death clock. Can’t believe they actually cut this from the original theatrical release, what were they thinking?

Brian Glover
A special mention for Brian Glover who was a true Yorkshire legend and easily the best thing in Aliens 3. Any clip with him in is always worth watching again. Actually come to think of it you’ve also got Pete Postlethwaite, Charles Dance and Paul McGann in this film. That’s a great cast, shame the film wasn’t equally as great.

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Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.