I’m making a list of science fiction movies (for no good reason) and would like people to post their choices for consideration. Note: the word science in the subjest line is capitalized, so all the Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien1-4,Jurassic Parks and Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind need not apply.
For starters:
2001
2010
Contact
The Andromeda Strain
Colossus:The Forbin Project
Destination Moon
Stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek is classified as “Space Opera”. That’ll help you make distinctions 'tween them in the future.
Blade Runner is generally accepted (by most everyone I’ve talked to, anyway) as good science fiction. Also, though it contains many Space Opera elements, The Sixth Day is SF-ish enough to be included in the list (it poses the question “What if mass human cloning was possible?”, and then shows how that power could be abused).
uuuuuhhhh, Happy Gilmore. I mean, how did he get a swing like that?
Just kidding.
How 'bout Event Horizon. Even though it is probably more horrorish than sci-fi.
sorry
Gattaca, perhaps?
Would you consider the “Meteor Scare” movies we had a few years back (Armageddon et al) to be sf?
I second the nomination for Gattaca.
Two others that should be considered are Dark City and Metropolis.
not fiction, but Apollo 13, October Sky, and **The Right Stuff **.
Brian
A really interesting little film is Cube. Much more of a character study than a pure science fiction film, but very interesting nonetheless, and I think the setting and mysteries qualify it as SCIENCE fiction.
aegypt wrote:
Deep Impact, yes.
Armageddon, NO!!
SPOOFE wrote:
Weeeelllll … Star Trek at least tries to be science fiction. Sometimes.
Star Wars, though, isn’t even SF in George Lucas’s opinion, as far as I know.
A.I.
The Time Machine
would both probably qualify
Enemy Mine
Powder
probably wouldn’t but I thought I’d list them anyway.
Ghost in the Shell fits somewhat well.
Dark City is more debatable, you need to swallow psychic powers, but its themes of memory transference and creation go down easier.
I’ve heard Lucas call it a fairy tale: the innocent farmboy, the old wizard, the evil king (emporor), the damsel in distress (for the origianl film at least), etc.
Of course, I’m still a little fuzzy on the difference between SCIENCE fiction and films like Jurassic Park, Close Encounters, etc.
Does Soylent Green, Planet of the Apes, or The Lawnmower Man count?
Creator (great SF with NO F/X)
The Day the Earth Sttod Still
Forbidden Planet
Panic in the Year Zero
RoboCop
The Terminator
Aliens
Metropolis
The Thing** (both versions)
**
Hmm, hard SF must be one of the rarest of movie genres.
Nevertheless, here are some that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Alien Nation
Fantastic Voyage
Johnny Mnemonic
The Matrix
Silent Running
Solaris
Scanners
Things to Come
Total Recall
War of the Worlds
When Worlds Collide
Westworld
Would Dark Star count? Or Galaxy Quest?
Contact
Buckaroo Banzai.
Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Jaws.
Anything with the word “Quatermass” in the title.
The Man With X-Ray Eyes
Destination Moon
Zardoz (Some semi-neat ideas executed very poorly)
Can’t think of any more right now.
Demon Seed
THX 1138
Brainstorm
Iceman
Definitely, I forgot about that one.
Outland