[The list includes a competition - details below] If you have not seen at least 15 of these movies, you can hand in your geek membership card right now – or you can buy them and join the ranks of the enlightened! So, here are the top 20 Geek movies of all time (in no particular order except number 1). Use the comments to tell us which of these movies are the top five.
20. Pirates of Silicon Valley 1999, Martyn Burke
I love this movie! It tells the tale of the start of Microsoft and Apple and has a brilliant cast who do a great job of portraying their characters. Noah Wyle (as Steve Jobs) was so good that he was invited to walk on stage at an Apple Conference to pretend he was Steve Jobs – the audience were fooled (briefly) and it has become a great moment in Apple conference history.
19. Short Circuit 1986, John Badham
Number 5 is alive! Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes. Another brilliant geek movie from the 80s – there must have been something in the water that decade.
18. Hackers 1995, Iain Softley
This is my least favorite movie on the list because it is so corny and far fetched – it hardly gives a good representation of “hackers” – nevertheless it was extremely popular (I think mostly with the Eternal September crowd). Alas most of us are still waiting for October, 1993. Angelina Jolie is probably the only redeeming feature of this movie.
17. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Nicholas Meyer
There had to be at least one Star Trek movie on this list so I have picked my favorite (and it stars the original Captain Kirk!) In this movie, Admiral Kirk’s midlife crisis is interrupted by the return of an old enemy looking for revenge and a potentially destructive device.
16. WarGames 1983, John Badham
A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III. This film is a hilarious look back at early home computers. It was so popular it was nominated for 3 oscars!
15. Repo Man 1984, Alex Cox
I can’t say much about this cult classic without giving away important story elements, so I will just give you the plot line: Young punk Otto becomes a repo man after helping to steal a car, and stumbles into a world of wackiness as a result. This is a film that is often underrated but it is brilliant for its time and has aged well.
14. Planet of the Apes 1968, Franklin J. Schaffner
I am talking about the original series of movies, not the recent film with Mark Wahlberg. Planet of the Apes is brilliantly conceived and well executed. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. “Glory be the Bomb and to the Holy Fallout!” These films will captivate you.
13. Alien Quadrilogy 1979, Ridley Scott
Aliens, androids, alien planets, Sigourney Weaver kicking ass, and Ridley Scott directing – could there be a better combination?
12. Akira 1988, Katsuhiro Ôtomo
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop. This is, perhaps, the greatest animated movie of all time! Stunning.
11. Pi 1998, Darren Aronofsky
This is definitely the weirdest film on the list. It is by Darren Aronofsky – famous for his Requiem for a Dream. The outline of the film is: “A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature” – what could be cooler than that?
10. Office Space 1999, Mike Judge
While this was not a successful film at the theaters, it has become a cult success. “Peter Gibbons, thanks to a hypnotic suggestion, decides not to go to work at the same time his company is laying people off. When layoffs affect his two best friends, they conspire to plant a virus that will embezzle money from the company into their account.” You must see this film if you have not already.
9. The Original Star Wars 1977, George Lucas
The most recent 3 films were junk – there is no denying it, but the first three were and are brilliant masterpieces of science fiction film making.
8. The Matrix 1999, Larry and Andy Wachowski
The first movie of the trilogy is the best and really stands alone as one of the best geek movies ever. There is not a geek who doesn’t love the Matrix.
7. Metropolis 1927, Fritz Lang
One of the first sci-fi movies, Metropolis is as important now as the day it was filmed. “It is the future, and humans are divided into two groups: the thinkers, who make plans (but don’t know how anything works), and the workers, who achieve goals (but don’t have the vision).”
6. Brazil 1985, Terry Gilliam
To not include a film by Terry Gilliam on a list like this would be a mortal sin! This film is set in a futuristic bureaucracy and features some amazing images and concepts and is an amazing comedy of errors.
5. Serenity 2005, Joss Whedon
The plot: River Tam and her brother Simon are hiding out from the totalitarian government that experimented with River’s brain aboard the space-freighter Serenity. It is really pleasing to see such high quality sci-fi being produced still. This is a must-see movie.
4. Lord of the Rings 2001, Peter Jackson
You knew this would be here didn’t you? This list would be a dismal failure if it did not include the Lord of the Rings. Best of all, it was made in beautiful New Zealand!
3. Spaceballs 1987, Mel Brooks
Planet Spaceball’s President Skroob sends Lord Dark Helmet to steal Planet Druidia’s abundant supply of air to replenish their own, and only Lone Starr can stop them. Simply hilarious.
2. Bladerunner 1982, Ridley Scott
A remarkable film that is sure to excite every geek. The fact that it stars Harrison Ford gives it even more brownie points – who can hate a film with Indie in it?!
1. 2001 1968, Stanley Kubrick
This film has to be number 1 – it has stunning photography, great acting, and a brilliant story line by Arthur C. Clarke. Any geek that does not like this film is not a true geek.
Bonus: TRON 1982, Steven Lisberger
You have to watch this film – if only for the corniness. A hacker is literally abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.
Competition!
The competition is simply this: whoever writes the 100th and 200th legitimate comment will win their choice of any one DVD off this list. The rules? The comment must be made by a registered user – so register now if you haven’t already. In addition, any comments obviously designed to increase the number in order to win will be discounted.
Notable Extras: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Fifth Element, Shaun of the Dead, Sin City, Robocop
The original Star Wars Trilogy
sorry for the double post but also it seems as if this was almost more of a tech/sci-fi list, with the exceptions of a few movies, they all seem to be from that genre.
I mean no Monty Python and the Holy Grail!! thats it i’m about to pull out my holy hand grenade!!
unhustler: thats what I would have asked for had I won the first time. Can you get it a second time if you win?
Here’s one more post the help #200, gotta go to work. Peace.
Csimmons: I don’t see why not.
Congrats Unhustler! Email me (jamie @ frater.com) with your request. Now on to number 200! If we reach 300 I will offer the same prize to the 300th comment as well.
Jfrater:If unhustler gets the star wars trilogy, and someone wins and they want it too, do they get it?
And yes – the same person can will all three prizes.
CSimmons: yep – if all three pick the same it doesn’t matter.
huzzah let the commenting commence!!
on topic: i know that i could wikipedia it, but 2001 is the movie with the computer that goes crazy right? or am i completely off base?
At the rate of the last hour we should be at about 500 by supper time in my time zone.
Jfrater: thanks, I relly needed to know.
robotoisawesome: yep – HAL was his name.
jocboss: I may considering adding more prizes as we go – who knows?
More prizes! *jumps up and down*
Oh and J, does Monty Python count since it was a notable extra?
and was i the only one who grabbed my bike and started riding right and people and then swerved really quick so that i could pretend i was on a light cycle like on tron….okay so maybe i was stupid question
“My Science Project” was always a fav.
Csimmons: Uh… Monty Python isn’t on there… at all.
weird science was another one that is pretty high up there for me
also no love for Lost in Space? Danger Will Robinson Danger, c’mon you gotta love it
Henry: if you look under the competition rules, you will see notable extras, and it has Monty Python and the holy grail, along with some others.
Lost in space was only a Television series, I think.
It is, I didn’t read, The _fine print_
they came out with a movie based on the series, it didn’t quite have the charm of the series but it was still fairly good
also glad to see some sin city love in the notable extras
ahahaha, something csimmons and henry are having a race for the movie
Oh wow, I wish this comment section had edits, I have things to add. I have to ask that question too, I would love to get one of those notable extras. shaun of the dead I already own, but it’s awesome. And the Fifth Elemnt is my favorite movie.
OMG! Jamie, what have you started? I leave for a few hours to go to work and come home to 131 emails all from listuniverse. As I was reading to catch up there were 8 more and I am sure more now that I am typing this. I will have to get in touch with someone from this other forum I go to and get you help with the one email sent until you visit the site coding. Although it did tell me we were past the 100 mark
And I agree on Buckaroo Bonsai as a geek movie. The only people I knew who watched it were geeks.
OMG! I’m a geek and didn’t know it. I’ve seen almost all of these. Ha! Fabulous!
Is the princess bride a geek movie? Geeks ove it.
also what about total recall? In my opinion its an awesome movie, and since i’m a nerd
my opinion = nerd opinion
thus total recall is a good nerd movie lol
Aren’t we all nerds on the inside? But seriously, I am the biggest here…
If these comments keep up until about 6 o’clock in my timezone, we should have about 450 comments, and yes i did calculate that, screams geek i know
I love Princess Bride, but I don’t think I am a geek. I just married one.
lol when i watched revenge of the nerds at the end when they start chanting nerds….i can’t help myself i have to chant with them!!
I would think the spidey movies or the x-men would be on here, but it is still a great list.
for some reason I thinka competition is in order! http://www.innergeek.us/geek.html 65.5468% Geek God!
Blade Runner, is amazing, as is anything by Philip K Dick.
Phillip K. dick is awesome, do androids dream of electric sheep, masterpiece but blade runner was too unfaithful.
If you go by the original meaning of the word, then Tod Browning’s FREAKS is the ultimate geek movie.
…..okay you win 19.27837%
I’m almost ashamed!!
henry: wow. i thought it was a good idea. then i saw that it has more questions than the SAT. i guess that describes me enough that i don’t need to take a geek test. if i was more geek i would enjoy the process and the prospect of results.
oh, what about Willow back from 1988.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_%28film%29
I know that it isn’t a movie (okay so it is but we won’t talk about that one) has anyone here read Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy? or the rest of the series for that matter?
i mean if we are going to be talking nerd subjects we have to bring reading material into the equation
How about A BEAUTIFUL MIND? Does that count as a geek movie?
They did do a movie for Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It was pretty bad. BBC did a TV mini Series I think it was. That was better.
RobotoIA, the ultimate geek author is Thomas Pynchon, well after Phillip K. Dick of course. Bill James appeals to geeks who love baseball.
i know about the movie…i just don’t like to talk about it lol. And i had heard about the mini series, i think they did the whole series, i’ve just never gotten a chance to watch them
yogi what books did they write, do you know any off the top of your head?
GOOD WILL HUNTING was about a man who couldn’t accept his inner geekdom.
I scored 27.21893%
I don’t know if I feel better or not.
Csimmons: I calculated it at #132. Me more geeky!
I read every HGTTG books.
also anyone here read 1984? or maybe Brave New World? I love the books and the way the are written, extremely interesting to me
and to yogi, i will check out those books for sure. Any nerd author is fine by me lol
Thomas Pynchon wrote V, The Crying of Lot 49, and the ultimate geek novel, Gravity’s Rainbow. Phillip K. Dick wrote nearly every science fiction story that has been made into a good movie. Bill James is the guy who invented a lot of new stats for baseball.
well i meant to say i would check out those authors, but then you came behind me and gave me a nice little list to go by lol, i will give those a look
robotoisawesome: Brave New World is one of the greatest books I have read – absolutely amazing. In fact, everything by Huxley is brilliant.
Remember guys – register as a user if you want to win (top right of each page has the register link). Prize for 200th, 300th, and 400th comment. If we make it to 400 I will also pick one random comment to win a 5th prize of any DVD on the list.
Farenheight 451 anyone?
I always liked Heinlen, particularly Stranger in a Strange Land
Random comment
Sixteen Candles definitely should be on any geek list. Farmer Ted is the Fonzie of geekdom.
If you read Pynchon, start with V or The Crying of Lot 49. Gravity’s Rainbow is nearly impenetrable.
Phillip K. Dick is more accessible. Aside from Bladerunner, his stories were the basis for: TOTAL RECALL, A SCANNER DARKLY, NEXT, PAYCHECK, MINORITY REPORT and DARK CITY.