The best science fiction movies of all time

[terryforsythe]

What else would you put on this list, and why?

Although its a series, not a movie, Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009 reimagined) is worthy of mention. In Sci-Fi characters can be somewhat one-note. Not so with BSG. Edward James Almos, as Commander Adama, and Mary McDonell, as President Roslin, along with the rest of the actors, portray seemingly real people, flaws and all, in a space based drama. So good is the series that it one the 2006 Peobody Award for the 2005 season, the Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (episode titled "33"), as well as many other awards and nominations.

 

[Mart68]

Yep. Most science fiction (especially movies, but also quite some books) is just a "Western in Space". Avater f8r example, the whole Marvel universe, the Star Wars franchise. Some I do enjoy though. 2001 and Arrival are one of the few notable exceptions and very high on my list. 2001 especially has stood the test of time and can still be watched today without looking outdated.

Star Wars is really World War 2 in space, the attack on the Death Star is just 'The Dambusters'. They even steal some of the dialogue from that film ('How many guns do you count?'). Plus other cues like the Japanese Imperial Navy uniforms and the Stormtrooper helmets.

If we limit the list to hard science fiction that means there's a lot less films to choose from. Might not even be 20 to pick from if we consider that any FTL travel (by aliens or humans) should rule a film out.

 

[terryforsythe]

If we limit the list to hard science fiction that means there's a lot less films to choose from. Might not even be 20 to pick from if we consider that any FTL travel (by aliens or humans) should rule a film out.

A list of Sci-Fi movies that only conform to the laws of nature as we currently understand them would be interesting. I can't think of any. Even 2001: A Space Odyssey ends with "woo".

 

[Mart68]

A list of Sci-Fi movies that only conform to the laws of nature as we currently understand them would be interesting. I can't think of any. Even 2001: A Space Odyssey ends with "woo".

'The Andromeda Strain' was mentioned I think that would count. Also 'Soylent Green.' 'Logan's Run' is unlikely but has nothing preposterous. Must be a few others.

I suppose if you get too strict you end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Science Fantasy vs Science Fiction, it's a fine line between clever and stupid

 

[sqrl]

Of course, it's Young Frankenstein No. 1.

 

[Titurel]

I think there is some confusion about what "Hard Science Fiction" is. It is not fiction based on proven science. That's called fiction. Hard Science Fiction is about what might be possible (i.e., not yet proven impossible or considered highly unlikely) and how that changes what is possible more generally. Put another way, the stories are not possible or even plausible without a specific scientific breakthrough or discovery. Compare that with time honored stories, like The Seven Samurai, moved to a just-scraping-by mining community in outer space. That's what most contemporary Sci-Fi films are like - retreads.

For example, "Terminator," if you subtract the time travel shtik*, would be hard science fiction, at least it would be this week. Next week, it might just be fiction. Alien, on the other hand, is "The Birds" in a tin can.

* Of course, that would also subtract the plot. So much for trying to be a purist.

 

[Mart68]

Compare that with time honored stories, like The Seven Samurai, moved to just-scraping-by mining community in outer space.

'Battle Beyond The Stars'?

You just reminded me of 'Outland' which is 'High Noon' in space. I like that film, it would be in my top twenty.

Not sure if anyone's done 'Rio Bravo' in space? I might get going on a treatment. They got three successful films out of that one story.

 

[mhardy6647]

Just want to state explicitly: I am really enjoying this thread!
Thank you, @Keith_W, for starting it!

 

[Titurel]

'Battle Beyond The Stars'?

You just reminded me of 'Outland' which is 'High Noon' in space. I like that film, it would be in my top twenty.

Not sure if anyone's done 'Rio Bravo' in space? I might get going on a treatment. They got three successful films out of that one story.

I assume you are referring to El Dorado as #2 in your clone parade. I friend of mine, George Alexander, sang the theme song for it.

Stories like that are very portable. I could easily see it transplanted to the world of tv's The Wire (great series, BTW), with the Martin/Mitchum character as a junkie cop.

 

[Marc v E]

"Ich bin dein Mensch."

I am your man in English

Funny and thought provoking.

 

[Karlinamillion]

Here's my incomplete list, no particular order.. assume original versions

The Day the Earth Stood Still
This Island Earth
2001
Them!
Thing From Another World
Silent Running
Forbidden Planet
The Time Machine
First Men in the Moon (1964)
The Tingler
It's a Wonderful Life

You can probably guess when I was born!

 

[terryforsythe]

Silent Running

That's another one that probably conforms to our current understanding of physics.

 

[rgpit]

I didn't see the original Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Outlander (2008), or Colossus: The Forbin Project.

 

[Karlinamillion]

Here's my incomplete list, no particular order.. assume original versions

The Day the Earth Stood Still
This Island Earth
2001
Them!
Thing From Another World
Silent Running
Forbidden Planet
The Time Machine
First Men in the Moon (1964)
The Tingler
It's a Wonderful Life

You can probably guess when I was born!

Sorry, forgot,
Invasion of the Body Snatchers

 

[Mart68]

Here's my incomplete list, no particular order.. assume original versions

The Day the Earth Stood Still
This Island Earth
2001
Them!
Thing From Another World
Silent Running
Forbidden Planet
The Time Machine
First Men in the Moon (1964)
The Tingler
It's a Wonderful Life

You can probably guess when I was born!

Them! is a film I saw when I was about 6 years old and it always stuck with me but when I saw it again about 10 years ago it wasn't as good as I remembered.

 

[Mart68]

'Quatarmass And The Pit' (1967) is a classic. Really creepy film, I think partly because of the colour scheme they used. No idea if that was deliberate.

 

[Karlinamillion]

'Quatarmass And The Pit' (1967) is a classic. Really creepy film, I think partly because of the colour scheme they used. No idea if that was deliberate.

Colour scheme? IIRC it was b&w

 

[Mart68]

Colour scheme? IIRC it was b&w

The TV serial was black and white, the feature film is colour.

 

[kemmler3D]

I’m gonna say it, I’m very glad Blade Runner did not stick faithfully to the source material. I’m a very big fan of sci-fi and whoever adapted the book into the movie is a bloody genius because I just don’t see any inspiration in “Do Androids dream..”. Nor in any of Dick’s other books for that matter. One of my least favourite sci-fi authors
(Sorry to go off topic)

I think it's a great book and I don't necessarily love that the movie got rid of most of the subplots and themes of the book, but I think it works really well as a movie, and I don't think it would have worked as well if it was super faithful to the source material.

An adaptation that I'm still eagerly waiting for that I think should stick to the source 100% is Ubik... We'll see, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[BlueTunes]

Let's kick off this discussion with this video:

It's a straightforward list of the best 20 movies in the author's opinion. These are:

20. Metropolis (1927)
19. ET (1982)
18. Arrival (2016)
17. Alien (1979)
16. The Thing (1982)
15. Back to the Future (1985)
14. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
13. Total Recall (1990)
12. Dune Part 1 (2021)
11. Jurassic Park (1993)
10. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
9. The Terminator (1984)
8. Interstellar (2014)
7. Inception (2010)
6. Aliens (1986)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
4. The Matrix (1999)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
1. Blade Runner: 2049 (2017)

I have watched every movie on that list except for The Thing. I think there are some movies that don't belong - Back to the Future was fun, but it wasn't great. And Metropolis hasn't aged as well as the author thinks. And more than a few of those movies have been ruined by their sequels, notably Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Terminator, and Aliens.

I would add two movies: WALL-E and Project: Hail Mary. The genius of WALL-E is that there is hardly any dialog, and the geniuses at Pixar somehow made you care about a trash compacting robot and his cockroach friend. The social commentary was pretty biting, humanity had devolved into a race of fat slobs whose every need was taken care of and all they did was fly around in space wheelchairs eating junk food and watching mindless entertainment.

As for Project: Hail Mary ... mark my words, this movie will one day be considered one of the greats. I was utterly blown away when I saw it, I didn't think such a movie was possible after years of Hollywood slop. I thought that all the talented writers were dead. Warning - spoilers ahead: There IS political messaging in it, but it's subtle and not shoved down your throat. To take one example: Eva Stratt has to make unpleasant decisions, even immoral ones. Like send a man to die against his will, and when he refuses, she has him sedated and sends him anyway. Do you think this was justified? She's not portrayed as a straight out villain, although her actions were certainly villainous. You can understand them, and maybe even justify them. Do extraordinary circumstances mean that we have to change our moral code? It is this kind of ambiguity that I loved about the old Star Trek, and I love about this movie.

What else would you put on this list, and why?

The fact that Forbidden Planet is neither #1 or even on that list at all is an absolute travesty.

Another notable omission is Predator.

I'm of the opinion that 2001 isn't a film. It's art. The sequel, 2010 isn't art but a better film.

The Matrix is probably the best modern sci-fi film.