Eyes vs no eyes. Which is best?

dk

I think not seeing the eyes is scarier since you can't be sure whether or not it knows you are there. It is just more unsettling not knowing what or where the Alien is looking or even knowing how it "sees". What do you think? Please state why.

ninXeno426

I love the fact that they don't have eyes,i mean Giger's original did,but the dark corridors of the Nostromo never allowed them to be seen.The reason i like them not seeing is that it makes them even more alien to us,thus more fearful.If they had eyes,it'd give them some human quality,something for us to identify with which would take some fear out of them.

dk

ninXeno426- Agreed. Humans look at facial features. Eyes are usually the first we focus on. With no eyes, it is more difficult to determine intent; we become more focused on the business end- those teeth- predatorial teeth.

ninXeno426

A face with eyes can go a long way to make something sympathetic(the newborn is a good example).But a face with no eyes and full of teeth and that parasitic tongue allow it to show no sympathy or remorse.

dk

......or even sadistic pleasure. It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul; the eyes are actually the only viewable part of the brain normally. To any being that cues off eye contact, not having that automatically instills fear to that being while giving an advantage to the one whose eyes cannot be seen if there are any eyes at all. Sorry to sound quasi poetic but that detail to the Alien is the most important thing to me in making it scary.

Apex_Predator

I find it interesting that these aliens have to what appears a human skull inside their head. This raises interesting questions as to wether the xeno is an evolution of a human/engineer or a predecessor to it. Or perhaps is somewhat releated to us. If we take a look at what prometheus was setting up to do as far as a story goes. It was to show us creation and ancient beings.

  If we take a look at some civilizations from the past, they were trying to elongate their skulls which resemble a xeno skull in this instance.

dk

Apex_Predator

Interesting point. I am unfamiliar with civilizations attempting to elongate skulls though it sounds familiar. We have empirical evidence of other historical modifications- controlling foot size by basically squishing feet, making necks longer with rings because a culture liked it for whatever reason.

S.M

Doesn't make much difference.  The eye sockets aren't visible in the film, so either works.

dk

SM

"Doesn't make much difference.  The eye sockets aren't visible in the film, so either works."

How can either work if only one is on film as you pointed out? What is your basis for comparison? As Ash asked- "What is the point?"

S.M

Neither are "on film" despite the eye sockets being behind the dome.  We only know they're there because of production stills.  You can't see them on screen, so, as I said, either works.

BMacReady

I prefer the eyes or subtle reference to the eyes behind the dome more specifically. More creepy and scary and much more mysterious IMO. I never could understand why James Cameron chose to loose the domes? One of the most beautiful and fascinating parts of the beast.

S.M

The domes wouldn't stand up to the punishment during stunts and Cameron found the sculpting job on the ribbing more interesting.

chli

No eyes. It also suggests that the xenomorph has other senses to detect you with . . .

Starlogger

No eyes, at least none that can be seen. Only that gray black translucent "shield" covering the head: the "carapace", to wit. NOTHING matches the original xeno in the original 1979 movie. THAT thing was "perfect". I hate that it's gotten watered down with all the subtypes and etc...

Neomorph

I generally prefer no eyes, it enhanced the sense of "fear of the unknown" for the classic xeno.

The exception being the Newborn though, as it was scarier with its black doll eyes imo. 

ali81

no eyes is def the biggest fear as they don't need them and the fear factor being that no matter where u hide, it will find u. it suggests also that, within a certain distance, it always knows where u r.

Movie fan

Have you noticed how the left image looks more like the alien in the poster rather than the H.R. Giger alien?

Thoughts_Dreams

I would say no eyes because then you can imagine that it detects things with other senses which makes it possible that there is something that they have that we don’t. This makes it more alien/unknown which makes a better scare factor IMO.

BigDave

While the skull under the dome is freaky... i think we never got to see it much, and so the iconic image always seems to be that you cant see the Eyes.

I think this version works best.

But that does not mean to say a different species could not be explored with Eyes....  as Alien Concept we had a No-Eye and Eyed variations and both looked different...

Prometheus we have varied concepts of Fifield, Deacon, Ultramorphs and Shaws Xeno C-Section that some had no eyes and others had them.

Draconid

In the original alien film, that particular Xenomorph has a humanoid skull inside its carapace (elongated cylindrical head). I believe Xenomorphs do have actual humanoid eyes inside their somewhat translucent carapaces. This is a great adaptation because their eyes remain safely inside their exoskeleton. There's a real species that have similar physiology, a deep sea fish, see Macropinna microstoma.

All in all, when a Xenomorph larva gestates inside a human it draws genetic material from its host. That's why it inherits a humanoid skull with eyes and all, it's just that we can't see any of this because it's hidden away inside it's domed head.

Draconid

In the original alien film, that particular Xenomorph has a humanoid skull inside its carapace (elongated cylindrical head). I believe Xenomorphs do have actual humanoid eyes inside their somewhat translucent carapaces. This is a great adaptation because their eyes remain safely inside their exoskeleton. There's a real species that have similar physiology, a deep sea fish, see Macropinna microstoma.

All in all, when a Xenomorph larva gestates inside a human it draws genetic material from its host. That's why it inherits a humanoid skull with eyes and all, it's just that we can't see any of this because it's hidden away inside it's domed head.