A closer look
Director Ridley Scott kept the cast of the 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien completely in the dark about the details of the infamous chestburster scene, neglecting to mention that high-pressure blood pumps were hidden under the table. When the alien puppet viciously smashed through John Hurt's prosthetic torso, the terrified reactions of the other actors were completely genuine as they were suddenly sprayed with real animal blood and guts obtained from a local butcher. Veronica Cartwright actually passed out from the shock of the visceral explosion, giving Scott exactly the authentic look of absolute sheer terror he was hoping for. It is a classic example of a brilliant Hollywood auteur deciding that minor workplace trauma is an entirely acceptable price to pay for a really good cinematic jump scare
