Stanley Kubrick Called Ridley Scott After Alien Came Out With One Big Question
Well over 40 years after director Ridley Scott's classic "Alien" first released and scared the living daylights out of unsuspecting audiences (to the point that even Scott had to wonder whether he'd gone a little too far), the seminal horror flick is still taking us to school. If you haven't seen it in a while, revisit the 1979 film and prepare to be blown away by just how much the storytelling on display seems to laugh at the very idea of aging poorly. To this day, the script's trenchant perspective on the exploitation of blue-collar workers, our instinctive fear of the unknown, the frightening inhumanity of AI, and, of course, the overt and none-too-subtle sexual politics stand out as incredibly relevant. But more than all that, the ability of "Alien" to scare, shock, and awe in terms of sheer filmmaking craft alone remains worth celebrating — especially when it's coming other acclaimed filmmakers.
For comparison's sake, think of how skilled craftsmen like Penn and Teller routinely confuse and dazzle the likes of fellow magicians and illusionists — you know, the literal experts who do that sort of thing for a living — and that probably comes close to the legendary story of none other than Stanley Kubrick himself calling up Ridley Scott to ask him how he pulled off a certain unforgettable moment in "Alien." Scott has previously alluded to this interaction before (as reported in this LA Times interview), describing how he received the shocking phone call only days after the movie first dropped into theaters. But in the latest issue of Total Film magazine, which debuted a special "Ridley Scott Celebration" cover story/retrospective of his career ahead of the release of the upcoming "Napoleon," Scott revealed even more details about this once-in-a-lifetime call.
The master becomes the student
Let's put it this way: The guy who made "2001: A Space Odyssey" didn't make a habit of going around on a whim and asking other directors to explain how they made their movies. Stanley Kubrick practically invented the kinds of filmmaking techniques and approaches that countless others would go on to learn from, copy, and ultimately take for granted over the decades. So when someone like Ridley Scott has the chance to brag about how he managed to throw someone as accomplished as Kubrick for a loop, however briefly, we can hardly blame him for taking advantage of the moment.
According to Total Film, Scott reminisced about the very first time he ever spoke to Kubrick, who called him up to geek out about the famous chest-bursting sequence that spelled doom for poor Kane, played by John Hurt:
"The first time I talked to Kubrick was a week after 'Alien' came out. Somebody said, 'Stanley Kubrick is on the line.' I said, 'Hello?' 'Hello. Stanley Kubrick here. How are you? I just saw 'Alien.” Straight in. 'How on earth did you get that thing coming out of his chest? Because I've got a print, and I've run it on the machine, and I can't see the cut.' So I said, 'Well, I had John Hurt cut a hole in the table, lie in a horrible, awkward position, and I made a fiberglass shell ...' He said, 'I got it, I got it, I got it. Brilliant.'"
That's how you know you made it, folks. Forget any amount of awards or general acclaim. Something tells me that having someone of Kubrick's stature call you up out of the blue and demand an explanation behind an all-time great special-effects scene is probably the height of validation.
Celebrating Ridley Scott
Oh, but that's not all. In a fitting tribute for a master filmmaker whose career includes several classics and is still going strong at the age of 85 with multiple movies in the pipeline, Total Film goes even further and collects a number of quotes from even more widely-celebrated filmmaking peers. While few would consider themselves on the same level as Kubrick, there's no shame in having Guillermo del Toro and Denis Villeneuve throwing all sorts of love in Scott's direction as they describe how his movies inspired their own careers.
First up, del Toro revealed that it's common knowledge within the industry that Kubrick all but worshipped at the altar of the Scotts — both Ridley and his late brother, Tony:
"I heard repeatedly that Stanley Kubrick was very, very fond, and very much in admiration, of both Ridley and Tony Scott, in different ways."
Similarly, Villeneuve goes on to draw another fitting comparison between Ridley Scott and Kubrick. Of course, the "Blade Runner 2049" director worked closely with Scott when it came to crafting the 2017 sequel to his other classic sci-fi movie, so we're inclined to take his word for it. According to Villeneuve:
"[Ridley Scott] revolutionized science fiction by blending it with other genres, by bringing a disturbing realism. He is also one of the first filmmakers, after Kubrick, who made science fiction for adults without concession."
These are the kinds of sentiments you usually hear about filmmakers after they've retired or passed away. Luckily, Scott has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon. We'll get another chance to celebrate the legendary filmmaker when "Napoleon" bows in theaters (along with a director's cut on Apple TV+) on November 22, 2023. You can also buy a copy of Total Film's new issue here.