SciFiWire Lists 50 SciFi Films of All Time
POSTED BY: Sniper
UPDATED: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 15:21
VIEWED: 11267
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Quote:Ehhhh...I reject the popcorn characterization- it's themes are grand, Shakespeareian even...as far as science fiction goes though, yeah, it's more of a character study than fiction tied closely to science (like STTMP was), it was more like Wrath Of Kahn in that way (only better).
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
While SERENITY is a great movie, admittedly it's more "popcorn" escapism than truly great science fiction.
Chrisisall
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Quote:No need to.
Originally posted by traveler:
Rollerball (original) Never saw the remake.
Quote:
Mysterians
Guess it's a personal thing...
Quote:NO WAY!!! The original is waaaay better IMO!!! What about that final scene where the guy's stuck outside the machine, & our hero watches him age to death- it COULDN'T happen like that!!! That made NO sense!!! That wasn't a science fiction moment, that was dumb inserted poetic justice for it's own sake!!!!
Time Machine (The remake)
Other than that it was good though.
Eloi Chrisisall
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I guess you could say that SERENITY has a lot of grand themes, although to classify them as Shakespearian is a bit of a stretch. The only Shakespearian sci-fi whose classification I can agree with is FORBIDDEN PLANET since it is based on THE TEMPEST and they both share the same idea of "if you have all the power in the universe, and your enemies are right in front of you, do you use that power to destroy them?" Even after seeing the movie five times on opening weekend, I can't really think of a great theme or a "what's it all about" idea for SERENITY. I always thought of the film as a great wrapping up of loose ends and payoff for the series.
And I agree with your views on the differences between The Motion Picture vs The Wrath of Khan. The Motion Picture was the only film to have direct influence from Roddenberry and was actually about something in terms of greater meaning. Like 2001 beforehand, it's about man's place in the universe and wondering if one can be able to be more than the sum parts of oneself and if there's the possibility to transcend. Wrath of Khan was basically them going the STAR WARS route and have a giant intergalactic pissing contest. Maybe it moved quicker than The Motion Picture and had more action, but there was no "big idea" that The Motion Picture had.
I dunno. It's been a long time since I saw WRATH OF KHAN. Maybe I need to see it again when it eventually comes out on Blu-Ray to see why everyone considers it to be the best. Personally, I always thought The Undiscovered Country was the best of the sequels, because it successfully managed to blend Roddenberry's hope for peace with Harve Bennet and Nick Meyer's action and suspense injections that were integral to it's allegorical story and the arc's of Kirk and Spock over 25 years of TREK.
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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."
Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack
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Quote:It's about the nature of evil- that it's not Satanic- it's human, born of human misconception, and beliefs that come out of pain, and also that redemption is possible- whether you've robbed banks or killed children.
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
I guess you could say that SERENITY has a lot of grand themes, although to classify them as Shakespearian is a bit of a stretch.
I can't really think of a great theme or a "what's it all about" idea for SERENITY.
See, The Operative believed 'too hard', and Mal didn't believe at all- the movie's message is to reach for common solution to life, not to retreat to an extreme to survive...that's pretty deep, IMO.
Quote:Nicholas Meyer is a GREAT writer & director, but he didn't write Wrath Of Khan...apart from some clever dialogue, WOK is pretty shabbily written, and even plain stupid from a scientific standpoint.
I dunno. It's been a long time since I saw WRATH OF KHAN. Maybe I need to see it again when it eventually comes out on Blu-Ray to see why everyone considers it to be the best.
Quote:We reach.
Personally, I always thought THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY was the best of the sequels.
Logical Chrisisall
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This list is pretty varied, meaning good and not so much. But to include Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and NOT Road Warrior is totally inexcusable!!! MMBT should not even be on this list. To even suggest that it's as good as Close Encounters, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Alien, etc.?? No way. And not to mention The Empire Strikes Back? 
But Serenity on the underappreciated sci-fi movies list should be in the No. 1 spot.
Everyone dies alone.
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A.I. Artificial Intelligence - Absolutely. I've been a champion of the film from day 1 and was not put off by the ending. Totally deserves it.
Alien - While the sequel is arguably superior, the original is still a landmark. I really can't think of another sci-fi thriller more tense than this one.
Altered States - Saw it a while ago. While really trippy at times, didn't really do anything for me when you see William Hurt turn into some weird-ass ape.
The Andromeda Strain - One of the better Crichton adaptations.
Back to the Future - More popcorn than true sci-fi, and personally I loved Part III more than the first two, but it deserves to be on the list.
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms - Popcorn.
Blade Runner - Jury's still out for me on this one. Everyone sees this as a classic, but I found it to be boring, cold and emotionless. Hopefully when I borrow my friends 5 disc Blu-Ray edition of it, I'll finally have the epiphany about it everyone else seems to have.
Children of Men - Totally agree on this one. I'd call this neo-realist sci-fi. Totally immerses you into it's world, has truly amazing action sequences and is actually about something.
A Clockwork Orange - Classic. No arguements here.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Classic as well. Perfect blend of hardcore sci-fi and popcorn escapism. Can't believe Joss lost his faith in God because of this. To me, the whole film is a metaphor for believing in a power bigger than you can comprehend and the transcendence one can get from it.
Cocoon - Never seen it, but would like to.
Contact - True hardcore sci-fi flick that blends spirituality with science perfectly.
The Day the Earth Stood Still - Classic. Will see remake with extreme prejudice because the original is so perfect.
Destination Moon - Never seen it, but can agree with it being on the list since it was pretty revolutionary at the time.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - Personally, I hated E.T. Scared the crap out of me as a kid. Objectively, more of a popcorn flick than real sci-fi.
Escape From New York - Never seen it. Could never find good DVD of it. But from concept alone, it seems more "popcorn" than true sci-fi.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Maybe a little dry and pretentious, but the concept itself is pure sci-fi with a true emotional core.
Fantastic Voyage - Popcorn through and through. INNERSPACE had more fun with the concept.
The Fly (1986) - Definitely a remake that's superior to the original.
Forbidden Planet - Classic.
Frankenstein (1931) - Classic.
The Incredible Shrinking Man - While the "pesticide radiation cloud" excuse is laughable, and the fx a bit cheesy, the main spirit shines through and the ending is just mindblowing.
Independence Day - Pure popcorn. Not sure if this should be on the list.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - While I think the remake is superior in it's bleak and terrifying ending, I can see why they'd go with the original.
The Invisible Man (1933) - OK, I'll bite.
It Came From Outer Space - A better than average 50's B movie. I'll also bite.
Jurassic Park - More popcorn than sci-fi, but the sci-fi themes do shine through on occassion, so I'll let it slide.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - Agree with others in that this shouldn't be on the list. Mind you, the MAD MAX movies have always been more action that pure sci-fi.
The Matrix - Personally I find it a knock-off of DARK CITY and that the humans are as robotic and emotionless as the machine's they're fighting. But can see why people would put it on the list.
Men in Black - A highly enjoyable movie, but not real sci-fi. Barry Sonnenfeld himself says that he sees the movie as a comedic remake of THE FRENCH CONNECTION which happens to have aliens in it. So it's a more questionable entry.
Minority Report - I'm not aware of the original ending, so I think this is a pretty solid sci-fi piece.
Planet of the Apes (1968) - Classic. No dispute whatsoever.
Repo Man - Meh. Didn't do anything for me.
RoboCop -
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Quote:Absolutely.
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
A.I. Artificial Intelligence - Absolutely. I've been a champion of the film from day 1 and was not put off by the ending. Totally deserves it.
Quote:Shirley you jest. The DVD ain't the best quality, but it sure is cheap- a must-see to find out where Cameron got one of his Terminator ideas from- and a good movie too!
Westworld - Never seen it, can't comment.
Quote:I will see this movie, I swear, no matter that it take an eternity!
As as for stuff not on the list that should've been on there, I'd like to nominate LAST NIGHT
Zodisall
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I do not jest. And don't call me Shirley.
You won't regret it when you finally see LAST NIGHT. Leaves every other disaster and end of the world movie in the dust, and you'll never listen to "Guantanamara" the same way again.
Also, you mentioned earlier the omission of the first SUPERMAN. While it's still in the top 5 of best comic book movies ever made, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as real sci-fi. The only comic book movies I'd consider to be sci-fi would be the first two X-MEN movies since they have a scientific basis and powerful allegory to their stories, as opposed to "red sun vs yellow sun" or some weird shit giving a normal person powers.
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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."
Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack
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Quote:I see your point I guess, but I think X-2 is a collection of amazing scenes, not nearly as good a movie as the first one.
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
The only comic book movies I'd consider to be sci-fi would be the first two X-MEN movies
Also, I REALLY liked I, Robot...I'd put that on the list, personally.
I did not murder himisall
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"You wanted me to cure your son. Mutation isn't a disease-"
"YOU'RE LYING!!"
That single moment elevated X2 above not only the original, but every other comic book film in the last decade. I'd put X2 in the top 5 best comic book films ever made because it takes all the stuff that was set up in the first movie and multiplies it to new heights. Stronger story, stronger characters, stronger action, stronger allegory, stronger everything.
And while we're on the topic of "classic sci-fi stories turned Will Smith vehicles", I'm holding out for the alternate version of I AM LEGEND that's going to be out next month that's supposed to have the controversial (read, original ending of the book) ending. Hopefully, this will correct the major flaw of the movie (bad fx notwithstanding) and elevate it to true classic status, or at least good status.
**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."
Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME