Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

[Noisy Rhysling]

"Lucy" was, imho, an old-school sci-fi story. Not complicated, but fun to watch.

 

[Hoophy]

Fantastic Planet will be out on Blu-ray June 14th.

I am definitely going to watch this!

Edit: So I just finished watching it, the movie was amazing! Does anybody know of any good movies similar to it?

 

[DaveC426913]

Does anybody know of any good movies similar to it?

Fantastic Planet? I'm not sure there are any movies similar..

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Am I wrong, or was "Fantastic Planet" inspired by a William Tenn story about humans traveling to the stars the same way Norwegian rats traveled to the New World?

 

[Hoophy]

Fantastic Planet? I'm not sure there are any movies similar..

I agree! Afterwards I proceeded to watch "The Time Masters" but it was not the same...

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Watched "2001: A Space Odyssey" last night. Still boring. An FX exposition with no real plot or characters I could care about.

 

[DaveC426913]

Watched "2001: A Space Odyssey" last night. Still boring.

That's because you were clean and sober at the time.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

That's because you were clean and sober at the time.

You obviously don't know me.

 

[enorbet]

Watched "2001: A Space Odyssey" last night. Still boring. An FX exposition with no real plot or characters I could care about.

Stanley Kubriick's relationship with author, Arthur C. Clarke, was reportedly a nightmare for Mr Clark on that project and not a little because Kubrick wished to be more vague in the interest of achieving some kind of "Transcendental State" allowing for wider interpretation. In his defense I suppose he is correct that there is no objective way to characterize something completely without precedent, which may indeed require something transcendental. Perhaps I lack those genes but as much as I enjoyed the movie, it wasn't until I read the book that I had the real "Oh Wow!" moment. I feel exactly the same way about "Contact". In both movies the truly Big Picture in the books is lost.

I did rather enjoy 2010 however. I'm still somewhat haunted by "Will I dream?"

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Stanley Kubriick's relationship with author, Arthur C. Clarke, was reportedly a nightmare for Mr Clark on that project and not a little because Kubrick wished to be more vague in the interest of achieving some kind of "Transcendental State" allowing for wider interpretation. In his defense I suppose he is correct that there is no objective way to characterize something completely without precedent, which may indeed require something transcendental. Perhaps I lack those genes but as much as I enjoyed the movie, it wasn't until I read the book that I had the real "Oh Wow!" moment. I feel exactly the same way about "Contact". In both movies the truly Big Picture in the books is lost.

I did rather enjoy 2010 however. I'm still somewhat haunted by "Will I dream?"

"2010" was criticized for not being "2001B". When I read reviews that stated such I was convinced that it would be worth the price of admission. (I didn't pay to see "2001", they were showing it on the mess deck.)

 

[sunrah]

I don't know if these were mentioned, because I think there not so well known. They're all reasonably low budget too so they won't be to everyones tastes, but they're pure sci-fi.

Code 46 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345061/
This is a futuristic love story between "genetically incompatible" people.

Europa Report http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2051879/
Really boring space film, which I just loved. Just cool to see space sci-fi which doesn't turn into a gun fest.

Beyond the Black Rainbow http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1534085/
This is a very pretentious but beautiful looking film, but I have no idea what it's really about.

One Point 0 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317042/
I really liked this one, it's full of cool consumer nanotech and corrupt, evil future corporations + the ever weird Udo Kier

Sleep Dealer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804529/
Is a commentary on the double standards applied to migrant workers, corporate ownership of natural resources and governmental collusion with business.Also Stalker and Solaris (1972) by Tarkovsky are real classics. Stalker is great, but both are kind of slow (and long!).
And most things by David Cronenberg like Videodrome and eXistenz - also Antiviral by Brandon Cronenberg (his son) is worth watching.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

I liked "Europa Report", good take on social interactions in long-term flights. I can imagine someone watchingthat movie and taking notes.

 

[DaveC426913]

Yep Europa Report was ... unusual. But good.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

What was the one with Bruce Dern where they had the last bits of natural terrain in domes out in space?

 

[enorbet]

Silent Running

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Spasebo!

 

[cube137]

The latest incoming Star Trek movie doesn't have the Borgs. I missed the Borgs. What other movies have such theme?

I guess if we push AI to its maximum limits. We will only produce Borgs-like creatures. If you replace every neurons with electronic circuitry or assemble from scratch the latter. You will never create a fully sentient being with emotions. Or can you? This is why I'm interested in Borgs theme movies to explore the possibilities. I'm very interested in neurosciences.

 

[Borg]

The latest incoming Star Trek movie doesn't have the Borgs. I missed the Borgs. What other movies have such theme?

I guess if we push AI to its maximum limits. We will only produce Borgs-like creatures. If you replace every neurons with electronic circuitry or assemble from scratch the latter. You will never create a fully sentient being with emotions. Or can you? This is why I'm interested in Borgs theme movies to explore the possibilities. I'm very interested in neurosciences.

I'm sure that you will see them again.

 

[cube137]

I'm sure that you will see them again.

I want to be convinced the brain circuitry can create emotions on its own. But then.. if the amygdala was removed, the emotion of fear would be extinguished.. so there seems to be equal weights to each argument. I want movies that can convince me of either. Any such list of movies?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I just watched the first couple of episodes of a series called Black Mirror. It has the flavor of the The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits but focuses on the effects of technology on the human condition. While based on an absurd premise, the first episode was entertaining and... a real porker.

Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that features speculative fiction with dark and sometimes satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies.[1] The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol.

Regarding the programme's content and structure, Brooker noted, "each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."[2] The series has received critical acclaim, and has seen an increase in interest internationally (particularly in the United States) after being added to Netflix.[3] Stephen King, in particular, has noted his interest in the series.[3][4]

wiki

 

[Bandersnatch]

Black Mirror is absolutely amazing. Every episode leaves you thinking for days.
And Fifteen Million Merits is just devastating.

 

[Fizica7]

Anyone seen and enjoyed either The Forth Kind or Dark Skies ?
Anybody knows similar movies to recommend?

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

"Predistination", based on "All You Zombies". Good treatment of the original story, but with some original twists. I read the short story in 1964. The DVD was released in February.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Black Mirror is absolutely amazing. Every episode leaves you thinking for days.
And Fifteen Million Merits is just devastating.

Yeah, that was good. It reminded me a bit of Donald Trump. I just watched the third episode. Very good and definitely thought provoking! What if all of our life experiences were recorded first person and could be played back at any moment? A reality we may soon face.

Lifelogging - recording every single minute of your life - is quickly moving from science fiction fantasy to real life phenomenon. Of course to truly document every minute of your life today is still a daunting task. Although some people are already doing it...

http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/20/your-entire-life-recorded-lifelogging-goes-mainstream/

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The Perfect 46

This "science factual" feature film has been lauded by MIT Technology Review, Scientific American, Science, and the London Evening Standard as "a worryingly believable cautionary tale." The Perfect 46 explores the personal, professional, and social consequences that arise when a geneticist creates a website that pairs an individual with their ideal genetic partner for children.

Amazon Prime Movies

Set in the near future, 'The Perfect 46' documents the rise, and fall, of a fictional genome-matching service. A panel of experts weighed in after a recent screening at Stanford.

The company’s promise is simple, and alluring. Send it your sequenced genome, along with your partner’s, and its proprietary algorithm will determine whether your children will be born free of genetic defects — or not.

“Jesse [Darden, the company’s CEO] wasn’t going to cure the diseases; he would just breed them out. It made a lot of people uncomfortable,” says company senior vice president Ronald Khan, played by actor Sheldon Coolman, in The Perfect 46, a movie about the dilemmas of genetic screening and matchmaking...

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-n...es-ethical-dilemmas-of-genetic-screening.html

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Black Mirror only has a handful of episodes but they were all good.

Another British Sci-Fi series that I just watched and really enjoyed is Humans.

Humans (stylised as HUM∀NS) is a British-American science fiction television series, with the first season debuting on 14 June 2015 on Channel 4 and AMC, and concluding on 2 August 2015.[1] Written by the British team Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, based on the award-winning Swedish science fiction drama Real Humans, the series explores the themes of artificial intelligence and robotics, focusing on the social, cultural, and psychological impact of the invention of anthropomorphic robots called "synths". The series is produced jointly by AMC, Channel 4 and Kudos.[2] Eight episodes were produced for the first series,[3] with a second, eight-episode series scheduled to air in the UK in late 2016 and in the United States in 2017.[4]

Wiki

I read that they just started filming a second season. Yay! The first season was excellent.

Also, not hard sci-fi by any means but fun to watch - Under The Dome. It is a collaboration of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. The science often makes me cringe but it's a creative story.

Under the Dome is an American science fiction mystery drama television series. It premiered on CBS on June 24, 2013,[1] and concluded on September 10, 2015.[2] The series was developed by Brian K. Vaughan and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.

Under the Dome tells the story of the residents of the fictional small town of Chester's Mill, when a massive, transparent, indestructible dome suddenly cuts them off from the rest of the world. Military forces, the government, and the media positioned outside the barrier attempt to break it down, while the residents trapped inside must find their own ways to survive with diminishing resources and rising tensions. A small group of people inside the dome must also unravel complicated mysteries in order to figure out what the dome is, where it came from, and when (and if) it will go away.

Wiki

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Sleep Dealer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804529/
Is a commentary on the double standards applied to migrant workers, corporate ownership of natural resources and governmental collusion with business..

Great movie and the first Mexican-made Science Fiction movie I'd ever seen.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Eh, Humans lost me when the

Spoiler

robot started to regain memory - it was just, I don't know, hamfisted?

.
The first half or so was great, though.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Eh, Humans lost me when the

Spoiler

robot started to regain memory - it was just, I don't know, hamfisted?

.
The first half or so was great, though.

Yeah, I can see that. I wonder if anyone would get my joke when I say she is

Spoiler

Synthil

PS. I thought ham fisted was a good description. For me it didn't detract too much but I agree.

Under the Dome is really bad that way but it's such a fun story I can't help but like it. I also enjoyed the short series Jericho, which is much the same in this regard.

 

[enorbet]

ping Ivan Seeking - I hadn't seen your post before just yesterday when I watched The Perfect 46. I am extremely impressed. It is not linear in time in that it jumps around a lot (example: recorded interviews) but it is never unnecessarily dense or hard to grasp as the plot unfolds, partly due to the superb sense of realism created. It isn't a "thrill a minute" roller coaster ride but more a serious "thinker" with extremely deep implications and questions. It lets, or maybe more accurately, forces the viewer to face real concerns in computing, genetics, business, government and public expectations. This film is truly a cut above.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Netflix's Stranger Things is fantastic. Nowhere near hard science - more like E.T. mixed with X-files. Oozes nostalgia for the olden Spielberg-slash-Cronenberg days, but manages to stand on its own too.
I couldn't help but binge-watch the whole series in one sitting.

 

[enorbet]

Hello - just wanted to take a moment to thank all those that recommended Black Mirror. It is superbly written and executed, often even when it "gets in the door sideways" still makes profound points that keep me thinking for days. The series is now on Netflix and I recommend it to any sort of Sci Fi lover as it is only just a short step removed from the present and has exceptional relevance.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Apparently, there's now 3rd season of Black Mirror available on Netflix. You know what to do.

Speaking of Netflix, they also have this show called 'The Expanse', which I've found to be right up my 'hardcore SF fan' alley. It's got bits of noir, political drama, mystery, and the good old 'me and me mates flying around in our spaceship' fun.
They get really quite a lot of the science right, and where they don't (sound in space, most noticeably) you can see how they made the decision for dramatic purposes rather than out of laziness or ignorance.
There are sensible-looking orbital manoeuvres and space combat, feasibly-imagined space stations and asteroid mining (if you've read the thread about mining asteroids we've got on PF you'll recognise some ideas), low and zero gravity and vacuum-related effects.
And all-around solid show, quite far on the hardness scale.

 

[enorbet]

Bandersnatch, apparently I need to borrow your Vorpal Sword to find "The Expanse" on Netflix. :) I searched for "expanse" and all I get is "related" videos. It's on Amazon but not available on Prime. Any hints?

 

[Bandersnatch]

I'm not sure how Netflix works exactly - maybe they've got regional restrictions? (I'm in central Europe)