Alien (film) disguise imaginative poverty". In a 1980 episode of "Sneak Previews" discussing science fiction films of the 1950s and 1970s, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were critical of "Alien". Ebert called it "basically just an intergalactic haunted house thriller set inside a spaceship" and one of several science fiction pictures that were "real disappointments" compared to "Star Wars", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and "", though he did compliment the early scene of the "Nostromo" crew exploring the alien planet as showing "real imagination". However, the film later made it onto Ebert's "Great Movies" list, where he gave it
Alien (film) Scott created detailed storyboards for the film in London, which impressed 20th Century Fox enough to double the film's budget. His storyboards included designs for the spaceship and space suits, drawing on such films as "" and "Star Wars". However, he was keen on emphasizing horror in "Alien" rather than fantasy, describing the film as ""The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" of science fiction". Casting calls and auditions for "Alien" were held in both New York and London. With only seven human characters in the story, Scott sought to hire strong actors so he could focus most of his energy on