Ed, I heard storied about it from older kids as a 10 years or so, being monsters fan all my life I was waiting and waiting and waiting, finally a friend of friends gave me for w weekend first two (pirated) parts on VHS, watched that afternoon both. That was a defining moment, one of them for me. I spend most of boring lessons in school drawing xenomorphs and sci-fi stuff, searching info and Gigers artworks (pre-internet times) Then was Alien 3 that was dissappointing and given I watched it for the first time in Paris in French TV I didn't understand a single word then lol
Now I regard it as good, Fincher had his idea studio killed as I look at it. I hate Cameron for what he did, for introduction of Queen (because humanto egg transformation sucks?) and turning mightly Unknown into stupid oversized ants. Ok, it's very good movie with great acting (why oh why Biehn never made it to the AAA actors club?) and scenography, effects, but... ants, grrr!