The Analog Future

Alien has always been considered a classic of horror sci-fi movie magic. The creature was so unique, the tension palpable. Enthralling performances. But for me the first time I saw Alien, it was the production and set design that really amazed me. I had never seen a movie like it at the time in where I believed this was a real functional ship. Gone were the sterile interiors of 2001 and instead we had an old beat-up tug boat of sorts hauling mineral ore across the galaxy. Every inch of the set looked worn, used and downright dirty. Corridors look utilitarian and cockpit seats looked like they had been over used and scared by many years of cigarette burns.

But upon closer inspection I found that the computer displays throughout the Nostromo were an absolute marvel for 1979. This to me was very striking at the time I first saw the movie, and was to change the way Sci-Fi would depict computer technology in Hollywood. It still holds up today, as we are never taken out of the movie when we see those old CRT tubes showing wireframe and geometry-based graphics across their fuzzy displays.

On this site I will be taking a closer look at as many of the random computer screens as I can make out and break down their ultimate purpose and graphic components.