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WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SCI-FI FILM OF ALL TIME?


papasmurf

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Would Ghost Busters qualify?

 

Sure, that's a SF/Fantasy hybrid film! I loved it, good choice Ron! :smiley20:

 

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Excellent choices Rusty, "X-The Unknown", is a very cool flick, and you pretty much match me on top 3 choices. 2001 just "totally blew my mind" as an eight year old kid. Saw it in the now long gone, 180 degree sized "Panoramic" Screen, at a huge Movie Theater in Montreal. Few can argue that Kubrick "pushed the limits" of the time, with that classic work!

 

Thanks for your input! :smiley20:

 

2001gravityferris.jpg

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How 'bout The Bodysnatchers? The original, not the remake. Brian Donlevy, wasn't it?

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How 'bout The Bodysnatchers? The original, not the remake. Brian Donlevy, wasn't it?

 

 

Excellent film! Released in 1956, A real "Classic"! I also enjoyed the second verson with Donald Sutherland, and Leonard Nimoy, that was pretty scary as well! The last remake, seen on Sci-fi channel, was pathetic, as most of those "B to C" class films they produce, are.

 

Good one, and the first time it was brought up, nice choice Ron! :smiley20:

 

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I agree, few, if any, remakes, match the original, and seem generated more by lack of imagination by Hollywood Studios, than the attempt to make a better version of an earlier film. The classic 70's "Andromeda Strain", outshines the newly made version, by many miles, for originality of it's time of production, and the superb cast, including Arthur Hiller.

 

In this cases, it seems almost an "insult" to the superior original, which has a very "edgy" quality to it, and a vastly different visual style, and story-line.

 

Same goes for "I am Legend" with Will Smith, based on the original "Omega Man", with the recently departed Charlton Heston. And the cult members of "The Family", led by "Matthias", superbly played by Anthony Zerbe, based on the Richard Matheson novel " I am Legend". At the time, "The Omega Man" was considered a more appealing title for theatrical release.

 

Most "Hard-Core" film lovers regard remakes, with the same scorn as the coloration of BW classics. Just because you can add lot of new "CG" effects in there, doesn't make it a better film, or captures the impact, the original had.

 

Good point David! :smiley14:

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I agree with the comments on most of the older films. Could it be that in the old days before all of the computer graphics, the writers and directors had to build the suspense in the minds of the viewers, not the eyes? A person can always imagine a more horrific situation then can be shown on the screen. The great pictures used that a lot.

 

It goes back to the old Infocom games where they advertised that they put the story "where the sun doesn't shine" and they showed a picture of a brain.

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Good observation, and correct, cwentzel. I think that Alfred Hitchcock explained that best, in essentially the same way. He stated that "The mind could "Imagine" the most horrific possibilities, without being "held by the hand", only "led "down the path, part of the way".

 

He was a master of light and shadow, and a master at "implying the horror" without actually showing it in lurid, graphic, and overdone detail.

 

Like the famous "Shower Scene" at the Bates Motel. During that first assault scene, where "Norman as Mother" attacks Ms. Leigh, there are flashes of images, where the knife, held high, gleams, the lady screams, the Shower curtain tears off the Rod, but there isn't a single image of the actual stabbing, in that entire scene. Hitchcock knew that the audience would "see", in their mind, a much more horrific scene than anything he could come up with. And even at the end of the scene, a close up of the victim's dead staring eyes, and, as this was a BW film, a dark liquid pours down the drain, presumably blood. All "implied", not some graphic stabbing scene with all the gore and blood in vivid colored detail.

 

And to add to his genial creativity, the "Blood", going down the drain, was liquid chocolate!

 

He used his, and the audience's, imagination, to create a very tense scene, without some overdone and tasteless method, commonly used today.

 

To this day "Psycho" is still recognized as a "top-notch", classic "Horror" genre film, done by the "Master of Horror".

 

What he created with superb film-making instincts, beats all the CG, and FX, augmented films of this nature, even today. :unsure:

 

Psycho_300x298.jpg

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Getting back to your thread, the first "Thing" really didn't show the monster in any detail. It was up to the imagination. Same thing with the "spaceship".

 

And you can call me Clare :)

 

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OK, Clare....hehe... :smiley17:

 

Yes, same, or very similar method, you "sort of see", what appears to be an object under the ice. And the "Thing" itself is sort of "Undefined", but the film strikes the "scary" chord just right, by understanding the concept of "Less is More" A great film as well, very effectively uses the BW "Shadows and Light" technique, to build suspense and fear in a "spooky lighting and scenic theme", without giving away a whole lot of anything! :smiley16:

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Lots of good ones ... I think I like reading Sci-Fi better than watching it, but here's 3 I'll watch anytime.

1. Star Wars IV

2. Galaxy Quest

3. Star Trek ? (saving the whales)

 

Good choices John, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", is one of the better ST films in my humble opinion! And I rather enjoyed "Galaxy Quest"! My personal favorite, Star Wars Episode, was "The Empire Strikes Back", but all SW films had something to offer.

 

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OK, Clare....hehe... :smiley17:

 

Yes, same, or very similar method, you "sort of see", what appears to be an object under the ice. And the "Thing" itself is sort of "Undefined", but the film strikes the "scary" chord just right, by understanding the concept of "Less is More" A great film as well, very effectively uses the BW "Shadows and Light" technique, to build suspense and fear in a "spooky lighting and scenic theme", without giving away a whole lot of anything! :smiley16:

 

 

That's why the first "Blair Witch Project" was so successful too.

 

 

My favorites include a TV series: Babylon 5

 

 

I think the episode in the 3rd Season entitled "Severed Dreams" was one of the best I'd ever seen.

 

But this is about movies. OKay, let me see....

 

 

Oh darn, can't think of any right off the bat!

 

I'll come back to this later.......

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I believe Mark, may have "had a few", too many! That is probably the "oddest post" ever.

Dig this, "A post, about forgetting, what you were gonna post,....post" Brilliant! :smiley4:

Just teasin' Mark..hehehe... :smiley2:

 

Oh, well, it is Friday!!!! :smiley20:

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Mentioned this poll to my son and he was surprised no one had voted for Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan.

Also went and saw Dark Knight last night and they had a trailer for a new Hollywood remake of......The Day the Earth Stood Still. Looks like it's a typical current Hollywood remake, bunch of explosions and action. Oh well, maybe it will be so bad that the younger generation will want to see what the orginal was like.

Eric

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Indeed, one of the best, if not the best, ST film. I'm as surprised at this, as no one choosing "Space Seed", in the TOS series poll, which starts the entire plot of "Wrath of Kahn".

 

Good Choice! Great Starship Battle in that one!! :smiley20:

 

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Yeah, I agree, "Wrath of Khan" is the best of the ST movies I htink, followed by "The Voyage Home".

 

Here's one vote for best Sci-Fi movie:

 

"Serenity"

 

Then again, I loved the TV series that spawned it.

 

 

 

 

Okay, back to the bottle.......er, ummm workbench!

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Good one, forgot about that, very good film, and yes, I did enjoy the series as well Mike! :smiley20:

 

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This has been a great thread, and has reminded me of a lot of movies that I have enjoyed over the years. It also had me thinking as to what movies would be my all time favorites. I guess I gravitate to the more realistic classics with my top choices being:

2001 A Space Odyssey (#1 in my book!)

Blade Runner

Silent Running

 

While I have enjoyed the entire Star Wars series and Alien(s), I do have a soft spot for the original Star Wars. This is mainly due to the fact that I worked with Ben Burtt's dad at the time and he would bring in photos from his son showing us this SF movie he was working in. They were Ben's personal photos of around the backstage areas of different scenes. They were really cool, but as this was some time before the movie was even getting some press (well before the Internet days), none of us thought about the impact that this "little" movie would eventually make. You should have heard our group cheer Ben Burtt's name when it came up on the credits when we went as a group on opening weekend. And the rest is history..... (and I really wished I had thought of asking Ben's father if I could have copies of the photos at the time)

 

Mike

IPMS # 14354

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This has been a great thread, and has reminded me of a lot of movies that I have enjoyed over the years. It also had me thinking as to what movies would be my all time favorites. I guess I gravitate to the more realistic classics with my top choices being:

2001 A Space Odyssey (#1 in my book!)

Blade Runner

Silent Running

 

While I have enjoyed the entire Star Wars series and Alien(s), I do have a soft spot for the original Star Wars. This is mainly due to the fact that I worked with Ben Burtt's dad at the time and he would bring in photos from his son showing us this SF movie he was working in. They were Ben's personal photos of around the backstage areas of different scenes. They were really cool, but as this was some time before the movie was even getting some press (well before the Internet days), none of us thought about the impact that this "little" movie would eventually make. You should have heard our group cheer Ben Burtt's name when it came up on the credits when we went as a group on opening weekend. And the rest is history..... (and I really wished I had thought of asking Ben's father if I could have copies of the photos at the time)

 

Mike

IPMS # 14354

 

WOW! That's a great story Mike, how lucky you were to be on the "Inside Loop", before anyone knew this would be such a success! Thanks for sharing that great story, much appreciated! :smiley20:

 

And yes, your top 3 closely match mine, hard to deny "2001" was just "over the top", even to this day!!

 

And good old "Silent Running", keeps "popping in" a lot during this little thread, what a wonderful story it really was. It seems much more appreciated now, than ever before!

 

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That's what I've enjoyed the most about this thread, being reminded of so many movies that might have just been "Mentally Shelved", but are now being fondly remembered. Told you this would be fun! :smiley17:

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What? No One picked "Plan 9 from Outer Space", voted the "Very Worst Sci-Fi Film.....Ever!!"

 

Sorry Bela, I know you needed the money, but that was the worst!! :smiley17: It is a "hoot" to watch however.....! :smiley20:

 

plan9.jpg

 

My Gosh, looks like my neighbors!! EEEEK! :smiley8:

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