Sci Fi Movie Canon
One blogger has compiled a list of the most significant science fiction films of all time. As Darren Barefoot notes, it’s missing a couple doozies like DARK CITY, but it’s otherwise a decent list. I’ll be highlighting the movies I’ve seen after the break.
I don’t normally do lists like these, but since I discovered the part of WordPress that lets me hide things behind a break, I’m desperate to do use it.
Commence with the meme!
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! Akira Alien Aliens Alphaville Back to the Future Blade Runner Brazil Bride of Frankenstein Brother From Another Planet A Clockwork Orange Close Encounters of the Third Kind Contact The Damned Destination Moon The Day The Earth Stood Still Delicatessen Escape From New York ET: The Extraterrestrial Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers (serial) The Fly (1985 version) Forbidden Planet Ghost in the Shell Gojira/Godzilla The Incredibles Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 version) Jurassic Park Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior The Matrix Metropolis On the Beach Planet of the Apes (1968 version) Robocop Sleeper Solaris (1972 version) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back The Stepford Wives Superman Terminator 2: Judgement Day The Thing From Another World Things to Come Tron 12 Monkeys 28 Days Later 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 2001: A Space Odyssey La Voyage Dans la Lune War of the Worlds (1953 version)
That’s the most bolding I think I’ve ever done in any such list. Go me.
28. October 2005 at 10:23
I agree with many of those choices, but I also agree that some major things were left out.
I can’t think of any right now, mind you… I’d have to look over my DVD collection.
Surely LotR belongs in there? At least one of them? Or does the list specifically exclude Fantasy?
28. October 2005 at 12:23
I’m surprised that I’ve seen this many. I’m surprised I haven’t seen more. Finally, I’m surprised they left off quite a few deserving movies.
How do two Star Wars movies and two Alien movies make it, but not two Superman movies or two Star Trek movies? Where is King Kong or Mighty Joe Young? Where is Debbie Does Uranus?
Alien Aliens Back to the Future Blade Runner Bride of Frankenstein Close Encounters of the Third Kind The Damned The Day The Earth Stood Still Escape From New York ET: The Extraterrestrial The Fly (1985 version) Gojira/Godzilla The Incredibles Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 version) Jurassic Park Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior The Matrix Planet of the Apes (1968 version) Robocop Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Superman Terminator 2: Judgement Day The Thing From Another World Tron 12 Monkeys 28 Days Later 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 2001: A Space Odyssey (only 1/2 of it; couldn’t get through the rest of it) War of the Worlds (1953 version)
28. October 2005 at 13:37
Star Wars? What the heck are those two doing there? None of the Star Wars movies are science fiction — they’re all fantasy. Merely setting a story in space, or draping it with the futuristic trappings common to science fiction, do not make it so. I mean, come on: white knight, black knight. Crazy old wizard(s). Dragon. Damsel in distress. Comic-relief “narrators.” Irreverant but heart-of-gold buddy. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Guys. Please. That’s just a paraphrase of “Once upon a time in a faraway land,” the lead-in to every fairy tale ever written.
And yeah, the LOTR trilogy would be excluded because it, too, is fantasy. Fantasy. Science fiction. Two different genres.
Several others on the list are also not science fiction — can you spot ‘em?
28. October 2005 at 18:22
You haven’t seen Robocop, 12 Monkeys or the original Planet of the Apes? Really? Please return your geek card at the next meeting :)
28. October 2005 at 19:10
I have seen 29 on this list. I was shocked that I had not seen them all. Mainly the older titles are the ones I have missed. I did noticed that most of all are already on my netflix list. I guess I already knew I wanted to see them before I saw this list. Ok now my list of movies that should be on this list…
Farenheit 451 Fifth Element Logan’s Run Galaxy Quest Dune Stargate Resident Evil Being John Malkovich Starship Troopers Last Starfighter Cocoon Event Horizon Slipstream (1989) Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Alien Nation Robot Jox Cherry 2000 Being John Malkovich Pi eXistenZ War Games Star Trek: First Contact Tank Girl
29. October 2005 at 15:45
Lotsa good choices there, Patton.
29. October 2005 at 23:55
Thanks Overworm, I did not choose any of them because they should be on any greatest sci-fi movie list of all time. I chose them based on the theme of most significant, to me that is. Each one of these films holds a special place in my heart and I realize some of them are bad, really bad. I still love them though. Most of all Dune.