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Favorite Sci-Fi Films

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by gralfus

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Most of these are the old ones that the Sci-Fi channel won't show (in favor of their own tripe like "Python", "Anaconda", "Python vs Anaconda", etc.), but many of us grew up with. I'm sure there are some I've overlooked.

Most of these are available on Amazon.

War of the Worlds
This Island Earth
The Thing
Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers
The Crawling Eye
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Forbidden Planet
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original)
Quartermass and the Pit (aka "Five Million Years to Earth")
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
The Blob
Fiend Without a Face
The Monolith Monsters
Island of Terror
The Brain from Planet Arous
The Power (hard to find this George Hamilton flick from 1968)

The Terminator (1 & 2, 3 was a joke)
The Matrix (only the first)

I saw one years ago called "The Flesh Eaters", which was a B&W about a nazi scientist who develops sparkly little creatures that live in water and consume all flesh. Can't seem to locate it anywhere.

152 replies

by j j k

The creation of an entire space'fairy tale', the invention of concepts,technologies and worlds just like Jules Verne did many years before, the development of special effects used in the films,and,finally the ability to have squillions of people anticipating the next release of the saga over a period of almost thirty years and multiple generations, all puts Star Wars into a league of its own.

by tony hopkinson

the worst science fiction I've ever come across. The first film was excellent though. I still remember, queuing outside the local cinema for the first screening in our town. Empire Strikes Back was better in some ways, except for those stupid furry things. The rest of them, absolutely pathetic.

by jardinier

My opinion is that the Star Wars series was aimed at children under 10 years of age.

Because I find the previews so boring and infantile, I have never felt inclined to endure a whole movie in this series.

by jkaras

They were great movies that captured people's imagination that you could be more in a hard world/universe, a coming of age that was it's message. It always was aimed at kids, even the kid at heart in most adults.

There is no way of telling what is or isnt scientifically correct. Most of our knowledge about space/time is all theory, not 100% accurate, until we actually set foot on another planet, or develop true space exploration, or actually time travel it's just entertainment. Sci fi is so important to our evolution that people dont really understand it's impact. Every gadget we have today was inspired by some kid who saw it in a movie and made it a reality later in life.

We know there isnt really any sound in space due to a vacuum. ME, I want sound in my movies during a fight scene. Imagine how lame the fights would be just seeing lasers and people screaming, wait no sound just mouths agape. I'm sure the mime community would love the opprotunity for work. I liked the fact that shields took a beating, Destroyers couldnt steer fast, military tactics, just to name a few. It was space samuri's against gun toting technology! The old ways were better, rather than progress being superior.

What I do hate in sci fi movies is messing up time paradoxs like Paycheck. I hate a whole movie about the fagility of messing with time only to have the "hero" at the end cheat to advance their desires without any consequences for some odd reason. The character caused the downfall of man through his invention, had to sacrifice his fortune to get the things he needed to right the wrongs, get the girl, cheat death, and oh yeah got his fortune back by buying a lottery ticket that equaled the fortune he should of gotten for his invention, yeah that blew dog. There are other movies without a doubt that infringe on this travesty, but you get my gist.

I go to a movie to be entertained, not learn life's lessons, that's my job or my parents, an $8.50 movie ticket just isnt going to make it happen. I try to suspend disbelief and look at a picture overall, I'm not looking for absolute true life, just imagining a different reality that could be reality if I lived in that environment. I admit I pick apart a movie afterwards on the "holes" witnessed, but only bag on it if the ending blew. A movie could be mediocre through most of it, but if it nails the ending, then its a keeper. Some have the idea so perfect, but horrible "hollywood" ending that they made from their focus groups. This is what kills movies, they need to stick with the ending that was written originally. The problem is that it is big business, not art, and the more happy people the more successful it will be. I want movie magic, that's what I'm paying for, I want the hero to win, but there always should be a price to be paid (a death/loss of money), and unfortunately todays movies are missing that vital componant

by bfilmfan

Being a B movie fanatic, I've developed a very ecletic list.

12:01 PM (30 minute short)

Myron Castleman (Kurtwood Smith, who is on That 70's Show as Red) is stuck living in the same 59 minute loop of time. Absolutely unnerving lil gem of terror.

The Quiet Earth

Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) wakes up alone, as the last man in the world. The film has generated a large amount of contoversy over the exact meaning of the end of the film, which has generated reams of messages in the sci fi flick oriented discussion groups about the net.

Blade Runner

'Nuff said on this one all over the net.

The Andromeda Strain

While starting to look a bit dated, this one is a masterpiece at the study of the interaction of characters in a pressure cooker situation.

Primer

What happens when you play God abd you are but mortal.

Primer won several awards at Sundance this year, and though it is a new film, it is a definite keeper.

You can see a trailer for the film here:

http://www.primermovie.com/trailer-Large.html

2001

'Nuff said on this one too!

A Clockwork Orange

I am torn on deciding if this film is science fiction or a horror movie in science fiction trappings or social commentary wearing horror and science fiction cloaks. One of the classics.

A Boy and His Dog

Vic and Blood have interesting adventures in Harlan Ellison's very dark look at post-nuclear America.

Donnie Darko

This is one really strange mind-bending look at what passes for reality in one teenager's head.

by jamesrl

Have you seen the director's cut with the added footage? I have only seen the original which I loved. According to some of the reviewers though, the added footage takes away some of the schizoid mystery which helps make the film what it is...but I am really curious.

Love Andromeda Strain, 2001

Just about anything based on Philip K Dick novels.

James

by bfilmfan

Yes, I picked that up and obviously the director and I have totally different opinions of the 2 films. I prefer the original release since it does leave the whole thing as a clouded lens through which we view Donnie.

by zlitocook

Great old movies and some of the new ones. Evil dead and any thing like that I love to watch. I will have to review my saved VHS movies, I have alot of great old movies that I like to watch. Roger Corman was a great B movie maker, I have alot of his movies on VHS and DVD. I just rented a movie called Devil at the door from Hollywood video, it was a great campy DVD and was a hoot to watch.

by jmgarvin

Plan 9 from Outerspace
Santa Clause vs the Martians
This Island Earth
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Them!
Conquest of Space
It!
War of the Worlds
The Giant Gila Monster
The Hideous Sun Demon
Kronos
Star Wars
The Leech Woman
Attack of the Leeches
Alien Nation
They Live

by jkaras

What made that scene even better was South Park's direct copy of the dialog/fight during the cripple fight in an omage to the scene. When I saw that scene on South Park something kept hitting on the back of my head then it hit me and I fell off the couch laughing so hard I couldnt breathe. Timmy is my favorite, then butters.

What made that movie for me was the subliminal projections on everything on the money, magazines, and billboards. The best line was " I am here to chew bubblegum and kick some @$$,....and I'm all out of bubblegum." I have this little gem in my collection!!!!

If you like that movie then "Vampires" by John Carpender that has James Woods and one of the Baldwins will have you rolling the entire time. James is the biggest a-hole in the movie and everytime he opens his mouth it is so funny.

by deepsand

Based on the short story [i]Flowers for Algernon,"[/i] it was the 1st (and only?) SF movie to land the Oscar for Best Actor.

by jdclyde

Empire of the Ants
Outland ***
Saturn 8

B movies

The Stuff
Hell goes to frog town (rowdie piper, too funny!)

And while not Sci-fi, I picked up tonight the COLLECTORS EDITION of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL!. lots of extra goodies, in high def wide screen! Comes with the screen play book and a slide copied from the original film. comes with the following warning.
Warning: The Senitype* is a limite edition art graphic and not a laxative although frequent viewing of monty python & the holy grail may help keep you regular. If symptons persist, please consult a doctor.

Collectors edition, number 137387.

Can you believe that was from 1974?

by roger99a

Good movie. I picked up the DVD. For those that don't know, Sean Connery is the sherrif on a deep space mining colony full of meth addicts.

by jdclyde

like the manager with the video golf, long before they became big in the US.

by bfilmfan

Considering the really good work he did in They Live, which was a lot better than the directing efforts of Carpenter, but I digress; they should give him another shot at a role in a remake of Them.

I would buy him being the state patrolman role.

by j.lupo

But the 2nd ST movie was horrible. I like Richard Burgi as an actor, but they really blew it making the 2nd movie. Didn't fit in the theme of the first movie.

by deepsand

The movie [i]Charlie[/i], based on the short story [i]"Flowers for Algernon"[/i], spawned a book by the same title as the movie.

In the theaters were bill boards touting the book that was "based on the movie!"

Despite that, most people thought it the other way around, as was usually the case.

by j.lupo

Space 1999 is one that I sort of remember. I love sci-fi, but titles can never remember any of them. :(

Battlestar Galactica (the original not the new one)
The Sentinel (not really sci-fi, but SF channel did play it)

The thing with 2 heads
Mars Attacks
Land of the Lost
Land of the Giants

Can't think of the others. Could tell their plots, but that is it. I'll add more if I can think of them.

by jdclyde

I think they were looking for Movies, not TV shows.

YES, I LOVED space 1999. Used to make their phaser out of legos all the time!

by j.lupo

I just can't remember titles and I think some of these started as movies and then became TV shows.

Space Above and Beyond I think was another one.

Time Bandits
Planet of the Apes ;)
Farenheit 451 (I think that was one, may have the title wrong)

by roger99a

I have to mention Charlton Heston's contributions, like Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and The Omega Man.

Also anything done by Harry Harryhausen. Remember Clash of the Titans? And the Sinbad movies with a 19 year old Jane Seymour. Yum.

You mentioned The Thing. Is that the original or the John Carpenter remake with Kurt Russell as a bad actor?

by gralfus

I saw all of those Heston movies in the theatre when I was a kid. Great stuff! I still remember the shock at the end of Planet of the Apes where the camera is just behind the Statue of Liberty looking down on the beach.

"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is a Ray Harryhausen film also. I love the Sinbad films too, but I think of them more as fantasy than sci-fi.

Original "The Thing", with James Arness as the...thing.

by house

Soylent Green and Omega Man rock... I forgot about those movies. Thanks for that one. Now I'm going on the hunt to try to find those two. I haven't seen them in years.

by jck

Heavy Metal

Loved that film...kick ass soundtrack...great animation...a vocal cast of incredible talent.

by jck

I liked Alien Blood though...made no sense...if there was such thing as a Class F flick...that was it

by afram

Star Wars is top of my list.
Aliens and Alien are next.
Independence Day was cheesey, but I liked it.
And how can you not love Bomb#20 from Dark Star?

by gralfus

"You'll have to use Phenomonology"
And the beachball alien... "Guys, how could it live if it was full of air?"

by afram

The movie that made no one famous.

"You are false data. Therefore, I shall ignore you." - Bomb # 20.

by jkaras

No particular order
Star Wars even the new ones but the originals were the best.
Terminator/T2
Total Recall
Evil Dead II/Army of Darkness
The Last Starfighter (cheesy I know but still was fun)
Aliens (the perfect blend of action, great one liners, and scary moments, the other movies never cam close)
The Cube (not sure this is actual scifi but a great movie of survival, a must see)
Primer (imagine how much better it could have been with a budget a must see)
Any Godzilla movie from the 70-80's they rocked!!!
They Live
Invasion of the Body snatchers
Communion (this was where I became a fan of Christopher Walken)
Starship Troopers (the first one only, mad funny)
Original Robocop
Time Cop (you have to admit it was a great idea)
Predator
XMEN/X2/Spiderman and II/Batman
Blade/II
Highlander (great idea and the tv series did a great job, too bad the follow up movie blew)
Battle Beyond the Stars (Johnboy from the Waltons, George Peppard as "Space Cowboy") man it was a silly movie but I watched it all the time.
Cocoon (interesting idea wasnt great but entertaining and poked the question of tolerance)
Close Encounters
Starman
Jurassic Park (it made the right dinosaur movie too bad they couldnt continue the quality)
Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan (Star Trek finally got one right, great villian great story, great action, great character development. The only other Trek movie that comes close was Generations and First Contact, they were good)
The Matrix, (and even the follow ups werent too bad but not great.)
Pitch Black
Logan's Run
The Abyss
Escape from New York
Dune
Enemy Mine (hatred vs. survival)
Deep Impact (the correct Armageddon)
Alien Nation (great paralell of racism)
Scanners
Death Race 2000 (stallone and Carridan this was a joke of a movie that will have you rolling)
Mars Attacks (if you dont find this funny your dead)
Superman (best represntation of a comic hero fantastic casting)
Existenz (very trippy)
All Mad Max
there are so many more I'm just drawing a blank right now, I am ashamed.

by Jay Garmon

I'd agree with pretty much everything on the jkaras list, but also throw in The Fifth Element, for reasons I can't quite explain, and maybe Minority Report.

by gralfus

Fifth Element is great. I can watch it repeatedly and not be bored. Still haven't seen Minority Report, something to look forward to I guess.

by jkaras

I saw a review on www.chud.com (great site btw for movie reviews, upincomings, rumors and dvds. Their reviews and interviews are really funny and quite accurate if you might like a certain film.)about it and it said it ws ok. I did unfortunately saw Hypercube, man that blew. Interesting idea just got rather silly having the the guy from Forever Knight turn into a cannibal in under 24 hours eating all of his past selves. It should not have been produced by SciFi channel. What did you think of squared? I cant find it at my local Blockbuster and I dont have Netflix and dont want to open an account just for a few movies. I defintely wont buy it sight unseen, but I am curious.

by gralfus

I thought the original cube movie was very interesting, though the one guy that went mad did so pretty easily. The other cube movie had an interesting premise, but wasn't nearly as intriguing as the original.

by Member 25348569

Absolute shite! As an adaptation of a [b]classic[/b] book it was criminal and as a movie in its own right it was pathetic. The only thing that was mildly OK was the baroque styling but that palled after a while.

It so missed the point of the book.

You might want to rethink MM Thunderdome as well? Matrix was OK - good FX - but Matrix Bollocks and Matrix Balls? Gah!

Neil

Mars Attacks? Sublime! When I'm calling you-ou-ou-ou[Splat!]-ou. :D

by jkaras

Dune was pretty good for special effects and the idea of the story. It was confusing to understand all the political intrique in that version. When I saw the SciFi channel's made for tv movie it explained the hows and the whys better. I did want to read the books but their are soo many and the story it appears from people that I know say it will never end. I am frustrated with a series already called The Wheel of Time which is a medival version of Dune. I might pick up the books but doubt it. Books have an advantage over movies to properly explain everything, that will never change, I just look to see if they get the visual aspect correct and the proper ending. Can you think of any book made to a movie that got it right? Jaws was different, Fight Club was different, I am sure there are more I just cant think of any more titles becase most books that I have read havent been made into movies.

Thunderdome was entertaining and had some great one liners. I am a big fan of Mel even if he has recently gone off the deep end. He isnt the greatest actor, but very charasmatic in just about anything he does. Was it a masterpiece? No, but it had some really good parts. My favorite was the speech from the MC in Thunder dome "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dying times here." Man that guy nailed that speech, it was cool and scary. I actually caught The Road Warrior on the other night and I was laughing at how low budget it looked. WHen I saw that movie for the first time I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw. I will always love the movie because of the nostalgia remembering where and when and whom I have seen that movie with that I no longer am in contact with.

The Matrix had a great idea of reality and the showing the prison of life that many experience today. The scene where Mr. Anderson is in a sterile white cubicle basically chained to a desk forced into conformity like a drone depressed then gets to live life hit home with many people. It wasnt all special effects it appealed to the dreamers. Cypher wanting to back into the womb afraid to face the reality of life wanting a storybook ending rather than hardship. Hope verses despair in a world gone crazy. I think it was very well written and should have stopped the story there leaving imagination to the people to determine everyone's fate. The special effects were amazing, the story unfortunately had to take a backseat in the sequels.

I am suprised that you not being American wouldnt find Mars Attack really funnny? The whole movie poked fun at our superficial flaws, greed, stupidity at times, and our politics. It had sick humor and really neat props that is Tim Burtons signature in all his movies. Tell me you didnt laugh at the Washington Monument being knocked over to crush a boyscout group? Slim Witman's music killing the aliens? The Kennedy room at the White House? The first lady only caring about the Nancy Reagan chandelier? The mother saying as she loaded teh shotgun that the aliens wouldnt get her small junky tv in a mobile home? His props always have a blend of old time trickets fused with futuristic qualities, its an omage to classic movies that he grew up wanting to be a director. If you pay attention to the little things you like his style more despite the genre of his odd movies. The only movie by him that I didnt like so far was Big Fish, I never saw Monkeybone and doubt I will, but Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Batman, Sleepy Hallow, Edward Sissorhands, in my book were quite decent.

Lastly I love your avatar who is that guy? Everytime I see it I roll.

by tony hopkinson

Dune. I waited for that. Finally watched it and I was so disappointed. Some of the imagery was brilliant, but why did they have to f**k with the story, and if you are going to give the fremen glowing blue eyes, try to have their eyes in their sockets.
Coccoon, I enjoyed.
Alien Nation was classic scifi
The Abyss is one of my favourite ever movies.
Predator II I enjoyed more than the first, but the first one was good as well.
Deep Impact was very good
Enemy Mine, even though the messed with the ending is probably one of the best true sci-fis ever made.
I liked all the Alien films particularly Aliens, the Marine Corp is just great, on top of that Miss Weaver is visual viagra as far as I'm concerned.

Got to add now because they seemed to have been skipped by all of afficionados, but three of my favourite sci-fis
THX-1138 (shameless rip off of 1984 and Brave New World) The Quatermass experiment and the masterful Silent Running.
2001 and 2015 weren't bad either
Also my favourite Science-Nonfiction movie Apollo 13.

by Jay Garmon

The tacked-on voiceover and the hideous "happy ending" from the studio cut destroy the whole film. The Director's cut restires the dystopia, and hits home the premise that even in a future where technology has made so much possible, so many are still trapped by who and what they are.

by itgirli

sorry, but those are my favorites. Any Mystery Science Theater 3000.

I also liked Photographing Fairies.

by itgirli

I mean, really, how much can they do with it? I would just wait until it comes on SciFi. usually at 3 or 4 a.m.

by awalt

Creature from the Black Lagoon
Any Twilight Zone episode (especially the old ones)

by jellimonsta

Toxic Avenger, you are going to be reeling off Revenge of the Nerds and Weird Science next I bet! :)

by jdclyde

Revenge and weird both tried to be semi-serious comedies.

toxic was right out of left field and stayed there! Definitely a show that was so bad it was good.

Are you going to spurn the toxic avenger???

Come to thing of it, I DID love when Booger said that he had already combed the highschools and there weren't any babes to be found!

by jdclyde

It was called either inframan or enframan.

Saw it at the drive-in theater when I was little, but could never find it ANYWHERE! Cure you internet for letting me down!

Off topic, but I also loved [b]the Nude-bomb[/b]! A "Get Smart" movie.

by gralfus

http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/super_inframan.htm
Retroflicks.com says they carry this. I can't find any user feedback on them to know if they are good to do business with or not.

I dunno, the Japanese monster flicks were fine for killing an afternoon when I was a kid, but the plots were often too weird to "get". Godzilla would march into town and destroy it, everyone runs screaming. At the end he would march back into the sea and the kids would be crying "come back Godzilla!".

by jdclyde

And it is GodZirra!

Cheesy, but at least I don't have to worry about swearing or someones t!ts falling out when I watch it with my boys!

Thanks for the link. Should get me on track.

by deepsand

By the way, are we talking about SF or Sci-Fi?

It's a subtle, but important, distinction.

by black panther

Both :)

science fiction
n.
A literary or cinematic genre in which fantasy, typically based on speculative scientific discoveries or developments, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets, forms part of the plot or background.

3 entries found for Sci-Fi.
sci-fi ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sf)
n. Informal pl. sci-?fis
Science fiction.

adj.
Of, relating to, being, or similar to science fiction: a sci-fi movie; a sci-fi weapons system.

:)

by deepsand

Sci-Fi is best described as a blend of SF ([i]science[/i] fiction) & fantasy.

SF is grounded in the hard sciences; Sci-Fi introduces speculatory elements for which there is no empirical basis, such as mystical powers.

by jardinier

The Australian movie "Walkabout" (available from Amazon) will give you a different perspective on Jenny Agutter.

She is shown starkers, at her real age (then) of 19.

Awesome !!!!!

by gralfus

It is still a pretty good story, though with 70's overtones (like Farrah's hair...sigh). Most of them would have starved after the city blew up.

I remember Harlan Ellison making his exit speech from the Sci-Fi channel (he used to have a regular blurb on that channel) where he ranted against "sci-fi" as not being science fiction because it wasn't even related to science. I see his point, and haven't seen much science fiction in my whole life (outside of books, and a few classrooms in public school).

by deepsand

These are excellent examples of the difference between Science Fiction & Sci-Fi.

Unfortunately, too few understand the difference, let alone make the distinction.

by tony hopkinson

When he saw it, he was really scared, kept saying those white guys have got plans for us.
A film about the future with no black people in it.

by jkaras

Nice article. I noticed during the last Sopranos season the blantant product placement in almost every scene. The drinks and bagged food was the center of the shot clearly showing the brand name not a fake knockoff to appear realistic. It really urked me as I pointed it out to friends. Pretty soon it will be like the Truman show with the best friend holding a six pack describing just how great the drink is, oh goody.

The other thing that annoys me is the billboard placement in movies displaying every investor. To me they should invest in the success of the movie and get a cut of the profits, not product placement. Everyone can make money off the picture, that I dont care and see as fair, but cutting vital peices of a movie or show just to fit the gratuitus placement ticks me off to no extent. Then sell the extended version and you go "now that's what I paid to see, it should have been there all along." I hate having to rewatch a movie to see if it was better. One that still sucked was Highlander 2, nothing, not one more second of that movie was going to make that turkey fly. The customer just doesnt seem to get what they pay for anymore in entertainment, whether its a movie or concert. We deserve quality not advertisments. The best is now I get to watch commercials at the movie theater rather than the cool movie fact quizes that used to be there before the previews.

What cracks me up is I was once in a commercial for a nationwide chain home improvement retailer. I had to bring in clothes to wear that didnt have any visable labels even though there was next to no close ups. I was the featured extra and you still couldnt tell the brand shirt I was wearing, and that was the biggest closeup in the entire commercial.

by Member 25348569

Hilary Briss, the Butcher of Royston Vasey - ask for the Special Stuff.

"Fear is the best insurance money can buy"

This is perhaps the most imaginative comedy in the UK in recent years. Hilary is - by far and away - not the weirdest character. All of the main characters are played by three actors. There are bits of the comedy that I find quite wonderfully sinister...

Check out: http://www.lunacynet.com/league/ for the characters and http://www.leagueofgentlemen.co.uk/newepisodelist.shtml for the scripts.

Series One is available in region 1 DVD should you like the look of it.

Back to the subject. Books to films? The one I thought that they'd never do - The Lord of the Rings - was a pretty good try!

In Dune, the Movie, they missed most of the significant stuff that was the point of the story! It was, and is, one of my favourite books and I thought the TV series of Dune&Messiah&Children was much better.

Seems like we agree on Matrix.

Thunderdome? I just couldn't take TinaT seriously!

Mars Attacks. We do get exposed to enough American culture over here that I got enough of the jokes to make that movie priceless. I've seen it twice and it gets better.

Neil :)

by tony hopkinson

I've got to completely agree about Dune though, the film possibly stands up by itself sort of maybe, but compared to the books, it's just utter shite.
Might be a social thing but Baron Harkonen's indicator of depravity was not having heart plugs fitted to guys dressed in bin bags, he was a pederast
Get the books, there's only six
Dune, Dune Messiah, Children Of Dune, God Emperor, Heretics and Chapter House. Steer well clear of those follow ups by that other prick, he couldn't write out shopping list.
de ja vu eh Neil.

by jaqui

Frank Herbert was happy with what was filmed.

he stated in an interview that what was filmed was perfect. what was released was only about 25 to 30 percent of what was filmed.

apparently there is talk of releasing a dvd with nothing cut, putting the entire book into it instead of limiting to a 2 hour block.

by tony hopkinson

Frank was trying to communicate and what I recieved are two different things. May be I completely misunderstood the guy, still read the books every now and then, and some of his others.
Watched the film once, won't ever do it again, though if said DVD came out I would be tempted I suppose.

by tony hopkinson

so to see one naked, sort of light up all my bulbs.
I'm a big fan of Sigourney Weaver as well, watching Aliens 3 after she had the crew cut, just about put me orbit. As for Winona and Ms Weaver in close contact in Resurection, well Rsu were superfluous.

by Member 25348569

than Jenny Agutter in Logan's Run (film was not much cop, though).

Thinks... Except perhaps for the same in (and out of) a nurse's uniform in An American Werewolf in London. More fanstasies there than you can shake a stick at.

Alas, Reality exerts itself...

Seeing her in "Spooks" a couple of years ago was something of a shock but then, she is as old as me and I haven't worn well that either.

I won't suggest that Servilan's neck is probably a tad wrinkled now. That would be cruel of me...

:D

by tony hopkinson

some of the drivel I've read recently, so is writing unfortunately.

You can count movies that stay to the spirit of a book, on the fingers of one hand. For those of us who enjoy a read, attempts at visualising a favourite story are always going to fail in some way, once it's been made more spectacular for Hollywood, in general they are going to fail miserably.
Even two people who read the same book can both enjoy it very much and still get very different things out of it when they internalise the story are relate it to their own personal experiences.

Chuck in the visually richer, but conceptually shallower medium of image and they could both hate it. For someone who hasn't read the book though, it could be considered very good.

Stands for films as well. Compare a Fistful of Dollars with Last Man Standing for instance.

by jmgarvin

Reading AND writing are dying. Most of the crap that comes out is no better than the typical hollywood farces.

What really kills me is that there are plenty of good writers (Timmothy Zahn comes to mind), but they seem to be ignored for some reason.

by deepsand

Given the direction we seem to be going, we might yet see the world of [i]Fahrenheit 451[/i], without need of the Fire Company.

by jweil

However it has become a "cult film."

Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Innovative use of pie tins and paper plates.

by tony hopkinson

about sci-fi films. If the only thing that was good about it was the special effects, it will look as bad as it was in five years time.
Though it's hard to see how they could improve very much on the CGI when they use it fully now. Perhaps, they'll start coming up with good plots and dialogue sometime soon.

Foster's Spellsinger vs Donaldson's Lord Foul's Bane, which would be more Hollywood.
Course Donaldson is quite critical of bible belt americans and a leper as a hero, would cause some serious problems. Can't imagine what they'd do with Angus the homocidal rapist turned into a government employee either.

by bfilmfan

The same as they do with anything else they "Hollywood-ize." They would change it so that it would play in Peoria.

Although it isn't science fiction, I'd love to see American Gods come to the screen. Gaiman just seems to get better and better.

by jmgarvin

Plan 9 is one of the bet movies I've ever seen! You really need to see Ed Wood to fully appreciate the "art???" of Plan 9.

by tony hopkinson

DVD, sort of like a time machine.
Dunno waht she looks like now, may be she's had all gathered in and has a smile that starts at her ears, that would probably look worse than a wrinkle or too

by jaqui

to bad bullcrapwood ( aka hollywood )
couldn't keep to it better. Asimov's works translate into film excellently, with a bit of effort. ( very little effort at that )

I personally, check the trailers, if I see one product placement shot, then I won't even watch the movie until it comes out on commercial tv.
( and I don't own a tv )

it ain't worth watching if they have product placement in it.

by tony hopkinson

some of the later ones like Robots of Dawn and such like were overblown drivel in my opinion. Asimov has good ideas, but his use of them generally leaves a lot to be desired.
The film was total garbage, nothing to say, nothing to think about, piss poor acting and average visual effects.

by Member 25348569

I saw that one uncut a few years ago - Ch4 rarely cut. JA swimming in an outback pool. They showed it on the BBC relatively recently and that scene had been trimmed right back to just a few hints and "through the water" shots. I suppose it was because she was playing a schoolgirl and school uniform -> naked doen't fit in these paedophile-phobic days.

Nice to see you, J! You haven't posted for a while.

Neil :)

by deepsand

[v]http://www.celebritymoviearchive.com/tour/name.php/492[/v]

[v]http://www.celebguru.com/gallery-JennyAgutter-1.htm[/v]

by tony hopkinson

when it first came out, in fact it was the first time I ever went to the cinema by myself.
Cinematically Star Wars the film was a masterpiece, in terms of sci-fi it sucked big time.

by bfilmfan

I totally forgot about that one when I was doing my list and I should have used it. So few people have really seen it these days.

by jaqui

the trailers are enough to tell me they didn't even come close to the book.

criminal charges should be laid against bollywood for movies like that

by bfilmfan

"A sufficiently advanced culture shall have technology which may be viewed as magic."

I have yet to see a show really take that idea and run with it, although, the X-Files did use that to explain how the aliens could manage to get away with all kinds of "magical effects" such as stopping time.

by Member 25348569

Yet 2001 was absolutely stunning because Clarke wouldn't allow sound. As no one else has had the balls to follow his example we get whoosh crash bang wallop zip zap bdoyyyng in every film.

You might like it but there are those of us who wince at what Hollywood does to good stories to satisfy the lowest common denominator. Put your popcorn down and use your BRAIN!

(Not personally aimed at you, j)

by jkaras

I admit I'm not a "trekkie", but never really missed much of any of their series. I tried a couple of times to watch Andromeda, but man that show blew. Horrible stories, really bad and I mean really bad acting. The Trek series had their moments and their really bad moments too. I loved the adage of you knew a bad episode if Riker didnt have a beard. Some characters were good, some were bad that became good, and some just got too important, almost god like.

I used to love Babylon 5 because they great acting by some of the characters, other, well, ahem. You got to take the good with the bad. I did like the the follow up series of "Excaliber". At least I believe that that was what the show was called. I loved the idea of the magical box that the captain won in a card game that steered them through suggestions, like it was god testing mankind whether they were evolved enough morally to be allowed to survive. To bad the show got cancelled before it took off.

Can you remember what the other Gene Roddenbury show was that tanked? I remember it was about a cop that got infused with alien dna to help adjust their integretion on our planet. They tried to merge xfiles with, Mike Hammer as the main guy who lost most of his memory hunting down the killer of his wife while trying to get over his hatred of the aliens. It wasnt great but was rather interesting.