10 Pre-2000 Movies With Special Effects That Still Hold Up Today

7. Alien (1979)

Alien remains one of the most terrifying science fiction movies ever made, thanks, in large part, to Ridley Scott's peerless direction which uses low lighting, a claustrophobic setting and one of the most frightening antagonists in modern cinema to truly scare the pants off you. Despite the fact that Scott doesn't throw the Alien at you at every opportunity, it was important to get the look for the Xenomorph just right, otherwise the whole premise falls flat on its face. Luckily, H.G Giger's design, coupled with the excellent make-up effects still holds up to this day; showing that, if an attempt was made to make another truly scary Alien movie, it would still be entirely possible to use the same make-up and designs from 34 years and scare the pants off a generation of moviegoers brought up on Hostel and Saw as examples of horror. The iconic chest bursting scene still has the power to shock today, with Scott lulling the audience into a false sense of security in a rare moment of light-hearted comaraderie between the crew; before subjecting John Hurt's Kane to one of the most gruesome screen deaths ever. A lot must be said for Hurt's acting, but the star of the show is the effects, most notably the model of the baby Xenomorph which emerges from Hurt's exploded chest and looks around the room before scuttling off. It's a turning point for the movie, as the alien is now onboard the ship, and the fact it still stands today as one of the most disturbing screen deaths in modern cinema is an achievement which should not be understated. But it is not only in this scene that the effects continue to amaze, as the Xenomorph gradually reveals itself, you will still find yourself squirming at every appearance. In fact it was most likely due to the exemplary work on show here, that James Cameron decided to focus more on action for the sequel.