Alien back In space, no one can hear you scream.

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Summary
Not in script
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slugline
Not in script.
INT. ENGINE ROOM
INT. ENGINE CUBICLE
INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL
INT. CORRIDOR - "A" LEVEL
INT. INFIRMARY - "A" LEVEL
INT. CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE - "A" LEVEL
INT. BRIDGE
INT. CORRIDOR TO HYPERSLEEP VAULT
INTERCUT

INT. HYPERSLEEP VAULT
INT. GALLEY
INT. MESS
INT. COMPUTER ROOM ANNEX
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. NOSTROMO
INT. ENGINE ROOM
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
INT. OILY CORRIDOR "C" LEVEL
INT. MESS
INT. BRIDGE
INTERCUT

EXT. NOSTROMO - MODEL
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. NOSTROMO
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
EXT. PLANET - NIGHT
INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT
INT. ENGINE ROOM
EXT. SHIP - NIGHT
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. SHIP
INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
INT. MAIN AIR LOCK - DAWN
INT. ASH'S BLISTER - DAWN
EXT. PLANET - DAWN
INT. BLISTER - DAWN
EXT. THE NOSTROMO - SUNRISE
INT. ENGINE CUBICLE
EXT. PLANT - DAY
INT. BLISTER - DAY
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. PLANET - DAY
THEIR P.O.V. - DAY
INT. ASH'S BLISTER - DAY
INT. BRIDGE - DAY
EXT. DERELICT - DAY
INT. CHAMBER - DAY
INT. SHAFT OPENING
INT. BRIDGE - DAY
INT. DERELICT CARGO HOLD
INT. CHAMBER - ABOVE
INT. HOLD
INT. CHAMBER - ABOVE
EXT. THE NOSTROMO - SUNSET
INT. BRIDGE/ INT. BLISTER - DUSK
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
EXT. LANDING LEG - NIGHT
INT. PASSAGEWAY NEAR AIR LOCK
INT. BRIDGE/EXT. LANDING LEG - NIGHT
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
INT. PASSAGEWAY "B" DECK
INT. MAINTENANCE CORRIDOR "C" DECK
INT. MAINTENANCE AREA "C" DECK
INT. INFIRMARY
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
INT. BRIDGE NIGHT
INT. INFIRMARY
INT. MESS
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
INT. NARCISSUS
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE INFIRMARY WINDOW
THE INFIRMARY
INT. BACK CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE
EXT. PLANET - SUNRISE
INT. BRIDGE - SUNRISE
INT. ENGINE ROOM CUBICLE
EXT. NOSTROMO - DAY
EXT. NOSTROMO
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. OUTER SPACE
INT. MESS
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE INFIRMARY WINDOW
INT. MESS
INT. CORRIDOR - "A" DECK
INT. AIR LOCK
INT. BRIDGE
EXT. NOSTROMO
INT. MESS
EXT. OUTER SPACE
INT. NARCISSUS
INT. BRIDGE
INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL
INT. ANOTHER PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL
INT. MAINTENANCE - "C" LEVEL
INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA - "C" LEVEL
INT. PASSAGEWAY - "C" LEVEL
INT. UNDERCARRIAGE ROOM - "C" LEVEL
INT. MESS
EXT. OUTER SPACE
INT. AIR LOCK - VESTIBULE
INT. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AREA
INT. AIR SHAFT
INT. AIR SHAFT - DOUBLE-TIERED PASSAGEWAY.
INT. MESS
INT. MAINTENANCE AREA - "C" DECK
INT. MESS
INT. PASSAGEWAY - "B" LEVEL
INT. BRIDGE
INT. BLISTER
INT. AIR LOCK
EXT. NOSTROMO
INT. PASSAGE NEAR AIR LOCK - "B" LEVEL
INT. PASSAGEWAY - "A" DECK
INT. BRIDGE
INT. COMPUTER ANNEX
INT. DARK CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE
INT. CORRIDOR "B" DECK
INT. NARCISSUS
INT. BRIDGE
INT. GARAGE
INT. FOOD LOCKER - "B" DECK
INT. FOOD LOCKER CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE
INT. CORRIDOR - "B" DECK
INT. MAINTENANCE CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL
INT. UNDERCARRIAGE MAINTENANCE ROOM NUMBER 4
EXT. OUTER SPACE
INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE
INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL
INT. "B" LEVEL - CORRIDOR
INT. "A" TO "B" LEVELS - COMPANIONWAY
INT. "B" LEVEL - CORRIDOR LEADING TO AIR LOCK
INT. COMPANIONWAY INTO OILY CORRIDOR - "E" LEVEL
INT. ENGINE ROOM - CUBICLE
INT. OILY CORRIDOR - COMPANIONWAY
INT. NARCISSUS
INT. VESIBULE
EXT. NOSTROMO - OUTER SPACE
EXT. SPACE
INT. NARCISSUS
INT. LOCKER
INT. NARCISSUS - LATER
INT. NARCISSUS
EXT. OUTER SPACE
scene
Establishing shot of the outside of the ship.
Establishing shots of various parts of ship.
Establishing shot of the crew asleep and waking up.
The crew is awake.

Parker and Brett want a full share.
Dallas checks in with Mother (the computer).
The crew discover that they are not in the Earth system.
Establish Parker and Brett's position in the engine room. They grumble: they are unhappy with the rest of the crew.
Dallas explains to the crew that there was a distress signal and they are here to check it out.
The crew listen to the distress signal and view the planet.
Techno-babble as the ship approaches the planet and lands. On landing, the ship is damaged.
They are now landed. They do initial tests of atmosphere, figure out what's going on. They are going to send out a crew to investigate the signal. That crew will be Dallas, Kane, and Lambert.
Parker, Ripley, and Brett work to fix the ship. Parker and Brett are still disgruntled about the shares. Ripley isn't sympathetic.
The Away team leaves the ship at Ash monitors.
Establishing shot of the sunrise.
Repairs proceed. Ripley leaves Brett and Parker to finish on their own. They don't like her.
The away team continues while Ash and Ripley monitor. Ripley starts the computer into trying to translate the distress signal.
The away team finds the alien spaceship. It's pretty awesome.
The away team enters the alien spaceship.
The away team enter a chamber in the alien spaceship and find a hole in the ground. Kane goes down the hole to investigate.
Kane lowers himself down the hole.
The computer deciphers part of the alien transmission. It's a warning, not an SOS. But they can't reach the away team. Ripley is going to go to them, but Ash discourages her.
Kane gets to the bottom of the hole and finds a giant space.
Dallas and Lambert are concerned.
Kane finds the alien eggs. He gets Face-Hugged!
Dallas and Lambert pull up Kane.
The away team is coming back. Ripley and Ash discuss while Parker and Brett listen.
The away team gets to the ship.
Ash and Dallas start to investigate Kane and the Face-Hugger while the others watch. There's friction between Ripley and Lambert.

They cut the Face-Hugger and discover the acid blood.
The blood burns its way through the lower decks.
They return to Kane. They're not going to try that again!
Parker and Brett work on repairs, complain to and about Ripley.
Ash works on Kane while Ripley checks on them. Ripley complains to Ash about Ash letting the away team into the ship.
Time passes while the crew busies themselves. Ash tells Dallas something is happening with Kane.
The Face-Hugger is off Kane. The group finds it. Ash will not discard it but insists on saving it over Ripley's objection. Dallas sides with Ash.
Ripley and Dallas argue over Ash. Ripley doesn't trust him.
The Nostromo lifts off.
The Nostromo rendezvous with the refinery. The ship leaves orbit and heads for Earth.
The crew sit around talking. Ash summons them.
Kane is awake, but hungry and thirsty.
The crew eats dinner. Then the CHEST-BURSTER SCENE!
The crew tries to figure out what to do about the Alien running around their ship.
Kane's funeral, such as it is.
The crew gathers, plans what to do next. They will try to net the Alien.
Time passes. Dallas and Ripley have recreational sex.
Brett turns over the alien-hunting gear he produced. The group gather before going out on the hunt.
Lambert, Dallas, and Ash are in one team looking for the Alien.
Ripley, Parker, and Brett are the other team. They get strange static from their tracking device.
The hunt continues. Ripley, Parker, and Brett find Jones, the cat. Brett is sent to get it.
Brett is searching for Jones while Ripley and Parker follow the tracker.
The Alien gets Brett while Parker and Ripley watch. The Alien has grown large!
The crew assembles to figure out what to do next. Dallas will go into the vent to flush out the Alien, then they'll send it out the airlock.
Time passes.
Dallas goes into the air shaft while Ripley is ready at the airlock and Parker and Lambert track the Alien on the device.

Dallas tries to flush out the Alien, but the Alien gets him.
The crew responds to Dallas's snatching. Ripley is now in command. They'll try the same plan.
Parker gets a flamethrower ready.
Ripley reassures Lambert.
Parker finds the Alien near the airlock. He notifies Ripley and Lambert, who are up on the bridge. Ash listens.

They almost get the Alien, but an alarm goes off and spooks it.
Parker is knocked out. Ripley comes to him. Because the Alien bled in the airlock, it has a hole. Ripley rescues Parker.

Ripley is suspicious of Ash.
Ripley finds proof that Ash has been working against them. She fights with Ash, but Lambert and Parker show up and they knock off his head. Ash is an android!

They interrogate Ash, find out what the company is up to. They disable Ash.
They're running out of oxygen. The new plan: blow up the ship and get off in the shuttle.
Ripley goes to prepare the shuttle, but goes back to get Jones the cat.
Ripley finds Jones, finally catches him. Meanwhile, Parker and Lambert gather stuff they'll need in the shuttle.

The Alien attacks Lambert. Parker attacks it.
Ripley finds the dead Parker and Lambert.
Ripley finds Dallas, well on his way to being cocooned. Dallas begs her to kill him. She does.
Ripley sets the engines to explode. (Or is it a result of her killing Dallas? It's not clear - but the ship have five minutes to go.)

Ripley escapes with Jones in the shuttle. The Nostromo and its cargo explode.
THE ALIEN IS IN THE SHUTTLE!

Ripley escapes into a locker. Then she blows the Alien out the air lock into space. The Alien is caught in the shuttle's engine flames and is destroyed.
Ripley and Jones go into cold sleep.
Ripley is now in cold sleep. The shuttle sails off into the distance.
Joe's Acts
Begin Act One.
End of Act One.
Begin Act Two.
End of Act Two.
Begin Act Three.
End of Act Three.
Begin Act Four.
End of Act Four.
3-act structure
Inciting Incident.

Strictly speaking, the inciting incident came before the movie even begins. It is either the ship receiving the alien distress signal, or the company choosing to send the ship to investigate.
Plot Point 1: Commence Act Two
Midpoint
Plot Point 2: Commence Act Three
Climax
Save the Cat Beats
Note: Alien never uses the Theme Stated beat.
Opening Image (p1)
Begin Set-Up (p1)
End setup. (p10)
Catalyst (p12)
Debate (p12-25)
B
Break into Two (p25)
B Story (p30)
Begin Fun and Games (p30)
End of Fun and Games (p55).

Midpoint (p55).

Begin Bad Guys Close In (p55)
All is Lost (p75).

Commence Dark Night of the Soul (p75)
End of Dark Night of the Soul (p85)

Break into Three (85).

Commence Finale (p85)
End Finale (p110)

Final Image (p110)
Hero's Journey
Note: Ripley has no mentor, so there is no Meeting the Mentor beat.
The ordinary world.

Establishment of the hero's status quo.

The Departure begins.
The call to adventure.

The hero is called on to do something.
Refusal of the call.

The hero doesn't want adventure.
Crossing the First Threshold.

The Hero goes on the adventure.

Start the Adventure.
Tests, Allies, Enemies.

The Hero faces challenges, meets allies.
Approach to the Inmost Cave.

The Hero gets closer to his goal.

Note: I'm not sure of this - it's not clear what this would be.
Ordeal.

The Hero faces his biggest test of all.
Reward.

The Hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Road Back.

The Hero sees that there's a big challenge ahead.

Start the Return.
Resurrection.

The Hero meets the final test.

(This was probably in the previous beat, but putting it here to avoid crowding.)
The Return.

The Hero returns with the prize.
Robert McKee acts
Begin Act One.
Act End.

Value: safety, low - the Alien is dangerous!
End of Act.

Value: Safety, which is low - there's an Alien loose in the ship!
End of sequence.

Value: safety. Even lower! One crewman down, the Alien is large!
End of sequence.

More safety low - their captain is gone!
End of act.

Value: crew loyalty. High - the traitor in their midst is gone, and there's a new plan that has some hope.
End of act and film.

Value: safety. High - the Alien is dead, Ripley is safe.
film vs script
The screenplay that I worked from varies from the final film in several key ways. This lane notes some of these.
This scene wasn't in the screenplay but is in the script.
This is greatly streamlined in the film, without Kane's voiceover. Instead, we just see the crew wake, one by one.
There's a scene in the film of some chest-bursted alien creature, but this does not appear in the script.
This scene doesn't appear in the film - it skips straight to them looking at the gear.
This scene doesn't appear in the film.
Ripley does not comfort Lambert in the film.
This scene is not in the film.
This scene is not in the film.
T
SP: Ash-hole
Ash is sitting up in his little hideaway, isolated from the rest of the crew.
Ash is certainly uninterested in what the distress signal has to say.
Ash discourages Ripley from doing anything to stop the investigation of the alien ship.
Ash lets the away team into the ship, violating quarantine rules. He is following his overriding orders to gather the alien specimen.
Ash admits to breaking the quarantine rule but doesn't give a good motivation. He claims he forgot Ripley was in command, but he's shifty and not believable.
Ash insists on keeping the Face-Hugger.
Again, Ash is isolated from the rest of the crew.
Ash in effect makes an argument for the crew to go into cold-sleep and leave the Alien around, which would satisfy his orders to bring the Alien back.
Ash is annoyed when Ripley questions him about the tracking device.
Ash argues against shooting the Alien.
Ash says there is no solution from the computer.
Ash sets off the alarm to keep the Alien alive.
Ripley is suspicious of Ash.
Ash's treachery is revealed, as is the fact that he's a robot.
SP: Labor unrest
Parker and Brett introduce their beef: they are not given the same share as the rest of the crew.
More grumbling from Parker and Brett.
More grumbling from the guys. Ripley is not sympathetic.
More grumbling from Parker and Brett.
Parker and Brett are siding with Ripley in this dispute, even though we've seen they don't like her. There's respect there, though.
More grumbling from the guys, targeting Ripley.
Note that Ripley is one of the working class, on the team with the grunts.
The labor unrest subplot is effectively over with the death of one of the laborers.
But Lambert teases Parker one last time with the idea that Parker can earn a share by going after the Alien.
SP: Ripley as protagonist
Ripley only slowly emerges as the protagonist. I'm listing this as a subplot, though it probably doesn't qualify as one. But this gives us a place to note how she grows into being the hero.
One of the strong points of Alien is the truckers-in-space vibe and the details of the spaceship world. This lane discusses things related to that.
We see that Ripley is tough as she keeps Parker and Brett in line.
Ripley takes the lead in trying to translate the distress signal.
Ripley discovers the first sign that things are bad: the radio signal is a warning.
Ripley is the one trying to enforce the rule that would keep the disaster from happening.
Ripley stands up for what she believes in.
Ripley is tough and not phased by Parker's and Brett's complaints.
Ripley stands up for what she believes in and is willing to confront others in defense of it.
Ripley wants to discard the Face-Hugger, getting rid of all aspects of it. Smart Ripley!
Ripley will go toe-to-toe with her boss.
Ripley is the one arguing that they must do something about the Alien.
Ripley is the one who wants to know the details about the tracking device.
With Dallas gone, Ripley has fully emerged as the protagonist.
R
Ripley is suspicious of Ash.
Ripley discovers Ash's treachery and, with help from Parker and Lambert, defeats Ash.
Ripley is fully in command now.
Ripley saves a cat!
Ripley is all alone, last person standing.
T
Ripley is the sole survivor, except only the cat that she saves.
SP: Ripley & Dallas
Note: the main scenes of this subplot were cut from the film, so this subplot doesn't really exist any more. But there's still a little of it in the relationship between Ripley and Dallas.
Ripley is willing to go against Dallas in spite of their relationship.
Ripley will go toe-to-toe with her boss.
Dallas is captured by the Alien, which is a bit of a damper on his relationship with Ripley.
Ripley kills her lover Dallas, thus ending this plot.
Alien lifecycle
We see someone who was chest-bursted, the first sign of trouble.
We see alien eggs. And, of course, the face-hugging scene, where we first see one of the forms of the alien, the Face-Hugger.
The Alien has acid for blood!
The Face-Hugger has already healed. Boy, that thing is resilient!
Kane is awake!
The Chest-Burster scene reveals the nature of the Alien's reproductive cycle.
The Alien has somehow grown to be huge. There's no indication of how this happened.

We get our first view of the adult Alien, including its nested mouth.
Ship stuff
Our first view of the Nostromo, which includes text describing it as a "Commercial towing vehicle," which is about as unglamorous a description as one can imagine.
We meet the interior of the ship in a series of shots of various parts of it.
Note generally the poor quality of the food. This is not a cruise ship!
We see that the Nostromo is towing a larger freighter as it disengages.

This is not a perfect ship. It can take sustained damage just from landing in a storm.
Boy, this ship is a piece of crap!
Nice outside view of the ship.
We see various levels of the deck as the acid burns through. And boy, that deck is not all that strong. A little Alien blood is enough to burn right through!
More industrial ship business.
M
This is not a glamorous ship. Even when someone dies, they just toss his body into space without anyone saying any words.
Another nice view of the ship from outside.
deaders
Kane
Brett.
Dallas is captured by the alien in the screenplay, killed in the film.
Ash
Lambert, Parker.
Dallas, for real this time.
The Alien