SUNDAY & MONDAY

Having an alien life form burst through your chest cavity in an explosion of blood and gore is one thing; being an unprepared actor in that classic scene is another. With the exception of John Hurt (who landed the unfortunate role of about-to-die-a-horrible-death Kane), the ensemble cast of Ridley Scott’s standard-setting 1979 film Alien wasn’t filled in on exactly what was going to happen once the cameras started rolling. The result is a combination of genuine shock and fear that—along with H.R. Giger’s menacing creature design—made Alien one of the top-grossing films the year it was released. This Halloween, 20th Century Fox will release a digitally remastered director’s cut of the series’ first installment in theaters, reincorporating several deleted scenes. Yet, unlike its action-oriented sequel, Aliens—in which the 20-plus minutes of edited-out footage actually improved both character development and pacing once restored to the film—the deleted scenes in Alien ended up on the cutting-room floor for a reason. In addition to a conversation that writes off Ripley’s sexual ambiguity (an essential element of the character’s asexual hero/heroine status), the extended version includes an ill-advised full shot of the titular xenomorph—or rather, of 7-foot East African actor Bolaji Badejo lumbering around in a ridiculous rubber suit that makes Jaws’ animatronic shark look good. The film screens at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, and at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $8.50. (301) 495-6700. (Matthew Borlik)