# Your favorite sci-fi movies



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Here some of those I can remember at the moment:

Alien
Back to the future
2001 Space Odyssey
Stalker
Blade Runner
Aliens
Soylent green
THX 1138
12 monkeys
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Planet of the Apes
Close encounters of the third kind
Event Horizon

I have to say that while there are many sci-fi movies in recent times I don't know if there's any that I consider a classic, altough I have appreciated Moon and Sunshine. Interstellar not so much (I prefer the original Contact )


----------



## AnotherSpin (Apr 9, 2015)

I like 2001 Space Odyssey, Alien and Blade Runner from your list. From recent - Interstellar is ok. I like Her, though I am not sure it is sci-fi.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Science Fiction has been my life in many respects. I agree there hasn't been a great science fiction movie of late, and I'm not too sure about the literature lately either. But as they say, 'The golden age of science fiction is 12." I don't want to perpetuate the idea that science fiction is for kids. For me it's serious business, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. It's just that the sense of wonder is greatest at that age.

So when I was 12 there was *2001: a space odyssey*, still the be all end all of awe inspiring beauty and surreal weirdness for anyone with the patience for slow paced artful late 1960s editing.

Before that, *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (original version) was iconic along with Bernard Hermann's wonderful score. That music _is_ how science fiction sounds

*Forbidden Planet* - MGM's big 2001 of the previous decade. The Krell technology scenes still give me goose bumps, and who doesn't want a Robby? The electronic score was the first of its kind.

But of the later movies, I have to say *Jurassic Park* was a joyous breakthrough. The kid in me was ecstatic at the superbly realistic dinosaurs. The sequels are not quite as good of course.

For shear thought experiment everyone should try Jerome Bixby's *The Man From Earth*. Almost the entire movie is a group of people sitting around a fireplace talking, yet I've never been so riveted! (It is not a movie for the closed minded, I'll warn.)

I'm sure there are hundreds of others I have cherished over the years, but these are the biggies.


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Weston said:


> *Forbidden Planet* - MGM's big 2001 of the previous decade. The Krell technology scenes still give me goose bumps, and who doesn't want a Robby? The electronic score was the first of its kind.


That oozing Theremin is a killer sound!

I'm also a fan of *Blade Runner*, but generally prefer the gloom of say Tarkovsky's *Stalker* and *Solaris*, generally I feel that US SciFi is to cheerful and peppy. Blade Runner being one of the most significant exceptions, but then it was directed by a lad from South Shields, I'm always rooting for the excellent Rutger Hauer to kick that lame Harrison Ford to hell and back, but not even a director of Ridley Scott's integrity could do the right thing... :wave:

Jean-Luc Godard's* Alphaville* is another Noir-SciFi that I like a lot!

/ptr


----------



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)




----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Nice list so far. Is Fritz Lang's Metropolis considered science fiction?


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

ptr said:


> That oozing Theremin is a killer sound!
> 
> I'm also a fan of *Blade Runner*, but generally prefer the gloom of say Tarkovsky's *Stalker* and *Solaris*, generally I feel that US SciFi is to cheerful and peppy. Blade Runner being one of the most significant exceptions,
> /ptr


Onestly "cheerful" is not a word that I would use to describe Alien, Soylent green or tons of other american movies in the genre. Back to the future, ET or Close encounters are more the exception than the norm. Maybe the difference is that it's more difficult to find movies as philosophical and contemplative as Stalker and Solaris and with a similar lethargic pace (both movie are science fiction in a marginal way) in the american cinema, besides the obvious 2001. 
Anyway there's another russian director that did some apocalyptic sci-fi movies that looks as Tarkovskij movies, but I don't remember his name.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

An all-time fave that hasn't been mentioned yet is Fassbinder's "World on a Wire." Kind of an anomaly in the director's oeuvre, but I think it's one of his best.


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> Nice list so far. Is Fritz Lang's Metropolis considered science fiction?


Absolutely!



norman bates said:


> Onestly "cheerful" is not a word that I would use to describe Alien, Soylent green or tons of other american movies in the genre. Back to the future, ET or Close encounters are more the exception than the norm. Maybe the difference is that it's more difficult to find movies as philosophical and contemplative as Stalker and Solaris and with a similar lethargic pace (both movie are science fiction in a marginal way) in the american cinema, besides the obvious 2001.
> Anyway there's another russian director that did some apocalyptic sci-fi movies that looks as Tarkovskij movies, but I don't remember his name.


I said "generally" Norm, hinting at the Hollywood junk, so I am aware that there are exceptions, but those are almost always independent (small budget productions), and then I don't mean Ed Wood (Whose films I think is great fun!).

/ptr


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

norman bates said:


> Invasion of the Body Snatchers
> Planet of the Apes


1956 or 1978? (for "Invasion")
1968 or 2001? (for "Planet")


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Prodromides said:


> 1956 or 1978? (for "Invasion")
> 1968 or 2001? (for "Planet")


the original in both cases, considering "Invasion of the body snatchers" I haven't seen the remake of it although I'd like to see it for the soundtrack made by Denny Zeitlin (one of my favorite jazz pianists).


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

While I like science-fiction as a _genre_, most of my favorite films are not sci-fi.
I actually prefer television sci-fi, with THE OUTER LIMITS from the 1960s being my favorite TV show.

But, for this thread, I compiled my list of sci-fi from my list of favorite cinema overall. The selections tend to gravitate around psychological content and black-and-white photography (plus also be pre-1980  ):

1. SECONDS (1966) directed by John Frankenheimer with music by Jerry Goldsmith
2. STALKER (1979) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
3. THE FACE OF ANOTHER (1966) directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, with music by Toru Takemitsu
4. ZARDOZ (1974) directed by John Boorman
5. SOLARIS (1971) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
6. ON THE BEACH (1959) directed by Stanley Kramer, with music by Ernest Gold
7. ALPHAVILLE (1965) directed by Jean-Luc Godard, with music by Paul Misraki
8. PLANET OF THE APES (1968) directed by Franklin Schaffner, with music by Jerry Goldsmith
9. INVASION (1966) directed by Alan Bridges, with music by Bernard Ebbinghouse
10. QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967) directed by Roy Ward Baker, with music by Tristram Cary
11. THESE ARE THE DAMNED (filmed 1961; released 1963) directed by Joseph Losey (!)
12. THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (1957) directed by Val Guest, with (superb!) music by Humphrey Searle


----------



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I did enjoy Joss Whedon's Serenity but it's not a masterpiece of cinema however. Just pure fun and escapism.


----------



## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

My favorites:

2001
Brazil
Blade Runner
Dune (Lynch)
Stalker
Solaris (Tarkovsky)

I also enjoyed Mad Max (1st), Scanners, Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, Inception, Edge of Tomorrow.

I am not sure if I like A Clockwork Orange. It is almost painful to watch it, but it is truly memorable.


----------



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I agree. Solaris is the best science fiction ever.

And Star Wars of course.


----------



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Oh and I forgot... Cuaron's Children of Men is another masterwork.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I may be a bit out of place, but I really enjoyed "Tarantula" last night. John Agar stars (as usual) and Leo G. Carroll has a fine role. The movie's age is revealed by Leo, who is trying to find a solution to world hunger: "There are two billion people in the world..."

His solution is to make food bigger. What could go wrong?


----------



## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

I have always found the original "War of the Worlds" (George Pal), the b/w "Day the Earth Stood Still" enjoyable.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

tortkis said:


> Vanilla Sky


I liked that one too, and have been meaning to watch the Spanish-language original for some time now. Thanks for the reminder.


----------



## HIDEKI SUKENOBU (Mar 31, 2015)

2001 Space Odyssey, of course. Karajan & VPO was used. Through this film, I got to know the name of Nono, I remeber.


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

HIDEKI SUKENOBU said:


> 2001 Space Odyssey, of course. Karajan & VPO was used. Through this film, I got to know the name of Nono, I remeber.


you mean Ligeti


----------



## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

Albert7 said:


> Oh and I forgot... Cuaron's Children of Men is another masterwork.


I agree, it's a great movie, but _surely_ posting a YouTube version of the entire movie is a humungous violation of intellectual property rights?

I know users of the site generally don't care about the legality of YouTube posts, but still...

TBH if TC banned YouTube links entirely I wouldn't mind, but that's just me.


----------



## HIDEKI SUKENOBU (Mar 31, 2015)

norman bates said:


> you mean Ligeti


Oh, my God! It was Ligeti. So I can't distinguish between them. Thank you.


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

KenOC said:


> I may be a bit out of place, but I really enjoyed "Tarantula" last night. John Agar stars (as usual) and Leo G. Carroll has a fine role. The movie's age is revealed by Leo, who is trying to find a solution to world hunger: "There are two billion people in the world..."
> 
> His solution is to make food bigger. What could go wrong?


Did u notice Clint Eastwood in the bomber jet?


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

KenOC said:


> I may be a bit out of place, but I really enjoyed "Tarantula" last night. John Agar stars (as usual) and Leo G. Carroll has a fine role. The movie's age is revealed by Leo, who is trying to find a solution to world hunger: "There are two billion people in the world..."
> 
> His solution is to make food bigger. What could go wrong?


I haven't seen this movie in ages! It certainly is one of the better giant critter movies of the 1950s. The bit where the heroes are trapped in a house was terrifying when I was kid. I ought to queue this up somewhere and relive it.

Not to be confused with The Spider which is nowhere near this level.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I forgot to mention *Fantastic Voyage* as one of my all time favorites. Horribly dated now in its cold war atmosphere and especially in the horrible way the Rachael Welch character is treated, it remains one of the strangest ideas in all of science fiction and the FX hold up pretty well. Fans of modern 20th century music will love the Leonard Rosenman score too.


----------



## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I can't be the only one that likes 80s cheese like Tron and Logan's Run. 

*p.s.* As an aside, the book on which Tarkovsky's "Stalker" is based is well worth the read: completely different plot from the film.


----------



## Cesare Impalatore (Apr 16, 2015)

My top ten sci-fi movies:

1. Star Wars - All six films had a big impact on me when I was a kid, nowadays I especially appreciate the whole greek tragedy like fall of Anakin Skywalker. 

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Children Of Men
4. Metropolis
5. Dark City
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. Alien
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still (original)
9. Event Horizon
10. Mars Attacks


----------



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I've forgot to mention one title that it's certainly among my favorites, the surreal and eerie Fantastic planet, a movie that really has a unique atmosphere.


----------



## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

norman bates said:


> I've forgot to mention one title that it's certainly among my favorites, the surreal and eerie Fantastic planet, a movie that really has a unique atmosphere.


I haven't seen the entire thing, but it's certainly other-wordly.


----------



## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Most of my favorites have been mentioned.

I'd like to mention one Star Trek film: First Contact. If you like The Next Generation series there's no way you can't like First Contact. It's not a cinematic masterpiece or whatever, but simply an extremely enjoyable, charming film. It also has a wonderful soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith. 
The TNG legacy should've ended there to be honest. The later films, Insurrection and Nemesis are really subpar. Nemesis has one beautiful moment at the end.
I don't really like most of the other Star Trek movies I've seen and I can't get myself to watch the flashy reboot films.

Anyway, the line must be drawn HIAH!!!!


----------



## geralmar (Feb 15, 2013)

Unearthly Stranger (1963).


----------



## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

Event Horizon
The Thing (Carpenter)
The Omega Man
Soylent Green
Planet Of The Apes (Original)
2001
2012
Alien
Aliens
Prometheus
Forbidden Planet
The Day The Earth Stood Still (0riginal)
Star Wars 4 5 & 6


----------

