What's your favourite sci-fi film?

Jadzia

Jadzia

Cadet
Hi All,

I'm new to this site and kinda new to sci-fi, so I wanted to get people talking about their favourite sci-fi films in ways that recommend the films but that don't contain spoilers of major plot twists or reveal the endings.

Although I grew up watching both sci-fi and horror, I've spent far more time building my horror collection than my sci-fi collection. Watching films such as "Logan's Run" and "The Fifth Element" made me think I'm missing out on some awesome stories.

At the moment the "Alien" films are my favourite sci-films because they are presented in a reality that is easy to imagine, they are well-paced and they have characters it is easy to sympathize with.
 
For me I love all genre movies but in particular I am drawn to the sci-fi movies of the late 50's to the 70's. That covers everything from Forbidden Planet to Star Wars & Aliens. Along the way is stuff like Disney's Black Hole, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and some great TV series like Blake's 7, Space: 1999, and Doctor Who.
 
I am trying to find a movie that I cannot remember the title to. It is in color, possibly Technicolor, made before 1975, and features asians and caucasions. The asian leads are a sort of Adam and Eve.

First rocket crashes on planet. 20 years later second rocket arrives to find only asian male (a cross between Tarzan and Adam) the only survivor. His parents are presurved in a transparent medium. Father caucasion, mother asian. Movie end with asian male and female being left on planet to populate it (more or less.) I think the "tarzan/Adam" is called Zan or Zann or maybe Zhan. Anybody know what the title to this flick is?

Big Fuzzy
 
If you are new to sci-fi, I would recommend looking into some of the older works. When Worlds Collide is a classic. Forbidden Planet is probably the inspiration behind Star Trek. And the original renditions of The Time Machine and War of the Worlds are must see classics. Forbidden Planet is one of those movies that breaks out of the 'evil robot' trope mold. Maybe even for the first time. When Worlds Collide is as much about human behaviour under fantastic circumstances as anything else. The other two are self explanatory, I think.

Big Fuzzy
 
I am really getting into the Transformers universe at the moment, trying out all the series. I don't just mean the live-action ones, although they are enjoyable all the same.

If you want some good sci-fi films, try Star Wars, Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, District Nine, Short Circuit, The Matrix, X Men, Avatar, Starship Troopers, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Men In Black, Hellboy, Transformers.
TV shows = Fringe, Doctor Who, Transformers, X Files, No Ordinary Family.

These are some of my favourites, hope you enjoy them!
 
Amazingly, I found the title of the movie I was looking for. Women of the Prehistoric Planet. I guess the cheesy title threw me, but then I saw the movie when i was 10 or so. I suspect when I get it it will fail to live up to my recollections, but at least it will stop nagging at my memory.

big Fuzzy
 
My all time favorite sci fi movie is John Carpenter's The Thing, but I have some very close second place movies. The Alien franchise movies are among some of the greatest, and although the second movie in the series, Aliens, is my favorite of that group, the other sequels remain strong, quality efforts. I think I will take Big Fuzzy's recommendation to consider some of the older sci fi works. Thanks to Big Fuzzy! Although I've seen my fair share of "modern" scifi movies, I must admit I have overlooked many of the classics. (I consider modern anything from the original Star Wars to current movies.) The one classic movie that I really enjoy is Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring the late Kevin McCarthy. Outstanding!
 
I forgot to respond to The Master, who mentioned Back to the Future. These movies are also great. One of the elements I love most about them, is that the way in which the writers, director and cast was able to combine elements of comedy, drama, action adventure and great special effects all into each movie. That is a very tricky deal, I would assume, to get all of these elements to work together in a movie so that any individual one element does not overpower and crowd out the others. Anyway, great movies that will always have a cult following. And kind of a sidebar here, I saw Tom Wilson (he played Biff and all of his relatives) as a standup comedian at our local Funny Bone comedy club several months ago and he is hilarious!!! If he brings his act to a comedy club near you, do yourself a favor and go see Wilson. My wife and I will probably go see Wilson again, if and when he comes back to our area.
 
actionavenue said:
My all time favorite sci fi movie is John Carpenter's The Thing, but I have some very close second place movies. The Alien franchise movies are among some of the greatest, and although the second movie in the series, Aliens, is my favorite of that group, the other sequels remain strong, quality efforts. I think I will take Big Fuzzy's recommendation to consider some of the older sci fi works. Thanks to Big Fuzzy! Although I've seen my fair share of "modern" scifi movies, I must admit I have overlooked many of the classics. (I consider modern anything from the original Star Wars to current movies.) The one classic movie that I really enjoy is Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring the late Kevin McCarthy. Outstanding!
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There is something to be said for the old and the new. Many look down on the old Sci-fi films because of the poor special effects, claymation monsters or just bad acting. Well, that last is a good reason, but the high quality graphics and effects we have now were slowly developed over the decades. We have to remember that nothing is created in a vacuum. Todays special effects guys owe much to the ones who had come before them. They stand on the shoulders of giants. Consider Forbidden Planet. No computers to make background effects. Everything was created by hand, yet it is a visually stimulating film, and possibly the inspiration for Star Trek. I should point out that sci-fi and horror movies were considered the bottom of the barrel for many directors and producers, hence the money was tight for actual production. Low budgets kill more movies than any other single cause.

What I would really like to see made into a movie is H. Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy". It is a good drama with some action and suspense. And no, I am not just saying that because I wrote "Fuzzy Ergo Sum" continuing with Piper's original characters. This is the kind of movie that would be interesting to the whole family, provided Disney keeps their paws off of it.

Big Fuzzy
 
The thing with the old science fiction movies is that they generally didn't rely too heavily on special effects - eg., the great classic "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers".
 
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