favorite sci-fi movies that I have seen - all time

[Gravity_Ray]

I couldn’t put them in order of favorites because I love these movies one and all. I have seen these movies more than a dozen times each (in some cases hundreds of times). Some old movies and some very new (so it’s not about special effects with me), but all grabbed me and have made a permanent home in my brain.

So here they are in alphabetical order.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Blade Runner (1982)
Brazil (1985)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
District 9 (2009)
Dune (1984)
Frankenstein (1931)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Star Trek (2009)
Star Wars (1977)
Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
The Matrix (1999)
The Terminator (1984)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)

If there is one that is your favorite and you don’t see it on this list name it so I can go see it.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

I've got quite a few, not on the list. But, it's sooo hard to come up with a list. Every new response will be replied to by someone saying "OH YEAH, I FORGOT THAT ONE!"

Soooo.. off the top of my head:

Forbidden Planet - It's a classic. If you haven't seen it, go out and get it. For its time, it's cutting edge stuff with a great story.
Silent Running - Yeah, it's kind of hokey but, it's one that is often forgotten. It's not the tree-hugger thing I like but one of the first uses of "robots" as actual characters. While Robby the Robot and various incarnations had been around for awhile, Silent Running put "emotion" into robots and made them "come alive" in a new way. Great story too and Dern did a good job there. Audiences cried over the plight of robots... Pretty groundbreaking, IMO.
War of the Worlds, 20,000 Leagues, etc.. IOW, some of the classic Sci-Fi that qualifies as "literature" today..
Metropolis - It's silent but, worth watching. It's a groundbreaking film, one of the first truly meaningful science fiction movies.
THX 1138 - A great movie and not one that many people bring up. I had to google it to remember the name. His first feature film.
Planet of the Apes - YOU DIRTY APE!
Dune - I controls teh spice, I controls teh uneeverse!

and, who could forget..

Aliens - Just when you thought it was safe to go back into space...

 

[bdewoody]

How about Outland with Sean Connery? Also Red Planet and Mission to Mars, The Martian Chronicles.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

How about Outland with Sean Connery? Also Red Planet and Mission to Mars, The Martian Chronicles.

Nice ones. Outland was pretty good. The Martian Chronicles was excellent, for its day. The story is, of course, the great thing there. I wish television would put a bit more effort into miniseries these days.

 

[brandbll]

Check out Solaris and Moon which was just released on DVD.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

Dune and Aliens... How did I forget those? I must be getting old. Ofcourse those are some great movies and are on my list.

Now I have a round even 20 in my list.

Those are some great titles Woody and Packet... Thanks, I have seen most of those, but will see them again to remind myself since its been a while.

Thanks

 

[OleNewt]

The Chronicles of Riddick (vin diesel) -- it's supposedly a sequel, but I can't ever remember what the other movie was (one of them sequel series that used different names for each movie)

Serendipity -- movie event of the FireFly series from SciFi network, never saw or cared for either but heard lots of good about it

Spaceballs: The Movie

The Last Starfighter

Doom (Duane Johnson) -- based on the video games

Knowing (2009, Nicolas Cage) -- not so focused on the sci-fi part, but very good movie anyways

Men in Black 1 and 2

Predator/Predator 2/Alien vs Predator

Soldier -- genetically-modified super-soldier is made obsolete by his upgrade, ends up dump on a trashcan-class planet defending the locals from his upgrades.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

I never saw serendipity, so I'll check it out. Thanks.

The chronicles of Riddick was OK, but it was a bit confused, but the first movie you're thinking of was Pitch Black which was a very good movie. The Last starfighter was very good for its time, but looks dated now. Predator was an excellent movie and should be on everybodies list.

Packet I saw Forbidden Planet and it was very good, thanks. I was surprised how advanced it was for its time, so thats were Robby the Robot comes from. I also saw THX 1138 and was a bit confused but it was not the same ol, same ol, so that made it worth seeing. I'll see Metropolis as soon as I get a chance.

 

[ILUVSPACCE]

Check out Solaris and Moon which was just released on DVD.

Moon is a great movie. So good in fact I had to own it.

 

[StarRider1701]

I've seen all the movies on your list except Brazil and Dune. Never heard of Brazil, but did read the Herbert book Dune, as well as the rest of that series. I heard that the movie did not do the book justice, which is why I never watched it.
I also liked The Last Starfighter, Soldier and Predator.

You missed some of my favorite movies:

Stargate - not the TV series which started where the movie ended. The original movie starring Kurt Russel.

Independence Day - one of my favorite movies of all time.

Soylent Green - Burt Reynolds starred and the movie was as good as the book.

If the "Comics to Movies" count as SF, then Spiderman is another of my favorite movies.

And last but most certianly not least - ET. You just can't leave that one out, it was an instant classic!

 

[Gravity_Ray]

Thank you Star, yes Stargate (1994) with Kurt Russell was actually a very good movie, and so was Independence Day (1996) with Will Smith. Both are favorites of mine. Do you mean Soylent Green (1973) with Charlton Heston? Or was there another one with Burt Reynolds? I liked ET but it was a bit... I don’t know boring is not the right word, but predictable for me. I prefer movies that are either challenging or just chalk full of action. But it was a good movie never the less.

Dune (1984) when released was very confusing, because they cut so much of the story out. But for those that had read the book it made total sense and there were some good scenes in it as well. Frank Herbert was very upset about what they did to his story. The re-released version is what I have and has much of what was cut out of David Lynch's movie in it, so it’s worth seeing, to me Sting made the movie. He channeled Feyd Rautha and nobody has done him as well since even though there has been a couple of a newer versions.

I will see Moon as well. I have heard good stuff about it, but for some reason it never made it to my radar screen.

Thanks for suggestions.

 

[bdewoody]

Just thought of two more.

Event Horizon

Lost in Space (The Movie)

 

[brandbll]

I will see Moon as well. I have heard good stuff about it, but for some reason it never made it to my radar screen.

Thanks for suggestions.

It didn't make it to hardly anyone's radar screens because it came out to a very limited number of theaters. I remember the thread for that movie on here got hardly any responses. Like the ILUVSPACE person though, i also liked it so much that i bought it.

 

[bdewoody]

Check out Solaris and Moon which was just released on DVD.

Moon is a great movie. So good in fact I had to own it.

It's available from NetFlix too. It's in my queue.

Also noticed that the SyFy channel is running a marathon of the old series The Invaders

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Check out Solaris and Moon which was just released on DVD.

I checked out some info on "Moon" and it looks awesome! Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to try to see it soon. It looks like a great movie!

 

[High_Evolutionary]

Serendipity -- movie event of the FireFly series from SciFi network, never saw or cared for either but heard lots of good about it

GravityRay: It's actually Serenity, and I loved it. How about The Thing(1984)I believe. Andromeda Strain(classic). Heavy Metal was animated but rocked!

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Just thought of two more. Event Horizon Lost in Space (The Movie)

I liked Event Horizon a lot. It was "The Flying Dutchman" in space! A great Sci-Fi flick and certainly a decently scary movie to boot.

But, on "Lost in Space" I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It had some of the flavor of the original series, I have to admit that. So, in that respect, it was enjoyable. But, I had to suspend disbelief a bit too much in parts of the movie.

I will say that Matt LeBlanc did a good job and I was glad to see him get some screentime to break the mold, so to speak.

 

[StarRider1701]

Yes, Soylent Green was Charlton Heston, sorry don't know where I got Reynolds from. Oh well, old age I think!

So if I want to enjoy Dune, I need to get the one that shows all the cut scenes? Ok, I'll have to look for it.

 

[jim48]

Good thread! Now as the only real, genuine, bonafide, rip snortin', honest-to-God scientist here at SDC allow me to clear up a couple of things. Charlton Heston starred in Soylent Green, not Burt Reynolds. The Martian Chronicles was a made for television mini-series and every time they try to do Bradbury on film they just don't quite get there. Lost in Space the movie? Can anyone explain that movie to me?!! Soylent Green was surprisingly good. I liked George Pal's The War of the Worlds and his The Time Machine. Of course Forbidden Planet! Silent Running was so bad it was good. I liked 2010. The first Star Trek movie was actually a good science fiction film, just weak Star Trek. Um, Star Trek hit well on the even numbers, IMO, II, IV & VI. Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer has a new book out called The View from the Bridge in which he talks about his involvement with three of the Star Trek movies. Superman:The Movie (hey, he's an alien, remember?), E.T. Bladerunner and of course Planet of the Apes. Charlton Heston again, this time with Nova, young, beautiful, leggy, scantily clad, great body and totally unable to speak. The perfect woman! :lol: I have to put the first Alien movie on this list as well because I saw that when it first came out and it scared the crap out of me. Earth vs the Flying Saucers because it too was so bad it was good and honorable mention to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Thing (original). And let us not forget the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I know. I'm dating myself. Those are my favorites! I knew I'd forget at least one: The Day the Earth Stood Still, the original.

 

[bdewoody]

We have all left out the most important movie of them all. The Hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

I removed an erroneous reference to a non existant movie. Hey it was early in the morning.

 

[MeteorWayne]

We have all left out the most important movie of them all. The Hitch hikers Guide to the Universe. And wasn't there a Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

AFAIK, there is no HHGTTU, only a HHGTTG. There is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

 

[bdewoody]

We have all left out the most important movie of them all. The Hitch hikers Guide to the Universe. And wasn't there a Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

{Starider 1701 wrote}Sorry pard, we're talking about good movies here!!! Hitchhikers Guide was one of the few movie where I walked out of the theatre feeling like I didn't get my moneys worth. It was the stupidest movie. It had no point. If there was a plot I couldn't find it. It was not even remotely funny. Just stupid. I truly felt cheated at the end of that show, that does not happen to me very often.

PS. Nothing like belabouring the obvious there Jimbo. Yes, we had already agreed that Heston was in Soylent Green prior to your post, my man. Pay attention oh grand, bonafied, honest to god, genuine s....

But it gave us the answer to everything 42 and for me the movie that I wasted my money on was The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake) Sorry about the typos, my doorbell was ringing.

{Edit by MW}- I accidently fat fingered and deleted StarRider 1701's post by mistake, it is preserved here. Sorry about that StarRider, Wayne

 

[StarRider1701]

{Edit by MW}- I accidently fat fingered and deleted StarRider 1701's post by mistake, it is preserved here. Sorry about that StarRider, Wayne[/quote]


No problem, MW. As you said, it is preserved in Woody's post so that's ok.

If movies that make fun of SciFi count, I did like Galaxy Quest, making fun of Star Trek, and Mars Attacks which paradied War of the Worlds. Every once in a while, one needs a good laugh...

 

[FlatEarth]

Good thread! Now as the only real, genuine, bonafide, rip snortin', honest-to-God scientist here at SDC allow me to clear up a couple of things. Charlton Heston starred in Soylent Green, not Burt Reynolds. The Martian Chronicles was a made for television mini-series and every time they try to do Bradbury on film they just don't quite get there. Lost in Space the movie? Can anyone explain that movie to me?!! Soylent Green was surprisingly good. I liked George Pal's The War of the Worlds and his The Time Machine. Of course Forbidden Planet! Silent Running was so bad it was good. I liked 2010. The first Star Trek movie was actually a good science fiction film, just weak Star Trek. Um, Star Trek hit well on the even numbers, IMO, II, IV & VI. Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer has a new book out called The View from the Bridge in which he talks about his involvement with three of the Star Trek movies. Superman:The Movie (hey, he's an alien, remember?), E.T. Bladerunner and of course Planet of the Apes. Charlton Heston again, this time with Nova, young, beautiful, leggy, scantily clad, great body and totally unable to speak. The perfect woman! :lol: I have to put the first Alien movie on this list as well because I saw that when it first came out and it scared the crap out of me. Earth vs the Flying Saucers because it too was so bad it was good and honorable mention to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Thing (original). And let us not forget the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I know. I'm dating myself. Those are my favorites! I knew I'd forget at least one: The Day the Earth Stood Still, the original.

That's a great list, Jim. Many of yours are also on my long list of favorites. One that is not in your list, and one I'm almost ashamed to say is in my top five is Independence Day. It was really stupid, okay? But the story telling was great, and I use Will Smith's signature line to this day when dispatching a squad of 12 year old cyber punks in Battlefield 2042...”Welcome to Earth!” :lol: Here are my top five because that's all I can handle (on one hand). :?

Matrix (the first one)
Avatar
Independence Day
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original)

Oh, almost forgot The Pink Panther!

 

[StarRider1701]

”Welcome to Earth!”
Matrix (the first one)
Avatar
Independence Day
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original)

Oh, almost forgot The Pink Panther!

Nothing wrong with Independence Day, I put that in my first post on this thread, too. And the only reason I didn't list Avatar is I have not had the chance to see it yet, but I will, soon.

Now, as to your last entry... The Pink Panther?!?!? Gag me with a pitchfork!!! I say to you what I said to Woody, TIMES 10! Never mind the fact that it isn't Science Fiction. Uuuggg! (takes big swig of beer to get nasty taste out)