Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

[Ivan Seeking]

A few favorites that I've mentioned before are:

Metropolis [the rerelease by Giorgio Moroder]
Solaris
Brazil
The Man from Earth

I just caught one that I'd never heard of before, called Primer. It drags at times but the plot is excellent.

...One of the great things about most low-budget, independent science-fiction films is that they often rely heavily on their writing. This film is no exception. As its story moves from the complicated world of entrepreneurship to the mind-bending considerations of causality and paradox that go with all time-travel tales, Primer's narrative, as it folds in on itself, is like origami—ingenious and pleasing when successful, confusing and frustrating when not. It's hard science fiction that makes for one smart, complex movie, but this is also its problem—Primer becomes so complicated that it's likely to lose even the most engaged and nimble-witted of moviegoers at some point or another...

http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw11536.html

Primer (2004) is an American science fiction film about the accidental invention of time travel. The film was written, directed and produced by Shane Carruth, a former mathematician and engineer, and was completed on a budget of only $7,000.[1].

...One reviewer said that "anybody who claims [to] fully understand what's going on in Primer after seeing it just once is either a savant or a liar."[2] The film collected the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2004 before securing a limited release in cinemas, and has since gained a cult following.[3]...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primer_(film )

 

[Ivan Seeking]

THX 1138: I saw it when it first came out but that was in 1971. I just watched it again and amazingly it is still quite futuristic. Great movie! It stars Robert Duvall; directed by George Lucas and produced in part by Francis Ford Coppola.

 

[git67]

a scanner darkly, IMHO blade runner was a much better book (do androids dream of electric sheep)

 

[Blenton]

Primer sounds like a great movie.

Well i guess 2001 a space odyssey is a honorable mention, although most of us have probably seen it.

Another movie i thoroughly enjoyed was Silent Running.

EDIT As above poster put, scanner darkly was a great movie also (as pretty much all indie movies are these days...)

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I just caught one that I'd never heard of before, called Primer. It drags at times but the plot is excellent.

I looked that up and watched it since you mentioned it. It was really very good. I would suggest all PFers watch it. I think I need to rewatch it though. Toward the end I became unsure of what was going on anymore lol.

a scanner darkly, IMHO blade runner was a much better book (do androids dream of electric sheep)

I actually watched Bladerunner before I read Androids. Fortunately I was not tainted by expectations and really enjoyed the movie, I am uncertain if I would feel the same way otherwise but think I might have.

A Scanner Darkly was definitely a better book in my opinion. The movie wasn't bad but I think it was off the mark. It was too light with the humour and the Johnny Depp/Hunter S stylization of the Barris character was particularly silly. The book was far more paranoid and focused much more on Arcter's crisis of fractured identity and the loss of his mental accuity. In the movie it is hard to sift through all the silly drug crazed slapstick to see what the story is really about.

 

[junglebeast]

I've mentioned this before, but if you like sci-fi, one of the best imo is kin-dza-dza

 

[Danger]

I will reference once again my all-time favourite: 'Charly'. The only SF movie in history to garner a best actor Oscar (for Cliff Robertson).

 

[Huckleberry]

Not a movie I would recommend for everyone, but I really enjoyed 'Man with the Screaming Brain'. If you enjoy Bruce Campbell's work then it is definitely worth a look.

The movie 'Primer' was very good. The acting comes across as a college art school student level, but the plot is exceptional. It's an original work that keeps your mind spinning from beginning to end. I don't think any sci-fi fan will lose by watching this one.

I also have to mention the TV series 'Firefly'. I call it the best space western ever created. The characters are interesting and have believable motivations, and I found myself becoming attached to their personalities and personal interactions with each other very quickly. The universe they exist in has tension and intrigue. They exist on the fringes of civilized space as smugglers and pirates; a crew of marginally good people bartering with some unsavory characters. They live on a small, outdated freighter of the Firefly class that is named Serenity, which is also the name of the battle where the rebel army lost their battle for independence to a powerful and unethical central government. I am still upset that it was canceled after the first season.

Here's the theme song with an audio link. It explains everything better than I can.
http://www.fireflywiki.org/Firefly/FireflyThemeSong

 

[Proton Soup]

Blade Runner is the #1 classic sci-fi, of course

i also liked http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085271/"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/"

Primer was OK, and not really hard to follow like the commentary above suggests.

 

[git67]

Firefly was a masterpiece

 

[Pupil]

The Man from Earth

Thanks! I just watched this on the Netflix website. Freakin' amazing. I haven't seen a good movie where the total driving force was the dialogue since 12 Angry Men.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Thanks! I just watched this on the Netflix website. Freakin' amazing. I haven't seen a good movie where the total driving force was the dialogue since 12 Angry Men.

Cool! Indeed, the first few minutes had me worried, but after that it was an absolute treat. Definitely one of my all-time favorites of any genre.

I spotted the empty space for this at the video store. If I run across a sci-fi that I haven't heard about, I make sure to check it out as this is often how I find the best ones - the stuff that didn't make it at the box office. When after two months I was still unable to rent a copy of it because it was always out, I figured it must have a cult following. I finally managed to watch it on some cheesy video feed, and later bought the DVD.

Of course I have netflix now.

 

[Anticitizen]

Primer sounds like a great movie.

I came in here to recommend Primer when I saw the thread title.

 

[Pupil]

Cool! Indeed, the first few minutes had me worried, but after that it was an absolute treat. Definitely one of my all-time favorites of any genre.

I spotted the empty space for this at the video store. If I run across a sci-fi that I haven't heard about, I make sure to check it out as this is often how I find the best ones - the stuff that didn't make it at the box office. When after two months I was still unable to rent a copy of it because it was always out, I figured it must have a cult following. I finally managed to watch it on some cheesy video feed, and later bought the DVD.

Of course I have netflix now.

Yeah, if I want to find a good movie I use rottentomatoes.com + Netflix. Usually any movie that gets a 70% or higher is good.

 

[waht]

Stargate (the original) is good, and many Stargate SG1, and Atlantis episodes are an excellent source of hardcore sci-fi.

 

[fleem]

Primer was excellent even if the budget were ten times as much.

Check out the Doctor Who episode entitled "Blink". Not a movie, but should have been one. Won several awards.

 

[FireSky86]

2001: A Space Odyssey rules all.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Primer was excellent even if the budget were ten times as much.

Check out the Doctor Who episode entitled "Blink". Not a movie, but should have been one. Won several awards.

That is at the top of my list of favorite Who episodes. They only exist when not observed...

 

[Huckleberry]

Firefly was a masterpiece

Yes, yes it is!

I wish I had heard about it while it was actually on the air. It's like whoever was in charge of PR for this one was asleep at the console. They must not have had much hope for a sci-fi western from the beginning because this great work went totally under my radar. I've usually at least heard of sci-fi movies or television shows that are noteworthy. I didn't even realize it existed until the movie 'Serenity' came out in the theaters. I thought that was pretty good, and I was completely blown away by the tv series, especially disc 3 of the boxed set.

 

[Huckleberry]

Hey Ivan, have you seen the 3rd season of Torchwood yet (Children of Earth)? If not it is being released on netflix at the end of this month. There is some crossover between Torchwood and Doctor Who series (as well as the anagram) so I figure you might want to check it out if you haven't yet.

 

[fleem]

Hey Ivan, have you seen the 3rd season of Torchwood yet (Children of Earth)? If not it is being released on netflix at the end of this month. There is some crossover between Torchwood and Doctor Who series (as well as the anagram) so I figure you might want to check it out if you haven't yet.

Yep, torchwood was an offshoot of Dr Who--via Captain Jack. I didn't like Torchwood much, myself. i think Jack was a little hard to take at times. Trivia: Who was the Face of Boe??

 

[Huckleberry]

I enjoyed Torchwood, but Jack's sexuality was a bit "all up in your face" in a somewhat unpleasant way. I tolerate it because it is a good show nonetheless, but that aspect was not anything I care to see so regularly, particularly in the second season. Funny thing though, I don't think I would have minded so much if he wasn't such a playboy. Just personal preference I reckon, or prejudice if that suits... whomever.

I don't think most people will get the reference to Face of Boe unless they watch both series. I'd rather not say too much about that anyway. I enjoyed that episode and wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else, but you made your trivia question too easy by context.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

2001: A Space Odyssey rules all.

Last night I watched 2010, which I hadn't seen in a very long time. In light of the news of late and AC Clarke's reputation for science and social prophesy, it was interesting to note that in 2010, the US and Russia [The Soviet] come to the brink of war over... Honduras.

 

[Borek]

First Alien.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hey Ivan, have you seen the 3rd season of Torchwood yet (Children of Earth)? If not it is being released on netflix at the end of this month. There is some crossover between Torchwood and Doctor Who series (as well as the anagram) so I figure you might want to check it out if you haven't yet.

I haven't followed the Torchwood series but plan to get caught up eventually.

 

[bucher]

I enjoyed the Norby books as a kid. They were never made into movies but I think that they deserve an honorable mention.

 

[Huckleberry]

First Alien.

Great movie, no doubt. I've always been partial to the sequel, 'Aliens'.

I was sorely disappointed with the latest releases of the Alien versus Predator movies. I enjoy almost all sci-fi, and I wasn't expecting anything great from those films, and still I found them unbearably bad.

I'm ready for a turn to a more Hitchcock style cinema. I'm very tired of special effects driven stories. It's gotten to the point now that when I hear the word 'blockbuster' I immediately associate it with 'garbage'. The sci-fi genre has suffered much because of creative special effects and unimaginative plots lately.

 

[Huckleberry]

Another one of my favorites is John Carpenter's 'The Thing'. If you enjoyed 'Alien' then I would highly recommend this movie.

 

[Borek]

'm ready for a turn to a more Hitchcock style cinema. I'm very tired of special effects driven stories. It's gotten to the point now that when I hear the word 'blockbuster' I immediately associate it with 'garbage'. The sci-fi genre has suffered much because of creative special effects and unimaginative plots lately.

That's why I like Alien. You have no idea what is going on, but you know you have to run away. It doesn't happen on the screen - it happens in your head.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The sci-fi genre has suffered much because of creative special effects and unimaginative plots lately.

While I appreciate good special effects as much as the next guy, I have to agree. As I think Primer and The Man from Earth conclusively demonstrate, the best science fiction needs no special effects.

 

[FireSky86]

Last night I watched 2010, which I hadn't seen in a very long time. In light of the news of late and AC Clarke's reputation for science and social prophesy, it was interesting to note that in 2010, the US and Russia [The Soviet] come to the brink of war over... Honduras.

Interesting. I have never seen 2010. Good to watch?

 

[FireSky86]

Great movie, no doubt. I've always been partial to the sequel, 'Aliens'.

I was sorely disappointed with the latest releases of the Alien versus Predator movies. I enjoy almost all sci-fi, and I wasn't expecting anything great from those films, and still I found them unbearably bad.

I'm ready for a turn to a more Hitchcock style cinema. I'm very tired of special effects driven stories. It's gotten to the point now that when I hear the word 'blockbuster' I immediately associate it with 'garbage'. The sci-fi genre has suffered much because of creative special effects and unimaginative plots lately.

Agreed. Have you tried looking at any of Terrence Malick's films? They're beautiful. He almost got his PhD in Philosophy but instead went into film. He was Rhodes Scholar and was about to finish his thesis on Martin Heidegger. He is, in my opinion, one of the last great directors living today.

 

[Huckleberry]

That's why I like Alien. You have no idea what is going on, but you know you have to run away. It doesn't happen on the screen - it happens in your head.

While I appreciate good special effects as much as the next guy, I have to agree. As I think Primer and The Man from Earth conclusively demonstrate, the best science fiction needs no special effects.

The effects in the Alien movie were pretty good, but it didn't rely on them for effect. Modern movies have a tendency to put the wagon in front of the horse in that regard. I like effects as much as the next guy, or super cool sci-fi geek girl, but I agree that fear and other responses happen in one's head. When a movie gets this right then effects can be a great addition to it. I'm at a point now where movies like Primer and The Man from Earth gain appeal just because they understand that.

Agreed. Have you tried looking at any of Terrence Malick's films? They're beautiful. He almost got his PhD in Philosophy but instead went into film. He was Rhodes Scholar and was about to finish his thesis on Martin Heidegger. He is, in my opinion, one of the last great directors living today.

I'm not familiar with Malick's films. I read a little about him and found he directed 'The Thin Red Line' which was a good movie. Some of his other popular works are 'Badlands' and 'Days of Heaven'. He sounds like he could be the type of director who's work I might enjoy, so I'll be sure to check those out. Not really sci-fi as far as I can tell, but thanks nonetheless. A good movie speaks for itself beyond its genre.

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that I enjoyed was 'A Boy and His Dog' staring a young Don Johnson of all people. It's about a young man's journey through a dangerous wasteland as he searches for a mythical utopia that his talking dog told him of. Through his travels he seeks out women and food with the help of his dog. It's a bit raunchy at time, which never bothered me in the least, but might turn some people off from it.

'Six-String Samurai' is another post-apocalyptic movie with more of a comedic approach. Elvis has died and a mysterious Buddy Holly like figure has to reach Las Vegas to become the new King of Rock'n'Roll to return peace to the wasteland. He rescues a mute boy along the way that tags along behind him and becomes something of a motivation for the katana wielding musician. A Slash like villian (from Guns & Roses) pursues him.

'Screamers', based on a short story by Phip K. Dick, is a good movie. There is a rare element on a distant planet and the miners have been in a protracted war against their corporate employers. The planet has become an irradiated desert seeded with viscious, saw-bladed killing machines called Screamers. After years of being holed up in their base and several months without any conflict the miners receive a message asking them to negotiate a peace treaty. Throughout the movie they discover the truth of what has been happening as they fight to survive against the Screamers.

 

[Danger]

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that I enjoyed was 'A Boy and His Dog' staring a young Don Johnson of all people. It's about a young man's journey through a dangerous wasteland as he searches for a mythical utopia that his talking dog told him of. Through his travels he seeks out women and food with the help of his dog. It's a bit raunchy at time, which never bothered me in the least, but might turn some people off from it.

I've never actually managed to see that, but the original Harlan Ellison story that it was based upon, entitled 'Blood Was a Rover' was awesome. I hope that it pops up in the video shop sometime.

 

[Danger]

Still can't edit without crashing, damn it. Anyhow, I forgot to mention that in the original story the dog didn't talk; it was telepathic. That's how it 'sniffed out' women for the hero and communicated with him.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

'Six-String Samurai' is another post-apocalyptic movie with more of a comedic approach. Elvis has died and a mysterious Buddy Holly like figure has to reach Las Vegas to become the new King of Rock'n'Roll to return peace to the wasteland. He rescues a mute boy along the way that tags along behind him and becomes something of a motivation for the katana wielding musician. A Slash like villian (from Guns & Roses) pursues him.

I've been meaning to watch this. Is it really very good at all?
I've seen the Red Elvises (from the soundtrack) play a live show. They're really fun if you ever get the chance to see them play. I think they are living in California now so they will probably mostly be playing around here.

 

[Huckleberry]

Still can't edit without crashing, damn it. Anyhow, I forgot to mention that in the original story the dog didn't talk; it was telepathic. That's how it 'sniffed out' women for the hero and communicated with him.

The dog is telepathic in the movie. It doesn't actually make sounds a dog wouldn't make. It speaks to the boy's mind. I don't remember it reading women's minds, but it was pretty intuitive. I've never read the story, but might have to check that out.

I've been meaning to watch this. Is it really very good at all?
I've seen the Red Elvises (from the soundtrack) play a live show. They're really fun if you ever get the chance to see them play. I think they are living in California now so they will probably mostly be playing around here.

I thought it was good. It's not a mainstream movie by any means, and honestly the plot is very simple. It's a fun movie and kinda funny, with sword fights and evil, underground mutants and cheesy one-liners with semi-real characters. If you're fond of a more cult-classic type sci-fi then you won't be disappointed. What it does, it does very well.

kinda reminds me of Kill Bill but cheesier and a different setting

 

[Ivan Seeking]

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that I enjoyed was 'A Boy and His Dog' staring a young Don Johnson of all people. It's about a young man's journey through a dangerous wasteland as he searches for a mythical utopia that his talking dog told him of. Through his travels he seeks out women and food with the help of his dog. It's a bit raunchy at time, which never bothered me in the least, but might turn some people off from it.

Funny! We seem to like many of the same movies, but I thought that movie was one of the worst I have ever seen.

Maybe I was in a bad mood or something. However, now that you mention it, I do seem to recall that the psychic dog bit really didn't work for me. To me that is fantasy, not science fiction.

 

[fleem]

the psychic dog bit really didn't work for me. To me that is fantasy, not science fiction.

Agreed. For me, I can enjoy a fantasy, enjoy a sci fi, but have trouble enjoying a sci-fi with fantastic components. I think the reason is in (my) definitions of those different genre's:

A sci-fi story occurs in our universe and thus, by definition, obeys the laws we already know to a great extent (although I don't mind ignoring a little bad science for the sake of enjoying the show, especially when the plot isn't much based on that bad science or can, in my imagination, be easily replaced with good science). But a bad sci-fi goes way overboard in breaking the rules yet still makes the claim that it happens in our reality. It can get so bad that i can't enjoy it, and sometimes its because I get angry at the misinformation being given to the public--especially misinformation that affects public opinion.

A fantasy doesn't even happen in our reality and therefore is welcome to disobey anything we know about our reality.

But a story clearly set in our reality, but with blatantly bad science (like a psychic talking dog), is hard to take.

Now there are also some stories involving travel between our reality and a fantasy reality, and that's fine, too--as long as the bad science in our reality doesn't get too bad.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Agreed. For me, I can enjoy a fantasy, enjoy a sci fi, but have trouble enjoying a sci-fi with fantastic components.

Star Wars?

 

[fleem]

Star Wars?

Strangely I never liked Star Wars all that much. I felt it was a little too mainstream, predictable, space opera-ish. But the force doesn't bother me too much--I can suspend belief enough to enjoy the movies. I guess I'm talking more about movies with a tad of political propaganda in the form of bad science, like "Water World" or "The Day After Tomorrow". I admit they are fun to watch but BOY do they sway public opinion with bad science.

EDIT: Other examples are movies claiming various entities (like the govt) have technology that gives them a great deal of power (in surveillance/big brother sort of way), which trains people that defying the govt is futile or extremely dangerous, and the best policy is to submit.

 

[Borek]

Other examples are movies claiming various entities (like the govt) have technology that gives them a great deal of power

MiB

 

[Huckleberry]

Funny! We seem to like many of the same movies, but I thought that movie was one of the worst I have ever seen.

Maybe I was in a bad mood or something. However, now that you mention it, I do seem to recall that the psychic dog bit really didn't work for me. To me that is fantasy, not science fiction.

Yeah, a talking dog is more fantasy than science. In fact, for much of the movie I assumed that the dog was only talking to him in his own imagination and that it was just a normal dog. The lack of science in that movie isn't what makes it notable for me though. The psychology of the boy and his dog is what I found interesting. Really the only claim the movie has to the sci-fi genre is its setting, kind of like Mad Max.

I don't think the movie would have been any good at all if the boy couldn't communicate with his dog, and I don't think the story would have worked if the dog character was made into a human companion. For the sake of a good story I don't have any problem suspending disbelief for fantasy or bad science. I don't take those things personally, but the relationship between the boy and his dog is something I could personally connect with. In that respect I thought the move was successful and original. Hmm, perhaps only in that respect, but that's enough for me.

edit - It's incredibly difficult to come up with original ideas. When I see something that strikes me as an original concept I'm very impressed. I suppose I'm easily impressed.

The only time bad science bothers me in a movie is when it is made to look like something real. Not that I'm very aware of the difference, but a talking dog is clearly fantasy. I don't even think twice about it. If a movie like 2001 had bad science in it then it would never have been the masterpiece that it is. Both movies have decent plot, but the areas that they focus on are very different.

 

[Huckleberry]

MiB

Hehe, that movie has a talking dog too.

There is a movie releasing in theaters this summer called 'District 9'. It's about alien refugees stranded on our planet. It appears as though their civilization has been destroyed and they have no way to leave or no place to go. They are isolated from society and exploited by government and media. I think there is a lot of material here to work with, but I'm highly skeptical that it will be done properly. I worry that it will be overly dramatic and PC in its delivery, neglecting the potential for an original story in favor of making some kind of biased statement. I'm still curious and hopeful though, so I will be going to check it out when its available.

 

[Borek]

I thought a little bit about it - it doesn't matter (much) if the movie is SF or fantasy, or some mix - much more important thing is whether the world and its characteristic is internally consistent and consistent with the story.

 

[Huckleberry]

I thought a little bit about it - it doesn't matter (much) if the movie is SF or fantasy, or some mix - much more important thing is whether the world and its characteristic is internally consistent and consistent with the story.

Yeah, that's a much more concise version of what I was rambling on about. Thanks.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I like some fantasy [a little], but the problem is that much of fantasy is passed off as sci-fi. Movies like MIB are fun but definitely not good sci-fi.

 

[Dembadon]

Dune, anyone?

My wife still makes fun of me for owning this movie. The novel is much better than the movie, though.

 

[Huckleberry]

I've always had a thing for good movies that are difficult to categorize. If it adds public interest to the sci-fi genre then I'm all for it. The entire genre is little more than a niche itself.

I liked MiB, but didn't see how it differentiated itself from any other film. It was fun, and adds general interest to sci-fi.

There is a point to the argument that bad science in a film dilutes general knowledge of the subject. The opposite can also be claimed. Movies like Star Trek or Star Wars that have their fair share of bad science can do a lot to inspire scientific interest in individuals. It's my opinion that a few creative minds specialized in one area can achieve more than a small gain of general knowledge in an otherwise uninterested audience. At some point a movie just sells out to appeal to a wide audience, but if the movie has no public appeal then it fails and is forgotten. A movie needs to tell a successful story first, and be inoffensive to reality second. Ones that delicately balance both are real works of art that can inspire generations.

2001 was exceptional in its public appeal and accuracy. I think the time the movie was released has much to do with its lasting success. Movies like 'The Andromeda Strain' or 'Colossus: The Forbin Project' are similar, but never achieved the popularity of the former. Yet a movie that takes creative license with reality such as 'Planet of the Apes' also becomes very successful. All of them inspire interest in different areas of science.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

2001 was exceptional in its public appeal and accuracy. I think the time the movie was released has much to do with its lasting success. Movies like 'The Andromeda Strain' or 'Colossus: The Forbin Project' are similar, but never achieved the popularity of the former. Yet a movie that takes creative license with reality such as 'Planet of the Apes' also becomes very successful. All of them inspire interest in different areas of science.

Ironically, one of the main reasons for the popularity of 2001 is the mystical quality that comes across because people don't understand the underlying sci-fi. This was a direct result of some last minute editing that eliminated the opening scene - a panel discussion that included Carl Sagan -that essentially explained the movie.

While I do appreciate your point about sci-fi generating interest in [and even inspiring] real science, for those of us who like hard sci-fi, popularity is usually inversely proportional to quality. As I was saying earlier, if I want a good sci-fi movie, I go out of my way to find the ones that never made it at the box office. For example, I found Metropolis that way - a movie that I consider to be a true masterpiece and one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. When I first rented it, no one I knew had ever heard of it. Of course it was made in 1929, so that is actually kind of a bad example, but it was found hidden away on a shelf that doesn't get many visitors.

Thinking a bit more about what Borek said, I guess I do have to agree. If the movie is well written and insightful I will likely enjoy it. I guess the line between sci-fi and fantasy is somewhat arbitrary... Strictly speaking, when I think of fantasy, Harry Potter comes to mind as a definitive example.

Edit: Meant to mention that The Andromeda Strain is also one of my favorites.