Not the best, but your favourite

Oh I forgot about Prey, I really enjoyed that. When I first watched it I didn’t even know it was a Predator film.

I once watched Blade Runner on a big screen outdoors in Battersea Park. There was low misty cloud that evening with jets lining up for Heathrow flying directly overhead with their lights shining through the murk. At one point during one of those shots of the city you couldn’t tell where the edge of the screen was.

Favourite, I’m going with Dark Star.

The Martian

Great film. To be just a little bit controversial, is it really sci-fi? It mostly involves existing technology.

At the moment it’s still science fiction for humans to be on Mars so for me it’s still sci-fi until they step foot on Mars.

It’s fiction and at one point he’s literally ‘sciencing the shit’ out of things. Probably allowed.

Wrath of Khan – Ricardo Montalban is equally camp and sinister

Re: Prey, is the pistol she has at the end the one in Predator 2 (Danny Glover gets it at the end)?

Coincidence…. I am watching Predator 2 now and it is waaaay better than I remember it being. So 80’s/90’s, but an all-star cast and a genuinely different film as a sequel. Gary Busey in his prime too.

Favourite though? Too many to choose from. I love Aliens, Blade Runner, Akira, 2001, so many others. How can you choose just one?

I think it is the pistol from predator 2

I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, I find many sci-fi films shallow and overrated. I hate it when they pretend their wafer thin plots are deep, meaningful philosophies. The matrix is probably the worst for this, but I feel the same about some of the most highly regarded movies.

And yet…

there are many that I have really enjoyed ever since I was tiny – The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, The Time Machine, Logan’s Run, Westworld, Back to the Future, Robocop, Twelve Monkeys

😏

I watched predator 2 weeks ago, first time in maybe 20 years. My mate sent me a YouTube link as it’s on there under ‘forest lizard’ 😆

It is brilliant, I thought I’d just watch the intro for a couple of minutes but suddenly I was half an hour in and hooked. I’ve seen it maybe 3 times before, know the story and lines pretty well but by christ the hair on the back of my neck was stood very firmly to attention. The effects are brilliant, no CGI and the forest lizard I have since learnt was filmed using 2 slightly different lenses to get the invisibility effect. It’s remarkable in that a lot of the film is very low key, slow moving and all about looks on faces and close crops in a jungle. Basically guys moving through a dense jungle slowly looking for something unknown and invisible. But it works and has definitely stood the test of time, it still looks completely fresh. The cinematography is first class too, right from the start, and I was completely gripped the whole way through.

Good to see a couple of votes for Solaris and Silent Running in here. Two of my favourites, I love that slow, spacious, 70s vibe.

Moon and Arrival are two more that I really enjoyed, in a similar sort of vein. I probably prefer Moon because it’s just so sparse. One robot, one human trying to figure out what’s going on. Completely compelling.

Rollerball. Monsters, Bladerunner (controversially the original movie release with the voice-over) Alien, Primer. Under the Skin (instant classic, nothing really like the book its based on, but still, a proper future cult burner) Repo Man, The Iron Giant, the obligatory Ghilbhi…Today I’m saying Spirited Away, but could easily be one of two or three others tomorrow Ex-Machina gets an honourable mention, and The Thing for horror sci-fi and that ending. Ghosts in the Shell, lets say the original, but I like the film version as well, I know it gets panned by fans, but its clear it comes from a place of respect.

Edge of Tomorrow

Read Kormoran’s Predator précis as Predator 2, thinking ‘nah definitely no jungle’, but makes me think I should give P2 another go after *many* years.

Ha ha I just reread my post and thought it sounded like I was talking about predator 2. Which I wasn’t as it was bobbins

I’m aware of the seeming contradiction CountZero. The reason I don’t count myself as a sci fi fan is that I dislike so many of the ‘classics’, most of which have been mentioned on this thread.

For example I understand that many people have real love for Blade Runner, and I respect that. I found it a bit dull. Loads of people love the Matrix, and I’m happy that they enjoy it, but I thought it was unbelievably trite with laughable fight scenes. 2001 is supposed to be this all time great movie but it did nothing for me. I liked Star Wars (whatever the original one is called now) when I was 12, but not when rewatching it. Alien is an ok movie, but I’ve never understood all the fuss. If I was going to rewatch a Ridley Scott film it would be Thelma and Louise.

I find it a genuinely pleasant surprise when I find a sci-fi movie I like (someone mentioned Silent Running earlier, that’s another good one). Westerns though, I love westerns. I could – and sometimes do – watch those all day.

Jurassic Park.

I hate sci-fi

,

I am with Easily on matrix

However for my statement of individuality i will fo with John Carpenters They Live.

With side helping of Bad Taste

I love westerns

Serenity then!

So BTTF3 then……

Total Recall, the first one. The scenes showing the huge alien complex under the pyramid are fantastic. Reminds me a bit of the huge underground “machine” in Forbidden Planet.

Forbidden Planet had held up amazingly well imo. When the creature attacks the spaceship, first invisible, then glowing as it hits the perimiter fence… Just really well done.

One I reckon most on here haven’t watched but I recommend is City of Ember. A family film but dont let that out you off. Has a brilliant Silo/ Fallout feel to it. You might notice a couple of detectorists make an appearance, too. 😉

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0970411/

I like the 60s/70s films mentioned but Omega Man is top of that pile for me. Dark Star has dated very badly, though. More recently I liked the Planet of the Apes reboots so looking forward to this next month:

Alien is an ok movie, but I’ve never understood all the fuss. If I was going to rewatch a Ridley Scott film it would be Thelma and Louise.

I like Thelma and Louise, and it’s a groundbreaking film in its own right, but if everyone else thinks the film you just think is “ok” is a masterpiece, I dunno, maybe its you, eh? 😉

Ooh World of Tomorrow!

Immortal, 2004 film based on Enki Bilals graphic novels. They chose to blend in live actors and variety of less-than-perfect-CGI characters to underline certain characters synthetic nature which made most viewers hate it from the very first seconds.
The plot doesn’t make any sense in the books either but I really like the lost, absurd and hopeless feeling of the movie. It is probably 2/5 star film for most people.

The original Bladerunner I love too, I think I have box  which has most versions of the film. And that old PC game.

Alita Battle Angel or whatever it’s called. Good but needs a part 2

The Thing

They Live

Pandorum

Psycho Goreman

Bad Taste

Space Truckers

I’ll watch any sci-fi, even the low budget stuff that gets crappy ratings. Best one I’ve watched in the last couple of years was Psycho Goreman.

“Serenity then!”

Great series and movie

Upgrade

Ex Machina

Alien/Aliens

The Thing

They Live

Fifth Element

Robocop

Predator

Prey

The most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy

It is impossible to pick one tbh. I’m one of the few that isn’t that enamoured with Blade Runner. It looks great but I find it quite boring. Same with the sequel.

Westerns though, I love westerns. I could – and sometimes do – watch those all day.

Guardians of the Galaxy is basically a space western. So is ‘The Mandalorian’ (even has Timothy Olyphant reprising a sheriff role).

I like “Guardians…”. I haven’t seen Mandalorian, I might check that out. Do I need to have Star Wars knowledge to enjoy it? I haven’t seen anything SW related since the one that had Ja Ja Binks.

For someone who isn’t a sci-fi fan I’ve been on this thread quite a lot haven’t I? Apologies to anyone who feels I’ve spoiled the debate.

I think it is the pistol from predator 2

Confirmed.

https://imfdb.org/wiki/Prey_(2022)#Miquelet_Lock_Pistol

Serenity then!

I nearly said Serenity. Though it’s really the final episode of the TV series (with a bit of retreading for new viewers). As a coda to Firefly it is excellent, but it loses something standalone because you haven’t spent fifteen hours previously investing in the ensemble cast.  When… events happen, I imagine those who haven’t seen the show would think “why should I care?”

I’d recommend Serenity, but I would very strongly recommend watching Firefly first.  I would also strongly suggest staying away from spoilers.

2001 is the best film of all time, not just sci-fi. Fact.

Preferred Rogue One to Star Wars

I haven’t seen Mandalorian, I might check that out. Do I need to have Star Wars knowledge to enjoy it?

Not really, if you’ve seen the original trilogy that should be plenty. There are some characters from Clone Wars that pop up, but I’m not sure it matters if you know their backstory.

I haven’t seen anything SW related since the one that had Ja Ja Binks.

Understandable. But you’ll need a primer on trade relations and the political structures of the republic, and how that impacts on tax policy and security in the outer rim systems (not really).

2001 is the best film of all time, not just sci-fi. Fact.

Definitely an opinion there. Wouldn’t even make a top fifty for me.

2001 is the best film of all time, not just sci-fi. Fact.

It’s all right, but not even Kubrick’s best film.

Also, Star Wars was a kid’s film. If it’s your favourite, well, you know…

Also, Star Wars was a kid’s film. If it’s your favourite, well, you know…

Give Drac his sponge back.

death machine

tank girl

spaceballs

time bandits

flight of the navigator

explorers

dark city