# Best Sci Fi Movie Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135 "2005-11-02T19:13:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_People\_s\_Knee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@The\_People\_s\_Knee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_People_s_Knee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/22 "2005-11-02T20:07:35Z")
> [@uglybeech](#): > > Well if we go by the SciFi channel’s standards, then Fantasy and Horror are SciFi. I, however, vote that they’re not and LOTR is not. At all. (I waver on Star Wars - there are elements of both Fantasy and SciFi in there, but to me it’s clearly speculative enough to tip it towards SciFi. ) > > I can’t decide between BladeRunner and 2001 for best SciFi. [shrug] Not very original, I know - but they are the best. Wasn’t it Isaac Asimov who said (please forgive the damage that I am about to inflict on this quote) something like science is often considered magic by a more primitive civilization? I think Ethilrist’s defintions would classify LOTR as SciFi in that regard. BTW, Blade Runner was clearly fantasy. It even had unicorns in the movie for god’s sake (Director’s Cut). ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/23 "2005-11-02T20:15:42Z")
And let this be a lesson to all of you. Doubleposting is okay, but triple posting will get you banned. ---
**Author:** ![Shat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Shat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/24 "2005-11-02T20:15:55Z")
lol ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/25 "2005-11-02T20:19:19Z")
Duh. **The Killer Shrews**. A masterpiece :). Best foreign sf film - **Attack of the Mushroom People** , a Japanese classic which I believe was a seminal influence on Kurosawa. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/26 "2005-11-02T20:19:46Z")
Another saying that LOTR is fantasy, not sci-fi. They’re using midevel tech in a magical world, with elves, orcs, dwarves and the like. Hell, they’s almost the very definition of Fantasty. Sci-fi tends to deal with some kind of scientific concept, even if done is a very causual way(Back to the Future was Sci-fi, but also comedic). Star Wars could technically be called sci-fi, but the whole force thing(which is basically magic) and the fact it is organized like heros quest gives it a more fantasy feel. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/27 "2005-11-02T20:20:14Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Another vote for the magnificent **2001**. Honorable runners-up: _The City of Lost Children, Close Encounters, Forbidden Planet, The Incredible Shrinking Man, La Jetee, Metropolis, The Terminator_[/QUOTE I gotta go with the Incredible Shrinking Man.The speech he gives as he becomes part of the universe made me look at life a little differently. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/28 "2005-11-02T20:29:39Z")
> [@Shat](#): > > lol …which makes me think of the Sicilian. If only _The Princess Bride_ were Science Fiction. Anyone care to argue that? Anyone? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/29 "2005-11-02T20:33:08Z")
I would have to go with either _Forbidden Planet_ or _Blade Runner_, depending on how I’m feeling that day. _2001_ loses out for me because of the last 30 minutes or so; it starts out as a decent SF movie but turns into some sort of light show. > [@The People's Knee](#): > > Wasn’t it Isaac Asimov who said (please forgive the damage that I am about to inflict on this quote) something like science is often considered magic by a more primitive civilization? It was Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” > [@lno](#): > > And let this be a lesson to all of you. Doubleposting is okay, but triple posting will get you banned. Unless you mention a certain type of ray that was developed in a certain decade of the 20th century. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/30 "2005-11-02T20:44:11Z")
I’m going to have to propose a new entry: _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ As science fiction, it was right up there with anything written at the time. It had suspense, a robot, and a message. Watching it always takes me back to my enjoyment at about 14 of my parents’ copies of old F&SF magazines, Sheckley stories, and other pulp science fiction efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/31 "2005-11-02T20:47:52Z")
Star Wars was the best sci fi movie. 2001 is the best science fiction movie. Forbidden Planet is way up there, but it didn’t break new ground like the other two. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/32 "2005-11-02T20:49:56Z")
> [@lno](#): > > And let this be a lesson to all of you. Doubleposting is okay, but triple posting will get you banned. Nah. I think it is because he mixed up Asimov and Clarke. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/33 "2005-11-02T20:51:05Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I’m going to have to propose a new entry: > _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ > As science fiction, it was right up there with anything written at the time. It had suspense, a robot, and a message. Watching it always takes me back to my enjoyment at about 14 of my parents’ copies of old F&SF magazines, Sheckley stories, and other pulp science fiction efforts. I hope it also inspires you to read **Farewell to the Master** which was even better than the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/34 "2005-11-02T20:51:56Z")
I don’t knwo what the best Sci-Fi is necessrily, but I do now the the best sci-fi musical is _Little Shop of Horrors_. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/35 "2005-11-02T20:58:52Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > not to pick on CalM, but I just dont understand people who think 2001: A Space Odyssey is a good movie. My lord, that movie bored me to tears! > > In anycase, best sci-fi, if you consider it sci-fi, has to be the first Star Wars movie. It’s because you’re simply not as evolved as **Cal**. No, I’m serious: **CalMeacham** is a gigantic interstellar fetus. Seriously, though, if LotR is science fiction, so is _March of the Penguins._ My vote goes to _2001_ as well. I’ll throw _Dark City_ in as an honorable mention. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/36 "2005-11-02T21:00:02Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Star Wars was the best sci fi movie. 2001 is the best science fiction movie. Forbidden Planet is way up there, but it didn’t break new ground like the other two. Star Wars? New ground? WTF??? 😕 This is a major whoosh, right? ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/37 "2005-11-02T21:01:22Z")
**Blade Runner** followed closely by **2001**. And regarding the **LOTR** debate, my vote goes for fantasy > [@](#): > > It was Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Actually, the opposite would have to be true for this to be a supportive argument of **LOTR** as Sci-Fi. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/38 "2005-11-02T21:08:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Forbidden Planet is way up there, but it didn’t break new ground like the other two. Didn’t break new ground? It was The First movie with faster-than-light travel and similar ultra-high-tech The first movie where Earth People had non-cigar-shaped ships The first movie to use sentient robots with Asimovian “Three Laws” protection built in The first commercial movie with an electronic music score. FP was completely _un_like any previous science fiction film. So I’m a Giant Space Fetus, huh? That must be the explanation for my odd appearance, like something out of an Aubrey Beardsley print. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/39 "2005-11-02T21:23:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Star Wars? New ground? WTF??? 😕 > > This is a major whoosh, right? Well, it was pretty revolutionary from a technical standpoint. They pioneered a lot of special effects techniques that are now industry standards. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/40 "2005-11-02T21:24:42Z")
Under the rather loose definitions of what passes for science fiction in this thread, I’m going to have to nominate _Brazil_. (Technically, there’s nothing in it that is really science fiction–it’s more of a satirical Orwelling dystopia–but technology and how it fails to live up to the promise of providing efficiency and utopia are central to the film.) This is just an utterly brilliant film that gets better every time I watch it, and despite the wacked-out gonzo-retro styling and spurious, almost stream-of-conciousness story it becomes more relevant and prescient with every passing day. I’ll also have to make honorable mentions of _The Day The Earth Stood Still_, _Forbidden Planet_, _2001: A Space Odyssey_, and _Blade Runner_, as well as _Being John Malkovich_, _Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind_, _Real Genius_, _Donnie Darko_, and all but the last fifteen minutes of _The Abyss_. Some of these are flawed, but all leave a very memorably impression after viewing and are enduring favorites. _The Man In The White Suit_ is a great and badly underrated Alec Guinness film that falls squarely in the genre of philosophical science fiction but is generally found over in the Classics section if not in the discount bin. I’ve a really soft place in my heart for _Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers_, but obviously that’s more for the kitsch value than as serious science fiction. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135/41 "2005-11-02T21:29:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, it was pretty revolutionary from a technical standpoint. They pioneered a lot of special effects techniques that are now industry standards. You could say the same for **King Kong, The Beast From 20,0000 Fathoms,** and **2001**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sci-fi-movie-ever/329135.md?page=3)