Post by aric on Oct 2, 2005 20:35:40 GMT -5
Here's a list of my favorite science fiction films. The Family Film thread was a little too restrictive. And of course, I don't have to remind people they can start their own threads and list their personal favorite movies.
Alien
This is perhaps the quintessential horror-science fiction film. The alien is like nothing that appeared before, though it's been copied ever since. The movie is also notable for its strong leading female in the persona of Sigourney Weaver. No damsel in distress here. Well, she is sort of, but all the men have been eaten...
I don't think this is the absolute best of the series. Perhaps second best after its sequal.
Aliens
The sequal to Alien. Weaver/Ripley has to go back to the planet where they found the alien in order to see what happened to the colony that was established there. This time, there isn't just one but a butt-load of aliens. I think this movie, more than any other, introduced be to a Darwinian, amoral universe. I loved it.
Also, the movie continued the anti-corporation themes of the first film. As you can tell, it has stuck with me even till today.
Blade Runner
This is a proto-cyberpunk movie that came out in 1982. It's about a future where corporations dominate an Earth whose resources have been exhausted. Humanity has moved out to the stars, and to help them, the corporations have created replicant androids. Almost identical to humans, the story of Blade Runner explores ideas of humanity.
Directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed Alien, the first version got skewered by the movie companies. There is a better director's cut out there. It changes the story a bit with a surprise twist ending.
Dark City
Aliens have created a city which they have populated with humans. There, they observe and experiment on them so that their own dying race can live.
The movie is a post-modern science fiction noir film. Yeah, you heard me. It has great imagery, especially when the aliens Tune. It's broadly similar to Blade Runner in that it explores issues of self and humanity. Roger Ebert named it the best film of 1998.
Predator
In the jungles of Central America, a special forces team is stalked by an intergalactic hunter. I saw this when I was fairly young. I love it to this day. It's one of the better action/science fiction films of the 1980s.
Running man
It's about a game show where convicts are put through an obstacle course of death! A satire about American violence in movies and television (ironic, considering the movie's own violence content), it's a fun movie to watch. Another of Schwarzenegger's good movies from the 80s.
Total Recall
Adapted from one of Philip K. Dick's short stories, it involves intrigue, Mars, and ancient Martian technology. Another extremely violent movie from Schwarzenegger. The Martian vistas are excellent. The ideas of memory determining who you are (something that was partially explored in Blade Runner [another film adapted from Dick's works] and is also explored here) sort of take a back seat to the action. However, if you want to think about them, they're there.
Star Wars
Great Stuff. 'Nuff said.
Flight of the Navigator
Mentioned in the family Film thread.
The Last Starfighter
Mentioned in the family film thread.
The War of the Worlds
I especially liked the version from the 50s and the new one with Tom Cruise in it. All other versions made are incredibly bad. And of course, you should all read the book, which is free to download or view.
The Thing From Another World
AKA "The Thing." There are currently two versions that I know of. The first one was made in the fifties. It takes place in the Antarctic wastelands. Scientists there discover a flying saucer buried in the ice. They also find its pilot. After bringing back the frozen remains of the pilot, it thaws and wreaks havoc.
It's a classic fifties sci-fi flick. It spawned the phrase "Watch the Skies!"
There was another one made in the early 80s. This one was a bit edgier. The fifties version had some sort of plant as the alien. The newer one has a sort of shape shifter. It can infect you and take over your body, converting your cells into alien cells, making an exact duplicate of you. The special effects, while a bit outdated, are still a bit shocking if you're seeing them for the first time.
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial
Mentioned in the family film thread.
2001: A Space Odyssey
One of the all time best science fiction films ever made. Some have said it is boring, but those people are philistines who are incapable of appreciating science fiction high art.
In the year 2001, a mission to Jupiter has been launched to investigate the existence of a gigantic monolith in Jupiter's orbit. From the dawn of Man to the birth of the Starchild, 2001 is epic and mysterious (until 2010: The Year We Make Contact reveals everything...).
It's a must-see.
Spaceballs
A spoof of almost every major science fiction film to come out. It's hilarious. The Spaceballs are in the habit of stealing air from planets. Only Lonestar and his sidekick Barf can stop them and save the Princess Vespa!
Contact
Like 2001, this is a "hard" science fiction film. Jodie Foster is great as the protagonist who finds a radio signal from aliens and helps construct a wormhole device to meet them. Written by Carl Sagan, it's a bit critical of religion, though the ending sort of redeems religious themes... Anyway, it's largely a good film.
Planet of the Apes
The original, nor the crappy remake.
Astronauts on a spaceship crash and on a planet dominated by apes. A lot of social commentary here, especially about evolution. Science Fiction is always a great tool for exploring such issus in an entertaining way. The original Planet of the Apes is no exception. There's a famous twist at the end. One that's spoofed by Spaceballs...
Jurassic Park
Does anything need to be said about this film? It's the only film I've ever seen three times. It's also the best dinosaur film ever made, though Disney's Dinosaur ranks a close second, for me.
The book is better, though. It's a lot darker than the movie. The only part that even apporaches the atmosphere of the book is the T-Rex sequence when it attacks the cars and the children.
The Fifth Element
Milla Jovovich is HOT!!! Ahem. Anyway, it's about a cab driver who helps the supreme being (Milla, dear Milla) stop the evil Zorg and prevent a killer planetoid from destroying all life on earth yadda yadda yadda. Did I mention Milla Jovovich is HOT?
That's it for now. I'll post more when I think of them.
- Aric
Alien
This is perhaps the quintessential horror-science fiction film. The alien is like nothing that appeared before, though it's been copied ever since. The movie is also notable for its strong leading female in the persona of Sigourney Weaver. No damsel in distress here. Well, she is sort of, but all the men have been eaten...
I don't think this is the absolute best of the series. Perhaps second best after its sequal.
Aliens
The sequal to Alien. Weaver/Ripley has to go back to the planet where they found the alien in order to see what happened to the colony that was established there. This time, there isn't just one but a butt-load of aliens. I think this movie, more than any other, introduced be to a Darwinian, amoral universe. I loved it.
Also, the movie continued the anti-corporation themes of the first film. As you can tell, it has stuck with me even till today.
Blade Runner
This is a proto-cyberpunk movie that came out in 1982. It's about a future where corporations dominate an Earth whose resources have been exhausted. Humanity has moved out to the stars, and to help them, the corporations have created replicant androids. Almost identical to humans, the story of Blade Runner explores ideas of humanity.
Directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed Alien, the first version got skewered by the movie companies. There is a better director's cut out there. It changes the story a bit with a surprise twist ending.
Dark City
Aliens have created a city which they have populated with humans. There, they observe and experiment on them so that their own dying race can live.
The movie is a post-modern science fiction noir film. Yeah, you heard me. It has great imagery, especially when the aliens Tune. It's broadly similar to Blade Runner in that it explores issues of self and humanity. Roger Ebert named it the best film of 1998.
Predator
In the jungles of Central America, a special forces team is stalked by an intergalactic hunter. I saw this when I was fairly young. I love it to this day. It's one of the better action/science fiction films of the 1980s.
Running man
It's about a game show where convicts are put through an obstacle course of death! A satire about American violence in movies and television (ironic, considering the movie's own violence content), it's a fun movie to watch. Another of Schwarzenegger's good movies from the 80s.
Total Recall
Adapted from one of Philip K. Dick's short stories, it involves intrigue, Mars, and ancient Martian technology. Another extremely violent movie from Schwarzenegger. The Martian vistas are excellent. The ideas of memory determining who you are (something that was partially explored in Blade Runner [another film adapted from Dick's works] and is also explored here) sort of take a back seat to the action. However, if you want to think about them, they're there.
Star Wars
Great Stuff. 'Nuff said.
Flight of the Navigator
Mentioned in the family Film thread.
The Last Starfighter
Mentioned in the family film thread.
The War of the Worlds
I especially liked the version from the 50s and the new one with Tom Cruise in it. All other versions made are incredibly bad. And of course, you should all read the book, which is free to download or view.
The Thing From Another World
AKA "The Thing." There are currently two versions that I know of. The first one was made in the fifties. It takes place in the Antarctic wastelands. Scientists there discover a flying saucer buried in the ice. They also find its pilot. After bringing back the frozen remains of the pilot, it thaws and wreaks havoc.
It's a classic fifties sci-fi flick. It spawned the phrase "Watch the Skies!"
There was another one made in the early 80s. This one was a bit edgier. The fifties version had some sort of plant as the alien. The newer one has a sort of shape shifter. It can infect you and take over your body, converting your cells into alien cells, making an exact duplicate of you. The special effects, while a bit outdated, are still a bit shocking if you're seeing them for the first time.
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial
Mentioned in the family film thread.
2001: A Space Odyssey
One of the all time best science fiction films ever made. Some have said it is boring, but those people are philistines who are incapable of appreciating science fiction high art.
In the year 2001, a mission to Jupiter has been launched to investigate the existence of a gigantic monolith in Jupiter's orbit. From the dawn of Man to the birth of the Starchild, 2001 is epic and mysterious (until 2010: The Year We Make Contact reveals everything...).
It's a must-see.
Spaceballs
A spoof of almost every major science fiction film to come out. It's hilarious. The Spaceballs are in the habit of stealing air from planets. Only Lonestar and his sidekick Barf can stop them and save the Princess Vespa!
Contact
Like 2001, this is a "hard" science fiction film. Jodie Foster is great as the protagonist who finds a radio signal from aliens and helps construct a wormhole device to meet them. Written by Carl Sagan, it's a bit critical of religion, though the ending sort of redeems religious themes... Anyway, it's largely a good film.
Planet of the Apes
The original, nor the crappy remake.
Astronauts on a spaceship crash and on a planet dominated by apes. A lot of social commentary here, especially about evolution. Science Fiction is always a great tool for exploring such issus in an entertaining way. The original Planet of the Apes is no exception. There's a famous twist at the end. One that's spoofed by Spaceballs...
Jurassic Park
Does anything need to be said about this film? It's the only film I've ever seen three times. It's also the best dinosaur film ever made, though Disney's Dinosaur ranks a close second, for me.
The book is better, though. It's a lot darker than the movie. The only part that even apporaches the atmosphere of the book is the T-Rex sequence when it attacks the cars and the children.
The Fifth Element
Milla Jovovich is HOT!!! Ahem. Anyway, it's about a cab driver who helps the supreme being (Milla, dear Milla) stop the evil Zorg and prevent a killer planetoid from destroying all life on earth yadda yadda yadda. Did I mention Milla Jovovich is HOT?
That's it for now. I'll post more when I think of them.
- Aric