Ridley Scott's science fiction horror film "Alien" is a classic.

Sequels have kept the franchise alive, but much like "Jaws" the first is almost always the best. Some prefer James Cameron's "Aliens" but there is no mistaking when fans saw "Alien" for the first time, they had not seen anything like it. Most notable is the chest-bursting scene. If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the movie, or read "Alien Vault: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film."

Fans of the original, which hit theaters in 1979, are steadfast, and cling to it, and for good reason. "Alien" is riveting tale of a mining ship crew that discovers a strange creature has inhabited its vessel. In the book, Scott says, "Alien is just a haunted house movie ... Fundamentally, it's a B-movie, but a pretty good one."

It's suspense, without much gore, at its finest, and the book details all the behind-the-scenes nuggets that helped bring the idea to the big screen.

It's loaded with concept drawings, storyboard art and behind-the-scenes photos. Some of the best photos are that of 6-foot-10 actor Bolaji Badejo, who donned the alien suit.

That's just the start. "Alien Vault" tells the story of how the film was made and much more.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo