20 Alien Easter Eggs You Never Noticed

10. Veronica Cartwright's Shock In The Chestburster Scene Is Real - Alien

It's been something of a Hollywood legend over the last three-and-a-half decades that none of the cast except for John Hurt knew what was going to happen during the iconic chestburster scene. It's safe to say that this is an exaggeration, and though everyone would like to believe it, every cast member in the scene was given an outline of what was to happen, though they weren't told every last detail. To this effect, Veronica Cartwright wasn't aware that she was going to be sprayed with blood from Kane's corpse, and so her shocked reaction is mostly legitimate. In addition, real animal guts were packed into Kane's exit wound and shot out using compressed air, and the cast were not told that real guts were going to be used, adding to the overall looks of disgust and confusion that Cartwright and the other cast members have during the scene. So, it might not be quite as exciting as the legend, but it's still a very clever way for Scott to provoke the desired reaction from his actors, and it's likely part of the reason why the scene is so well remembered.