Article: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of ALIEN

Forty years ago, a horrifying film chest-busted from the mind of Ridley Scott making it into one of the most iconic franchises of all time. ALIEN became THE sci-fi horror film and to commemorate the 40th Anniversary, 20th Century Fox launched a tribute with a new release of the film along with new short narratives, exhibits and exclusive products for their fans.

Today is ALIEN DAY where for the fourth time since its inception we will celebrate this original film and fans can be a part of it as well (click here for more information on #MyAlien40th). Starting today, and running for the next 24 hours, people can share their own memories or moments of this classic film. This also coincides with the April 23rd release of the ALIEN 40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD, courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment which features a 4K master. Compared to the 1979 theatrical release, this new 4K version looks beautiful with vivid colors, making it feel as if the Xenomorph’s are right in front of you. Revisiting the film once again reminded me of why ALIEN is considered such a classic for our genre as not only is the acting top-notch but the use of practical effects is stunning for not only its time but for audience viewers today. Also, to have a fearless leader such as Ripley who is an amazing role model for women is something that we don’t see enough of.

Along with this 40th Anniversary Edition, the release also includes a slew of bonus features such as the 1979 Theatrical version along with the 2003 Director’s Cut. There is also audio commentary featuring Ridley Scott and the cast & crew of the film along with deleted scenes and much, much more.

Fans can also experience the ALIEN 40th Anniversary Shorts, a new series of terrifying new stories from six up and coming filmmakers that were selected from over 500 submissions sent to 20th Century Fox and Tongal. You can see these shorts on both YouTube or IGN.

Coming into ALIEN DAY, some of the biggest brands have created exclusive products to honor the franchise. Brand new figures, clothes, and comics were revealed from companies like Funko, Audible, Loot Crate, Mondo, NECA, Dark Horse and many more (a list of product announcements can be found here). Some cool items include a new line of ALIEN Pop! Figures from Funko and a great selection of apparel and merch that would make any ALIEN fan happy.

Below is the announcement video to see the film’s early concepts and make sure to check out www.AlienUniverse.com to know more about today’s events. To participate in ALIEN DAY celebrations, make sure to follow #ALIENDAY and #ALIEN40th on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Happy ALIEN DAY!

Christy Turnipseed
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