HR Giger

Any time someone asks after my favourite films Alien is always on the list, it’s probably top of the list. It’s hard to overstate just how much love I have for a film that was probably 15 years old before I first saw it. Much of its appeal comes from the carefully revealed narrative, the suggestive half-glimpses of a terrifying foe and the excellent performances from some Grade A Hollywood talent, but there’s no doubt that the visual design born of the mind of HR Giger is a major part of the wonder of the Alien universe. A sad day indeed, but a legacy that will remain with us forever.

## HR Giger obituary

The Guardian by Ryan Gilbey

Several elements were vital to the effectiveness of the 1979 horror film Alien, which was essentially an old-fashioned haunted house story relocated to deep space. (Its own director, Ridley Scott, called it “a C-movie done in an A-way”.)