Favorite sci-fi movies?

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max808
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Favorite sci-fi movies?

#1

Post by max808 »

Having gone through the archives and seeing a lot of interest in sci-fi shows, but no thread for sci-fi movies I decided to make one. By far my favorite genre it was hard enough to get it down to this top 10 just for the 20th century. Comments on each movie and maybe top 10 for each decade will be added later on. Feel free to discuss anything sci-fi related on here, with a focus on feature length. Looking forward to see your favorites in whatever format you see fit. My lists are chronological, like my steelbook collection...
:cheap-sunglasses

1] Metropolis (1927)
2] Barbarella (1968)
3] Alien (1979)
4] Blade Runner (1982)
5] Dune (1984)
6] Back to the Future II (1989)
7] Terminator 2 (1991)
8] Stargate (1994)
9] Mars Attacks (1995)
10] Le Cinquième Elément (1997)

For the record Twilight Zone rules but Special Agents Mulder and Cooper dominated the nineties for good reason! And don't forget Scully...
:cheap-sunglasses
Last edited by max808 on Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#2

Post by James Y »

Hi, Max! Great idea for a thread.

This is kinda hard, because I know I'm gonna forget to mention some of my favorite sci-fi films. The list below is not necessarily in order of favorites, just listed as they come to mind:

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Aliens (1986)
Gojira (Godzilla, original version; 1954)
King Kong (1933)
Atragon (1963)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2 (1991)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Dark City (1998)
Back to the Future (1985)
Akira (sci-fi anime film; 1988)
Radon (Rodan, original version; 1956)
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)
The Matrix (1998)
Frankenstein vs Baragon (AKA Frankenstein Conquers the World, original version; 1965)
War of the Gargantuas (1966)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Time After Time (1979)
Starman (1984)
Prince of Darkness (1987)

I'm certain there's more that I've forgotten to list at the moment.

As for The X-Files, I liked the series, especially the one-off "monster of the week" episodes in the early seasons. But I didn't like the ongoing government/alien conspiracy episodes, and IMO, the series ran for too long, and had too many bad episodes when they ran out of ideas. And I didn't like either of the X-Files movies.

Jim
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#3

Post by TomAiello »

max808 wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:43 am
10] Le Cinquième Elément (1997)
Lelou Dallas Multipass!

I actually really enjoyed the new Blade Runner reboot. I thought it was very well done and stayed faithful to the feel of the original, while being more accessible to a 'less hard sci fi' audience.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#4

Post by TomAiello »

On a recent flight I watched Interstellar (2014) and quite enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it and you're into Sci Fi, definitely check it out.

I also like the film version of The Martian, but I admit I liked the book substantially more. I've really enjoyed his books (like Project Hail Mary and Artemis) quite a lot.

Not a film, but The Expanse (book series and television show) is definitely worth checking out as well.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#5

Post by James Y »

I forgot to mention:

A Clockwork Orange (1971).

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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#6

Post by JSumm »

I think one of my top favorites is Interstellar. It's one of the few I have watched several times.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#7

Post by Bdubs808 »

Another fan of Interstellar here, by far one of my top 3 favorite SciFi films. The new Dune is pretty awesome too but I have to wait and see the second half.
SciFi is definitely my favorite genre of film and books.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#8

Post by James Y »

Interstellar was good.

Another good one was:
Event Horizon (1997)

Almost forgot all about what is possibly my favorite sci-fi film of all:
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#9

Post by rangefinder »

There's no way I could limit this list to only 10 films. This isn't a complete list, but here are some favorites with some comments:

* Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi -- But I haven't cared for any of the prequels, sequels, or spinoffs I've seen so far. I've heard "Rogue One" is good, but haven't seen it.
* Alien, Aliens, and to a lesser extent, Prometheus and Alien:Covenant
* Terminator, T2
* Blade Runner, Blade Runner:2049
* Mad Max, The Road Warrior
* 2001:A Space Odyssey
* TRON -- Haven't seen the sequel, but I've heard it's OK.
* Men In Black -- Silly, but fun.
* Serenity -- Although I like the TV show better.
* Damnation Alley -- I haven't seen this in years (probably decades) so it's very possible my memory is making it seem better than it really is!
* Star Trek II:The Wrath Of Khan -- I like most of the different "Star Trek" TV series, but this is the only "Star Trek" film that I'd put in a "favorites" list.
* Ghost In The Shell (anime) + Dark City = The Matrix
* Tremors
* The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension!
* 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea -- The classic Disney version.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#10

Post by TomAiello »

rangefinder wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 9:56 pm
* Serenity -- Although I like the TV show better.
Yes. Both parts.

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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#11

Post by Doc Dan »

Forbidden Planet (1956)
War of the Worlds (1953)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The Blob (1958)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Them! (1954)
Alien (1979)
Godzilla (1953 Japanese original)
20,000,000 Miles to Earth
The Fly (1958)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Predator (1987)
Last edited by Doc Dan on Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#12

Post by James Y »

Quartermass and the Pit (AKA Five Million Years to Earth; 1967)

Earth vs the Spider (1958)

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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#13

Post by shunsui »

Add

Avatar
The Abyss
Lucy
Pitch Black
Star Trek (2009)

Seems like a lot of sequels were great films.

Terminator2
Aliens
Star Trek II (Kahn)
The Road Warrior

Some remakes were better than the original.

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

Some movies spawned great TV series.

Stargate
12 Monkeys

Some movies were just fun to watch.

Push (2009)
Night of the Comet (1984)
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#14

Post by max808 »

Awesome guys, thanks for all the contributions and favorites so far, my lists will definitely need updating. Keep em coming!
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#15

Post by max808 »

1] Metropolis (1927)

by Fritz Lang & Erich Pommer
runtime 02:30:01
aspect ratio 1.37:1
released 10/01/1927 DE
budget > 5.3 million Reichsmark
box office > 75,000 Reichsmark

Saw this first in college in the then groundbreaking Giorgio Moroder edition with lots of synthesizers and newly discovered never before seen footage and such. Even in this cheesy eighties version on VHS it left quite an impression on me, point in case the latest remastered 150 minute blu-ray steelbook that just arrived today. After several years of looking I finally was able to track down a used copy in mint condition at a reasonable price. Just watched the blu-ray disc and it is flawless, even though its theatrical 1.37:1 aspect ratio is better than previous 1.33:1 editions, I still used a wide zoom function on my Sony tv to at least get a full frame 1.78:1 image.

Yes, I am a sucker for anamorphic/panoramic 2.35:1 pictures and have been duped by severely cropped "widescreen" edition DVDs too many times, reason I started updating my sci-fi collection to blu-ray once I discovered that new format. And then I discovered steelbooks and the rest is history. 5 years and 100 specimens later there's only a few classics left to source while supply is dropping and demand and especially prices are climbing. Which is why this ultra rare/OOS/HTF/OOP/OMG! Metropolis one is such a precious gem, it is the first and arguably most influential film of its kind, depicting a universal class struggle between man & machine, spawning an entire genre and inspiring everything that came after it.

The DVD that came with the steelbook was severely scratched so will get binned and replaced with another blu-ray with a different cut on it. Perhaps the most noble Murnau Stiftung is working on a final cut in 4k with integrated 16mm footage from their latest discovery or a director's cut from a private collection somewhere... anything is possible these days and with the centennial coming up we should be hopeful. If you haven't seen Metropolis yet, make it top of your list. Any version will do, it's the original space opera and actually a lot of fun to compare different cuts/transfers, ánd you can play your favorite music cuz there's no talkies yet! Hence the hilarious mime acting...
:cheap-sunglasses

Edited to add correct date and some specs, also to say that after watching it again on blu-ray the other day, this time in its original aspect ratio, it truly is a visionary work of art and relevant more than ever.
Last edited by max808 on Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#16

Post by max808 »

James Y wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:27 pm
Interstellar was good.

Another good one was:
Event Horizon (1997)

Almost forgot all about what is possibly my favorite sci-fi film of all:
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

Jim
Thanks Jim, John Carpenter's The Thing just came in today and I'm watching it for the first time as we speak. Had heard a lot of great things about it and the practical effects are out of this world. The scene in the husky kennel when the thing is first revealed looks amazing, especially considering it was made 40 years ago. Also it's the uncut version, which I'm always a sucker for, at 01:48:34. Perhaps we can compare runtimes? :cheap-sunglasses

The remake from a couple years ago is pretty good too and is actually a prequel so I'm watching the story in chronological order. Talented Dutch director Matthijs van Heyningen Jr. who made that prequel, got a lot of heat for using digital instead of practical effects, but I feel like he did a great job and stayed very true to The Thing from 1982.

From previous discussions you already know my thoughts on Event Horizon and how I consider it a modern masterpiece, but Interstellar for some reason didn't grab my attention the way it did most people's. Perhaps it's a bit too nihilist in tone for me but once I'm able to play the 4K disc I'll be sure to give it another try. Thank you for your contributions to this thread and stay safe out there Sir.

max
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#17

Post by max808 »

TomAiello wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:58 am
max808 wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:43 am
10] Le Cinquième Elément (1997)
Lelou Dallas Multipass!
Yeah Lelou, she knows it's a multipass... rolls eyes
:cheap-sunglasses

Also Bruce Willis with hair!
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#18

Post by max808 »

Doc Dan wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:04 pm
Forbidden Planet (1956)
War of the Worlds (1953)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The Blob (1958)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Them! (1954)
Alien (1979)
Godzilla (1953 Japanese original)
20,000,000 Miles to Earth
The Fly (1958)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Awesome list Doc, funny how your picks kinda suggest your age.
:cheap-sunglasses
I would add 20,000 Leagues under the Sea to your vintage list, being one of Disney's first blockbusters and even predating Forbidden Planet by a couple years. What a treat to see the naked gun in his breakthrough performance in that one, also listed as the first movie to use an entirely digital soundtrack.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#19

Post by max808 »

rangefinder wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 9:56 pm
There's no way I could limit this list to only 10 films. This isn't a complete list, but here are some favorites with some comments:

* Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi -- But I haven't cared for any of the prequels, sequels, or spinoffs I've seen so far. I've heard "Rogue One" is good, but haven't seen it.
* Alien, Aliens, and to a lesser extent, Prometheus and Alien:Covenant
* Terminator, T2
* Blade Runner, Blade Runner:2049
* Mad Max, The Road Warrior
* 2001:A Space Odyssey
* TRON -- Haven't seen the sequel, but I've heard it's OK.
* Men In Black -- Silly, but fun.
* Serenity -- Although I like the TV show better.
* Damnation Alley -- I haven't seen this in years (probably decades) so it's very possible my memory is making it seem better than it really is!
* Star Trek II:The Wrath Of Khan -- I like most of the different "Star Trek" TV series, but this is the only "Star Trek" film that I'd put in a "favorites" list.
* Ghost In The Shell (anime) + Dark City = The Matrix
* Tremors
* The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension!
* 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea -- The classic Disney version.
Great list rangefinder, all classics and several I haven't seen yet so will have to start looking for some of those hidden gems. Having seen both Trons, I feel like the original outshines the sequel in every way, even the graphics are more appealing to me but you could argue that the sequel has superior picture quality and effects. Also check out Rogue One, it's one of the most visceral and human stories to come out of the Star Wars universe.
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Re: Favorite sci-fi movies?

#20

Post by Doc Dan »

max808 wrote:
Thu Jul 07, 2022 7:47 am
Doc Dan wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:04 pm
Forbidden Planet (1956)
War of the Worlds (1953)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The Blob (1958)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Them! (1954)
Alien (1979)
Godzilla (1953 Japanese original)
20,000,000 Miles to Earth
The Fly (1958)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Awesome list Doc, funny how your picks kinda suggest your age.
:cheap-sunglasses
I would add 20,000 Leagues under the Sea to your vintage list, being one of Disney's first blockbusters and even predating Forbidden Planet by a couple years. What a treat to see the naked gun in his breakthrough performance in that one, also listed as the first movie to use an entirely digital soundtrack.
I haven't been wowed by any modern scifi movies, to be frank. Tremors is a monster movie instead of scifi. The Thing was good, and followed the short story really well. As a movie, though, I prefer The Thing From Another World version. Most of the remakes of older scifi movies I find disappointing for many reasons. They rely on special effects, some not as good as the original no matter the advancements in technology. The acting is often poor, like 1950's C movie poor. I find the vision lacking. Star Trek really lost its way with the latest movies and even the TV shows. I did enjoy Predator and forgot to add it to my list. I'll do that.
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Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)



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