How the Creation of the ‘Alien’ Suit Brought the Surreal Biomechanical Illustrations of H.R. Giger to Life
CinemaTyler took a deep dive into how the Alien suit for the original Ridley Scott film was created, using illustrations by H.R. Giger to provide the nightmarish framework for the creature. While the construction of the suit involved a great deal of planning by filmmaker Scott and special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi to build the suit and make it fit actor Bolaji Badejo, it was Giger who internalized the difficult process of making the Alien come to life, even if it was only for three minutes of screen time.
From the initial fear of a “man in a rubber suit” to Giger’s surreal biomechanical designs, we follow the production’s struggles with mechanical failures, last-minute redesigns, conflicting egos, and budget pressures. You’ll see how the creature’s iconic head came together thanks to Carlo Rambaldi’s mechanical wizardry, how alien-actor Bolaji Badejo was discovered in a London pub, and how HR Giger slowly descended into frustration, exhaustion, and even nightmares as he fought to bring his art to life.
Giger and The ‘Derelict Sequence’
How the ‘Alien Facehugger’ Was Made
