What are your favourite Sci-fi movies?

[marcostolto]

What are your favourite Sci-fi movies? low budget or blockbuster, classic or modern, popular or just plain terrible

[Vort]

Serenity, possibly the best SF movie ever made, based on the TV series Firefly, very probably the best TV SF series ever made. I have also always been a big fan of 2001,for which I take a lot of grief from the wife and kids.

[EarlJibbs]

Serenity, possibly the best SF movie ever made, based on the TV series Firefly, very probably the best TV SF series ever made. I have also always been a big fan of 2001,for which I take a lot of grief from the wife and kids.

Yes. I just just watched serenity again last week.

[EarlJibbs]

I subscribe to netflix. Not because they have good content for the average person to choose from, but because they have a lot of kid stuff and they have TERRIBLE MOVIES at every turn. I seek B movies out. I am a huge MST3k fan. My wife and I sit and riff bad movies to death! I would give you a list, but it is just too long.

[NeuroTypical]

Yep - Firefly and Serenity. Not much else compares.

[marcostolto]

3 good sc-fi movies will be watching tommorrow :

Forbidden Planet

War of the Worlds

I, Robot

some others

Land of the Lost

Red Planet

Star Trek

Star Wars

[Dravin]

Serenity, possibly the best SF movie ever made, based on the TV series Firefly, very probably the best TV SF series ever made. I have also always been a big fan of 2001,for which I take a lot of grief from the wife and kids.

Wash!

*Fishes a piece of dust out of his eye.*

What?

[Saldrin]

I like Star Trek and Star Wars.

[Guest]

Another vote for Serenity. I also like The Last Starfighter, but that's party because I love The Music Man.

[Vort]

Another vote for Serenity. I also like The Last Starfighter, but that's party because I love The Music Man.

Oh, yeah, the rubber-faced guy that drives 300 mph was Professor Harold Hill, wasn't he? I never realized that until I read your post. Definitely the high point of an otherwise eminently forgettable sci-fi (not SF) movie.

[annewandering]

I love sf but so much of the sf movies are just horror shows with little to do with sf other then having monsters.

The 2001 movies are interesting but pretty disordered. I liked the attempt made with Dune. It had too much to put in one show, especially since they combined novels to make the one movie. Without reading the books it was probably pretty confusing.

The problem with a great sf book is that it is going to be too difficult to convert to screen for a more general audience. I think the foundation series might make a good mini series. It covers a lot of time but is relatively uncomplicated.

Some of the more classic B sf are pretty hilarious to watch. Once saw one that had a carpet with people under it going up steps of, perhaps, a city hall. You could see the people and and occasional arm or leg sticking out. We have never been able to find the movie by name so we just call it 'The Carpet Monster Movie'.

Another we have liked is 'The Bat/Rat/Spider on Mars Movie'. Not the real name but its what I know it by. This one does show up on late night occasionally.

[Dravin]

The problem with a great sf book is that it is going to be too difficult to convert to screen for a more general audience. I think the foundation series might make a good mini series. It covers a lot of time but is relatively uncomplicated.

I think in general short stories translate better to the screen than do novels (and in particular series). Keeping in mind that's it's a translation not a reproduction. Actually I think a lot of people get disappointed regardless of genre when they forget that books are translated to the big screen, they aren't reproduced. I do think you're right though that when translating monsters and technology make it through the most intact and the more introspective elements of books get lost (in most cases understandably).

Some of the more classic B sf are pretty hilarious to watch. Once saw one that had a carpet with people under it going up steps of, perhaps, a city hall. You could see the people and and occasional arm or leg sticking out. We have never been able to find the movie by name so we just call it

Good old Mystery Science Theater 3000 fodder.

[Bini]

I followed the Firefly series with my sister. She was a lot more into it than I was but it was still good. My favourite sci-fi series growing up was X-Files. I guess I'm more prone to the elements of the paranormal with a flare of ET. My favourite current sci-fi is Supernatural but according to wiki, this series isn't technically science-fiction but horror, although it has had plenty of sci-fi topic episodes within the series.

[skalenfehl]

What are your favourite Sci-fi movies? low budget or blockbuster, classic or modern, popular or just plain terrible

When I was a kid (I'm still a big kid!), Star Wars and Star Trek. I've seen them all, series and big screen. Since then, I've thoroughly enjoyed the short-lived Firefly series and the subsequent Serenity film. Thereafter, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica was the best. Haven't seen anything as good as BSG. I don't watch shows like that any more, though. As awesome as it is/was, there's just too much sex. Nevermind all the robots and people killing each other.

I can't wait for the next Star Trek movie, though. Loved, loved the last one!

[Blackmarch]

What are your favourite Sci-fi movies? low budget or blockbuster, classic or modern, popular or just plain terrible

About anything star trek

the original starwars trilogy

Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind

The Last starfighter

Tron, Tron legacy, Tron Revolution (or whatever teh cartoon was called)

Dune

Jurassic Park

Andromeda Strain

Avatar

Babylon 5

Almost anything Stargate

Sliders

Gargoyles (borderline scifi/fantasy)

Vision of Escaflowne (Borderline scifi/fantasy)

Macross

The Black Hole

2001

2010

Back to the future

John Carter

Batman Begins

X-men

Superman 1

War of the worlds (older one)

Johnny Quest

Airwolf (borderline)

original Knight Rider

original Batttlestar galactica

20000 leagues under the sea

both Time Machines

Both fantastic 4s

The Avengers

Trigun

Cowboy Bebop

The Real Ghostbusters

Exo-squads

Galaxyquest

Titan AE

Despicable me

ET

Close encounters of the 3rd kind.

The Abyss

Forbidden planet

this planet earth.

As a kid:

TMNT

He-Man

Bravestar

Silverhawks

Inspector gadget (cartoon)

Edited September 7, 2012 by Blackmarch

[skalenfehl]

I liked the attempt made with Dune. It had too much to put in one show, especially since they combined novels to make the one movie. Without reading the books it was probably pretty confusing.

Wouldn't a new Dune series be awesome, if done right!?

[skalenfehl]

If you watch TV-14 shows (In my opinion about PG-13), then you gotta watch Battlestar Galactica. This is the best military space drama ever. And of course it follows Glen Larsen's Mormon theology theme as much, if not more than the original series.

[EarlJibbs]

Oh, yeah, the rubber-faced guy that drives 300 mph was Professor Harold Hill, wasn't he? I never realized that until I read your post. Definitely the high point of an otherwise eminently forgettable sci-fi (not SF) movie.

I loved the Last Star Fighter.... but wait. I like bad movies.

That reminds me of Enemy Mine. Anyone? Anyone?

[Windseeker]

No movie made me look up at the stars in wonder like Close Encounters did. I also loved Star Wars.

Dune is the best Movie made out of a book I've ever seen. I think it was they way that you could hear their thoughts that made it. I didn't watch 2001 Space Odessy until I was older but I loved it. The Matrix floored me as well.

I saw Prometheus and really enjoyed it. It really stretches the imagination and has allot of Christian allegory. cavalorn: Prometheus Unbound: What The Movie Was Actually About

Looking forward to Orson Scott Cards Enders Game .

I love Cowboy Bebop (anime) and the live action movie is coming to theatres but I'm feeling a little leery of that one.

I'm also a huge fan of TV series Firefly as well and enjoyed Battle Star Galatica and Farscape as well.

[NeuroTypical]

Yeah, I have to admit I got into the new Battlestar. I appreciated how they basically confirmed in the last episode that yes, angels do exist, sent by a benevelent-enough God - who was the God of both the Cylons and the humans. Still trying to accept who the angels were, though.

Oh - I really enjoyed the series Heroes. And I'm also enjoying the heck out of Alphas. It's hard to make an autistic character entertaining - but Gary rocks.

[annewandering]

I have always been a Star Trek and Star War fan. Battlestar Galactica was too soap opera for me but it was real sf. :) I did like the first Battlestar Galactic a lot.

I loved Lost even though it might not be quite sf. The thing is that the fans made it an exploration of ways to explain the series in scientific terms. It was very thought provoking and educational.

Oh and yes, Alphas. Now that one covered the bases for me. I have always been a fan of psi sf. My very favorite in fact.

[prisonchaplain]

I remember watching Logun's Run as a kid and being amazed at the beautiful world. Watched it recently and laughed at myself. Likewise was the original Star Trek series.

I liked the latest Battlestar Galatica series...but it was pushing the R-rating with some scenes.

It is much harder to do a good sci fi movie than to write a book. The best ones, like Heroes, show a story, and have the sci fi elements as the frosting on the cake.

For groaners, how about Battlefield Earth? Waterworld and The Postman were funny, though I doubt they were meant to be.

[trubludru]

New Battlestar Galactica == way overrated in my book, too much soap opera. I'm not saying it is bad although it is too risque in parts. But I felt like the way characters acted was usually unrealistic and mainly too create "drama".

Grew up on Star Trek TNG, find it enjoyable although there are some fairly cheesy episodes.

Original Star Wars Trilogy without George Lucas latest attempts to "improve" them are classics.

The Fifth Element seems a little peculiar the first time you watch it but it grows on you, I consider it one of the funniest sci-fi/action flick I know of.

Funniest sci-fi MST I know of is "Space Mutiny" (which used footage from the original BSG show for all their space scenes).

Firefly and Serenity are of course immensely enjoyable.

And Farscape is worth watching even if it seems too offbeat initially. Possibly the best developed romance in sci-fi that nobody knows about is John and Aeryn.

I have seen Babylon 5. The 1st season is atrocious, it seems like there are only 3 or 4 episodes worth watching due to their contribution to the overall story later on, but seasons 2-4 are enjoyable. With season 5 mostly out of place (due to rushed wrapping up of main story in season 4 due to presumed cancellation) Overall, series is a little corny but not much different than Star Trek corniness wise, and sort of a cool overall story with some epic space battles now and again.

Looking at wikipedia it seems like they have a pretty loose definiton of sci-fi....seems like they include any movie that has any sort of not current or realistic technology. Movies like Ghostbusters and Multiplicity are on their sc-fi lists......

Anyhow one last gem to toss out if you haven't seen it, Galaxy Quest does a better job at Star trek than Star Trek....it is one of the funniest movies I've seen.

[Windseeker]

Anyhow one last gem to toss out if you haven't seen it, Galaxy Quest does a better job at Star trek than Star Trek....it is one of the funniest movies I've seen.

2nd Galaxy Quest, it was a great movie.

I also like the movie Lost in Space. Good family movie. Kind of gets a bit goofy at the end but I liked it.

[NeuroTypical]

Yes - Galaxy Quest rocked. I had forgotten the Fifth Element. Too much nudity - but I was listening to the soundtrack just today.

I gave Farscape a try, but didn't think much of the first episodes and quit. Maybe I'll give it another shot.