Quote Martin Walker:

---

May I also remind other forum users about the film version of 'Quatermass and the Pit (1967)' starring Andrew Keir as the Professor?




Martin

---

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3434833733223827719

I am assuming this is legal as it's on Google Video.

A total classic.

Reg

--------------------
Google less; read more!

Quote RegressiveRock:

---

Rollerball

---

Yes!!! Love that (original 70s) film to bits.

"Jonathan... Jonathan... Jonathan...". Brilliant!

I liked the second Mad Max film, which represented the zenith of the series for me. Waterworld was a nice idea, but fell short.

I also very much enjoyed each and every Star Trek film.

I never really got on with Star Wars, but for the first film.

To be honest I've always been more of a fantasy fan than SF, but most attempts at making films of my favourite fantasy books has been sketchy at best. Lord of the Rings represents the best of them, but I like all of the Conan films (including Red Sonja), Willow, Hawk the Slayer, The Sword and the Sorcerer...

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote The Elf:

---

Quote RegressiveRock:

---

Rollerball

---

Yes!!! Love that (original 70s) film to bits.

"Jonathan... Jonathan... Jonathan...". Brilliant!

---

I certainly wasn't talking about the multiply razzie nominated and worst supporting actress razzie award winning, 2002 version.

Reg

--------------------
Google less; read more!

Quote Martin Walker:

---

May I also remind other forum users about the film version of 'Quatermass and the Pit (1967)' starring Andrew Keir as the Professor?

---

I just about remember the original television version, which is depressing - the script made a good Penguin book.

The discussion seems to be more about "What sci-fi (spit) films can I remember that are worth watching, rather than "best sci-fi movie of all-time", and I think that's led to a more fruitful discussion. In that spirit, for sheer let's-blow-everything-up bravado Independence Day has a lot going for it, setting aside the Americans Save The World Again subtext for a moment.

CC

--------------------
Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

I've been reminded of another great film/performance.......Jeff Bridges in Starman. He is one of the few actors capable of pulling off "otherworldliness", and the simplicity of message combined with road movie narrative is close to perfection. Dave

--------------------
My head hurts!

Rollerball is a classic. Not really Science Fiction I guess, just dystopian futurism.

Andromeda Strain is a great film; I have read that the current DVDs aren't up to scratch though, so I'm waiting for a better version to come out.

Westworld is a favourite of mine. I've seen it too often to buy it for the moment, but Yul Bryner is brilliant as the emotionless robot. The sequel is awful though.

THX 1138 is a great film. But again it is more dystopian future than Sci-Fi. Not too sure about the tinkerings on the Special Edition, but it doesn't take much away from the quality of the original.

--------------------
http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Mad Max was fun, but more of a post-apocalyptic fantasy really. (A good rule of thumb is that if you can replace guns with arrows and spaceships/cars with horses, then it's probably either a Western or a fantasy underneath the costumes.)

Back to the Future was also fun, but much more of a teen comedy than anything else - although the second installment where Biff uses time travel to make himself a fortune is closer to the real thing. A much better timey-wimey film is Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, which is a great little low-budget British film.

Personally I couldn't stand The Omega Man. And I particularly hated the Will Smith version for making it that he's a legend for saving the world. The whole point of the book's title is that he's a bogeyman legend to the new society (people who caught a variant of the virus that gave them some vampire characteristics but still left them sane) because he went round killing them while they slept. All you need to do is film the book, guys - but noooo.....

Oh, I forgot. Minority Report. Possibly the only example ever of taking a book title, throwing away most of the book's plot, and writing a new plot which actually works properly.

Quote RegressiveRock:

---

PS... I see your La Jetee and raise you Pi

---

In obscurity stakes, I reckon LJ wins... Pi is a good film though, I saw that at the little cinema in Nottingham where SOS covered that headphone gig recently... nice place, you used to be able to get a ticket for a meal and a film for less than a tenner. Good stuff.

Have you seen Cube? 90s low-budget job, several people trapped in - er - a cube. Seems there were a couple of sequels, but I haven't seen those. The original is decent though.

Nipping back to LJ, I saw that on DVD, coupled with a semi-documentary called Sans Soleil by the same director - if you can find it, it's well worth watching. It veers on pretentious, but is fascinating.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sans_Soleil

Quote RegressiveRock:

---

OK, wilfully obscure now - How about La Jetée..?

---

La Jetee is one of my all time favourite films, but it's not a feature length. It's a short.

--------------------
http://soundcloud.com/earwighoney

Quote nathanscribe:

---

Have you seen Cube? 90s low-budget job, several people trapped in - er - a cube.

---

I'd forgetten about that one! A great idea and nicely made.

I like the Resident Evil films too - the games are abolutely brilliant and the films not far behind. It's a pity that the genius of 'Silent Hill' didn't make such a successful leap from game to movie.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

The Resident Evil games are far better than the films. The zombie thing has been done to death though and I am pretty tired of that genre. Same for vampires. New monsters please!

--------------------
http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Also, I recently picked up a couple of films I remember seeing back in the 90s: Hardware and Dust Devil (both directed by Richard Stanley). Worth a watch I think.

Eden Log is interesting too - very little dialogue, and though it's a bit episodic it works well.

I generally like the stuff by Jeunet & Caro, but Dante 01 was weak and underdeveloped I thought. Should have been much better. It's too predictable and burdened with unnecessary overuse of religious imagery, which cripples it rather clumsily.

Much better is Moon. That was really nicely done.

Quote Richie Royale:

---

The Resident Evil games are far better than the films. The zombie thing has been done to death though and I am pretty tired of that genre. Same for vampires. New monsters please!

---

Watched Twilight last night. Was pleasantly surprised.

--------------------
I'm All Ears.

Cube 2 and Cube 0 are worth a watch, but you kind of know the score already. Cube2 has flashier sfx and Cube0 reveals a little more about the people running the show. The original is still a good film and a very simple premise. Get a good story and characters and you don't need squillions on complex CGI.

--------------------
Veni, Vidi, Aesculi
(I came, I saw, I conkered)

I feel I can't really add much to this list as most of my favourites have already been mentioned, but how about two 'modern classics' that I think have been just superb... District 9 and Moon.

Also... can't believe no-one mentioned TRHPS!

--------------------
SOS Web Editor, Support & Social Media
Friend SOS on Facebook | Follow SOS on Twitter

Quote Jennifer Jones:

---

Also... can't believe no-one mentioned TRHPS!

---

"Rocky" and "horror" being the key words there...

Quote Martin Walker:

---

May I also remind other forum users about the film version of 'Quatermass and the Pit (1967)' starring Andrew Keir as the Professor?




Martin

---

yes! I remember watching these when i was knee high.....limited special effects compared to today but they scared the hell out of me!

Been looking all over the web for somewhere to buy the whole Quatermass series (dont think there was many of them made?) but no luck so far.

EDIT, what about "The outer limits", the old black & white series. Class.

Edited by mick.n (21/02/12 02:11 PM)

The more recent "Outer Limits" in the 90s were pretty good too. Although really they were more horror/thriller territory.

suprised no one has mentioned start trek, i know its for fans really but i thought the newest one was pretty decent.

Agree that alien would be in my top five but such a wide genre a top one would be hard, matrix? hmmm

i enjoyed a film called equillibrium (spelling),total recall (remake in the offering)and 5th element

--------------------
Reason, ableton Fast track pro maudio keystation pro, fantom x8 srx dance and pianos oh and an old yamaha HX1 organ ;-) oh ex roland staff member

Quote grab:

---

The more recent "Outer Limits" in the 90s were pretty good too. Although really they were more horror/thriller territory.

---

'Journey into the Unknown' was my favourite of that short-story genre. The opening credits with that lone whistle in the deserted fairground was super-eerie! Well... it was at the time!

Journey Into the Unknown

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

There's a major reasons why discussion of good sci-fi films doesn't mention Star Trek. The word "good" is the clue...

Equilibrium was fairly standard Big-Brother-ness. Mainly it was notable for its "gun-kata" martial arts and swordplay, which were rather well done. Massive conceptual holes in the idea of a "sense offender" though, when people are still living in families - surely this should all have gone artificial insemination, babies brought up in creches, and people either living on their own or in dormitories?

Fifth Element was almost Frankie-Howard-in-space, it was so camp. Lots of fun visuals to distract from the essential lack of ideas.

Total Recall was fairly well done. Just about anyone other than Arnie would have been an improvement, but never mind.

The Andromeda Strain and Bladerunner get my vote. And The Fly (1986)

--------------------
http://soundcloud.com/anthony-wall/sets/audio-reel
http://songsforvoiceandpiano.com/

Quote mick.n:

---

Quote Martin Walker:

---

May I also remind other forum users about the film version of 'Quatermass and the Pit (1967)' starring Andrew Keir as the Professor?




Martin

---

yes! I remember watching these when i was knee high.....limited special effects compared to today but they scared the hell out of me!

Been looking all over the web for somewhere to buy the whole Quatermass series (dont think there was many of them made?) but no luck so far.

EDIT, what about "The outer limits", the old black & white series. Class.

---

Hah! I remember the BBC TV series - Late 50s early 60s - scared the living daylights out of me

--------------------
It wasn't me!
(Well, actually, it probably was)

Quatermass was on well past my bedtime. I remember everyone in school would be talking about it the next day. My Ma was a tyrant.

--------------------
17ft here! Too deep for non divers.

Quote grab:

---

There's a major reasons why discussion of good sci-fi films doesn't mention Star Trek. The word "good" is the clue...

---

Burn the heretic!

OK, not as good as the TV series, I'll admit...

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Wasn't Equilibrium just a loose remake of Fahrenheit 451 ?

Quote The Elf:

---

Quote grab:

---

There's a major reasons why discussion of good sci-fi films doesn't mention Star Trek. The word "good" is the clue...

---

Burn the heretic!

OK, not as good as the TV series, I'll admit...

---

Only the original counts !
So hammy the cast were on the verge of laughter .
Always makes me laugh when I see Kirk doing his hoppy judo dance .
Oh , another good bit , check out the Corbomite maneuver , the character(?) Balok is a ringer for Sarah Jessica Parker !

Strange how later TNG etc took itself soo seriously , bloody awful , like a long propaganda series for USA "Embracing all the cultures as the oil .. sorry ... dilithium is liberated from belligerent , uncivilised , different cultures .

But the sadly maligned and misunderstood 'Enterprise' was close to being as good as the original. I loved the fact that the technology was developing in 'Enterprise' and couldn't be relied upon to solve all problems.

And Voyager was actually quite good until it became 'Coronation Street in Space' - at which point I lost interest.

I'll add 'Frequency' as another 'SF-ish' film I enjoyed. Clever idea too.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

I'm glad my mention of Quatermass has stirred so many memories - a case of the plot triumphing over the low budget special effects


Martin

--------------------
YewTreeMagic

Dark city is pretty good and underrated ..

Love Galaxy Quest & Land Of The Lost, both admittedly spoofs. But my fave has to be Zardoz, I really must watch that again sometime.

--------------------
"The tech gets better, the user error remains the same.." Roberts Plant

This is all passing me by I'm afraid. I live in a village in Devon and, to be honest, SF doesn't even come close to the everyday reality. Whether it's Cowboys in space or near future dystopia, it has to be better than this...

Andy

--------------------
When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Hmmm... yes... I spent last weekend in Sidmouth and I have to say my connection with reality seemed pretty tenuous the whole time.

CC

--------------------
Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

Quote:

---

This is all passing me by I'm afraid. I live in a village in Devon and, to be honest, SF doesn't even come close to the everyday reality. Whether it's Cowboys in space or near future dystopia, it has to be better than this...

Andy

---

Ah yes, Devon.

Isn't that the place where you are only allowed to pay by credit card if you are over 80?

... and accompanied by both parents.

--------------------
It wasn't me!
(Well, actually, it probably was)

ah, some good stuff being mentioned now. johnny h is bang on, Dark City is brilliant stuff. Minority Report, Inception, and Avatar deserve mentions for being big budget Hollywood sci-fi - once commonplace, now becoming pretty rate. for all their shortcomings it's good to see them bringing SF back into the limelight.

Equilibrium and Cube are pretty standard high-concept fluff but well executed and tons of fun. Equilibrium in particular is elevated by a good performance from Christian "I'm Batman" Bale and brilliantly choreographed action scenes. for me these hark back to the heady days of sci-fi action like Total Recall and the Terminator franchise (which stopped at Judgement Day, don't let anyone try and tell you otherwise).

Moon is a great little film built around an intriguing idea; it's like a more successful version of Solaris, which plays with similar themes but is ultimately less satisfying (although i've heard the original is better than the George Clooney version i've seen). District 9 starts off in the same "indie SF" oeuvre but manages to move into full-on action by the end - but without losing its charm and pace. a great watch. Event Horizon creeped me out far more than it had any right to.

I've actually stopped watching Doctor Who and Torchwood. I was ok with the modern Who up to the end of the David Tennant run, but found myself grinding my teeth at the annoying Donna sidekick. from thereon in i haven't truly enjoyed a series of it and have now just stopped to reduce the amount of shouting at the TV in my house. Torchwood was ok in the first series, got a lot better in the second, but then became dull and trite for me after then. Children of Men was ok, nothing more - and Miracle Day was a two hour special dragged out into a ten hour ego-fest. whoever decided they should pivot the entire show around that irritating Gwen woman has a lot to answer for.

i never really watched Trek when i was younger, but i thoroughly enjoyed the latest movie. this probably explains a lot.

--------------------
hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote drargon:

---

But my fave has to be Zardoz, I really must watch that again sometime.

---

Ooooh, yes. Bonkers and brilliant.

The Terminator, and the first 2 Alien films.

Never bettered, no CGI, all done in camera and all the better for it.

HATE CGI, just looks rubbishly unrealistic however much they tell you it isn't...

I don't like CGI much either, but the first Ironman has some pretty seemless integration with the real suit.

Does Ironman count as Sci Fi? It has some science in it, actually a lot more than some of the other suggestions here. It is a very good film, for a comic book adaptation, which are usually pretty bad or hard to take seriously in live action.

--------------------
http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Quote nathanscribe:

---

Quote drargon:

---

But my fave has to be Zardoz, I really must watch that again sometime.

---

Ooooh, yes. Bonkers and brilliant.

---

Indeed. Mr Connery and his helmet... erm... so to speak.

Reg

--------------------
Google less; read more!

...oh and can I admit that Space: 1999 is my guilty pleasure!

Reg

--------------------
Google less; read more!