Sci-Fi movie discussion board

[crazywolf]

Boozhoo niji,

I figured I would start this, since I have been dubbed a dork. I am surprised that OneidaDreamer didnt think of if first, but I beat him to it.

So what is the best sci-fi movie you have ever seen? What were the coolest effects? What was the most lousey, lamest movie you wasted $7 to see in a theater, but laughed at it for being so stupid anyway? Which movie was cutting edge for its time, but you watch it now and its lame? What is the best series of movies?

Keep it to sci-fi now, none of this last action hero crap with awesome effects. Fantasy can go in here, since sci-fi and fantasy kinda go hand in hand, but not a whole lot of fantasy movies to really speak of, not serious ones anyway.

OK so these are my pics, lets start the discussion. I think the best movie I have seen so far is the Matrix. It was something totally new, completely different kind of plot that no one has ever seen before, cutting edge effects and a great cast. The sequals were not bad either but they dont beat the first one by a long shot. The story was more believable in the first.

Best effects, no contest, has to be Alien. It wasnt the fact that they didnt use CGI, or bright laser beams drawn into each frame, but the way the movie was made, back for its time, was just awesome. Edge of your seat suspense with just small hints of what could be the most terrifying thing you have ever seen, made it one of the most terrifying things you have ever seen. H. E. Geiger, director (creator) of the film said, "Its not what you see, its what you dont see"

Dumbest movie I ever paid to see but laughed it off later. Well, it kinda borders more on fantasy than sci-fi, and the movie was based on a cult classic that I cannot remember the name of offhand, but it would be Army of Darkness. It was corny, had really bad acting and more crappy one liners than a Mel Brooks flick. But some of it was hilarious, and for some reason its like a bad penny, and sticks in my mind.

Cutting edge movie that now looks lame. Hmmm, again, this one one sticks out in my mind but I kinda liked this movie. Its the Last Starfighter. It was one of the first movies to use CGI, had very basic graphics. You could count the polygons in the ships. I dont think any of the actors made it big time either, dont think the movie really did well, but it was an awesome flick for its time.

Best series, Star Trek, and Star Wars. I will let you guys hash out which is better. I like both, equally. Both of them are outstanding plots. Both of them started with limited budgets. Star Trek started life as a TV show with a budget smaller than what most houses in Florida cost, but made it big and then went to the big screen. Star Wars also was on a shoestring budget, but creator Lucas made it big selling the toys and lunchboxes long after the movie was made, and finanaced the two sequels with the profits.

Best fantasy movie, well for the old one would have to be Legend. Yeah I liked that movie. For the new one I liked Eragon a lot.

So those are my pics, what are yours?

Derek

[NorthofAda]

Chukma!

Allow me to be the 1st dorkette to post on this thread...

Sci-fi fan from way back - I remember watching the original Star Trek series with my dad when I was probably 4 years old.

Hard to narrow it down on some of these topics, but I'll try...

I did like the Matrix, and thought the 1st one was much better than the sequels, but I would say the best sci-fi film ever was Star Wars, episode 4. This one pretty much singlehandedly resurrected the sci-fi film, basically invented modern-day special visual and audio effects and also managed to bring back the big orchestral movie score - what would we do without John Williams? Consolation prize would go to Minority Report - really great concept, great storyline, awesome chase scenes and some really snazzy effects.

Best effects... hmm... tough one. Terminator 2 had some awesome effects, what with that evil terminator that could shapeshift, so did Blade Runner. As far as scaring the crap out of you, though, Aliens scared me even more than the first Alien movie did. I literally was on the edge of my seat through that one.

Dumbest movie - well I didn't pay to see this one at the theater, but did pay to rent it (does that count?) - Spaceballs with Mel Brooks, et. al. It was funny, but in a stupid sort of way...

Cutting edge movie that looks lame - probably Tron, although I thought it was kind of lame even when it first came out. Disney didn't think so, though, and even had a ride at Disneyland for a while based on the film.

Best series - well, I already mentioned Star Trek, the original. In my series' continuum I would have:

1. Star Wars I through VI, with #1 and #6 being my favorites.
2. Star Trek Voyager - Capt. Janeway royally kicked butt, not as militant as Capt. Kirk, but definitely not as pacifistic as Capt. Picard.
3. Battlestar Galactica - the new Sci-Fi channel series.
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation.
5. Star Trek (original series)
6. Space 1999.
7. Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Never got into Star Trek: Enterprise.

And I guess the campy sci-fi series award would have to go to Lost In Space - why Will Robinson was always in so much danger, I'll never know...

So, may the force be with you, (or the Schwartz), live long and prosper, and boldly go where no one has gone before, and all that...

Great thread! Thx!

[crazywolf]

Boozhoo niji,

Didnt think about series. My favorite series is a toss up between Babylon 5 and Firefly. Babylon 5 was the best for visual effects on a tv series, and Firefly, was the greatest show ever cancelled. It had such a big following that Josh Wheton made a movie that followed the story. Who knows whats next for them, but it was a great movie! Its called Serenity.

Northof Ada, you are right, Star Wars ressurected and set the standard for the SciFi industry. Not only that but several movies used Industrial Light and Magic, their techniques were used up until the point of CGI.


Terminator 2 did have some great effects, and Space Balls was funny, all out. I did kinda like Tron. Lost in Space, meh, Star Trek original was better. Forgot al about Space 1999, that was a cool one that didnt last long.

Derek

[alamosaurus]

The movie that started the trend of "good" science fiction
movies as opposed to grade-B monster films was Stanley
Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odessy. Unfortunately, the ending
was hard to follow--unless you read the book. Then every-
thing suddenly made sense.

[alamosaurus]

I would be interested in knowing if someone on this board
has seenboth versions of War of the Worlds made in the
U.S. (there were also several versions made in Great Britain)--
the original 1953 version made by George Pal, and the recent
(2005) version made by Steven Speilberg and made a compar-
ison of the two.

A note on War of the Worlds: it was intended to be a satire
on British imperialism and colonialism--the Martians were the
British who fed off of the blood of humans (i.e. the natural
resources of colonized peoples) This was not brought out
in the first versionof the movie, the one made by George Pal
in 1953, but it was brought out in Spielberg's 2005 remake.
(the Martians were seen extracting blood from human victims).
It was also brought out in Independence Day which was a
War of the Worlds clone, when the president, after communi-
cating telepathically with a captured alien says: "They're
moving from planet to planet. After they've used up..all the
natural resources, they move on....and we're next".

[middle of the sky]

blade runner

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

Space Balls



i kidd but i did watch it and i did laff

[*Brown Eyed Gurl*]

oh ive never seen Blade runner..yet i guess eh

[crazywolf]

Boozhoo niji,

I have seen 2001 and 2010, in that order. You have to be a real sci fi fan to appreciate these movies, if not, they kinda stink. My boss hates it, but who cares what he thinks.

I have seen the latter version of War of the Worlds, only seen excerpts from the earlier version. Also have seen the TV series. The movie with Tom Cruise was off the hook. The original, from the scenes I have seen, was probably something you would not expect from the industry back in its day, now its a cult classic. The TV show, started out alright but got corny towards the end of the second season.

We already discussed Spaceballs, actually had some good actors.

Mmm... Blade Runner, one of Harrison Ford's better movies. For its time, this movie was way ahead of its time, excellent effects, it had a plot easy enough for anyone to follow and complex enough to keep you interested all the way through, with a great kick of an ending. The music was the only thing kinda corny but it fit in with the times. Great movie!

Derek

[OneidaDreamer]

Has anyone seen eXistanZ? It's really a must see. Willam DaFoe is in it and a then not too well known Jude Lawe. And Jennifer Jason Leigh, who also starred in "The Jacket" another kick @ss sci-fi film I might add.

[they_drag_him]

Best sci fi movie is The Fifth Element but for the more daring you guys should see Liquid Sky:

Plot summary for
Liquid Sky (1982)
Invisible aliens in a tiny flying saucer come to Earth looking for heroin. They land on top of a New York apartment inhabited by a drug dealer and her female, androgynous, bisexual nymphomaniac lover, a fashion model. The aliens soon find the human pheromones created in the brain during orgasm preferable to heroin, and the model's casual sex partners begin to disappear. This increasingly bizarre scenario is observed by a lonely woman in the building across the street, a German scientist who is following the aliens, and an equally androgynous, drug-addicted male model. (Both models are played by Anne Carlisle, in a dual role.) Darkly funny and thoroughly weird. Written by Marty Cassady {[email protected]}

[Joe G]

Oldie But A Goodie

To me, the original Planet of the Apes was quite an epic.....and the scene where Charlton Heston on horseback, thinking he's escaped....and then turns the bend and sees the broken Statue of Liberty is one of the great ending scenes ever....
The make-up work was superb too, when you consider this was made in the 60's....the follow up movie made in the 2000's sucked tho

[OneidaDreamer]

Apes and Chicks and Calima oh my

To me, the original Planet of the Apes was quite an epic.....and the scene where Charlton Heston on horseback, thinking he's escaped....and then turns the bend and sees the broken Statue of Liberty is one of the great ending scenes ever....
The make-up work was superb too, when you consider this was made in the 60's....the follow up movie made in the 2000's sucked tho

I thought the new version sucked too Joe. I watched the old skool ones with my father when I was a little short round! I love Planet of the Apes!



I mean Mr Wahlberg had it all back on that alternate planet! WTF ya know!! Then he leaves that supposed utopia to go back to earth and it's all jacked up and stuff, seriously man!!! What a dummy!!! Dude had it all!

[OneidaDreamer]

Last Starfighter

I really liked the movie The Last Starfighter. I thought that flick was kick a$$! I like it even now. It was an original plot with a very awesome ship concept and design.

So many 80's sci-fi flicks sucked comparatively. Of course not all of the 80's sci-fi sucked. But Lots did.

[crazywolf]

Arnold Swartzenager

Hey,

You know Arnold Swartzenager did a stent in the sci fi genre for a while. There was Total Recall, and also Running Man. Of the two Running Man was probably the better one. It was not so much on the special effects, had a good plot that was easy to understand, and had some good action and one liners.

Total Recall was a little harder to understand. I actually read the graphic novel before I saw the movie, so I had no problem understanding the plot, but my dad had to watch it twice to get the gist of it. It had better special effects than running man, cutting edge for the day.

Derek