10 Horror Movie Characters Who Were SECONDS Away From Dying
2. Ripley - Alien (1979)
In terms of filmmaking innovation alone, Ridley Scott's original sci-fi horror Alien is in a class of its own. Not only did it bring us one of the most terrifying creatures ever to crawl across the celluloid, but it offered up a heroine who is every bit the monster's equal: Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver).
One of only two women on the spaceship Nostromo, Warrant Officer Ripley is subjected to the many poor decisions of her male crewmates and soon finds herself in a fight for her life against an alien invader. Acid spit; teeth-filled tongue; long, phallic, latexy head; you know the one.
Following the death of her crewmates and the destruction of the Nostromo, Ripley legs it onto the escape shuttle with nothing but crew cat Jones for company – or so she thinks. Preparing for stasis, she almost doesn't notice the stowaway on board.
After spotting the xenomorph, donning a spacesuit and attempting to gas the thing to death, Ripley is almost out of options. It bears down on her one last time, teeth bared, ready to tear her apart and kill off some major sequel potential. And it might have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for Ripley's quick thinking with the air-lock release.
In space, no-one can hear a xenomorph scream.