Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

[Ivan Seeking]

The Invasion - 2007

I hadn't heard of this and thought at first it was a cheesy B [budget] movie, but all in all it wasn't bad. I'm not generally fond of invader-virus movies and the like as they are usually terribly done. At least this was a serious, well-funded effort. Not great but watchable.

But I can watch Nicole Kidman all day no matter how good or bad the movie may be If I hadn't seen her in this I never would have taken a look.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

From the Scientific American links today

Learn to Forgive Yourself in a Parallel Universe

Let me be clear: Another Earth, opening July 22, is not a science-fiction film, despite its premise of the discovery of a planet just like our own.

...The speculative fiction in this film, which at this year's Sundance Film Festival won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize for the best film focusing on themes of science and technology and the Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature, might seem like something inspired by the multiverse theory. In fact, the movie was screened during the World Science Festival in June, where Columbia University physicist Brian Greene led a discussion about it one evening. But Cahill and Marling—both majored in economics at Georgetown University, and Marling was an analyst at Goldman Sachs—had not even heard of Greene's bestseller on the multiverse theory, The Hidden Reality (Knopf, 2011), until after the movie was done.

Cahill actually came up with the concept after listening to audio books of Pulp Physics by astrophysicist Richard Berendzen, who now directs NASA’s Space Grant Consortium. Berendzen makes an appearance as the expert interviewed on local news to explain the "broken mirror theory" that decouples the inhabitants of both Earths and sets them on different destinies...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=learn-to-forgive-yourself-in-a-para-2011-07-21

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I just recently watched a movie called "Source Code". It's was fairly good if predictable. It's probably best to watch it cold (no explaining what it is about) but if you need a little something to get you interested I will give a brief explanation and anyone who does not want it should stop reading...
The movie is about an air force pilot being used in an experimental program utilizing technology to witness past events in order to investigate terrorist attacks.

 

[Thetom]

2081 is quite a good film. 'tis only 26 minuets long, based on one of Kurt Vonnegut's short stories.

You can even watch it on youtube...

Part 1:


Part 2:


It's a good sci-fi story, but it's the music in this film that really gets me.

Edit: hmm, embedding the vids didn't seem to work so I've just given you the links. Enjoy!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

2081 is quite a good film. 'tis only 26 minuets long, based on one of Kurt Vonnegut's short stories.

You can even watch it on youtube...

Part 1:


Part 2:


It's a good sci-fi story, but it's the music in this film that really gets me.

Edit: hmm, embedding the vids didn't seem to work so I've just given you the links. Enjoy!

Thanks, I enjoyed that.

We've been watching Kyle XY. Not great sci-fi by any means - more along the lines of the TV series, Roswell - but unique enough to capture our interest for a time.

I also spotted an interesting but short, six-show series hosted by Stephen Hawking, called "Masters of Science Fiction". Not sure about all of the authors yet but allegedly the stories are based on classic works. A couple of episodes were quite good.

Funny the notion of "hosted by Stephen Hawking". He's not really the person speaking, and I doubt he even programmed or wrote the dialogue himself. If that is true, what about it is Stephen Hawking?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Another series that I watched recently was Eli Stone. It only lasted two seasons but I gave it four out of five stars, at Netflix. What a strange show - sort of a cross between Quantum Leap and LA Law!

A cutthroat lawyer finds himself on a mission from God. While religion plays a central role to the story, the show doesn't get preachy by any means. It pulls from all or nearly all major religions as a basis for a secret message each episode that only his pseudo-Chinese acupuncturist can help to decode. This is all done mostly tongue-in-cheek.

One very strange facet of the show is the use of spontaneous, choreographed scenes in which the supporting characters break out in song and dance [much in the style of old movies from the 50s, when musicals were all the rage], in order to convey a message significant to Eli's current mission. These are all hallucinations portending information about future events.

At the least, this was a very strange and annoying plot devise. It all but killed the show for me and was bad enough that Tsu didn’t watch anything beyond the first episode or two. It reeeeally doesn't work. But the rest of the story is fairly well written and often quite entertaining.

In this surreal, comedic fantasy series, Jonny Lee Miller is Eli Stone, a cutthroat lawyer who experiences a change of heart after he begins experiencing bizarre hallucinations. Perplexed, Stone seeks advice from a colorful variety of experts to help him determine what's real and what's in his head. Yet when he starts ditching his clients to go to bat for the underprivileged, Stone's friends and confidants really begin to question his sanity.

- Netflix -

 

[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]

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.

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]

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

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

 

[Ivan Seeking]

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

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]

What a heartbreaker. What they did was done well done but they killed the story by leaving most of it out! It was far better than the PBS production in a technical sense, but PBS made a much more interesting movie.

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]

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

It's pretty existential, in a good way.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

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'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]

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

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]

I think Stalker is a must after Solaris.

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]

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.

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 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.

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!

 

[vici10]

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.

Stalker film by Tarkovsky has very little connection to an actual book "Roadside Picnic" by brothers Strugatsky. Strugatsky wrote that Tarkovsky asked them to rewrite the screenplay so many times that at the end the story had very little resemblance to original version. The main hero becomes very different too, adventurist in the original version and some kind of holy fool in the film.
Anyway, I highly recommend both the book and the film.

 

[DaveC426913]

Just watched Source Code last night.

*some spoilers*

Uh, how did the phone (which is all in his head) reach outside the capsule to look at the internet and make the phone calls/emails?

It's one thing to simulate a whole world in your mind, but that world is not going to have a data connection and an open port.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Just watched Source Code last night.

*some spoilers*

Uh, how did the phone (which is all in his head) reach outside the capsule to look at the internet and make the phone calls/emails?

It's one thing to simulate a whole world in your mind, but that world is not going to have a data connection and an open port.

We actually had a thread on this the other week.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=517650

 

[DaveC426913]

We actually had a thread on this the other week.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=517650

Yeah. That thread stuck a bug in my brain, prompting me to watch the film last night (after checking Rotten Tomatoes...)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

From the Scientific American links today

Learn to Forgive Yourself in a Parallel Universe

Let me be clear: Another Earth, opening July 22, is not a science-fiction film, despite its premise of the discovery of a planet just like our own.

...The speculative fiction in this film, which at this year's Sundance Film Festival won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize for the best film focusing on themes of science and technology and the Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Feature, might seem like something inspired by the multiverse theory. In fact, the movie was screened during the World Science Festival in June, where Columbia University physicist Brian Greene led a discussion about it one evening. But Cahill and Marling—both majored in economics at Georgetown University, and Marling was an analyst at Goldman Sachs—ha/d not even heard of Greene's bestseller on the multiverse theory, The Hidden Reality (Knopf, 2011), until after the movie was done.

Cahill actually came up with the concept after listening to audio books of Pulp Physics by astrophysicist Richard Berendzen, who now directs NASA’s Space Grant Consortium. Berendzen makes an appearance as the expert interviewed on local news to explain the "broken mirror theory" that decouples the inhabitants of both Earths and sets them on different destinies...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=learn-to-forgive-yourself-in-a-para-2011-07-21

Has anyone else seen this yet?

It was slow and could have used a lot more editing, but all in all it was strange and enjoyable.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We just fininshed watching Flash Forward. It only lasted one season but was pretty good for a TV series. Worth a watch.

This intriguing dramatic sci-fi series centers on a mysterious incident that causes all of mankind to black out for two minutes and 17 seconds, during which time the victims see premonitions about their future lives. Inspired by the award-winning novel of the same name by author Robert J. Sawyer, the series boasts a top-notch ensemble cast that includes Joseph Fiennes, Courtney B. Vance, John Cho and Sonya Walger.

- Netflix

John Cho is the new Sulu, in Star Trek rebooted.

 

[GregJ]

No one seems to have mentioned it, so I will.
Total Recall. One of my favorites of all time. Based very loosely off a Philip K. Dick short.

Although I can't believe that they are making a remake without Arnie...***Edit: Also Saturn 3 was fun to watch.***

 

[Borek]

Happy Accidents (2000)

A rare find and a gem

Agreed.

 

[DaveC426913]

***Edit: Also Saturn 3 was fun to watch.***

Mmmm. Farrah...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Last Night - 1998

What do you do when you have six hours to live? Last Night chronicles a small group of people whose lives intersect as a nameless apocalypse descends on them, which director Don McKellar handles with grace and solemn dignity...

A wonderful film similar in style and quality to The Man From Earth, I will just quote one review from Netflix that says it all with a bit more enthusiasm than I would claim.

If the parmount criterion for a five-star movie is that the viewer is riveted to the screen for the entire time, then this exceptional film surely qualifies. Technically, it's not perfect by any means, but it is haunting, poignant, shattering, spellbinding, enlightening, thought-provoking and heartbreakingly magical. As the end of the world grows near and the countdown reachs its conclusion, I defy you not to contemplate what you would be doing in the same circumstances. Don McKellar and Sandra Oh head a cast of fine actors who commit themselves to this film in extraordinary ways. I loved it!

- Netflix reviewer

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Another understated but absolutely charming, yet occasionally harsh film, The Bothersome Man - Norwegian, 2006

Mysteriously deposited in a perfectly serene but colorless city where every need is met, Andreas soon realizes that not even a new lover can change the sterile banality drowning him. Is this placid life a dream come true or an inescapable hell? Is the lovely music coming from a crack in the basement his ticket out? This provocative black comedy is directed by Jens Lien and stars Trond Fausa Aurvaag and Petronella Barker.

- Netflix

 

[ThomasT]

Recently saw John Carter. Really enjoyed it. Cgi special effects and cliche driven, but most entertaining. Also saw Battle L.A., Cowboys & Aliens, and Super 8 a while back. They're all worth watching, imo. I think Avatar's already been mentioned. I enjoyed it and John Carter about equally.

Looking forward to Prometheus and Battleship. Prometheus, by one of my favorite directors, Ridley Scott, looks from the trailers and clips to be maybe the best scifi film ever made. Of course I'm partial to hardware, heavy on the cgi, sort of scifi. Prometheus appears to have this as well as a most intriguing story line, and I think Scott is one of the better film storytellers.

I'm looking forward to spending some quality hours watching the upcoming blockbusters in the coolness, and on the big screen, of the local IMAX theatre.