The Top 10 Sci-Fi Films. Really? REALLY?

[KingVoyeur]

SFX's Top 10 Sci-Fi Films (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6517155.stm)

So....did they not poll anyone over the ages of 18-24? How else could Serenity make the top of the list, unless the did a mass polling of the same people who petitioned to get the movie made in the first place. I enjoyed the movie, I really did, but come on! Hardly the best science fiction film ever. I agree with a few other films on the list, but it's far from perfect.

Personally, I think Blade Runner should either be first or second, with Star Wars up there too.

[sickness]

Bah. That list is worthless. Serenity was good but not anywhere near top-ten good. Especially when said Top Ten doesn't include ST:WOK, Aliens (since Alien was actually a horror movie) or Brazil.

[colmatrix]

If they omitted Serenity it would make a fine top 9 list. I don't have any problems with the rest of the list, besides the exclusion of ST:WOK.

[neglet]

1. Serenity
2. Star Wars
3. Blade Runner
4. Planet of the Apes
5. The Matrix
6. Alien
7. Forbidden Planet
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. The Terminator
10. Back to the Future

Not a bad list. I'm not sure I'd put "Back to Future" in there. It's a good movie, but it's not the science fiction which makes it good. "Serenity" is overrated at #1, but I don't have a problem with it being in the top--I thought it was very good and it would definitely make my top 20 films.

Why don't people add their own suggestions for top 10 sci-fi films and we'll create our own list?

[KingVoyeur]

Why don't people add their own suggestions for top 10 sci-fi films and we'll create our own list?

Sure.

In no particular order (I assume the list will be based on how many times each title appears). I know there's not 10 but see runner-ups for others.

Blade Runner
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Fritz Lang's Metropolis
Star Wars IV: A New Hope
2001: A Space Odyssey
Planet of the Apes
The Matrix
Aliens
Akira

Runner-ups: (some of these could be in that gray area between sci-fi and fantasy/horror).
The Day the Earth Stood Still
King Kong (original)
Star Trek: Wrath of Khan
Brazil
Dune
Alien
The Terminator
Superman
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Abyss
Tron
Gojira (original Japanese Godzilla)

[neglet]

I think I'll start a thread to go decade by decade. We'll survey each decade, choose a favorite or two, then assemble our top 10 from there.

Oh, and "Close Encounters" would definitely go in my top 10. I'd choose "Empire Strikes Back" over "Star Wars," and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" over "Forbidden Planet." (The latter is a little slow, and the set decoration is icky.)

Oh, and if anyone dares to put "Total Recall" on their list, I'm going to use my mod powers to edit it out. I hate it that much.

[sickness]

Oh, and if anyone dares to put "Total Recall" on their list, I'm going to use my mod powers to edit it out. I hate it that much.

If people like Total Recall so be it. I happen to enjoy it. Top Ten enjoy it? No. But if people want to submit it, then let them. If this is supposed to be an honest, unskewed Top Ten consensus, then let it be one.

If you're really going to enforce this, I'll have nothing to do with these threads. And if that sounds like me walking out in a huff, maybe you don't deserve the privilege of being a mod.

[Bill_the_Pony]

Oh, stop. Get back in here.

Poopybritches.

[sickness]

That'll depend on Neg's answer.

[omicron]

I believe she was joking. :)

[sickness]

I don't see anything indicating humor in the slightest and her past expression of her views on Total Recall don't help either.

Let's test it.

Here's my top ten in no particular order (and I'm taking back what I said earlier about TR not in my top ten. This list is final):

Total Recall
X-Men
The Terminator
T2
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Aliens
The Matrix
Brazil
Contact

[Bill_the_Pony]

Oh, come now. http://a621.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/54/m_3ebdf7866e33c354b3b5f25c563336a4.gif

Better? :)

Anyways, I'd go so far as to leave OFF any movie that's only all about the window-dressing (action and effects) and without any substance or idea or theme, which is, after all, what the best science fiction is about.

And, sorry to say, this includes leaving off any of the Star Wars movies...as science fiction. IMO, they just aren't science fiction.

So, with that...my top ten would be:

Blade Runner
2001: A Space Odyssey
Gojira (Japanese version)
Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Dr. Strangelove
Contact
Alien, Aliens, Alien3
The Matrix
Ghost in the Shell
Metropolis (message comes off as simplistic today, but still monumental...I'm somewhat partial to the Giorgio Moroder version, so sue me. :eek: )

my runners-up:

The Man Who Fell to Earth
Brazil
Demon Seed
The Boys from Brazil
Planet of the Apes (1968) (and to a lesser extent its four sequels)
Videodrome
The Andromeda Strain
Dune
Day the Earth Stood Still
Forbidden Planet
Five Million Years to Earth
A Clockwork Orange
Solaris
Dark City
Minority Report
Sleeper (Woody Allen's great sci-fi comedy)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Akira
THX-1138
12 Monkeys
Alien
Frankenstein (1931)
I, Robot (surprisingly enough)


And for Action/Eye Candy/entertainment value and nothing else:

Star Wars (any one will do, with partiality to the OS)
Flash Gordon (1980)
Barbarella
The Fifth Element
Starship Troopers
Logan's Run (cheeeeeeeeeesey guilty pleasure)
Back to the Future Trilogy
Galaxy Quest
Mars Attacks
War of the Worlds(2005) (I always thought George Pal's movies were just too preachy and simpleminded, leaning on the side of religion)

[KingVoyeur]

Crap I completely forgot about Dark City and Fifth Element. Thanks for reminding me Bill!

[neglet]

Bill, I'm glad to see someone else considers "Dr. Strangelove" sci fi, cause I think I'd put it in my top 20, too.

Sicks, I fart in your general direction. :Tongue:

[Space Tycoon]

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey

2) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

3) Blade Runner

4) Alien/Aliens ( I cheated! Deal with it. ;) )

5) Contact

6) The Abyss

7) Star Trek: The Motion Picture

8) Deep Impact

9) Silent Running

10) Planet of the Apes





.

[sickness]

Okay. Test passed. I'm withdrawing my nomination of Total Recall. I'm replacing it with Minority Report.

[Bill_the_Pony]

I did forget to mention Serenity, which would go in the third category....but I consider it more than "eye candy", it's a darn good story and world, with science fiction window dressing.

I also (and I'm probably in the minority here) enjoy the Matrix sequels and all of the Animatrix shorts. I find the resolution at the end of the third Matrix movie to be a satisfying one in its complete lack of resolution, if totally unpopular. This is how life is. And then again, I could appreciate the point of never finding out the killer of Laura Palmer on Twin Peaks, as well (as originally planned by the producers).

BUT, I'm not so fond of the sequels to put them in the top ten, along with the first movie. Almost, though. :Smirk:

I did a lot of hemming and hawing about putting the first 3 Alien movies in the top ten, because they really don't add much to the genre of science fiction, and in fact, by good science fiction standards, are pretty cliche, especially Alien. But they are done with such skill and style, they pretty much transcend the shortcomings. One could argue the same for Star Wars, but that one wouldn't be me. :eek: :anismirk:

[Space Tycoon]

I did a lot of hemming and hawing about putting the first 3 Alien movies in the top ten, because they really don't add much to the genre of science fiction, and in fact, by good science fiction standards, are pretty cliche, especially Alien.

Oh, I'd say they rank as good science fiction, especially the first, which is the best imo. The depiction of truly alien life forms and environments, coupled with the design of the Nostromo and the everyman characterization of her crew, made for an utterly believable story.





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[KingVoyeur]

I gotta add Independence Day to the eye candy section, just because there really hasn't been a serious alien invasion movie on that scale (except maybe Mars Attacks! (but that was comedy) and the War of the Worlds remake (but that was pretty localized to the US)) before. Thousands of aliens just coming in and kicking our asses, blowing up our shit in spectacular fashion, then us turning around and giving them a good ol' beatdown.