Best Sci-fi films?

[croyde]

Renquist said:

goldblum said:

Perhaps you could enlighten me as to how the film Starship Troopers,based on the book by award winning Sci-Fi author Robert Heinlein,has been reclassified by

yourself as a documentary? Both IMDB and Wiki class it as Sci-Fi( amongst other genres such as action/thriller..but not documentary)...Do you know something we don't? Pray tell..

Its all a conspiracy against the truth!

Edited by Renquist on Monday 25th July 15:54

We've met before Renquist, a long time ago either on Boxster.net or Disco3. You convinced me to go Mac and I never did go back, plus you even sent me Office for Mac. Thanks.

Is it you?

[anonymous-user]

ajprice said:

District 9

Love it!
To second all these already mentioned
Sunshine
Moon
Blade Runner
Silent Running
The Fifth Element
Gattaca
Donnie Darko
Mad Max
And, dare I say it?
A.I!

[Dixie68]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Well you would say Bladerunner with your login name wouldn't you

[Cub911]

Some more recent ones, unsure if they have already been posted (also, not 100% sure they can be classed as sci-fi):

Battle Los Angeles
Cloverfield
Transformers (both films)
Skyline (its not good at all, but is sci-fi)
Independance Day
Monsters

And soon to be at the cinema - Cowboys vs Aliens.

[Halb]

Cub911 said:

Some more recent ones, unsure if they have already been posted (also, not 100% sure they can be classed as sci-fi):

Battle Los Angeles
Cloverfield
Transformers (both films)
Skyline (its not good at all, but is sci-fi)
Independance Day
Monsters

And soon to be at the cinema - Cowboys vs Aliens.

Isn't it meant to be best sci-fi, not ste sci-fi?

The new one looks good. SOme good actors in it.

[jarnold88]

I know its been put on here earlier and it was this thread that prompted me into watching it again...The Time Machine (2002) - I dont care what anybody says it is very good, love the music, VFX aren't the best and when Jeremy Irons opens his mouth all I can think is 'uncle scar, uncle scar, uncle scar. It doesn't deserve the low 5.7 on IMDB

[Halb]

jarnold88 said:

I know its been put on here earlier and it was this thread that prompted me into watching it again...The Time Machine (2002) - I dont care what anybody says it is very good, love the music, VFX aren't the best and when Jeremy Irons opens his mouth all I can think is 'uncle scar, uncle scar, uncle scar. It doesn't deserve the low 5.7 on IMDB

I liked it.
I still think the definitive version needs to be filmed, but it was decent enough.

[jarnold88]

Halb said:

I liked it.
I still think the definitive version needs to be filmed, but it was decent enough.

I would love to have a pop at it but being an amateur, just don't have the resources, maybe one day

[Cub911]

Halb said:

Cub911 said:

Some more recent ones, unsure if they have already been posted (also, not 100% sure they can be classed as sci-fi):

Battle Los Angeles
Cloverfield
Transformers (both films)
Skyline (its not good at all, but is sci-fi)
Independance Day
Monsters

And soon to be at the cinema - Cowboys vs Aliens.

Isn't it meant to be best sci-fi, not ste sci-fi?

The new one looks good. SOme good actors in it.

In all honesty, I thought battle los angeles and cloverfield were good, others...yes a little bit suspect

And yes, cowboys vs aliens looks good, shall have to see if it delivers.

[onomatopoeia]

Ozone said:

Phase4

That's an obscure one. Good though.

Almost all of my choices have already been mentioned on here. However La Jetee has not, so I'll mention it now.

[satans worm]

[quote=rhinochopig]. Never ever has a film been such a let down when compared to the book.quote]

Actually i think you will find thats Battlefield Earth

The book is good, the film however.....

[Ace-T]

I think some folk are ignoring the two questions posed by the thread title, namely 'Best' and 'Sci-fi'.

Star Wars is fantasy, NOT science fiction (darn entertaining though it may be), as are a fair few others mentioned here. Whilst Demolition Man, an entertaining Science Fiction film, can hardly be put in the 'Best' category.

Krull is neither, it is just ste.

Happy to help.

Trace

Edited to add: If you want a science fiction film that will 'challenge' you, try Primer. I will leave you to decide if it is 'best' or not...

Edited by Ace-T on Tuesday 26th July 19:09

[rhinochopig]

Ace-T said:

I think some folk are ignoring the two questions posed by the thread title, namely 'Best' and 'Sci-fi'.

Star Wars is fantasy, NOT science fiction (darn entertaining though it may be), as are a fair few others mentioned here. Whilst Demolition Man, an entertaining Science Fiction film, can hardly be put in the 'Best' category.

Krull is neither, it is just ste.

Happy to help.

Trace

Star Wars is most definitely science fiction. The reason I know is that we had to write a bloody thesis in the first year of my Industrial Design degree on whether the designs depicted in the decade the classic Sci-Fi films were made are reflected in their furtuist view of the film's created world. IIRC we had to do Star Wars, Return the forbidden planet, Barberella, and Blade-runner.

And the answer is yes if anyone is interested.

Star Wars is also one of the first films to depict a futuristic world (a long time ago ) that appears lived in. Before that it was shiny surfaces, clinical white or silver, and jump suits.

[rhinochopig]

Not sure whether he's been mentioned yet, but Tarkovsky made some interesting sci-fi films. Stalker is great as is Solaris, although personally - and I'm in a very very small population with this one - I prefer the George Cluney version as I think Cliff Martinez's score is magical.

[Renquist]

croyde said:

We've met before Renquist, a long time ago either on Boxster.net or Disco3. You convinced me to go Mac and I never did go back, plus you even sent me Office for Mac. Thanks.

Is it you?

Indeed it is from BoXa.net, I've gone all 4X4 now, but fancying another Box depending on what happens in detroit if the internet rumours are to be believed.

[judas]

rhinochopig said:

Ace-T said:

I think some folk are ignoring the two questions posed by the thread title, namely 'Best' and 'Sci-fi'.

Star Wars is fantasy, NOT science fiction (darn entertaining though it may be), as are a fair few others mentioned here. Whilst Demolition Man, an entertaining Science Fiction film, can hardly be put in the 'Best' category.

Krull is neither, it is just ste.

Happy to help.

Trace

Star Wars is most definitely science fiction. The reason I know is that we had to write a bloody thesis in the first year of my Industrial Design degree on whether the designs depicted in the decade the classic Sci-Fi films were made are reflected in their furtuist view of the film's created world. IIRC we had to do Star Wars, Return the forbidden planet, Barberella, and Blade-runner.

And the answer is yes if anyone is interested.

Star Wars is also one of the first films to depict a futuristic world (a long time ago ) that appears lived in. Before that it was shiny surfaces, clinical white or silver, and jump suits.

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong!

People automatically assume that anything set in space/the future/features laser guns is science fiction. Well, it ain't. At least it ain't proper science fiction.

Allow me to explain...

Proper science fiction isn't just a setting - it's something that drives the whole plot: how advances in technology affect society etc. The litmus test is to take the whole story and see if it can be transposed, without completely (and literally) losing the plot, into a different era. Star Wars could quite readily be set as a medieval fantasy without losing anything essential to the story or glaring anachronisms (assuming light sabres become swords, the Force becomes magic etc).

To me, Star Wars is futuristic fantasy, not science fiction. Doesn't stop me being a massive Star Wars though

[rhinochopig]

judas said:

rhinochopig said:

Ace-T said:

I think some folk are ignoring the two questions posed by the thread title, namely 'Best' and 'Sci-fi'.

Star Wars is fantasy, NOT science fiction (darn entertaining though it may be), as are a fair few others mentioned here. Whilst Demolition Man, an entertaining Science Fiction film, can hardly be put in the 'Best' category.

Krull is neither, it is just ste.

Happy to help.

Trace

Star Wars is most definitely science fiction. The reason I know is that we had to write a bloody thesis in the first year of my Industrial Design degree on whether the designs depicted in the decade the classic Sci-Fi films were made are reflected in their furtuist view of the film's created world. IIRC we had to do Star Wars, Return the forbidden planet, Barberella, and Blade-runner.

And the answer is yes if anyone is interested.

Star Wars is also one of the first films to depict a futuristic world (a long time ago ) that appears lived in. Before that it was shiny surfaces, clinical white or silver, and jump suits.

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong!

People automatically assume that anything set in space/the future/features laser guns is science fiction. Well, it ain't. At least it ain't proper science fiction.

Allow me to explain...

Proper science fiction isn't just a setting - it's something that drives the whole plot: how advances in technology affect society etc. The litmus test is to take the whole story and see if it can be transposed, without completely (and literally) losing the plot, into a different era. Star Wars could quite readily be set as a medieval fantasy without losing anything essential to the story or glaring anachronisms (assuming light sabres become swords, the Force becomes magic etc).

To me, Star Wars is futuristic fantasy, not science fiction. Doesn't stop me being a massive Star Wars though

I see your point, but stars wars wouldn't work without the future science element. The world that lucas created is the ONLY reason it works. Transpose the story into any other backdrop and Lucas would be a teacher at film school on $30k a year. The plot, the script, etc. are all ste.

By your criteria, most of the films listed should be excluded. Alien - Haunted house tale, Aliens - Nam film, 2001 - Wizard fantasy film: Replace the monolith with some wizarding totem and the ship with horses, throw in a few bits of peril along the journey, and end with a peek behind the curtain.

[judas]

rhinochopig said:

I see your point, but stars wars wouldn't work without the future science element. The world that lucas created is the ONLY reason it works. Transpose the story into any other backdrop and Lucas would be a teacher at film school on $30k a year. The plot, the script, etc. are all ste.

Agreed. However, that still doesn't make it science fiction

rhinochopig said:

By your criteria, most of the films listed should be excluded. Alien - Haunted house tale, Aliens - Nam film, 2001 - Wizard fantasy film: Replace the monolith with some wizarding totem and the ship with horses, throw in a few bits of peril along the journey, and end with a peek behind the curtain.

It's certainly not black and white. I agree with the Alien/Aliens hypothesis to a degree, but not so much with the 2001 one - the whole premise of the story is, on the one hand, about the impact of alien contact on the human race, but more important is the whole HAL9000 strand: the questions it raises about artificial intelligence and the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding it.

[PaulFontaine]

Nerdiest. Thread. Ever. I love it! I can't think of any that haven't been named except maybe Sunshine. To me the DUNE books are the best ever and I did love the films too I shall be activating my nerd powers to find the tv series which was spoken about. As far as tv series go I loved Battle Star Galataca.

[ChiChoAndy]

Oh, if were talking tv series... firefly... Should.not.have.been.canceled.