Left: Bill Paxton as the terrified Hudson

A selection of images from Aliens, including James Cameron behind the camera and Carrie Henn being menaced

Right: A cast shot from Aliens: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Paul Reiser, Mark Rolston, Colette Hiller, William Hope, Daniel Kash, Al Matthews, Ricco Ross, Cynthia Dale Scott, Trevor Steedman, and Tip Tipping

Cameron penned a killer script at the same time as co-writing Rambo: First BloodPart Two.

Though he mostly had a horrible time working in London, partly thanks to tea breaks and union rules repeatedly compromising his vision, Aliens pulled off that rarest of featsa sequel debatably on a par with the original, and landed Weaver a Best Actress Oscar nomination, something usually unheard of for a fantasy film.

The 1991 extended Special Edition was even better, not least because of a scene involving sentry guns, which underlined how relentless the aliens were. Piping hot from Cameron’s The Terminator, the actor known to many as Kyle Reese was cast at the last minute following James Remar’s sudden departure…

A CHAT WITH MICHAEL BIEHN (HICKS)

While plugging his 2011 sci-fi thriller The Divide, I asked the Alabama-born thespian, when he inherited the role of Hicks, how much time did he have to prep for the part?

“I got called Friday night by Gale Hurd, who produced it, and she said, ‘Is your schedule open?’ I said ‘Yes’, and she said, ‘Great, you’re leaving on Monday to start training for Aliens.’ So I had about two-and-a-half days to get ready for the role.”

Hard to believe that almost 40 years has passed since Aliens was released, and, as Avengers: Infinity War proved with its homage, new generations have warmed to its brilliance.

“It’s amazing how many young kids actually watch Aliens and say ‘Hicks is my favourite character,’ or ‘Aliens is my favourite movie of all time’, and they weren’t even born when we made it,” laughs Biehn.

THE TOYS & MERCH

On the merchandising front, the first of the 1970s Alien action figures was released by Kenner, an 18-inch detailed figure of the creature itself.

However, because it was a toy aimed at the Action Man/GI Joe market (basically kids), some parents were up in arms over its horrific qualities. (As a side note, my mate bought one for a few quid in 1979. It’s now worth around £1,500).Inspired by their success with a similar Star Wars product, Kenner also released an Alien Movie Viewer, a hand-cranked Viewmaster-style toy with what looked like a thrilled seven-year-old on the box. Also not a wise move, though now it’s wonderfully inappropriate.