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Favorite Sci-Fi Films

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by gralfus

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152 replies

by jbaker

Was not based on Philip K. Dick, it was based on a Micheal Crichton book.

However, most of the PKD stories that have been turned into movies have been excellent. (Bladerunner, Minority Report, Screamers, Imposter, Total Recal, Paycheck)

by jbaker

The first Dune movie was a decent movie, but having read the books it ticked me off when it rained at the end....skipped several books. I think the Sci-Fi channel's mini-series (Dune and Children of Dune) were much better at following Frank Herbert's vision. That being said, David Lynch's vision of the Dune universe was very good...and the visions, etc fit right into his trippy kind of film making.

by jbaker

I do not think that Robert Jordan's series can be called a medieval Dune. It does share a couple of character similarities, but other than that, no comparison.

Yes, there are about 70 Dune books (only a slight exaggeration), but they are all excellent. They have been called "thinking man's sci-fi", and they really do fit that description well.

by jkaras

I know they are quite different genres, but the character mapping is quite simular. Both main characters are a demigod to much power for a mortal man to carry, forced to war to unite all for the greater good bound by prophecies and everyone trying to use them for their agenda. Both stories have a witch class society of women who use their magic/influence to allow certain societies to rise and fall, a more female driven society rather than male. Both have a society of peace loving that became the fiercest most tough fighters. Well ok a bit of a strech, the Fremin were always fighters, just were enslaved, compared to the Wheel of Time characters, but a simular principle.

Are they quite simular yes in a general sort of way not in its intended direction. I never read the Dune books because their are so many apparently. Thats what has turned me off to Wheel of Time. The story has gotten too muddy and it appears it will never end. Instead of continuing the story he is publishing the prequels like he is George Lucas or something. I love the series, the ideas, the societies, not everyone is whom they appear to be,and the understanding of the power, but come on and lets progress.

I feel that if I start on the Dune books I will feel the frustration of a never ending saga. Its the same reason why I never read the Star Wars books. Everyone says they are a great read, and horrible by other ghost writers that confuse the direction. Some one else reccommended certain books of the series and I might pick them up, I'm dying for a good read after George R.R. Martin has failed to complete another book in like three years. OUt of all the Dune books which are the ones you reccommend and which author?

by tony hopkinson

are all good and best read in order I feel.
Whatever you do don't read the dune books that weren't by Frank, they are absolute drivel. Aside from the fact that the completely break the chronology, spirit and character base of the original universe they would be crap all by them selves.
So thats
Dune
Dune Messaiah
Children Of Dune
God Emperor Of Dune (His best in my opinion)
Heretics Of Dune
Chapter House Dune

I'm waiting for George to finish off A song Of Ice and Fire as well. Other good reads though are CJ Cherryh, Steven Erikson, Orson Scott Card and the inimitable Stephen Donaldson.

by Member 25348569

Tony has already posted on this! Frank Herbert wrote SIX novels. It reached it's real conclusion at #4 - God Emperor but he wrote two more and that's OK because he's the author and it was his universe. Then he died. That's it. End of story.

The prequels and add-ons and other crap are all just fluff. I just wish those "authors" would sod off and invent their own universe but I suppose that's asking for some form of literary talent.

by jellimonsta

My all time favorite Sci-Fi!! Rutger did an awesome job in that movie, subtleties in his acting that made it even greater.

I have not read the book 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep' though.

by jdclyde

I think Neil not "getting" some of them is the equivilent of many here in the US not "getting" Monty Python. Hard to understand, but it happens.

(accept Thunderdome was the weakest of the MM stories.)

I LOVE the matix, and it was the first DVD I ever broke down and bought.

Mars attacks, THAT is a funny show. But you just have to be "a little off" to "get it" I guess.

(captain kangaroo, right neil? LOL! Bloody wrong!)

by Member 25348569

Misread my post! Matrix was a ground-breaker and good but the sequels were a pretentious waste of space - except for my leather fetish with Trinity.

And we agree about Thunderdome.

Lots of Brits don't "get" Monty Python (I'm not one of them, though) and I think the nice thing is that not eveybody's taste is the same.

The best current sitcom in the World is The Simpsons. It gets better and better.

:D

by jdclyde

As yes, the "other" matrixies were just a way to pull additional revenue. And question, how did it go from an almost all white cast to a almost all colored cast? Woo Woo! Trinity peals the leather OFF! And the best part is they didn't show enough to ruin my fantacies!

Futurama is catching up to Simpsons fast.

by jkaras

Hey I thought you were gone. I havent seen a post from you in ages, or at least the threads that I have been participating in at least. Glad to see you still kicking.

by jardinier

Thanks for the welcome back. I guess I just got so sick of the bad blood that erupted in certain discussions that I felt I needed a break.

I have been using the extra free time developing my new website: www.gardening4pleasure.com

by jkaras

Did Troma film company go under? I remember last seeing them on that one "Geeks" game show. They were one of the prizes for the winner to star in a movie as a bit part. I liked that show if that what it was called. It was scary that I knew so much music/movie/tv trivia that I almost tried to be on the show. It was a shame it got cancelled, but then again just about every show i like gets dumped. Either I have bad taste or people just want stupid reality tv smut. Man those movies were bad but oh so funny, bimbos with switch baldes.

by jdclyde

Both with movies AND music.

I have come to the conclusion that I am perfectly normal! It is everyone else that is messed up.

Thats my story and I'm sticking with it.

by jamesrl

While it had Gene's name on it(as did Andromeda) it was really a loose idea of his that his wife drove to completion after his death(in both cases).

Earth Final Conflict was shot in Toronto, Andromeda in Vancouver.

Wasn't a big Earth Final Conflict fan. Did watch a fair amount of Andromeda, it got better as it went along.

Babylon 5 was riveting until the last season, when more than a few episodes sucked.

James

by jkaras

It was on the tip of my tongue and I couldnt remember what it was. I wasnt a fan but it appeared to have a decent idea. As for Andromeda I had no idea whatsoever it was about. Each time I attempted to watch I just couldnt get past the porno acting ability and just change channels. Maybe it had a good plot, but I couldnt take more than 15 minutes. I would rather watch a marathon of Golden Girls episodes with my jock friends heckling me for watching a girly show.

I absolutely agree on B5. I loved Bester, what a great character, and Peter Jurrasic as Londo. He and Andre Katerslaus stole the show all the time. The only worse that the final series was the Legend of the Rangers. It was sooooooooo bad that I almost punched holes in walls for wasting a Saturday night out on the town to watch that debacle. All I have now is Battlestar Galacttica and so far I am so impressed with the visual and the direction of the writting. A bit much on the sex sells part, but looking at the caliber of eye candy of the cyclons, so be it.

by deepsand

After [i]Babylon Five[/i] left the broadcast band for cable, I lost track of it; a shame, as I did enjoy it.

I found [i]Earth: Final Conflict[/i] a good watch as well.

As for [i]Andromeda[/i], what is currently airing here (definitely season 3 or later; it went off the air here for a while, so I lost touch with it) is absolute drivel, in every sense of the word.

by jamesrl

It was a list - obviously 2001 wasn't Dick either.

My wife collects Philip K Dick books. Most of the movies don't do them justice. Blade Runner set a pretty high bar.

James

by jmgarvin

From your comment I would guess the folks "over there" don't get Mars Attacks? Is it the American humor or the pokes a pop culture/cold war culture?

I love that movie...Man, it was dead on on so many levels!

by jmgarvin

Is it out on DVD? I loved the show and I can't seem to find it anywhere! British comedy at its worst (best?)...

by Member 25348569

I absolutely hated that one. Especially the later series where they had a kid. :D

My Hero series 3 is available on DVD for our region. Not sure whether it's in Region 1, yet.

by jmgarvin

When they had the kid is when they stopped playing it here. I did get a chance to see a couple of episodes with the kid and they seemed funny...

by deepsand

The early series depicted scenarios which, no matter how incredible they seemed, where all possible using then known technology. Several of my friends and had held regular [i]MI[/i] viewing parties, at which we tried to think of alternative means to accomplish the actions depicted.

Later on, with the change in cast, it all got too mystical.

PS. I think you meas the Clarke "Maxim."

by deepsand

I enjoyed both works, despite their differences; perhaps that is because each offered somthing that the other did not.

With myself, I find that to be not unusual; an example that comes immediately to mind is [i]Charlie[/i], the movie, as opposed to [i]Flowers for Algernon[/i], the short story.

by deepsand

What I had [i]intended[/i] to type was [b][i]The Lathe of Heaven[/i][b].

Now, fire me, please; I need the rest.

by jkaras

B5 got worse in the end. It had some really good ideas here and there, but Strazinski (I know its the wrong spelling)typically makes great stories with great ideas but usually cant deliver on a good ending. It is evident in his comics that he writes for (Amazing Spiderman, Rising Stars, Midnight Nation) fantastic idea for a story, great build up, great character development, cheezy ending. He basically made too many happy endings for all the characters on B5, not really any tragic ones. I think the show got too big and he didnt want to offend the fans like some writers do killing off a beloved character. A prime example is Salvadore who killed off Chewbacca getting death threats, man that's lame.Its a shame that the guy who played the original captain Sinclair quit the show. I think once he had to re-write the script for the character Sheridan the original intended path was skewed making something out of nothing.

The production value for Earth Final conflict would be good at some parts, then really cheezy in other key moments. I found the idea very interesting waitting for it to take off. I unfortunately would miss a few episodes here and there and get so lost that I couldnt follow what was going on so I tuned out. I think they dragged out the wife's murder too much and not on why or what was going on behind the scenes.

Just curious do you remember the name of the tv show that was off William Shatner's books? The show was about people having the ability to literally surf in the internet live able to hack into any network. It was rather silly mind you but for some reason I really liked it.

by jamesrl

Somewhere in season 4, they thought they were going to run out of money and so they fought desparately to give the show a final closure. Then they got more money and had few ideas left for season 5. The worst episodes they did ended up there.

James

by Member 25348569

I agree that it's good but, to me, Simpsons it's not. I don't know the current status of Futurama being "on hold". I've heard it "may come back" but if the writers have gone off to other projects then it's dead.

Agree with you about the Matrix and the change of racial mix. Weird?

I'm having trouble with this thread - Trinity AND Jenny Agutter.

BRRRRRRRRRRR! :p

by itgirli

Mystery Science Theater 3000!!!!
Are you people crazy?
It was great. with Tom Servo and Gypsy and Crow and Cam-bot!!! Crow was always my favorite.
I always wanted a job like MST3K.
You people suck!

by jck

CRROOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!

hehehe...I watched MST3K long before it was popular on satellite when SciFi was a brand new network.

hope that doesn't ruin it for you. :(

by jdclyde

oh, sorry! When I got yelled at I had a flashback! AHHHH! Will take years of therapy to undo the training.....

Yes, a most enjoyable show. Just never got much chance to watch it as I had lost control of the TV and was living with a dominearing bitch with no sence of humor. So I missed most.

But yes, the editorials MADE otherwise mundane shows roll-on-the-floor funny.

by itgirli

That was the greatest show ever. I started watching it when it came on SciFi. I've been watching SciFi for a long time. There was no cooler show ever made. I want to do my own stuff like that. One of my favorites was shown back in 92 or 93, before I moved to Virginia, and there was this guy in it who was a scientist and he was with some girl who was in a white lab coat and he tied her to an examination table and she made this weird sound, And then the MST3K guys were all making fun of the sound, but you had to be there and see it. It was hilarious!

by afram

MST3K -now THAT'S funny.

Mitchell wasn't quite scifi, but "any movie with Wakachika in it is ok by me....wakachika wakachika wakachika wakachika"

by itgirli

I have a tendency to watch only comedies or historically based action. And westerns.

There is something seriously wrong with me.

by jck

I can relate, jdclyde.

I grew up with 3 women that made me watch soap operas.

God that sucked.

My TV consists mainly of Discovery Networks television line-ups (Discovery, Discovery-Times, Science Channel, History Channel, History International), soccer fixtures, Comedy Central, Fox channels (locals, F/X, Fox Sports Net) or E! television

I got little use for the "major" networks anymore. Most of their shows are horrible. You get a gem about once every 2-4 years that is good and lasts. Otherwise, it's cable all the way for me.

by tony hopkinson

Time travel into the past does me in completely. Ok it's a grate basis for some plot lines, but it's utterly stupid, sot of a Marty McFly idea on a bad day.

by gralfus

Was that the one where the guy dreams something and reality changes to conform to the dream?

by deepsand

the reality altering dreams of a patient so as to eliminate war, racism and illness.

by suncadd

A few that have been overlooked:
Flash Gordon
Thx1138
SlaugherHouse Five
Silent Running
The Incredible Shrinking Man
and for the offbeat:
Tank Girl
The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen

by gralfus

I still enjoy that movie. In retrospect the nuking part seems contrived (why build nukes into your ship), maybe part of the '70s environmentalism/anti-nuke wave.

by tony hopkinson

was an excellent film. THX1138 is probably my all time favourite. Still not sure what it is about it, but I never tire of watching it.

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