Author: Paul Scanlon
Illustrator: Michael Gross
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: May 29, 2012
ISBN-10: 1852864834
ISBN-13: 978-1852864835
Synopsis:
In 1979, a movie was released that was to capture the imagination of the world, and become a science fiction classic… Alien. 25 years later, the Alien franchise is stronger than ever!
The Book of Alien is the definitive companion to the movie, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2004. Taking you right behind the scenes of the production, there are interviews with the key people involved, including legendary designer HR Giger and director Ridley Scott. Lavishly illustrated with scores of stunning design paintings, production art and film stills unpublished elsewhere, the book covers every creative stage, and graphically demonstrates just why the movie won an Oscar for its visual effects. Simply a must-have for any Alien fan.
The Book of Alien is a pretty awesome book, especially considering the release of director Ridley Scott‘s forthcoming film, Prometheus is on the horizon. While the book isn’t exactly a “making of” bible, featuring all of the intricacies of production on Scott’s 1979 classic sci-fi thriller, it does feature artist and writer commentaries on most of the visual content, which is where the book excels.
Included in its 100 plus pages are well over one hundred illustrations from the production of the film, featuring a shipload of full-color H.R. Giger designs of sets, creatures and spacecraft. Also included are a bevy of still photographs taken on the set, during the making of Alien.
Three things make this a “Must Own” for me.
- It is essentially an “Art of” Alien book, and I dig movie art books.
- There is so much cool stuff that you’ll remember from the film, but also being able to see the evolution of certain things from concept art to reality, and being able to see unused material that didn’t appear in the movie is always a treat.
- After seeing a ton of trailers and featurettes for Prometheus, it’s cool to look back at Scott’s classic film and notice that some of the things aboard the Prometheus ship are modern, enhanced versions of the tech aboard the Nostromo.
I give The Book of Alien Four out of Five Stars
Pick up your copy of The Book of Alien at Amazon using the link below!
[AMAZONPRODUCT=1852864834]
