A Personal Top 10 Sci Fi List
Jul 17 '00
Note: Other than 2001: A Space Odyssey at number one, these films are not listed hierarchically. They are just a listing of what I consider to be the best in Sci Fi cinema. They all have standout features and weaknesses that anyone can debate until they are blue in the face. This is my list and therefore subject to my own frailties, extravagances, and whims.
With that said, let's get to the list ...
10. The Thing - (1982, Dir., John Carpenter. Writer(s), John W. Campbell, Jr., Bill Lancaster)
Antarctic researchers are terrorized by a shape shifting alien that proves appearances can be deceiving. Kurt Russell is perfectly sardonic as MacReady. First rate effects and a concentration on the horror of not being able to trust appearances prove that John Carpenter rightly deserves the title of Horror Meister.
9. Alien - (1979, Dir., Ridley Scott. Writer(s), Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett)
The tag line says it all: In space no one can hear you scream. Although the premise has been done to death: a emergency message is received and a crew is dispatched to investigate only to find more than they expected, this was one of the first and one of the best. The creature designs by H.R. Geiger are horrofic. This dark and moody film is the definition of Sci Fi/Horror.
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982, Dir. Nicholas Meyer. Writer(s), Harve Bennett, Jack B. Sowards)
Nick Meyers deftly handles the story of the best of the Star Trek big screen sagas. After being put out to pasture, Capt. Kirk and the intrepid crew of the Enterprise are reduced to running training missions for Star Fleet cadets. Kahn, an old enemy from the TV days, suddenly makes an appearance and the action is on. Pointed ears, Ricardo Montalban, The Genesis Device, excellent action sequences, a solid story, and Bill Shatner as James Tiberius Kirk ... this sequel has it all!
7. War of the Worlds - (1953, Dir. Byron Haskin. Writer(s), Barre Lyndon)
A small New Jersey town is ground zero for an alien invasion in this adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel. When the invaders begin to systematically destroy all of the world's major cities, humankind is powerless to stop them. Its 1950s time frame make the invaders and excellent metaphor for the rising Red Scare. The humans sit by helplessly until a somewhat gimmicky plot twist rescues them from their oppressors.
6. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - (1979, Dir. Irvin Kirshner. Writer(s), George Lucas, Leigh Brackett)
All of the Star Wars films are a visual feast. Some of them are even good. This is the best. Although it is the first sequel, Empire is not yet an "event." Lucas actually tried to tell a story and not sell action figures. The character development is excellent and the story is tight. Of course the special effects are incredible. The first glimpse of the Empirial destroyers is breathtaking. The climactic battle between Luke and Darth Vader is worth the ticket price alone.
5. Contact - (1997, Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Writer(s), Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan))
This most realistic but ultimately compelling film is a very faithful adaptation of Sagan's novel. The movie may even capture the wonder and awe of finally contacting an alien society a little better than the novel. If we are ever to make contact the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestial Intelligence) is definitely how it will happen. Jody Foster is single minded in her devotion to the project, with amazing results. Zemeckis adds a little sap (as expected) here and there, but the power of the film easily overcome the excess sentimentality. The films greatest and most moving sentimentality, however, may be the dedication to Carl Sagan, who died before the film as released.
4. Fantastic Voyage - (1966, Dir. Richard Fleischer. Writer(s), Jerome Bixby, Harry Kleiner)
If science fiction is about exploring strange new worlds then this movie is the ultimate. A group of scientists and their submarine are shrunken to microscopic size to enter a human and save his life. The interior of the human body as an alien landscape is nothing short of amazing. The filmmakers take full advantage of the strange turf, including angry white blood cells and seriously amplified ear drum. Not the best in terms of plot, but the innovative story more than makes up for that.
3. The Terminator - (1984, Dir. James Cameron. Writer(s), James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd)
From Stan Winston's amazing special effects to the tight story and good acting (from a largely unknown cast), this may be James Cameron's best film. It certainly stands out as one of the very best Sci Fi films of all time. The Terminator's relentless pursuit of Sarah Connor is frighteningly single minded. Schwarzenneger often sites this role as the most difficult he's had to play. I don't doubt it. Reese said it best, "It's a terminator. You can't reason with it."
2. Voyage to the Moon - (1902, Dir. George Melies. Writer(s) George Melies)
Simply stated this film is one of the best because it was the first. Film pioneer and magician George Melies adapts the Jules Verne novel to the early screen. Back before digital compositing and CGI all effects had to be produced "in the camera." The only thing you could do in post was to make some judicious editing. Even with these restrictions this silent film classic is not only a Sci Fi great but a testament to early filmmaking.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey - (1968, Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Writer(s), Arthur C. Clarke, Stanley Kubrick)
There are as many detractors of this film as fans. Many don't get. Many think its too long. Many think its stiff and lifeless. I disagree completely. This film is easily one of the most ambitious pieces of filmmaking that has ever made it to the screen. The simple fact that it ellicits so many contrary opinions is that it succeeds completely where so many films fail: to make us think. What are the origins of the species? Where is it headed? And why? These are some very weighty issues tackled in this amazing take on Clarke's novel. By its end, however, many of these questions are still unexplained. See the sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact to get an even better understanding of the first film.
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tccarroll
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Member: Teddy Carroll
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Reviews written: 30
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