I’ve recently moved into a rural area. It is surprising how large and awesome the community is given we’re in the middle of nowhere. Made friends with dozens of new neighbours.
One couple was over the other day. Retired, salt of the earth, fun-loving farming folks. The conversation came around to movies. He said, “I like westerns or shoot-em-ups.” She said, “I like just about anything except sci-fi.” I feigned hyperbolic offence and jokingly asked her to never step foot in my house again. Before I got the words out, she tacked on “…monsters and aliens - bah!”
I said, “Oh, okay… You can stay. Creature features aren’t ‘True Sci-fi®’.” I argued my test of good sci-fi is an interesting “science-y what-if situation” (“in a world…”), with real human beings adapting/coping/struggling with that world. I invited them to watch the Matrix with me, next time they pop by. They politely though hesitantly agreed - probably won’t happen, but…
… what movies should we watch to start the process of converting a farmer into a trekker?
I’m looking for “true” sci-fi. Feel free to use any test/criteria you wish. Using my test, “Star Wars” doesn’t pass - it’s just a war movie set in space. Replace the Empire with the Third Reich and you have a WWII movie. Replace “bug-eyed aliens” with “man-eating lions” and you have “Ghost and the Darkness”. Great movies each, but no “what if” situation to provide a challenge unique to that situation.
But the Matrix! What if we are just brains in jars? Given the chance would I choose red or blue? And Minority Report! What if crimes could be predicted in advance? What would society look like, and what would I do if I was accused of a crime I am about to commit?
What true sci-fi movies should I watch with my neighbours to win them over to the genre?
Well the farmer who likes shoot em ups will likely like “Outland” which is just “High Noon” in space. The wife who likes anything EXCEPT SF should be lured in with SF that does not have a lot of the trappings of SF. She might like romantic themes. How about “Pleasantville”?
I don’t think “Outland” passes your test of a “TRUE” SF movie, but “Pleasantville” definitely does. Just don’t know if your farmer friends will go for a film with human sexualiity as a major theme, even without any actual sex scenes.
I haven’t seen Outland - I’ll check it out. Thanks for the Pleasantville recommendation! Almost totally fits the criteria: “What if there was a B&W world with 50s TV-show sensibilities confronted by modern mores?” It is a great candidate, though it skews towards magical rather than science-y.
It’s on the list.
ETA (to the ninjas):
Children of Men and Blade Runner are excellent choices.
Back to the Future (slaps forehead) It’s perfect!
I love Galaxy Quest. My only reservation is its fun derives references known only by the initiated. I’ll save this one until after they’re hooked.
Avoiding aliens, and including superheroes and genetically modified apes as aliens…
Inception
Terminator movies
Back to the Future movies
Mystery Men
Robocop
Blade Runner?
Battlestar Galactica, the newer series
TRON
Serenity & Firefly
I, Robot
Gattaca
Wild, Wild West
How much does she like cerebral movies? Because a lot of very good SF is very cerebral, and often has a slow burn, especially if you’re looking for stuff that’s not simply action movies set in space.
I’d consider Gattaca (despite a poster round these parts who loathes it for what I think are terrible reasons), Blade Runner, and Children of Men if she’s willing to go for a slow burn movie. In uniquely SF fashion they tackle the big themes of challenging fate, humanity, and individual vs. society (okay, I’ve only seen CoM once and don’t remember it that well).
I neglected to mention when replying to Evil Captor: I have no qualms watching sexually themed material with them. We’ve played Cards Against Humanity with them and they loved it.
Ethilrist: good selections; nailed it with Gattaca!
Firefly though: I don’t want it to fail my test, but it does. However, it’s awesome enough, and genre linked enough that it would achieve the “win hearts/minds” objective. Good call! I’ll likely just lend them my DVDs than watch the series with them.
Hm. Some of the best SF DOES feature Aliens. And/or Monsters. Some of the Best SF:
**2001
Forbidden Planet
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Quatermass and the Pit/Five Million Years to Earth
The Matrix
**
Decent SF with No Aliens or Monsters:
Metropolis (get the fully restored version. Or the Moroder one)
**
2010
Panic in Year Zero
Source Code
Moon
The Last Mimzy
Grand Tour: Disaster in Time
RoboCap** (the original, of course. Very violent, though) When Worlds Collide
The Thirteenth Floor (Came out the same time as Matrix, also about Virtual Reality. Very good, overlooked flick)
I’m not sure. Probably not the best place to start. That’s why I’ve put Inception and Blade Runner lower on my list (though really good picks!). I think she’d go for the slow burn more than he would.
Yes! My comment against creature features wasn’t meant to say “no aliens”. In 2001, “what if an advanced alien influenced human development at key points in our history” totally passes the test.
I haven’t seen that one, but your comment reminded me of The Abyss. It narrowly distinguishes itself from “creature feature” with its drillers living underwater (and associated tech - the breathable liquid!) plus the monsters as good guys twist.
Battle Beyond the Stars - The Magnificent Seven in space!!! It even has Napoleon Solo, John-Boy Walton and George Peppard. And also John Saxon and Sybil Danning, who many may not know but I love.
I think the best angle is to come at them with some sci-fi cross genres as others have mentioned here.
Sci-Fi comedies (Back to the Future, GalaxyQuest, Men In Black, Ghostbusters) or Sci-Fi Romance(Time Travler’s Wife, Ghost, etc.)