The breaking down structure madness continues with another all time favorite, also directed Mr. Ridley Scott, Alien, a stunning, visual masterpiece that I could easily watch every day. The film broke new ground on many levels: a female hero, the “truckers in space” visual style, the combination of sci-fi and horror, the terrifyingly unique design of the titular Alien beast….but enough blabbering I could go on forever about this film. Let’s get this structure train moving! Film Length: 1:55:50 min.
ACT ONE
1. The Introduction
We open on a beautiful, slow pan through outer space as the ALIEN titles slowly appear. A huge mining facility, the Nostromo, floats through the cosmos. We get some info on the ship and it’s purpose. Slow pan through the Nostromo. It’s computer picks up an SOS signal from a nearby planet and awakes the crew from hyper sleep. Shot of a screen displaying every member of the crew. Time: 7:56 min
2. The Incident
The Nostromo ship’s computer, MUTHUR, tells their captain, Dallas, that they’ve honed in on a distress beacon, and it has re-routed the ship. He alerts the crew. Time: 11:00 min.
3. The Exposition
Dallas tells the crew about having to investigate the distress call. Parker and Brett asks about the “bonus situation”, revealing their trucker-like attitude of only caring about money. Dallas character moment: “You get what you’re contracted like the rest of us,” he’s the complacent leader that does what he’s told, no questions asked. Dallas, Lambert and Kane are nominated to hike across the mysterious planet. More character is revealed when we see Lambert is not happy about going, but Kane is keen on it. Dallas doesn’t want to go either, but his job as Captain demands it. Time: 23:23 min.
4. The Obstacles
They land on a derelict planet to search for the distress signal. On landing, the ship recieves some damage, leaving repairs up to lazy-ass Parker and Brett. But there’s no taking off until the repairs are done. “Right.” The planet search team uncovers a huge, crashed space ship with a unique, alien-like design. Time: 26:00 min.
ACT TWO
5. The New World
On board the odd spacecraft, they uncover what looks like a huge control console, where the body of a large dead creature sits. It’s ribcage is bent outward, like something burst out from inside. Underneath the structure, Kane finds rows of what look like huge pods. He gets too nosey to one of the eggs as it opens, and an Alien “facehugger” jumps out and attaches to Kane’s helmet! Time: 35:33 min.
6. The Journey Begins
When Dallas and Lambert return with Kane, Ripley doesn’t let them onboard in fear of viral infection. This reveals her “by-the-book” character trait. Ash opens the doors anyway. Dallas and Ash study the creature attached to Kane’s face in the lab while everyone else watches. Ripley “rips” down the ladder to the lab, only to be slapped hard by Lambert (which actress Sigourney Weaver wasn’t expecting). Parker character moment about Ripley not wanting it on board: “Maybe she has a point!” Time: 40:34 min.
7. The Plan
While cutting one of the facehuggers fingers green acid spills out and burns through several floors. Parker and Brett continue working on the ship. The facehugger eventually falls off and dies. Ripley finds the dead hugger, or rather it finds her when it falls on her shoulder. Against Ripleys protests, Dallas approves Ash’s decision to study the dead hugger. Dallas character moment: “Standard procedure is to do whatever the hell they tell us to do.” The ship is repaired enough to take off. Kane is finally awake, seemingly fine. Time: 54:25 min.
8. The Midpoint
During last supper before going back into hypersleep, Kane starts to choke, they think he’s having a stroke or something. Ash watches, seemingly knowing more about what’s happening. All of a sudden a muthafucking ALIEN bursts out of Kane’s chest. Holy shit!!! Time: 57:18 min.
9. The New Plan
Kane’s corpse is shot out into space rather unceremoniously. Now the hunt is on for whatever the eff that thing was that just came out of their homeys chest. Brett searches an area for Jonesy the cat, who came up on radar. But instead comes face-to-face with a now very fully grown, and very drooly, Xenomorph! Brett’s dead, baby, Brett’s dead. Dallas hunts through the vents, trying to trap the Alien, but instead he becomes next on the menu! Two down. Time: 01:14:34.
10. The Downpoint
Ripley uncovers Muthur’s orders to capture the alien and “all other crew expendable.” Ash appears behind her and attacks, almost killing, revealing he’s an ANDROID when Parker knocks his head off with a fire extinguisher. Three down. They question Ash’s detached, milk-blood covered, robot head about how to kill the Xenomorph. “The perfect organism.” Thanks for the help Ash! Parker and Lambert both get taken out by the Alien while they prepare the escape shuttle. Now it’s just Ripley. And Jonesy, wherever that little pussy is. Time: 01:32:04.
ACT THREE
11. The Showdown
Ripley sets the ship to self-destruct. She finds Brett and Dallas coccooned in alien goop, then puts them out of their misery with the flame thrower. She runs from the Alien back onto the ship and tries to deactivate the self-destruct. No luck! She gets in the escape shuttle and barely makes it out alive. Home free. She strips down to get ready for hypersleep. But shoot! The gosh-darn Alien snuck on board! It scares the poop out of Ripley when it reaches for her. She straps herself into a space suit then shoots the Alien out the airlock with a harpoon gun! Time: 01:51:40.
12. The Outroduction
Ripley is safe and alive. “This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.” She goes into hypersleep. End credits. Time: 01:55:50.
And that’s the story breakdown as I see it folks. Let me know what you think below.
Keep writing,
– Tim
@timaucoinscreenwriter
