You’re right, it’s not right. Star Wars, IIRC, came out in 1976. Alien came out in 1979 (she said after checking the videotape…)
Ho hum…sci fi movies…people ogle star wars continuously, and granted it is one of the most influential movies ever, a fantastic movie, and i wander around with striped blue pants, a vest and white shirt hoping to shoot people who say “oota boota solo?” when they come for my money and ship…but…
science fiction movies to me also mean bad movies…at least in the hyper-cheesy sense…
therefore
“Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth Dimension”
could very well be the best science fiction movie ever.
MaxTheVool:
<rant>
Couldn’t agree more about the Matrix. Visually it was a really cool movie, but it had some shaky foundations. Humans as batteries? Haven’t these computers heard of Nuclear pawer? Where do they get the food to feed the people since the sun is blotted out? Why not just kill them? Read Harlan Ellison’s “I have no mouth but I must scream” to see a much better treatment of the same subject material.
Much of the dialogue can only be described as retarded. I think they tried too hard to give the movie a “deeper” meaning, not realizing that good writing with a good story will do that without having to try. Between the metaphysical stuff about the “Oracle” and “The One” I think that it would have been a better film without dialogue. Perhaps one should watch it in Spanish with French Subtitles.
</rant>
I note that nobody mentioned “Independance Day.” I am glad to see that bad writing avoids acknowledgement sometimes.
The Thing. (original and John Carpenter’s)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. (original)
The Final Countdown.
Heretic! You should de burned at the stake! 
I don’t see a problem with your argument. The neurological system uses bioelectricity to function. If the human race was able to tap the incredible power latent in the atom, why couldn’t it extract and efficiently utilize the electricity produced by humans?
Now, what should have really made your mind spin out of control is how Cypher was able to get inside the Matrix without an operator for his rendezvous with Agent Smith?
May I compliment you on your great taste. Star Wars and The Matrix reign supreme in my book as well.
I never thought I could ever contemplate a movie that could top Star Wars…until the Matrix came along and debunked my concept of reality. Now, both proudly stand together in the pantheon of greatest movies of all time, joined, of course, by Field of Dreams.
Without a doubt the Holy Trinity of Movies.
The father being Star Wars:
Luke: “He told me you killed my father.”
Vader: “No, I’m your FATHER!”
Luke: “No!!!”
The son being, evidently, the Matrix:
Neo a.k.a. Thomas AnderSON.
Inevitably, the Holy Spirit is represented by Field of Dreams:
“If you build it he will come.”
Come on, don’t tell me that you didn’t know that was the voice of the Holy Spirit preaching Jesus’ return if we built him a…baseball field?
IMO, very few films have ever approached the depth and scope of the kinds of written sci-fi I like, which tend toward examination of the effects of changing technology on the mind and society. Although it’s hard for me to explain what I’m referring to in greater detail, I’m thinking of the works of authors like Philip K. Dick, Norman Spinrad, Heinlein in his prime, William Gibson, Neal Stepehenson, Greg Bear, and a few others.
Nevertheless, my personal list of the best sci-fi films so far:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blade Runner
War of the Worlds
The Matrix
I’ve never expected too much of filmed sci-fi anyway, as the emphasis on splashy visuals and the need for a reasonable running time tend to make it extremely difficult to treat a given subject in depth.
Except for 2001, not a single film set in space that I can think of has come close to expressing the silence and vastness of the void (nor got the physics more or less right). Although I like many of the films mentioned so far, not all can necessarily be considered science fiction; i.e John Carpenter’s version of ‘The Thing’, and the Alien films, which were perhaps closer to being horror films in a science fiction setting.
Couldn’t agree more. For example, I feel the closest film has come to capturing the essence of the influential wave of Cyberpunk was The Matrix, and in the end, that movie was really after something else altogether. I know of no successful translations to film of William Gibson’s novels (who would seem to write ‘cinematically’ if anyone does), and no one has even attempted to tackle anything by Neal Stephenson.
For me, the best science fiction movie that hasn’t yet been made would be an adaptation of one of Iain M. Banks’ ‘Culture’ novels, such as Consider Phlebas or Use of Weapons. I really doubt, however, that any of his wonderful, sprawling books could be done justice within the time limits of a theatrical film, and their dark undertone probably would prevent any TV types from tackling one of them as a miniseries (sigh).
Six Million Years to Earth.
Gave me the willies the first time I saw it.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about Canoe, but it doesn’t distract from my enjoyment of the film. Mark Hamill isn’t any better, yet I still like Star Wars. Canoe obviously went through a lot of martial arts training for the flick, so I forgive him for looking like a weenie. Funny, I consider him a poor actor, yet I like many of his movies (Dracula, Devil’s Advocate, Matrix, Bill and Ted’s…)
Exactly my reaction some 100 years ago when I first saw this movie. Though the monkey scene at the start was fantastic, the film just never got it going again.
Sealemon88 
Just don’t tell anyone in Dallas that I stole it from you.
I can’t believe that Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein have not been mentioned yet.
others:
Silent Running
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Invaders from Mars (1953)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Donovan’s Brain
Quartermass and the Pit
The Last Man on Earth
At best, science-fiction transforms our view of the future. Most people never really think about the future, so it’s the fiction that represents it for them. Most people never read books, so it’s movies that represent it for them. Not that it’s in my realm of experience, but I gather in the 50’s the future was all jet-packs and Jetsons. In the 80’s the future was Blade Runner. I don’t know what the future is at the time being. I’d imagine it looks to be the multi-cultural landscape of The Fifth Element more than anything else. (Although I didn’t like that movie. Too much fashion.)
Starship Troopers is in many ways a flawed film. Sure it’s moronic and appeals to prurient tastes. Sure its “message” isn’t very well displayed. But it wasn’t that bad. Great fun to watch the first time around. It’s a fascist society, based upon a needless war. Oh well, at least it keeps the wheels of industry turning, and it gives something for the populace to do.
2001 is dreadfully boring. I think it’s one of the finest visions ever committed to film. It extrapolated from the present and didn’t run away from the rigors of science. Steven Spielberg has some interesting comments about the movie on the Eyes Wide Shut DVD. What do you think travelling through space would be like? Many monthes, if not years, spent in a fragile metal air bubble the size of your apartment. Cabin fever has nothing compared to this. I’m surprised that none of them succumbed to the. . . space madness. But there are all sorts of underlying themes in the film. “Can man overcome his tools?” being quite prominent. HAL’s final speech still gives me the chills. And then, the final trip into the unknowable. But, nonetheless, it is quite boring.
My opinion on Matrix is that it just layed down the badassitude. The movie is one of the finest visceral visual experiences I’ve ever seen. Yes, the story could use some work. The philosophy was a bit sophomoric, setting up a massive ego trip. Hell, at least it was in there. And, yes, it did rip off quite a bit from the last decade of Japanes anime. Who cares? It’s an action movie. It’s also my pick for the best movie of 1999. After seeing the helicopter sequence at the end, my only comment was “Holy shit!”
Anyway, I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about most of the time. I also just realized I defended all these films by saying that “sure, of course it’s horrible but. . .”. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know.
Slarti you blasphemer!
First off its Banzai. Second off, it is the coolest tounge in cheek film out there with some of the coolest names for characters out there. The Hong Kong Cavileers, Perfect Tommy, John BigBooty. Third, like Perfect Tommy…its perfect.
Seriously though, I consider Blade Runner to be the one I hold personally close to my heart. Every character a masterpiece-even Leon and his pictures (Brion Jones Rest in Peace) The future never looked as “real” as it did there. Gutterspeak language, off kilter weather (monsoon season in Los Angeles), advertising to get you to go “off world” due to overpopulation, dark corporations shadowing a world, and assassins with badges.
30 years from now, its more possible to see that happening over the world of Starship Troopers, Star Wars, etc etc.
Plus, The final scene of Roy Batty’s speech (“I have seen things you could…”) just chokes me up everytime I have seen it. Rutger and Roy are forever in my cool book for pulling off a complete transformation of a manaical replicant to caring soul in just a few words and looks.
“Time to die”
I would have to rank 2001 as my absolute favorite, as well as being one of the most profound and thought provoking films of any genre.
What else? Well, the first two Star Wars movies, the first two Alien movies, Dark City, The Abyss, Forbidden Planet, the second and sixth Star Trek movies, War of the Worlds, The Thing (John Carpenter), Lifeforce (a little cheezy, but still good), Blade Runner.
Regarding The Matrix…to me, this is a great movie that was reduce to a very good one by way too many shoot-outs and a little too much martial arts. What about that scene where they rescue Orpheus, and have what is probably the most gratuitious shoot 'em scene ever filmed.
Since Star Wars preceded Alien I must give it proper credit for being the first space epic with beat up used equipment (unless someone knows of an earlier one, maybe Solaris?). Alien had a better plot line though. Aliens had to be one of the finest sequels ever done. I mean, just look at Psycho II, and, sadly, Airplane II, ralph !
Oh, and by the way:
[li]The Illustrated Man[/li]
Just watched the first half of, Santa Conquers the Martians, all I want to know is what were those studio guys smoking?
Ooooh! Oooh!
What about Westworld? Now that was a cool flick!
Thank you! That was what I was trying to say. I also liked the whole Melrose Place/shiny pretty people at war. Maybe STarship Troopers wasn’t the best true sci-fi film out there (I’m the first to say this: It has no real science, or even common sense tatics. Why not just launch the bugs’ own asteroids at them once they got to their system? Why send ground troops at all, esp. armed with hand weapons?), but it was a pretty good action flick, with some ironic commentary on the business of war.
I do think it was tacky to slap Heinlein’s name on the film. If it had been advertised on its own merits, with a different title, it would have avoided a whole lot of flak.
I’d go with The Day The Earth Stood Still.
A little corny now, but I remember it so well it must have been powerful for it’s day.
All right, y’all, we need to talk but seriously about The Matrix.
I didn’t have a problem with the “humans as batteries” idea. Far-fetched, yes, but I can forgive a lot in a movie. What I can’t forgive is writing so wretched, so feeble, that Keanu Reeves actually makes it less ridiculous. Sure, it was visually stunning in parts, but the last half-hour hardly makes up for being force-fed the author’s nonsensical theories on “what is reality” for 90 minutes.
So, in the little matrix dreamworld, you’re not constrained by the laws of physics, inasmuch as you can leap from building to building and punch holes in concrete. Given that, why do the characters (human and evil-computer spawn alike) use freakin’ GUNS? Can’t they dream up something more deadly? Lasers clearly exist, since those spherical Doc-Ock wannabees attacked their vessel with ‘em. There’s gotta be better stuff! Besides which, why is the computer that CREATED the stinkin’ matrix bound by the rules? It should be able to create its own stinkin’ rules. The only one who can step outside the rules is not the computer, but Neo. Why? Because he’s “the one”. Oh, whatthefukkever.
And those robotic whatever-the-hells that attacked their little rebel spacecraft were, by any standard, laughably dumb effects.
To top it all off, Keanu is resurrected at the end by a kiss from a chick he’s spent around 5 on-screen minutes with. That little “love conquers all” deus ex machina is the ending a non-creative coward tacks on to a screenplay he doesn’t care about. It’s just plain dumb, and ruined any valid point the movie tried to make.
So, if you destroyed all but 10 sci-fi movies and also left The Matrix intact, you might have a case for ranking it twelfth. Beyond that, it don’t approach the top 10 in any way, shape, or form. Mere eye candy doth not a good movie make.
It’s been niggling at the back of my head since I first saw this thread. The absolute best SF movie of all time was the 1936 movie:
‘Things to Come’ with Raymond Massey and Cedric Hardwicke. Based upon H.G Wells story, “The Shape of Things to Come”. You have to watch it and think of the context of the time it was made in. Just after WW1 and before the next war that everyone felt loomed on the horizon.
Of course, I like most of the Godzilla movies, too.
Them! - I saw this just recently, and I was quite amazed with the special effects and scare factor that went into this 1954 film. Way ahead of its time.
Aliens - SPOOFE has pointed this out, but I’ll touch on it again. The way everything is taken for granted. The use of the vocabulary, the machinery, and even the politics and practicality when it comes to destroying military installations. I thought it all came together beautifully.
And a few others that deserve honorable mention:
Terminator 1 & 2
Road Warrior
Planet of the Apes
Flight of the Navigator
They Live
Very well stated.
My personal choice is 2001 first, and FP a close second.
You think Matrix is bad after watching it a coupla times? We had to analyse it for English, then analyse it again, and over again for good measure. Couple this with the teacher’s love of reading too much into everything (yes, the Matrix follows the book of John, yes, and it’s a social commentary too, and it wasn’t made at all to make money), and lack of scientific knowledge, and we have bore-DOM!
I just hope I never have to watch it again…
A lot of my favorites have been posted here already, so I won’t note them aain, but here are a few SF films worth a look, but usually ignored:
Creator – SF with NO special effects! A movie about cloning that isn’t stupid! SHF with well-writte, witty dialog! And it stars Peter O’Toole, David Ogden Stiers, Mariel Hemingway, Vincent Spano, and Virginia Madsen! The University scenes look and free more like Grad School was than any other film I’ve seen.
Day of the Triffids – not the 1960 Howard Kiel film, but the BBC adaptation from about 15 years ago. They broadcast it on PBS in America. Remarkably faithful to John Wyndham’s original story, and trherefore a LOT scarier than that earlier film.
All of the Quatermass movies, with the exception of The Quatermass Conclusion. The films are “The Quatermass Experiment/The Creeping Unknown”, “Quatermass 2/Enemy from Space” and “Quatermass an the Pit/ Five Million Years to Earth” (The former titles are British, the latter the American release titles). All of these are based on five-part BBC serials. The serials themselves are available, at least in part, on video as well. They are wrth a look because in some ases the serial story differs very significantly from the film that was later made.
Panic in the Year Zero – Another sfr movie with minimal effects. Ray Milland and his family are out on a drive the day they the Russians, presumably) nuke LA. How do you survive in the resulting chaos? How can you even cross the interstate when no one will stop? well done, with a Heinlein feel to it.
It! The Terror from Beyond Space! – melodramatic title, but an amazingly good sf flick on a low budget that still stands up today. Screenplay by the talented and under-appreciated Jerome Bixby, whose other sf films are worth a look (Atomic Missile, Curse of the aceless Man, and the well-known Fantastic Voyage). It’s hard not to think that “Alien” was ripped off from this film (not from "Black Destroyer or other van Vogt stories, as commonly reported) after you’ve seen it. Alien costume by the equally under-appreciated Paul Blaisdell.