Journal FortKnox's Journal: Need Good SciFi's 34
My wife and I finished watching "Red Planet" which she thoroughly enjoyed, and we saw a bit of "Mission to Mars" yesterday. I haven't seen either of them because of the bad press they got (wasn't particularly thrilled with Red Planet). But that got her kinda in the mood to watch SciFi, which I'm going to take full advantage of. Now I need some suggestions on good SciFi movies.
She's "alright" with wars, hates the horror/bloody slimy stuff, loves the drama stuff.
Didn't really enjoy any of the aliens, like Star Wars (though didn't like any of the prequels), liked Red Planet, got bored with Blade Runner, has watched a couple of the modern Star Treks (loved the last one which I refused to watch).
So, things that came to my mind:
Enemy Mine
Wrath of Khan
And then I kinda drew a blank. What are some good, classic, nerd introducing SciFi movies (sorry, movies, not books... I'm working on her to read "Dune" but her mother(!) is reading my copy right now. Then again, she is in the middle of the second Hitchikers book...). Oh, and she liked the Hitchikers movie, too.
She's "alright" with wars, hates the horror/bloody slimy stuff, loves the drama stuff.
Didn't really enjoy any of the aliens, like Star Wars (though didn't like any of the prequels), liked Red Planet, got bored with Blade Runner, has watched a couple of the modern Star Treks (loved the last one which I refused to watch).
So, things that came to my mind:
Enemy Mine
Wrath of Khan
And then I kinda drew a blank. What are some good, classic, nerd introducing SciFi movies (sorry, movies, not books... I'm working on her to read "Dune" but her mother(!) is reading my copy right now. Then again, she is in the middle of the second Hitchikers book...). Oh, and she liked the Hitchikers movie, too.
Some Other Ideas... (Score:2)
I, Robot
The Fifth Element (though there are aliens in it)
Alien / Aliens (which might be more horror than Sci-Fi)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Time Bandits
Terminator / Terminator 2 (3 was kind of a dud)
I don't know how she feels about Anime (my wife doesn't like it) but there's a lot of good Sci-Fi from across the west pond...
Re:Some Other Ideas... (Score:2)
Some (Score:2)
quatermass naturaly.
Futurama is a gentle intro to sci-fi
Brazil , well its not realy sci-fi but its great non the less and kind of fits into the genre as it does not fit well elsewhere
i am sure i could think of thousands but i keep drawing blanks
Re:Some (Score:2)
Re:Some (Score:2)
Hm westworld and futureworld if your in the mood for something semi crap whatch the simpsons itchy and scartcy land eppisode first to see a few of the references (that and jurassic park).
I enjoyed johnny neumonic, but then i do like cyper punk
Re:Some (Score:2)
Then again, you might not.
Re:Some (Score:2)
Re:Some (Score:2)
Its not something for everyone, but I found it a real hoot. Of course, I also like Red Dwarf, so there's no accounting ...
Contact! (Score:2)
Obscure older stuff (Score:2)
So I'll have to delve into obscurity here.
I remember seeing parts of Silent Running [imdb.com] on TV many years ago, and it looked interesting. I've never seen the whole thing, though.
A friend highly recommended A Boy and His Dog [imdb.com] but this too I have never seen. Considering that
What I'd show... (Score:1)
etc etc. Basically most non-fans think scifi is just a bunch of nerds wearing Vulcan ears and watching spaceships in battle. If you can introduce them to something with depth and some social issues that should be enough to get them into the story and ge
Re:What I'd show... (Score:2)
Divorce your wife, pronto (Score:2)
Otherwise, I second the nomination of Time Bandits. However, if she thought Blade Runner was boring, 2001 will bore her to tears (and I liked 2001).
I also liked Total Recall a lot -- not terribly intelligent, but still a lot of fun to watch. Ditto The Running Man, though that might be a touch violent for her.
If you want to see a forerunner of Total Recall with a more psycho twist, I recommend The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a Ger
Re:Divorce your wife, pronto (Score:1)
Lastly, for a bit of fun 1970s kitsch mixed with sci-fi, try Logan's Run.
Ha! Funny you should mention that. It almost made my list based on the fact that about 6 months ago Kim couldn't sleep so she got up and grabbed a movie from the shelves: Logan's Run. She said it was pretty good and she's not a sci-fi buff. The books were much better (remember the TV series from the 70's or am I the only one old enough around there? :))
Re:Divorce your wife, pronto (Score:2)
Isn't it always like that? ;-)
(remember the TV series from the 70's or am I the only one old enough around there? :))
I very dimly remember the series (I was still pretty small when it was out on TV), but I also remember the books pretty well, and I have to agree -- the books are much richer and more interesting. Still, the movie makes for a good flick, too... *g*
Logan-5, do you identify this object?
Cheers,
Ethelred
Well, personally (Score:1)
So, in that case, Babylon 5 always interested me, so if you have 110 hours of free time, you can watch the big story arc of 5 seasons,
Re:Well, personally (Score:2)
That is probably why my favorite Trek is Deep Space 9 which has a story arc running over all 7 seasons. Unfortunately I felt the wrap-up of the arcs was all too rushed at the end. The pay-off seemed a bit weak. I also sometimes don't mind ST: Voyager which had some episode to episode and season to season continuity though without as tight a story arc as B% or DS9. Unfortunately Voyager also suffers from some painfully bad scripts and actin
Re:Well, personally (Score:1)
And as to your comment down below about Firefly, that was one I missed somehow when it was o
Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
Zardoz
Soylent Green
Planet of the Apes
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
Oh, I love them, I just wouldn't subject someone else to them without strong vetting.
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
That said "Planet of the Apes" isn't that bad a SF flick, it even made the top 50 best rated SF films on IMDB. Still some people never get past Heston's scenery chewing.
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
I still think the old version was better though. And would probably make my top 50 SF films. (or at least the 'must see' list due to all of the other films that reference it)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
Actually, I like the movies I mentioned, I just really wouldn't want to spring them on someo
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:1)
Re:Stuff *not* to watch (Score:2)
alternate worlds and fantasy plus some bizarro (Score:2)
13th Floor
Existenz
Dark City
Naked Lunch
City of the Lost Children
Gattaca
Donnie Darko
Big Fish
Brazil
That whole list is a bit darkish, Blade Runner goes on it. I'm no help, am I? For straight-up fun there's always the Firefly DVD set.
The classic: Highlander. Avoid the sequels.
Of course, if you say "nerd introducing" you've got to see Sneakers and Hackers.
My list (Score:2)
Movies:
Star Wars (Empire is the best, A New Hope next, and Jedi the worst though it is way better than any of the newer 3)
The Matrix
The Manchurian Canidate (the 1962 version not the Denzel Washington one though the more recent one isn't bade either)
Metropolis
Alien / Aliens
Dr. Strangelove
2001
A Clockwork Orange
Donnie Darko
Blade Runner
Terminator / Terminator 2
Back to the Future
Frankenstein (1931 version) / Bride of Frankenstein / Young Frankenstein (Watch the Frankensteins in this ord
Re:My list (Score:1)
A few suggestions (Score:2)
Just off the top of my head (Score:2)
Day the earth stood still
Last Starfighter
Silent running
Abyss
Day after tommorrow
I, Robot
Quatermass
Flash Gordon
Superman
Supergirl