Things from other planets make an out-of-this-world Top Ten list
Feb 04 '03 (Updated May 24 '04)
The Bottom Line Some movie aliens want us to be their pals. Others want us to be their lunch. The absolute best alien wants friendship, if possible.
__________
Intelligent life exists in the universe beyond Earth. Or no, it does not. We are free to speculate because no one knows.
There is uncertainty even among those of us who believe we are not alone. The aliens that are out there are not capable of space travel. Or they can visit Earth but they've chosen not to. They are on their way, or they are here already.
The situation is more certain in movies. Aliens not only exist, they've come to Earth. The only question is whether they've come in peace. Most movies answer: NO.
The best movie about visitors from outer space is ambiguous. More about that later.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Abyss (1989)
Written and directed by John Cameron.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Ambiguity also graces this effective but often clumsily written thriller about a team sent to disarm a crippled nuclear submarine. At least it does when he first see the alien. It is a being of water that can shape itself to look like a human.
Cameron used this technology much more extensively for the liquid metal cyborg in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Here it is as captivating as real extraterrestrial visitors would be, or will be. We don't know the being's intentions and so fear does not taint our wonder. For a moment we are awestruck by the magic of unlimited possibility.
If the movie lived up to that image, it would be on this list.
And Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Directed by Jim Sharman. Written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien.
The title character is a space alien transvestite who fancies himself both God and Fay Wray and who seduces both the hero (Barry Bostwick) and the heroine (Susan Sarandon). If you're not offended yet, you'll enjoy this one. Or you already have, probably many times.
This cult favorite features many delightful references to classic science fiction and monster movies. Its theme song praises science fiction double features. Jokes, music, Meat Loaf and a blond muscle man clad in a shiny gold Speedo are among the entertaining features of one of the few movies intended for an audience that talks back to the characters and throw things at the screen.
THE TEN BEST
#10) Superman (1978)
Directed by Richard Donner.
Written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton. Based on the character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and featured comic books published by D.C. Comics.
Action, humor, Gene Hackman's performance as bad guy Lex Luthor and the movie's impressive special effects would place this at the top of a list of movies adapted from comic books. Our hero is the last survivor of a doomed planet who has superpowers when he is under the Earth's yellow sun. He can stop bullets, bend steel with his bare hands, fly and even turn back time. That he's a good guy who uses his abilities to fight for truth, justice and the American way is good for all of us, even people who don't happen to be American.
#9) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Directed by Steven Spielberg. Written by Melissa Mathison.
Selected by the American Film Institute in 1998 as one of the 100 best movies ever.
A young boy befriends an adorable alien who has been left behind when his spaceship takes off from Earth. Together the two thwart mean adults who want to use E.T. for their devious purposes. Only viewers with especially hard hearts will not find tears welling in their eyes when a plant signals that the movie might end happily after all.
#8) Brother from Another Planet (1984)
Written and directed by John Sayles.
Joe Morton gives an extraordinary performance as a being whose crashed spaceship lands him in Manhattan. He doesn't say a word, but his charisma makes us root for him against two apparent bounty hunters who want to capture him for reasons that are never explained. Or it might be that the audience responds favorably to him because he is black and the pursuing pair are white and we feel guilty about slavery. Perhaps the alien's early visit to Ellis Island evokes fond thoughts of our more noble immigrant history. The subtle script by Sayles encourages the viewer to ponder many of the implications of what his restrained and memorable movie shows.
#7) Forbidden Planet (1956)
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox.
Written by Irving Block and Allen Adler. Based on William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
A crew from Earth lands on another planet and is threatened by a powerful beast that turns out to be both more and less familiar than it appears at first. That might not make it an alien movie in a strict sense, but its intriguing story and haunting suggestion of people haunted by something that seems otherworldly make it an enthralling entertainment that deserves inclusion on lists of the best movies in many genres.
#6) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Directed by Don Siegel.
Written by Daniel Mainwaring. Based on Jack Finney's novel.
The 1978 remake is exceptional as well, but this initial version has a chilling suggestiveness to its menace. Humans are being replaced by lookalikes from outer space. That means we don't know who to trust. The haunting answer is that we can trust no one and there is nothing we can do about it, except hope that this remains in the realm of terrific make-believe.
#5) The Thing from Another World (1951)
Directed by Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks.
Written by Charles Lederer and Ben Hecht. Based loosely on John Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?"
Researchers in the Arctic are threatened by a creature they dig out of the ice. Lasting chills come from the tireless alien and from the unrelenting sub-zero cold and wind that threaten our heroes even if they defeat the menace from outer space. If they fail, we're all done for. There is an annoying reporter who whines for someone to give him a story and for a few moments at the end you have to overlook the unlikeliness of wood conducting electricity.* Except for those, this is a flawless fright.
* Added May 24, 2004: swoeste sent me a message to point out that because the wood was wet, it could conduct electricity. I appreciate his correcting my mistake, especially because he did so with exemplary graciousness.
#4) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Written and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Selected by the American Film Institute in 1998 as one of the 100 best movies ever.
The adult version of E.T. has Richard Dreyfuss wondering whether aliens have landed. Anyone who has ever had an idea hover just beyond the brain's reach will recognize some of their own thoughts reflected in the lump Dreyfuss makes in his mashed potatoes. His curiosity leads to a dazzling conclusion that hints at even greater possibilities.
#3) War of the Worlds (1953)
Directed by Byron Haskin.
Written by Barre Lyndon. Based on H.G. Wells' novel and Orson Welles' radio broadcast.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
This war is being waged on our world and the aggressors are from another. Their ferocity means things don't look good for the human race. Decades later it is still impressive how real the aliens' weapons and the destruction they cause seem. The ending has a divine elegance missing from the exceedingly improbable climaxes of such recent blockbusters about aliens as Independence Day and Signs.
#2) Alien (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott. Written by Dan O'Bannon.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
"In space no one can hear you scream." This movie's advertising tagline is among the most memorable ever, but it is the least of its riveting features. People have gone into space and bad things from out there have invaded the ship that is their home away from Earth. The sense of claustrophobia and mounting danger is powerful and the effects are memorable and menacing. Sigourney Weaver magnifies the impact by being one of the movies' most dauntless heroes.
#1) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Directed by Robert Wise. Written by Edmund H. North.
Placed on the National Film Registry in 1995.
Michael Rennie is commanding as Klaatu, an extraterrestrial who has come to Earth to warn us against using nuclear weapons. He brings with him a powerful robot, but his greatest weapon is the determination in his cultured voice. He sounds like he was educated at Eton or someplace similarly civilized, except that we know he's not from around here. When he speaks, it is difficult not to listen.
Where Superman does things for us, this alien expects us to do things for ourselves. And for the universe. Being held to a higher standard by a being that could wipe us out is the stuff of uneasy dreams. This compelling piece of entertainment harnesses the power of both our best hopes and our worst fears.
We have it within us to determine whether this alien is friendly or hostile. Our potential is exciting and intimidating. When visitors from outer space do land on Earth, they will be like Klaatu. If we're lucky.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
eplovejoy
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Peter William Warn
Location: Buffalo, New York
Reviews written: 351
Trusted by: 304 members
About Me:
Help us compile the definitive list of groundbreaking movies: http://www99.epinions.com/content_5192196228
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.