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Suggest lesser-known good Sci-Fi films

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Digby

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I’ve just seen ‘everything everywhere at once’, and that might be up your street!
Thanks, I will consider it. I have a strong prejudice against new films though. I have rarely seen anything post mid 2000s, say 2005-ish, that I thought was truly excellent in the way earlier films were. Don't ask me to put my finger on it exactly, I can't.
 
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Digby

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I found THX 1138 to be quite unique. The idea is not unlike Logan's Run, but it is a fair bit deeper/more immersive as a world. Lucas had to mess with it later on when released on DVD, of course, but still an excellent watch. THX 1138
 

FrantzM

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Hi

If it hasn't been recommended: Fast Colors. A superb movie. A movie worth watching several times.


P.S. I hasten to add that it it not one of those dreadful, tiresome, discouraging, dystopian movies.
 
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DWPress

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Babylon 5 is a great TV series with at least 5 made for TV movies and another series spin-off. The first season is a bit of a slog but necessary as the 5 seasons are mostly one big story arc.

The Sci-Fi Channel also did a 3 part miniseries for Children of Dune

The Sky Crawlers - anime movie
 

LTig

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Thanks, I will consider it. I have a strong prejudice against new films though. I have rarely seen anything post mid 2000s, say 2005-ish, that I thought was truly excellent in the way earlier films were. Don't ask me to put my finger on it exactly, I can't.
I understand your view - most modern block buster scifi movies are just western movies transferred into space, notable exceptions (well, mostly not block busters) being Arrival, Cargo, Contact, Cloud Atlas, District 9, Gravity, Interstellar, Moon, Passengers and The Martian.
 
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kemmler3D

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Many good suggestions here, a big +1 for Ghost in the Shell, there is a great deal of series-based content that ties into the movie, but of somewhat uneven quality.

Moon is really good, but from 2009.

Sunshine is good, but from 2007.

Independence day is a lot of fun, from 1999.

Dark City and 13th Floor are good if you care for The Matrix at all.

District 9 and Looper are both great but from the 2000s.

Gattaca is an absolute must-see from the 90s.

Contact is a very strong entry from the 90s.

They Live is campy and B-ish, but a cultural touchstone from the 80s.

AKIRA is a must-watch on any top movies list regardless of genre.

And of course if you haven't seen The Matrix, that's a major oversight. As everyone I've spoken to lately says, "It holds up".
 

Berwhale

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I've seen most of these. Standouts for me would be Cube and Ghost in the Shell. Definitely more like these two would be appreciated.

Have you seen Akira? (preferably with subs, not dubbed).

Also some much older stuff...

THX1138 (obvious suggestion on audio forum!)
A Boy and His Dog
Phase IV

I think most other films I would list have already been mentioned.
 

DJBonoBobo

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Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow?

Also: Airplane II: The Sequel :)
But nothing can top Demolition Man, of course.
 

DJBonoBobo

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Did you try googling for obscure Scifi-movies? I quickly found this list, for example: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls005758238/
Maybe there is something you like? Although "Cube" is on that list and it was one of the worst movies i´ve ever seen in my life. Absolutely hated everything about that movie.
 
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Digby

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Have you seen Akira? (preferably with subs, not dubbed).
Everyone raves about it, but from memory, when I saw it a LONG time ago, I wasn't a fan. It was fine, but I found it a bit OTT. I preferred Orguss 02 and Megazone 23, as far as anime goes.

Maybe there is something you like? Although "Cube" is on that list and it was one of the worst movies i´ve ever seen in my life. Absolutely hated everything about that movie.
Ha, isn't it funny how different people are. I really enjoyed that one, one of my favourites in fact. Not much rewatch value in it though.

Here is another VERY odd Russian film Kin-dza-dza! Another love it or hate it (or love it one minute, hate it the next) type film. If you're in the right mood though, excellent.
 

antcollinet

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Edit: Just changed the title a little to focus on less well known films. It doesn't have to be something nobody has heard of, but presume I have seen all the big/well known films (Terminator, Total Recall, Planet of The Apes, Aliens, Matrix...you get the drift). Thanks

Any suggestions as to good (better still, excellent) Sci-Fi films, preferably pre-2000s. I admit to being rather less than impressed with the genre when it is on film, compared to book form. No need to suggest any of the very obvious stuff, i.e Bladerunner (which I found dull tbh) and The Fifth Element (a good film, but not very Sci-Fi imo).

I would usually say the weirder the better, but there are definitely limits. I did give the original Russian Solaris a try. At first I thought it was excellent, but I was waiting for something to happen, something that tied it all together, but I just ended up baffled and bored, so turned off before the end.
If you want weird, then if you haven't yet watched "Everything Everywhere, All at Once" it doesn't come much weirder. Except for "Eraserhead" that was weirder - but it ain't SciFi.
 

TimF

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I don't believe anyone has yet listed Ex Machina. There is also High Life by Claire Dennis. The movie The Bad Batch by Lily Amipour which I appreciated much more on a second viewing. There are two additional ones that I must say are difficult movies and I don't recommend them. They are for hard core students of cinema. They are Hard to be a God by Aleksei German, and the Russian movie 4 (2004) by Ilya Khrzhanovsky. Hard to be a God is a visually remarkable film. The movie On the Silver Glove was not finished as originally planned for a lot of reasons and it is therefore flawed. Yet it is a movie of broad scope and much of it is highly effective. In some ways it is similar to the movie Hard to be a God. If you are a student of cinema then On the Silver Glove should be seen.
 
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