Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

Thetom

I've seen Kyle XY and found it quite charming. Had a sort of wholesome feel to it. I've only seen the first series though.

And I just watched the first story from Masters of Science Fiction. It was surprisingly good. I see your point about Hawkins. He does say something at the start and end, but it's more like a sound bite than a hosting.
lol, maybe they just meant 'enjoyed by Steven Hawkins'. I recently found out that Hawkins wrote Sci-fi a few years back too. Not sure if that's true yet. Will look into it more.

And Eli Stone sounds quite interesting. I do tend to hate musicals but with the right score it can work for me.

I can't wait for some of the films from that IMDB link either. Neuromancer! Foundation! They should be amazing :D

theneedtoknow

A couple of good, low budget ones are Harrison Bergeron and Thomas in Love

Ivan Seeking

Yes, it is charming. That's a good word for it. And like the series Roswell, it is as much about young love as it is sci-fi.

The actor who plays Kyle, Matt Dallas, has the most soulful eyes of any actor that I've seen recently. His acting skills don't jump off the page for me otherwise, but his ability to convey emotions with his eyes is really quite amazing. I would bet this drove their casting choice for the role.

Also, the characters are all quite interesting. The parts of mom, sister, dad, and brother, are all very well done.

ManiFresh

Has anybody seen Donnie Darko (2001)? I thought it was pretty good.

DaveC426913

Seen it several times. It's got a following. Wife loves it. I think it's creepy.

Ivan Seeking

Creepy, or darko? We both enjoyed it. I gave it extra brownie points for its high strangeness.

ManiFresh, if you liked Donny Darko, you would probably enjoy Freaky Faron as well.

wuliheron

I agree. The original PBS version is still the best selling video they ever made 30 years later despite the rubber suits and other primitive special effects. It closely follows the original story which is a tribute to LeGuin's understanding of Taoism. She later went on to publish her own interpretation of the Tao Te Ching.

The same is true for Solaris. The original followed the book closely, while the remake deviated significantly to make it more palatable to western audiences. I can just imagine someone doing a remake of "Contact" and turning it into a religious film just sell it to a foreign audience.

Willowz

It's pretty existential, in a good way.

Ivan Seeking

I've been meaning to watch the original Russian version but hadn't gotten to it yet. I loved the remake.

wuliheron

The original is a great expression of classic Russian angst that gives the characters and plot more depth. Even the obligatory communist propaganda was worked into the plot with some skill around this central theme of Russian angst. Its all that emotional depth that made it possible for even Hollywood to not completely screw up the remake.

Willowz

I think Stalker is a must after Solaris. Or maybe better vica-versa.

The best part of Solaris was a satirical quip inserted into one of the characters (something of an inside joke referring to the movie itself and not only). He says something of the sort, "Stop this! It's worse than a half rated Dostoevsky novel".

moejoe15

These are my favorites in no particular order, the ones I've watched many times. If you like some of them you might like the ones you've never heard of. I have over a thousand DVDs, almost all sci-fi, horror or westerns:

Real Genius
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
the Lost World (Claude Reins)
Galaxy Quest
Porco Rosso (anything Myazaki)
Mystery Men
Journey to the Center of the Earth (James Mason)
the Incredibles
Big Trouble in Little China
Buckaroo Banzai
Avatar
Watchmen
Terminator Salvation
Men in Black
Constantine
Forbidden World
Galaxy of Terror
Battle of Worlds (Claude Reins)
Fifth Element
Hellboy
Captain Chronos: Vampire Hunter
Zathura
Day the World Ended
Lifeforce
Forbidden Planet
First Spaceship to Venus
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe
Predator 2
Dune (sci-fi channel version)
Children of Dune (sci-fi channel version)
Moontrap
Class of Nuke'em High
Alien
Aliens
Invaders from Mars (original)

dimensional

Both versions are rather good. I really love the remake too; some people disparage the film because it's less science-centric and focuses more on the human aspect and implications of the films ideals. Each films complements the book really well.

Ivan Seeking

Stalker sounds interesting! Thanks. It's in the queue.

ie. the 1979 Russian sci-fi film. I also saw a 1998, US-made, crime thriller, with the same name.

Ivan Seeking

Happy Accidents (2000)

A rare find and a gem, this science-fiction based romantic comedy [a chick flick that works for geeks ] is extremely well written. Its understated tone and the top-notch acting, all spiced with allusions to exotic temporal paradoxes and laws, make it an equally exotic treat in the science fiction genre. Sam and Ruby meet by chance, it seems, and quickly fall in love. All is well until Sam informs her that he’s a time traveler from the year 2470. Sam is dead serious, it seems, but Ruby, a woman with a long history of failed relationships, thinks it’s all a role playing game; at least she hopes so. This and his continuing revelations create no end of complication in their relationship. From there it gets interesting.

Available for streaming at Netflix.

wuliheron

Thanks for the tip, I just finished watching it and it definitely is a little known gem.

Like "The Lathe of Heaven" it is also as much existentialism or Asian philosophy as it is science fiction. If that's something you enjoy then "Woman in the Dunes" or "Lady in the Sand" is a classic Japanese black and white film with subtitles considered among the very best.

Ivan Seeking

Thanks. I can't stream it but I have the DVD in the queue.

You have seen The Man From Earth, right? If not, it's a must!