# Sugggest me some fantasy and sci-fi movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952 "2011-02-02T23:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/61 "2011-02-05T03:44:14Z")
> [@Sin\_Serially](#): > > I’d hate to derail, but is there a pattern or something so I can know when to get said DVDs? I think your best bet would be to check sites like [spoofee.com](http://spoofee.com) or [fatwallet.com](http://fatwallet.com) and search on what you want. spoofee is where I see Amazon sales from time to time — they posted that Amazon had the complete series for 15 bucks just a couple weeks ago. I just checked, and the current Amazon price is $25 - still a pretty good deal IMO. Costs more than that for a couple to go to a movie. They also have used sets from about $14. With digital media, it either works or it doesn’t, so it’s not like buying a used VHS that may be worn out. You could also try Ebay; that’s where I got mine, but of course it’s a lot more trouble to return stuff if it’s defective. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/62 "2011-02-05T03:45:08Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Hmmm…my guess? It’s easier to make a shlocky, c-grade movie in one of those genres, and harder to make a good one? > > Actually, it might be more basic than that. It is/was easier to make a _profit_ with a shlocky, c-grade movie in one of these genres, so they crowd out the market? I suspect it’s harder to get enough funding for a sci-fi or fantasy movie to make it decent. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/63 "2011-02-05T05:12:36Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > I suspect it’s harder to get enough funding for a sci-fi or fantasy movie to make it decent. Indeed…and why spend a huge amount of money and effort trying to make the next _2001_ or _Avatar_, which might still bomb, when you can spend much less making _Revenge of the Zucchini People_, which you _know_ will get an audience? ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/64 "2011-02-05T05:57:48Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I had fun watching both seasons of “Legend of the Seeker.” I’ve heard those who read the books it’s based on were disappointed, but I never read the books and enjoyed the two seasons. Complete with sword fights, wizardry, magic and romance. A friend of mine that liked Legend of the Seeker also liked “Robin Hood” Season 1-3 which is available on streaming from Netflix and “Merlin” season 1-2 on DVD. She is listening the “Sword of Truth” series on CD and is up to “Chainfire”. so the differences between the books and the TV series can’t be that bad. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/65 "2011-02-08T05:36:14Z")
[Scrapped Princess](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409612/combined) is IMO a wonderful animated fantasy/S.F. series. Swords and Sorcery AND spaceships (sort of) going _phzoom! phzoom!_ The western release has a reasonable dub as well, if you are not keen on subs. The storyline is formulaic but they seem to have got everything spot-on; simple but great artwork, likeable characters and a brilliant soundtrack. One of my fave feelgood series. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/66 "2011-02-08T18:36:47Z")
> [@Lars\_Aruns](#): > > Thanks for the additional suggestions, keep them coming! > > Going over the list, however, I wonder why it looks like there are so many shlocky, cheesy C-grade movies compared to higher quality ones in science fiction and fantasy. I know that there are just as many mediocre movies in other genres - drama, comedy and whatnot - but there are so many more good ones in those categories, while there are so _few_ really good sci fi and fantasy titles, and I can’t understand why. Well, your request was essentially for schlocky movies - the kinds with big space explosions and swords n’ socery. 90% of those are going to be cheesy - even the real standouts like Ladyhawke and LOTR, are, basically, just a bit cheesy. If you had requested non-SF/Fantasy movies with big explosions and epic action, 90% of them would be cheesy too. Based on your OP I wouldn’t have suggested _Moon_ (2009). No explosions and no rip-roarin action (in fact there’s basically one actor who is the only character in 90% of the scenes), but it’s quite a good little SF movie. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/67 "2011-02-08T23:08:19Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > _Ladyhawke_. It has Rutger Hauer on a big black horse, a dastardly curse, and Mathew Broderick looking about 12 years old as a scrappy thief/comic foil. Its a bit dark and broody but it does have a happy ending. A real Saturday afternoon fantasy flick. A great movie that suffers greatly from its out-of-place music. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/68 "2011-02-09T00:15:43Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Well, your request was essentially for schlocky movies - the kinds with big space explosions and swords n’ socery. 90% of those are going to be cheesy - even the real standouts like Ladyhawke and LOTR, are, basically, just a bit cheesy. If you had requested non-SF/Fantasy movies with big explosions and epic action, 90% of them would be cheesy too. > > Based on your OP I wouldn’t have suggested _Moon_ (2009). No explosions and no rip-roarin action (in fact there’s basically one actor who is the only character in 90% of the scenes), but it’s quite a good little SF movie. Agreed. I left many good movies out which the OP seemed to want done by using all the requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/69 "2011-02-09T00:30:23Z")
I didn’t see a mention of [Spaceballs](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/). ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952/70 "2011-02-09T10:01:05Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Agreed. I left many good movies out which the OP seemed to want done by using all the requirements. I’m sure there are many, no doubt about that. But you see, I started this thread not so much to get suggestions for movies of great artistic merit, but as a cheap self-medication of sorts. Not do not take this as any kind of ban to discuss these excellent movies, such as _Moon_ - what I saw of it makes it appear an excellent work - but why not do it in a suitable thread? 🙂 As for shlocky vs high-quality, I realize that I am using the word shlocky in a different way from others; I must have misunderstood the meaning. What I was trying to express was this: sure, there are many good and bad movies of all genres, and sure, I realize that a certain amount of cheesiness is always present in a certain type of high epic movies (whether or not they have spaceships or chicks in metal bikinis with swords or both), but I reckon that there seems to be many more high adventure movies done on the cheap, with terrible production and script for example, compared to other genres, even if things like costs and niche appeal do not seem too different. And I can’t quite figure out why. Maybe fans of fantasy, sci-fi and the like are less picky? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugggest-me-some-fantasy-and-sci-fi-movies/569952.md?page=3)