# Old-fashioned Who-Dunnits, and really good Sci-Fi/Fantasy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555 "2020-04-11T11:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/1 "2020-04-11T11:52:33Z")
We’re looking for movies to watch as a family. Our favorite movie to watch together is the original _Star Wars_, aka “A New Hope.” We also like _The Wizard of Oz_, and the Harry Potter movies, but really sophisticated sci-fi too; bear in mind that the boychik is only 13, but he has seen the John Carpenter _The Thing_ recently, and not had nightmares. He’s also pretty bright, and liked the original _Manchurian Candidate_. We also like really good old-fashioned mysteries. We love _The Lady Vanishes_, _Witness for the Prosecution_, the 70s version of _Murder on the Orient Express_, _Gaslight_, and _Diabolique_. Era does not matter. Country does not matter. Not really interested in spoofs, unless they actually offer a suspenseful plot of their own, such as _Foul Play_ (Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase). We have Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Also, willing to get other services. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/2 "2020-04-11T12:13:05Z")
The three _Back to the Future_ movies. Good SF and good fun. _Edge of Tomorrow_ - edgier good SF. _The Sting_ - fun, entertaining, devious, and a good ending. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/3 "2020-04-11T12:37:12Z")
_The Winslow Boy_ (1948) - courtroom drama set in pre-WW1 London. There’s a 1999 film too, but the 1948 one is better. [Clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8YwE7l-BEs) - A prominent lawyer questions the boy before deciding whether or not to take the case. Unfortunately this clip doesn’t continue long enough - at the end, after all his harsh questioning, he says, “I’ll take the case, the boy is clearly innocent.” ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/4 "2020-04-11T14:03:31Z")
I really enjoyed these sci-fi movies, you might too. Life (2017) Europa Report (2013) The Last Days on Mars (2013) Passengers (2016) - Stunningly gorgeous visuals Infini (2015) - This one has a lot of blood, but is a worthwhile movie to watch Blade Runner - old and new Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - Another movie with extremely rich visual design If you are into martial arts movies, I highly recommend the Ong Bak series and Hero (2002). ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/5 "2020-04-11T14:04:36Z")
And also Radius (2017), Pandorum (2009) - Sci-fi horror, Oblivion (2013). The Men in Black series is always entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/6 "2020-04-11T14:25:25Z")
SF: \*Blade Runner \*\*Closer Encounters of the Third Kind \*\*Dark City \*\*Battle Beyond the Stars \*\*Enemy Mine \* Fantasy: \*Labyrinth \*\*Legend \*\*The Dark Crystal \* Who Done Did It: Noe especially my genere, but you could go with _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_, if it isn’t too dark for him. If “country does not matter”= tolerates subtitles, one of my all-time favorite comedies is the Japanese movie _Summer Time Machine Blues_, which seems to be available only on Netflix Japan, so [here](https://archive.org/details/Summer.Time.Machine.Blues.2005.720p.HDTV.x264-FILMKU) it is on [archive.org](http://archive.org) (and [here](https://subscene.com/subtitles/summer-time-machine-blues) are the subtitles.) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/7 "2020-04-11T14:36:01Z")
We actually splurged on a 54" TV (on sale) when the schools started closing, and we saw the writing on the wall, because DH & I both resist watching subtitled movies at home, although we love them in theaters-- because of the size of the screen. We are going to introduce the boychik to _Rashomon_. All good ideas-- especially like _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_. Have not seen it since it was in the theaters. I think the boychik has seen the _Back to the Future_ films, which means we’ve all seen them, but good idea. Never heard of _The Winslow Boy_, but it is now at the top of my personal list. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/8 "2020-04-11T14:54:26Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > We actually splurged on a 54" TV (on sale) when the schools started closing, and we saw the writing on the wall, because DH & I both resist watching subtitled movies at home, although we love them in theaters-- because of the size of the screen. Does your TV have a setting for adjusting the size of subtitles? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/9 "2020-04-11T15:24:25Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > We also like really good old-fashioned mysteries. We love _The Lady Vanishes_, _Witness for the Prosecution_, the 70s version of _Murder on the Orient Express_, _Gaslight_, and _Diabolique_. **Witness for the Prosecution** and **Murder on the Orient Express** are my second and third favorite Agatha Christie movies. But the absolute best is **And Then There Were None** (1945). **The Third Man** , one of the greatest non-cozy whodunnits. And for bingeing, try the 1980s BBC Sherlock Holmes series, starring Jeremy Brett. I like the first season most, as I think Burke a superior Watson to Hardwicke. But Hardwicke’s no slouch. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/10 "2020-04-11T15:47:40Z")
I don’t get to the theater much these days, but the most fun I’ve had in yonks at the theater was **Knives Out** , a thoroughly modern, thoroughly old-fashioned murder mystery. I laughed in glee at so many moments. Sparkling dialogue, compelling characters, and a great, fair mystery at its heart. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/11 "2020-04-11T16:13:34Z")
_Moon_ with Sam Rockwell is both sci-fi and a mystery (kinda). _12 Monkeys_ is a sci-fi movie in which Bruce Willis travels back in time to stop a plague. Another recommendation for Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. He really is the best. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/12 "2020-04-11T16:14:20Z")
Sci-fi: Maybe obvious, but have you watched at least the better of the Star Trek movies (_Wrath of Khan_, _The Voyage Home_)? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/13 "2020-04-11T16:19:15Z")
Moved to Cafe Society. Colibri Quarantine Zone Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/14 "2020-04-11T16:23:43Z")
There are free episodes of the first season of both _Inspector Morse_ and _Foyle’s War_ on Amazon Prime this month. Both are excellent mystery shows. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/15 "2020-04-11T16:28:52Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Does your TV have a setting for adjusting the size of subtitles? If the subtitles are captions, yes, but if they are subtitles actually on the film, no. > [@Sefton](#): > > _12 Monkeys_ is a sci-fi movie in which Bruce Willis travels back in time to stop a plague. I actually didn’t care for this. I thought it was self-indulgent, or something. I’ve seen the original short, though. > [@](#): > > Another recommendation for Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. He really is the best. We’ve watched a few of those, and lots of things that were on the PBS _Mystery_. Just watched the original _Prime Suspect_. The boychik has discovered Helen Mirren. We are going to have a Helen Mirren afternoon soon, but it must be selected carefully. He can watch _Cousin Bette_, since, heck, I think I was 11 or 12 when I saw it. But _The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover_ is out. He has already asked to watch some Shakespeare she is in, though. He wants to see her when she was really young (_A Midsummer Night’s Dream_), and in drag (_As You Like It_). DH even wants to see AMND, because Diana Rigg is also in it. The boychik actually discovered reading Sherlock Holmes last years, though, so he wants to see only the ones he has already read. We have also watched some Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce films. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/16 "2020-04-11T16:42:39Z")
Parental Warning: Helen Mirren is pretty much nekkid throughout that **AMND.** ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/17 "2020-04-11T17:01:08Z")
Since you have a TV with a decent-sized screen, watch Kenneth Branagh’s version of _Hamlet_, and the 1935 version of _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_ (the one with James Cagney as Bottom, and Mickey Rooney as Puck; it may be black-and-white, but it’s still visually spectacular). _The She-Wolf of London_ is set up like a horror film, but it’s actually a whodunnit. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/18 "2020-04-11T17:23:43Z")
If you’ve got a hankerin’ for Shakespeare, Branagh’s **Henry V** And **Much Ado About Nothing** are both wonderful. Seconding the 1935 **AMND.** Olivia deHavilland makes a gorgeous Hermia and Jimmy Cagney pulls out all the stops as Bottom. Among his band of “rude mechanicals,” look for Joe E. (“Nobody’s perfect”) Brown and Arthur (fish) Treacher. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/19 "2020-04-11T17:25:33Z")
…and you can do a home-schooling compare-and-contrast of Kenny B. doing a tragedy, a history, and a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555/20 "2020-04-11T17:28:55Z")
For a good gothic SF/dark fantasy, you can’t beat **The Bride of Frankenstein** (also 1935). Also **Metropolis** and **Island of Lost Souls** and **Mad Love.** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-fashioned-who-dunnits-and-really-good-sci-fi-fantasy/851555.md?page=2)