The 1970s had a plethora of good sci-fi films amid the schlock. But because the number of good movies keeps increasing the closer we get to the present day, I’ve limited my subsequent lists to 15 AND omitted fantasy movies. Fantasy deserves its own lists. I was going to do this ‘70s list in chronological order, but that’s not as much fun. Do you agree or disagree with my ordering of 1, 2 and 3? I expect I’ll have more disagreements from here on in, which is half the fun. Enjoy!
Five notable omissions are: 1978’s The Boys from Brazil, 1978’s Capricorn One, 1975’s Rollerball, 1972’s Silent Running and 1979’s The Black Hole. Philip K. Dick called The Black Hole “crap,” and he was right, but if certain stupid things had been eliminated, it could have been a much better film. The Black Hole starts great but disintegrates during the ludicrous third act. And sorry, I think Soylent Green is stupid, which is why it’s not on the list. When what’s supposed to be a movie’s “shocking” ending instead becomes an enduring derisive punch line, you don’t exactly have a “great” movie.
I almost left this one off in favor of one of the notable omissions, but decided that it still holds up well. Some may criticize this as boring and even predictable, but consider the fact that this film adheres closer to the Trek mission of “boldly going” than the other eight Trek films to date. (And yes, I include the hokey Star Trek IV.)
A strange movie from a strange decade made from a strange Walter Tevis novel, Man Who Fell to Earth features David Bowie as an alien visitor to Earth. Thomas Jerome Newton is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet. He starts a high technology company to get the billions of dollars he needs to build a return spacecraft, and meets Mary-Lou, a girl who falls in love with him. He does not count on the greed and ruthlessness of business here on Earth, however.
Westworld is a place I would like to visit—until the robotic Yul Brenner gunslinger malfunctions, that is. (Superior to the boring Peter Fonda follow-up, Futureworld.) Peter Martin and John Blane decide to take a holiday in a high tech amusement park, Westworld. Here they get to play cowboys – saloon brawls, saloon girls and quick draws against the town’s gunslinger – with lifelike robots. All is well for the first few days but when the park’s central computer malfunctions, the built-in safety features are turned off and the robots begin to attack the guests. The gunslinger in particular seems indestructible and relentlessly pursues his prey.
This bleak British apocalyptic thriller is a well-made, if sometimes baffling, movie that depicts the aftermath of a disease that kills all forms of grass. A British man leads his family through humanity’s detritus to the supposed safety of his brother’s farm.
George Lucas’ first sci-fi theatrical foray remains one of his best works—and one of the stranger roles for Robert Duvall. George Lucas adapted this, his first film, from a short he made at University. THX 1138, LUH 3417, and SEN 5241 attempt to escape from a futuristic society located beneath the surface of the Earth. The society has outlawed sex, with drugs used to control the people. THX 1138 stops taking the drugs, and gets LUH 3417 pregnant. They are both thrown in jail where they meet SEN 5241 and start to plan their escape.
This silver-screen adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel is superior to the overblown 2008 A&E miniseries. When the capsule of the Scoop Mission returns to Earth and lands in the small town of Piedmont, it brings a mutant living being and all the population, except a crying baby and an old man with ulcer, dies with clotted blood. A team of five scientists – the leader Dr. Jeremy Stone, Dr. Charles Dutton, Dr. Mark Hall, Dr. Ruth Leavitt and Dr. Kirkie – are summoned and gathered together in the top secret Wildfire facility. Fighting against time, they try to understand the reason why the old man and the baby survived and research an antidote to Andromeda, the ultimate biological weapon.
A fun and disturbing movie, Logan’s Run was the last of the great pre-Star Wars sci-fi movies. Everyone dies at age 30—or else. The movie is far different than the original novel, which is worth a read. Logan, a Sandman (police assassin), is forced to search for “Sanctuary” – a place to which people have apparently escaped from the sealed city of the future in which he lives. Jessica is caught up along the way and becomes his companion fugitive as they are both pursued by Francis, a fellow Sandman. Sanctuary is not what they expect.
It’s still the best of the Superman movies, but truth be told, I much prefer the Man of Steel as presented in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League cartoons. I hated all of the sequels, especially Superman II, which could have been a much better film. (Family Guy really nailed Superman II with the parody of the stupid scene where Superman throws his “S” shield at one of the bad guys.) Nevertheless, 1978’s Superman holds up well until the silly cop-out ending.
This rendition of Body Snatchers remains the best, if for nothing else than Donald Sutherland’s scream at the end. Besides, you gotta just love the cool threads that hipster pop psychologist Leonard Nimoy wears. The first remake of the paranoid infiltration classic moves the setting for the invasion from a small town to the city of San Fransisco and starts as Matthew Bennell notices that several of his friends are complaining that their close relatives are in some way different. When questioned later they themselves seem changed as they deny everything or make lame excuses. As the invaders increase in number they become more open and Bennell, who has by now witnessed an attempted “replacement” realizes that he and his friends must escape or suffer the same fate. But who can he trust to help him and who has already been snatched?
A terrific film adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Slaughterhouse Five’s protagonist gets “unstuck” in time and lives his life in random order. “Listen: Billie Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.” The opening words of the famous novel are the quickest summary of this haunting, funny film. Director Hill faithfully renders for the screen Vonnegut’s obsessive story of Pilgrim, who survives the 1945 firebombing of Dresden, then lives simultaneously in his past as a young American POW, in the future as a well-cared-for resident of a zoo on the planet Tralfamadore, and in the present as a middle-aged optometrist in Ilium, N.Y.
This fascinating Russian psychodrama explores the mental breakdown of a science crew orbiting a study world (called Solaris). It’s widely hailed as a sci-fi masterpiece. The Solaris mission has established a base on a planet that appears to host some kind of intelligence, but the details are hazy and very secret. After the mysterious demise of one of the three scientists on the base, the main character is sent out to replace him. He finds the station run-down and the two remaining scientists cold and secretive. When he also encounters his wife who has been dead for seven years, he begins to appreciate the baffling nature of the alien intelligence.
One of the most disturbing movies ever made, A Clockwork Orange is not easy to watch—especially the rape scene. (This caustic social commentary/satire is considered sci-fi because it takes place in a dystopian England, in case you’re wondering.) In a futuristic Britain, a gang of teenagers go on the rampage every night, beating and raping helpless victims. After one of the boys quells an uprising in the gang, they knock him out and leave him for the police to find. He agrees to try “aversion therapy” to shorten his jail sentence. When he is eventually let out, he hates violence, but the rest of his gang members are still after him.
Does anything really need to be said here? OK: Yes, it’s terrific fun, and one of the greatest cinematic feats of all time. But the Death Star-sized plot holes keep it from being greater than the next two. (And Empire is better.)
A work of art and a fascinating story, Close Encounters is one of the greatest movies ever made of any genre. One of my favorite aspects of this film is that it’s multi-lingual: one of the main protagonists, the French scientist, rarely speaks in English, and he’s never subtitled, either. I went back and forth on whether this should be number one: Should “nice” aliens or “deadly” aliens get my top slot? In the end, I went with “deadly.”
The story of how this movie came to be made is intriguing in its own right. Alien is as much horror as it is sci-fi, and it’s still terrifying almost 30 years later. The whole atmosphere on the Nostromo is claustrophobic, quite unlike the bright and cheery corridors of Star Trek vessels. The best aspects of the movie are the fact that we never really know much about the “space jockey” and that we rarely see the alien in full until the very end.
Sources: Some synopses courtesy of IMDB, the Internet Movie Database
Contributor: STL Mo
Oh aaaaaand…it seems clear that the author of this list has not seen the Richard Donner cut of Superman II. Quite possibly the *best* superhero movie ever made. (Hint: that ridiculous cellophane “S” is nowhere to be found in the original director’s original vision of this movie, which is far superior to the schlocky, hackneyed movie it turned into at the hands of its second director, Richard Lester.)
When you get to “The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies of the Current Decade” you BETTER include Serenity!!
I think these are the only movie lists I actually read…Once again, good list!
Logan’s Run was the very first PG movie I saw without my parents. I was shocked (shocked, I say!) to see naked boobs. I’m over it now, though.
I have to agree with other posters that the books are fantastic.
A Clockwork Orange – I’ll never hear Singing in the Rain the same way again.
thankfully you put alien first or else many people would be *****ed, even though Aliens is better but that’s the 80′s
An intriguing list that, for the most part, I agree with. Still, I reckon Tarkovsky’s ‘Stalker’ (1978) should be up here (it’s far superior to ‘Solaris’, which is a classic in its own right).
I agree with Infallibleangel’s definition of Science Fiction,
“I always thought that science fiction was the type of genre where people are forced to examine the human condition because something in the realm of science alters their worldview.”
With that in mind I really feel that 1972’s Silent Running should be ON the list and not just a “notable omissions”.
In the film science has advanced to the point that we don’t need our forests anymore. Bruce Dern’s character, “Freeman Lowell”, spends the WHOLE film dealing with that scientific advance!
Silent Running is a science fiction film in the truest sense of the term.
I’d like to nominate “A Boy and His Dog” for consideration.
“Alien” is a horror movie with a sci-fi setting. It’s a monster movie at its core. I saw it when it came out, after lots of begging. Of course, my promise that it wouldn’t give me nightmares was totally bogus. I STILL have nightmares about that thing! I bought it on DVD recently and watched it for the first time in almost 15 years. I had forgotten how scary it is, especially the scene with Dallas in the tube. Brrr.
I agree that “Silent Running” merits a place and not just a mention. Finally got to see it. Thanks, Netflix.
“Soylent Green” may be a punchline now, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is an amazing film. The scene where the main character’s “book” commits suicide had me in tears. I knew the punchline before I saw it, but it didn’t ruin it at all.
Great list!
The weird thing is, I don’t consider myself a fan of sci-fi, but I’ve seen almost all these (and they’re awesome- Invasion of the Body Snatchers being among my all time favorite movies), plus read a couple of the books. For what it’s worth, the books for A Clockwork Orange and Slaughterhouse Five are exceptional books all by themselves and need to be read. To say they are better than the movies would be cliched, and an understatement to boot. Also…
46. ericdraven26: Breakfast of Champions is Great, but Galapagos? I consider it his worst, and my husband agrees… If you read up on Vonnegut’s bio, even he wasn’t satisfied with it. I would recommend Cat’sCradle, Hocus Pocus, Sirens of Titan, Slapstick, *anything* (excepting Player Piano) before I would recommend Galapagos. On the other hand, it’s still an ok book, I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying it is far from his best work. Just my two cents…
If anyone wants to watch Silent Running RIGHT NOW, you can. Someone has put the entire film up on You Tube. Here’s the link. http://www.youtube.com/user/SilentRunningMovie
The image and sound quality is good.
I’m glad Alien is number 1, I was almost scared it wouldn’t even be on this list!
Alien isn’t only the best sci-fi movie of the 70s, its the best movie of all times! Best of all it survived the test of time unlike most movies of its decade.
Ira Levin, author of Rosemary’s Baby among other wonderful books, has a short novel which has never been made into a movie (and it’s a dratted shame, too); This Perfect Day.
You have no idea it’s horrifying at the start, but it is. It is definitely sci-fi, but it doesn’t act like that , either.
Some director with kid gloves and a pure heart, could make a beautiful movie out of this book; a movie which would carefully scare the crap out of you, while subtly drawing you into the world he’s created.
I doubt it can be done, but it would be one spectacular movie if it could be achieved.
I am extremely pleased to see THX-1138 on this list. Not too many people know about it, but it is one of my favorite films.
Lol, choosing great sci-fi movies from the 70s is like choosing a candy bar in the Hershey Store.
Resdawg2: Reversing the rotation of the Earth doesn’t turn back time!!!!!!!!!!!!! Time doesn’t work that way!!!
That’s why that moment is beyond ridiculous. Even if it were possible for Superman to reverse the Earth’s rotation by just going around it many times (which makes no sense), the only thing that reversing the rotation of a planet would do is deviate its orbit momentum, and send it off course, out of the solar system, and into oblivion! That has absolutely nothing to do with going back in time…
I surprised myself with how many on this list I’ve seen.
The end of Superman: The Movie can only be a silly cop out if you’ve seen the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II…
I haven’t seen that one yet, but plan to…
So glad to see Solaris on this list! Andrei Tarkovsky was such a genius and is definitely under-appreciated.
flibbertigibbet
i havent read everything by him, i did enjoy cats cradle as well, I’m not sure why galapagos struck me so well, but it did
hocus pocus was pretty good
I didnt like slaughterhouse as much as breakfast of champions or galapagos, and hocus pocus, cats cradle ranks right around there too, i will have to read the others
but i completely agree on the a clockwork orange book.
it was much better, and the ending was satisfying, the writer made the whole book a lead up to that last chapter, which was the whole point, or one of them in my mind, and the movie cut it out, still LOVE the movie though
No way your list would match mine, but I agree with most of it anyway, including some of the obscurities. I’d swap in “Wrath of Khan” as the ST representative here.
But…where’s “Blade Runner” please?
My offbeat suggestion would be “Fifth Element” and I also concur with the shout-outs for “Silent Running.”
Cheers
Oh, wait, ’70s SF. (Read for comprehension.) Then, add “Sleeper” and that’ll do it.
#70 Senor Shutter: Thank You! For posting that link. I just watched Silent Running on YouTube. You have to watch it in 10-minute installments, but there are no ads and the resolution is terrific.
I agree with many others here that Silent Running belongs on this list. That film still had and still has a great impact on my life. I always remember it whenever I read environmental news. Perhaps the list may be extended to 20?
Regarding Close Encounters, the “French scientist” mentioned was played by none other than François Truffaut.
Great list, but Star Wars should definitely be number 1.
A few minor quibbles (as might be expected regarding a subjective list) in that I would have CO at #2 and the others down a place.
However the inclusion of Superman at the expense of Soylent Green is a big error IMO. Having only just watched it for the first time about 6 months ago and knowing full well the punchline I still found it to be a great movie.
ST the original deserves it’s place based on the early (opening?) sequence, where they approach Enterprise in dock, alone.
Blitzen(37) How can you say that when the remake had GEORGE CLOONEY!!!!!
Cheers
Lee
The picture by number 6 which says Slaughter House 5 is actually a picture of Adrian Brody in the movie The Jacket!!!
I’m glad to see Solaris on here. Donatas Banionis and Natalya Bondarchuk are incredible in the film – and the ending blew my mind.
The only film that doesn’t belong there is Star Trek. Otherwise a fine list
I never really thought of Clockwork Orange as science-fiction. Otherwise great list.
Some clarification on A Clockwork Orange, Alex (Malcolm McDowell) is the gang leader, and after his release, his gang is not after him, but he does encounter them. And a lot of the people he victimized in the first part of the movie.
You’ll never hear “Singing in the Rain” or Beethoven’s Ninth the same way again.
in THX1138,
LUH stops taking the drugs and then secretly replaces THXs with placebos so he too will feel the emotions that were quelled.
She seduces him.
If you think #4 “A Clockwork Orange” is difficult to watch, try reading the book. It has a glossary in the back of the book.
Alien trivia: Yaphet Kotto, the chief engineer on the Nostromo, said in an interview that shooting the “chest buster” scene was something else. They knew basically what would happen, that the baby alien would eat its way out of John Hurt with on-set special effects. But they had NO IDEA that it would be so gory and terrifying. The shock and horror on their blood-spattered faces was absolutely genuine … which is exactly what Ridley Scott wanted. Kotto: “Man, I love it when directors pull ***** like that.”
Didn’t George Clooney star in a flop remake of Solaris ?
Dazed and Confused should be on this list.
Aliens is the best movie here. When the baby alien pops out it freaked me out totally ( I was high so I digress ).Lots of excellent films here good on ya STL mo.
NO SOYLENT GREEN?
NO OMEGA MAN?
BS LIST!
The remake of Solaris with George Clooney was an awesome movie in my opinion.
‘Dark Star’ directed by John Carpenter and written by Dan O’Bannon is a major omission.
#82. Blitzen You’re welcome.
A little bit of Silent Running trivia. The soundtrack album was pressed in GREEN Vinyl.
My thoughts on this list:
A list from an era of indifference to Science Fiction—and except for the relatively brief glut of it following on the heels of Star Wars, we’re back to an era when there is very little sci-fi in the theaters, and even less of it that’s good.
I have, of course, seen each and every one of these movies, some in theaters during their original run. Star Trek, as we know, was a huge disappointment–and I’m a huge fan of the original series. But try watching it today. It’s dull, plodding, and unmemorable. Robert Wise could have done so much better–with a better script. But what he was handed was useless, pointless, derivative, and a colossal bore.
The Man Who Fell to Earth was brilliant. It certainly belongs here.
Westworld was an okay thriller, with some true moments of terror and creepiness. But otherwise–eh. It’d never be on my top ten list of 70s sci-fi films, and possibly not even in the top twenty.
No Blade of Grass? Okay, but to be frank I barely remember it.
THX1138 – Cold and unpalatable, showing clearly what was wrong with George Lucas all along–that he is emotionally empty and shallow in the extreme. The reason American Graffiti was so great was that he simply drew directly from his youthful memories, and it’s easy to translate such intense feelings when they’re one’s own. But not one other film of his has been even passable in terms of real humanity or emotions–not even Star Wars, which again was only successful because A) he was able to create this grand mythic universe B) the epic special effects, which were incredibly ground breaking for the time and C) the way he synthesized a whole plethora of older influences into a new whole. Great, yes, but derivative and emotionally adolescent in every way.
The Andromeda Strain was tense and well done, except that towards the end the story failed, and resorted to a rather silly “race against the clock” plot element to fill time, once the alien microbe was dealt with.
Logan’s Run – okay, but hardly great. Underneath the updated trappings it really offered nothing new or terribly imaginative. And it, again, was something of an emotional void.
Superman? A disappointment. The first half of the film is nice, and even interesting–and well done. But the rest is played for laughs and leaves you feeling nothing. But then Superman isn’t an easy character to deal with—he’s too perfect, too clean cut.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers – fantastic. Certainly belongs here. I wouldn’t say it’s “better” than the original–it’s just different. Both are classics and are horribly creepy.
Slaughterhouse Five – very well done, very good film.
Solaris – this original Russian version is FAR better than Clooney’s remake. Definitely belongs on this list.
A Clockwork Orange – again, well done, belongs here.
Star Wars – the original is still the only one that’s really worthwhile–though the two immediate follow ups were worthy enough, and certainly fun in their own way. But when Lucas went back and made the three “prequels” he showed what a vapid soul he’s possessed of. Certainly the original Star Wars belongs here, even if the dialogue sucks in parts and it’s derivative as hell. There is no way to describe the impact it had on us at the time (I was 13 when it came out, the perfect age for it). There had never been a film like it. I saw the thing eight times in its original run–which was no record at all, amongst my friends–I knew kids who saw it 15, even 20 times at the theater. Partly responsible for the present godawfulness of Hollywood product, centered on blockbusters that rake in gazillions of dollars… but still, in its day an amazingly fun, engaging film to sit and watch on a Saturday afternoon in a dark movie theater—and not the little cineplexes they have today–where I grew up they didn’t come along until shortly after this… I saw Star Wars only in vast, cavernouse THEATERS where its epic qualities really grabbed you and threw you around.
Too bad Lucas later had to go and ruin it all.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – Eh. Cool in its day but bland today. Full of Spielberg’s usual exploitative moments of tension and weirdness, but otherwise, I felt, always kind of empty and pointless.
Alien – Definitely belongs. Creepy and scary as hell.
So… my thoughts on omissions which would have made better choices than some of these:
Colossus: The Forbin Project – 1970 – dated and sometimes a trifle stale, but still scary and gripping in a lot of ways. A vast, intelligent computer created to manage the nuclear arsenal of the US secretly hooks up with its Russian counterpart, and proceeds to take over the world.
Dark Star – weird, bizarre, but hugely interesting indie film about bored and partly psychotic men on an endless mission to seek out rogue planets which they then destroy with onboard missiles.
Wizards – Ralph Bakshi’s animated project about a post-holocaust world where magic has become real. Not great, but pretty damn good.
The Demon Seed – Flawed and kind of pointless at times, nevertheless creepy and even scary film about a home computer that proceeds to imprison–and mate with–the woman of the house.
The Stepford Wives – Everybody should know this one from the recent Nicole Kidman remake, which I haven’t seen yet. But the original had a lot going for it.
The Fantastic Planet – an animated film that was a dual venture by French and Czech filmakers about a strange world where humans are tiny pets kept by giant aliens. Very good. Seek it out. Surreal, beautiful and interesting.
Phase IV – GREAT film about mutated, intelligent ants (regular sized) who take over a desert research station and capture the humans inside – eventually indicating that the ants are to be our masters. You really should see it.
Zardoz – I never really liked it all that much, but that’s just personal taste. It IS well made and I assume many people would like it. Post-apocalyptic tale of barbarian marauders who are ruled over by a gigantic robotic head, and the immortal humans living in an eden-like environment who send the “head” down to provide weapons and such. Weird but cool film in some ways.
Silent Running and Soylent Green were both godawful films. Soylent was a trifle better, being at least based on a good book, Harry Harrison’s “Make Room, Make Room.” But beyond that it failed terribly.
But Silent Running? No. A) the film makes ZERO sense. There’s nothing even remotely logical about the story. B) Even as an idea it’s whacked–like something a teenager would cough up for English class.
Good list. I wanna see THX 1138 and Logan’s Run now. I loved Invasion Of the Body Snatchers. Personally I think Star Wars deserves the #2 spot (Empire was a better movie). And yes Alien as #1!!!! That is one of my all time favorite movies. I love the atmosphere that movie creates. That scene with Dallas in the air vents still sends a chill through my body to this day. Can you imagine crawling around in a tight space like that with this killer monster after you?
Thank you for taking fantasy out of a science fiction list. I would like to point out another overlooked characteristic of fantasy films and fiction – they spawn conventions and ass clowns that dress up like the characters. Harry Potter, The Ring Trilogy (obviously), and yes, Star Trek and Star Wars. I saw Star Wars in the theater when it came out, and I loved it, but after awhile I came to the conclusion, later confirmed by the non-stop string of “EPISODES”, that it is in fact a fantasy series. Spaceships yes, science – none.
#101. Randall “I saw Star Wars only in vast, cavernous THEATERS where its epic qualities really grabbed you and threw you around.”
I also saw many of the films on this list (15,9,8,7,3,2,1) in, “vast, cavernous THEATERS”. I miss those theaters SO MUCH! I feel SO SAD for today’s 10 year olds who have no choice but to see BIG movies on tiny screens. When Return Of The Jedi debuted I HAD to see it at the mall, because the “cavernous theater” had been turned into a Toys-R-Us.
Good call on Dark Star, especially considering how it is connected to the #1 film on the list Alien. (Dan O’Bannon, who co-wrote and starred in Dark Star later reused the “alien mascot” section of the film as the basis of his script for Alien.) If you are reading this list and have never seen Dark Star…. FIND IT AND WATCH IT!!!
Oh yea – great list, two thumbs up
Senor Shutter:
Hear hear. I live in Upstate New York, where every town, big and small, had at least three of these enormous theaters downtown, usually more. Now they’re all gone–torn down or turned into something else–except that many of these towns managed to save at least ONE of them, and refurbish them. Unfortunately, though, they’re not used as MOVIE theaters except on special occasions… they’ve gone back to venues for live entertainment solely (which is what most of them were originally built for)… which is okay, but it’s too bad they can’t just be movie theaters again. The pleasure of seeing a film in a gigantic theater is too great to be denied.
Add me to the list of people that morn the passing of the great movie theaters. I had the fortune to see Alien at one called the Ridglea in North Texas. Beautiful – the near Art-Deco design throughout, extravagant carpets, hard wood trim and mirrors, balcony, and of course, the velvet curtain that opened and closed for each showing…
You felt like you went to a show when you went there.
meh….they’re all good movies, hard to pick a real winner there.
Randall:
Is this one of the Upstate New York theaters that you were talking about? http://www.stanleytheatre.net/
great list. logans run and the andromeda strain are two of the best films ever
i’ve heard that speilberg was wresting with ending of close encounters whether to make the aliens good or bad. i’m glad he went with good, that would’ve messed my childhood up.
Senor Shutter:
Absolutely; there’s one in every town, it seems. Though they’re not all restored or open, sadly. Sadder still, none that I know of are used as movie theaters.
Solaris is one of my favorite movies of all time. The visuals are amazing and the relationship between Kelvin and Hari is haunting.
I love the scene where Burton is driving through Tokyo…it’s totally a Tarkovsky moment.
Great list. Although I live for Star Wars I don’t consider it Sci Fi. More Sci Fantasy.
Great to see you endorse CEOT3K as one of the great films of any genre. I agree completely and maintain that it is still a highly overlooked film by many.
Also agree that Superman 1 is still the best Supes film made. Reeve nailed the character.
Andromeda Strain (book and movie) always bugged me because the participation of the scientists and all the drama was, in the end, irrelevant. The problem worked itself out on its own. Total anticlimax.
I had read Solaris. How could you forget to mention the great Lem? Never knew it had been made in to a quality movie. It just got put in the Netflix queue.
Randall:
I recently found something that I thought I would never, NEVER see again. You might find it interesting too.
http://www.timmollen.com/humor_column/lost_journal/2006/2006-03-23_unearthing_the_lost_cinema_national_theme_song.html
A time-wasting-in-the-nicest-way site that I avoid is amiright.com, which features misheard song lyrics and parodies. One of these is Imperial Rhapsody, by Patrick H Mines, based on you-know-what by Queen. I now share this with you:
LANDO: This is the good life
This is a fantasy
Working on Bespin
An escape from Reality.
LEIA: Open your eyes
Stand up to these guys and see.
LUKE: I’m just a farmboy, I need some sympathy
Cuz who’s my dad, I dunno
Little whine, little moan.
HAN: Anywhere the Force goes, doesn’t really matter, to me. To me.
PIETT: Vader just killed a man.
Raised an arm up in the air
Now his life’s no longer there.
Vader, we had just begun,
And now I’ve gone and lost the reb-el scum.
Vader, ooooooo.
Didn’t mean to make you mad
If I’m not alive again this time tomorrow,
There’ll be a new admiral, as if nothing ever happened.
YODA: Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine
Body’s aching all the time.
LUKE: Goodbye everybody, I’ve got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and learn the Force.
PIETT: Vader, ooooooooo.
I don’t want to die
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all.
LUKE: I see a little silhouetto of a man
Palpatine, Palpatine, can it be the Emperor?
Thunderbolts and lightning, very very hurting me!
R2-D2, R2-D2,
R2-D2, R2-D2,
R2-D2, Where’d ya go? C-3PO O O O O O OH!
I’m just a farmboy, nobody loves me.
REBELS: He’s just a farmboy, with a dead family.
Spare him this life of such mendacity!
HAN: Spice’ll come, spice’ll go. Jabba let me go.
JABBA: Bo shuda! (NO, we will not let you go)
HAN: Let me go!
JABBA: Bo shuda! (We will not let you go)
HAN: Let me go!
JABBA: Bo shuda! (We will not let you go)
HAN: LET ME GO!
JABBA: WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
HAN: LET ME GO!
JABBA: WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
HAN: LET ME GO!
JABBA: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!
C3PO: Oh R2-D2, R2-D2, R2-D2, Come along.
LEIA: C-3PO has a rebel put aside for meeeee, for meeeeee, for
MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
(Stormtroopers start headbanging)
LUKE: So you say you’re the dear old dad of mine?
But you cut my hand off and left me to die!
Oh Vader, can’t do this to me, Vader.
I know there’s some good, I know there’s still some good in you.
OBIWAN: May the Force be with you.
Use the Force to see.
May the Force be with you,
May the Force be with you, alwaaaaaaaaaaaaays.
HAN: Anywhere the Force goes, doesn’t really mat-ter, to meeeeeeee.
I didn’t like A Clockwork Orange, Movies involving rape violence against women are not correct, Close Encounters performance by Richard Dryfus however- the best. My son really
digs Star Wars, loves Science Fiction.
I was just researching for another list and stumbled across a reference to the Saturn Awards, awarded by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. These were first awarded in 1972, and the 1970s movies honoured were
1972 – Slaughterhouse-Five
1973 – Soylent Green
1974/75 – Rollerball
1976 – Logan’s Run
1977 – Star Wars
1978 – Superman: The Movie
1979 – Alien