Ridley Scott’s Alien crash landed in theaters 40 years ago, on May 25, 1979, creating a massive cultural impact in both horror and cinema, and it started an enduring franchise that’s still going strong. Sequels, crossovers, copycats, video games, an official Alien Day, an upcoming documentary delving into the meaning behind the horror, and countless think pieces and essays celebrating just about every possible aspect of the film have kept the film at the forefront of the genre in the decades since release. May the conversation around one of horror’s best movies never cease. And may the merchandise never stop coming either. For the 40th anniversary of Alien, we look back at some of the weirdest merchandise the 1979 film has inspired.
Alien Board Game
In case anyone had forgotten (I know you haven’t), Alien is pure R-rated terror. It makes the game’s objective even more amusing, considering the ages 7+ game sees its players guiding their crew members through the ship to the safety of the escape pod while using their Alien to eliminate the crew members belonging to other players. So, it’s basically pitting kids against each other as they pick each other off one by one. Cool!
Alien Movie Viewer
Kenner went to town with marketing Alien toys aimed at kids, and this is one of the more surprising ones. The Movie Viewer toy would let kids put a cassette into it and turn the knob, playing out the 60 seconds of movie footage contained on the cassette. Without sound. It was a clever way to introduce kids to a movie, therefore making them want to buy toys related to that movie. But again, Alien isn’t a movie for kids. Even with a 60-second highlight real, it might be a bit too scary.
Alien Blaster Target Set
In terms of harmless toys, this one isn’t so out there. HG Toys released a giant target set that came with a “laser” gun, three safety balls, and a 30” inch Xenomorph to put on your wall. It would move when you hit a target in the arms or head, but it was the belly button that was the sweet spot- shooting your safety ball into its belly button hole triggered a weird ringing sound as if you won. Ok. So, this list is starting to make me wish I was a kid again.
Alien (Atari 2600)
Video game tie-ins to movies isn’t that weird at all. It happens all the time. But the Atari 2600 isn’t exactly the crowning achievement in video game technology, and the games were fairly basic. In terms of gameplay, the player is a human collecting alien eggs while avoiding three aliens. In other words, it’s a Pac-Man clone. With a little bit of Frogger thrown in. Save for a nice cover box, there’s very little Alien inside. But again, that’s Atari 2600 in a nutshell.
HG Toys Alien Egg Puzzle
This one is less weird, and more “I want one.” This simple item is an Easter egg filled with puzzle pieces to assemble your own Xenomorph. That happens to be doing the “Thriller” dance, I think. Either way, it’s a fun little movie tie-in.
Kenner Alien Figure
This 18” figure is pretty cool, and sells for a ton of money on eBay today. But when it hit shelves in 1979? Angry parents weren’t having any of it, and sent tons of complaints and letters to Kenner letting them know. They wound up pulling the “too scary for kids” toy off the shelves. For a bunch of merchandise from an R-rated horror movie aimed at kids, the action figure is where parents drew the line.
Alien Next Door Book
Because even the Alien needs love, too? This twisted picture book for adults, by Joey Spiotto, is a touching and funny tribute to Giger’s iconic monster. See how the Alien tends to Jonesy the cat, keeps his abode tidy, and relaxes when not confronting humans. I don’t know that anyone involved with the 1979 film saw this book coming.
Mondo Alien Facehugger Ski Mask
Mondo is an Austin, TX-based company that specializes in screen-printed posters for films, shows, and comics, but they’ve branched out into vinyl soundtracks, toys, collectibles, and apparel. In other words, it’s a haven for cinephiles. And they may have cornered the market on unique ski masks with this 2016 Alien Day release. Potential burglars now have the capability of looking stylish, if you happened to snag one during its 2016 run, that is.
Xenomorph Egg Set in Collectible Carton
From Neca, this glow-in-the-dark set includes 6 Xenomorph eggs and 3 facehuggers with bendable tails. In an egg carton. And again, it glows in the dark. There’s no shortage of action figures, figurines, and collectibles in the Alien franchise, and this egg set is highly detailed and pretty cool. But it’s also kind of strange. Because egg carton.
Alien Snorkel Mask
An officially-licensed exclusive by Think Geek, this is a rare collectible item that provides utility as well. A snorkel mask shaped like a facehugger, you can now take your Alien fandom with you into the water. Move over Jaws? This snorkel mask is definitely one of the more creative pieces of Alien merchandise out there.
This doesn’t even begin to cover the weirdness that set in with Aliens arrived. What are your most coveted (and strangest) Alien collectibles?
