The two films that cemented Ridley Scott as a titan of sci-fi, Blade Runner and Alien, crossover in a subtle but satisfying Easter egg reference. Usually in Hollywood, it's the actors onscreen that become potential draws for moviegoers, with signing on a big name or two always a priority for studios. In rarer cases, a director themselves will put together a dependable enough track record that their name alone can become its own type of draw.
Some such directors include James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, and according to many, Ridley Scott would also belong on that list. Scott's second feature was 1979's Alien, which went on to become arguably the greatest mix of sci-fi and horror ever produced, and also give birth to a franchise that seemingly won't die. Scott's next effort was 1982's Blade Runner, which itself went on to become one of the most influential and highly regarded sci-fi films ever made.
Scott obviously didn't stop there, crafting further hits like Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and American Gangster. But it's Alien and Blade Runner that put him on the map, and it's those two that many of his devotees would still hold up as his best works. To put the cherry on top, one Easter Egg proves a direct connection between the pair.
Blade Runner's Computer Screen Easter Egg Explained
Near the end of Alien, when Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is preparing to launch her escape shuttle Narcissus after initiating the Nostromo's self-destruct sequence, a computer display is shown like the one seen above. Later, in Blade Runner, Gaff (Edward James Olmos) goes to retrieve Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and take him back to the police station, and before his flying car takes off, the exact same screen is shown. While there exist other ties between Alien and Blade Runner in officially sanctioned material outside the films themselves, this is the only explicit onscreen connection between the two.
Of course, since Blade Runner is set in the then far off year of 2019 and Alien is set in 2122, that begs the question of why the Nostromo is utilizing such severely outdated technology. The answer may lie in the fact that the Nostromo clearly isn't a high budget operation, and one assumes that along with being evil, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation are probably also really stingy in how they choose to spend their money. Upgrading what's essentially a space tow truck probably isn't at the top of their to-do list.