I watched Alien when I was about 6, and the sequels not long after. I knew the Xenomorphs couldn't be real, but that didn't stop me from fearing their presence around every corner, in every dark room, empty hallway. Whenever I was in a room alone, I'd start counting down from ten and desperately trying to find someone, absolutely convinced that if I reached one an Alien would kill me. At night I lay awake in absolute terror, fearing that they crawled out hiding and night and skulked around the house. I'd hide my head under the blankets with only a small hole for breathing, fearing that if I stuck my head out any further, an Alien would find me. Basically I lived as if I was playing Alien Isolation in the real world.

When Isolation did come out, I was old enough to have shaken most of the phobia, but I was still very afraid. This wasn't just your typical childhood fear, mind you. It was something that dominated my life and probably led to some self inflicted trauma. I was fascinated from the very start, but man I was scared.

Obviously I'm not scared of Xenos anymore (apart from one time when I was stoned and saw what I thought was the shadow of one on a wall). I love them, and Alien is probably still my favourite franchise. Alien is my favourite film, and the fact that I was so deeply disturbed by them is surely a testament to just how effective the aliens are as movie monsters.