# Recommend good Sci Fi/Fantasy movies. Challenge: I've seem them all already. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459 "2009-12-08T15:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/1 "2009-12-08T15:51:11Z")
We’re in the mood for some good fantasy and/or sci-fi, and I’ve been having a heck of a time finding decent ones. Problem is, Mr. Athena and I both love the genre, and as a result, we’ve seen a LOT of them. Still, I know there’s enough out there that I haven’t seen. Here’s what we like: Lord of the Rings (duh) Anything Dragon-y. Campy is OK, as long as it’s GOOD campy. We’re loving “Legend of the Seeker” but unfortunately it only comes on once a week for an hour. If they’d make a “Legend of the Seeker” channel, we’d subscribe. We loved the new Star Trek movie. What we DON’T like: We rented Beowulf last night, and turned it off after 20 minutes. It seemed too much like watching a video game. 300 was on the edge for me. Too much fighting, not enough real plot. Things can definitely get too stupid/campy. There has to be at least a bit of plot that I haven’t seen ten thousand times before. * * * So there you have it. Older movies are fine; we loved movies like First Knight and Dragonheart and would happily watch older movies if we haven’t seen them. Foreign is good, too. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/2 "2009-12-08T16:26:22Z")
Good SF movies: \*\*2001 2010 Forbidden Planet The Day the Earth Stood Still\*\* (the original) \*\*Robocop Creator Terminator Terminator 2 The Abyss Deathwatch Panic in Year Zero It! The Terror from Beyond Space Robinson Crusoe on Mars The Quatermass Trilogy(The Creeping Unknown, Quatermass II/Enemy from Space, Quatermass and the Pit/20 Million Years to Earth) \*\* ignore subsequent offerings \*\*Destination Moon The Matrix The Lost Missile Enemy Mine Metropolis\*\* (Restored version, or the Moroder version) \*\*the Andromeda Strain The Terminal Man The Thing\*\*(both versions)\*\* \*\* That’ll do for now ---
**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:** [December 8, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/3 "2009-12-08T16:30:29Z")
In the Camp camp, try **World Gone Wild** and **Ice Pirates**. ---
**Author:** ![Keweenaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Keweenaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keweenaw)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/4 "2009-12-08T16:52:26Z")
You’ve certainly seen some of these, but probably not all. Mostly harder sci-fi vs. fantasy though. City of Ember Gattaca The Abyss Waterworld The Postman Contact Deep Impact Red Planet Mission to Mars Primer Body Snatchers (78 and 93) Tron eXistenZ A Boy and His Dog Silent Running Vanilla sky Outland (connery 81) The Hidden (87) Robinson Crusoe On Mars Journey to the Far Side of the Sun This Island Earth I tried not to duplicate recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/5 "2009-12-08T16:57:25Z")
> [@Keweenaw](#): > > … > This Island Earth > … I find it quite funny and ironic that **CalMeachem** didn’t include this one on his list. ---
**Author:** ![Xavier\_T.Nougat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bcef8e/32.png) [@Xavier\_T.Nougat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier_T.Nougat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/6 "2009-12-08T17:07:16Z")
Most of your likes are in the fantasy genre, so I don’t know how much my suggestions would help. All I could think of off the top of my head was time travel related: 12 Monkeys Time Crimes Primer I also second just about everything on **CalMeachem** ’s list, and suggest that if you liked 2001, you would probably like the original _Solaris_. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/7 "2009-12-08T17:09:33Z")
[Ladyhawke](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089457/)is a great fantasy movie, and perhaps old enough you haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/8 "2009-12-08T17:14:05Z")
A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned. Not sure how old you are, which might help in determining things you might’ve missed due to your age. All I can recommend is mostly Sci-Fi: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Alien (1979) Blade Runner (1982) Back to the Future (1985) Explorers (1985) Aliens (1986) The Fly (1986) Predator (1987) The Time Machine (both 1960 and 2002; you might like the newer one since you like a little campy fantasy… this one has that flavor) War of the Worlds (both 1953 and 2005) Sunshine (2007) Moon (2009) District 9 (2009) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/9 "2009-12-08T17:20:11Z")
Also, no one’s really seen it yet, but check out **[Avatar](http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avatar/)** when it hits the screen on the 18th. It looks like a perfect blend of scifi and fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/10 "2009-12-08T17:28:19Z")
Have you seen The 13th Warrior? ---
**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:** [December 8, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/11 "2009-12-08T17:34:47Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > [Ladyhawke](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089457/)is a great fantasy movie, and perhaps old enough you haven’t seen it. This was the first thing I thought of. Also fantasy: Jim Henson’s _Labyrinth_ and _The Dark Crystal_, and _The Storyteller_ TV series. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/12 "2009-12-08T17:53:14Z")
> [@](#): > > I find it quite funny and ironic that CalMeachem didn’t include this one on his list. There’s a reason for that – I don’t particularly care for it. It’s got some gorgeous shots, but the movie’s brain-dead, which is quite a come-down when you consider that the original short stories it was based on were pretty damned good (the fix-up book kind of peters out, though). I wouldn’t mind seeing it remade. I’ll add a few recent flicks that were pretty good: \*\*The 13th Floor Timescape The Last Mimzy\*\* (the last two based on works by Catherine L. Moore, one with her husband Henry Kuttner) I found both versions of **Solaris** profoundly boring. I don’t think it follows that if you love 2001 you’d like either version. **Dark Star Aliens** (as noted) Both versions of **The Fly** , but for different reasons **Conquest of Space** for its historical value **20,000 Leagues Under the Sea** – The Richard Fleischer/Disney version. Disney shoulda done more Verne – the only other one they did was the not-so-good _In Search of the Castaways_. \*\* 1984\*\* (the 1984 version) \*\* The Fabulous World of Jules Verne Fantastic Planet\*\* (just for the visuals and throwaway bits) Some TV episodes: The Original Outer Limits: **Demon with a Glass Hand** (my favorite overall TV SF episode) and **Soldier** , both by Harlan Ellison **Adam Link, Robot** (also done for the newer series) \*\*Feasibility Study \*\* newer Outer Limits: **Inconstant moon** (based on Larry Niven story) (there were several others, but I’m not that familiar with them) the BBC Version of **Day of the Triffids** ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/13 "2009-12-08T18:20:49Z")
**When Worlds Collide** **First Spaceship on Venus** ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/14 "2009-12-08T19:08:22Z")
The original **Dragonslayer** is a pretty good movie, and has a _great_ dragon. Have you seen **Equilibrium**? It’s one of those “future dystopia” movies, with Christian Bale and lots of gunfighting. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/15 "2009-12-08T19:47:19Z")
For Fantasy: **The Wizard of Oz** (Of course! The 1939 film) **Return to Oz** (underrated, and tries to do the impossible, payimng homage to both the books and the 1939 film) **Seventh Voyage of Sinbad** , and the other two Harryhausen Sinbad movies, **Golden Voyage of…** and **…and the Eye of the Tiger** , which aren’t nearly as good. Sventh Voyage provides one of the best pre-CGI dragons. **Jason and the Argonauts** – the Harryhausen film, again, bot the TV CGI movie **Clash of the Titans** – It’s got Medusa! How can I not love it? Also, the biggest bevy of stars ever in a Harryhausen film, and the best live-action writing and direction in a long time. **The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao** – not as good as the Charges G. Ginney book, but not bad. The aforementioned **Dragonslayer**. If you do like drahgon’s, you’d _love_ this. Campy: **The Sword and the Sorceror** – all the good parts are stolen from Conan stories (this film just beat the first Conan movie to the theaters). One of the nobles is played by Fontaine from Murphy Brown! And Richard Mull of Night Court plays the Evil Magician! With an incredibly stupid triple-bladed rocket-propelled sword! **Sorceress** – there are at least three films with this title. I refer to the circa 1981 Roger Corman film. It looks as if it was filmed in some little European country and dubbed into English, but it was actually made in the USA. With awful makeup, models, and dialogue. And cheap special effects! **Jack the Giant Killer** – an attempt to rip off Harryhausen’s _Seventh Voyage of Sinbad_, by hiring away the star (Kerwin Matthews), the villain (Torin Thatcher, with hair for once), and the director (Nathan Juran). Jim Danforth provides the less-than-Harryhausen animation. I have fond memories of this from when I was a child that re-viewing does not sustain. The Dragon at the end has big puppy-dog eyes, like the Luck dragon from _never-Ending story_. the leprechaun who speaks only in rhyme is mock-worthy. With witches, two giants (one with two heads), witches, a viking, and a sea monster. There was reportedly a version that they dubbed singing into, but I’ve never seen that. **The Sword and the Dragon** – US-titled release of the Russian film _Ilya Mourometz_ that i grew up watching (a lot of the voices are provided by the omnipresent Paul frees, so the leader of the Tugars (Mongols) sounds suspiciously like Boris Badenov. MST3K covered this one, but it’s not on any of the commercially released discs – you’ll have to go to the gray market to buy that. With a surprisingly good triple-headed fire-breathing dragon. **The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm** – a George Pal production that was originally in Cinerama, and suffers from reduction to the small screen. It has a Jim Danforth-animated dragon, and some other animated effects. With Buddy Hackett(!!) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/16 "2009-12-08T19:58:10Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Have you seen The 13th Warrior? That one got hammered by the critics when it came out for some reason, but I enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best film of all time (That would be Spaced Invaders) but it was pretty good and faithful to the book, imo. Sp I recommend 13th Warrior as well. Also Spaced Invaders. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/17 "2009-12-08T20:16:43Z")
[The Day the Earth Caught Fire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZI4N5HyCUo) A fantastic British end of the world flick. Very British and very good. A nice look at the 50’s/60’s as well and how papers were ran then. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/18 "2009-12-08T20:21:48Z")
[5ive Days to Midnight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386907/) is the best made for tv movie I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/19 "2009-12-08T20:54:37Z")
**The Rocketeer** **Gojira** ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459/20 "2009-12-08T21:00:33Z")
[Forever Young](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104291/) [Frequency](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186151/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-good-sci-fi-fantasy-movies-challenge-ive-seem-them-all-already/520459.md?page=2)