Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

[Ivan Seeking]

Now you look here, pops. I am not a big fan of Star Wars. First off what kind of a laser has a limited length of 1-2 feet with uniform power density? A lightsaber. Totally impossible.

Second, why can't Yoda speak proper English? Did he have a stroke or some kind of cerebral malaria?

Third, the jedi are men. The villains are men. The storm troopers are, men. Its a total sausagefest. There are no interesting characters.

And finally, why does the fate of entire universe depend on some moisture farmer. Its always the hero in disguise that is somehow thrust into a super hero status. As if boys look at this movie and think to themselves "i can become anything or anyone I want to!"

It is a fairy tale, not sci-fi.

 

[JaWiB]

Plan 9 from Outer Space (anyone? )
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

I thought the original Star Wars movies were pretty great, and I'm not an old fart.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned "The Big Bang Theory" TV series.

That isn't even close to being sci-fi.

Come on folks. Everyone knows about Star Wars and the typical pop stuff. We are looking for the rare gems.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I recently started watching the series 4400. Its pretty good though not hard sci fi at all.

I'll try not to give much away in describing it for those who have not heard of it.
The basic idea of the show is that over the last 60+ years people have been mysteriously disappearing. Generally the people were considered to have run off or been killed somehow. But one day (in 2006 I think) all of these people suddenly show back up together in Washington state, 4400 of them. None have aged a day or have any memory of what happened between when they disappeared and when they reappeared.

The people are placed under the supervision of the Department of Homeland Security who are supposed to process them, investigate the phenomenon, and eventually integrate them back into society. Due to protests from civil rights advocates they are released early and the Department tries to set up a program to keep the "returnees" monitored, protected, and taken care of. Two agents in particular are main characters and wind up the primary investigators into what happened to these people. Each of them has or develops relationships with some of the returnees (later called "the forty-four hundred").

Strange events start occurring involving the 4400 and these two agents investigate. As I noted earlier there isn't much science. They occasionally bring up scientific ideas as part of their investigative methodology but really nothing in the show is ever scientifically explained nor do they really try (at least not so far in the episodes I have watched). The show is more about the people and the issues they encounter attempting to go back to life as normal. There are people who dislike and distrust the 4400 and eventually there are a couple of conspiracies going on in the overarching metaplot.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Twilight Zone fans will remember the episode titled "It's a good life"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/It%27s_A_Good_Life.JPG

with the evil Billy Mumy, which is considered by many to be one of the best Zone episodes made. I don't think I ever mentioned that the author of that episode was Jerome Bixby, who also wrote The Man from Earth.

Bixby also wrote three Star Trek [TOS] episodes: 1967's "Mirror, Mirror", which introduced the series' concept of the "Mirror Universe"; 1969's "Requiem for Methuselah", about "Flint", a 6,000-year-old man; 1968's "Day of the Dove", about an entity that feeds on hate and traps the crew in a cycle of endless warfare.

The screenplay for [The Man from Earth] was conceived by Jerome Bixby in the early 1960s and was completed on his death bed in April 1998, making it his final piece of work. [I have read that his son finally had to help finish the screenplay]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Earth

Another bit of trivia that surprised me was that a number of Twlight Zone episodes were written by the real John-Boy Walton - Earl Hamner. Several of the episodes were about mountain folk. : Jess-Belle; The hunt; The Bewitchin' Pool. All of the episodes written by Hamner are excellent, imo... eh, less "Black Leather Jackets", which was okay for its time but not great.

"The Hunt" (1962)
"A Piano in the House" (1962)
"Jess-Belle" (1963)
"Ring-a-Ding Girl" (1963)
"You Drive" (1964)
"Black Leather Jackets" (1964)
"Stopover in a Quiet Town" (1964)
"The Bewitchin' Pool" (1964)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hamner,_Jr .

 

[Ivan Seeking]

late edits above

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The Lathe of Heaven [1980]
Bad directing [esp], bad acting, but an interesting and unusual plot. A man's dreams become reality and he changes the world; many times. The plot makes it worth the watch.

It is available for free viewing at GoogleVids
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6032236535078716306&ei=hPhES9ePFI70qAOfoKjkDg&q=the+lathe+of+heaven&hl=en#

 

[Dembadon]

Has Primer been mentioned yet? I've just watched it and am very impressed. What a neat concept, and well done! I really enjoy the raw feel it has; no special effects were necessary and, in my opinion, would have been detrimental to the believability of the film.

I'll need to watch it at least one more time, though.

 

[Galteeth]

Twilight Zone fans will remember the episode titled "It's a good life"

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/It%27s_A_Good_Life.JPG

with the evil Billy Mumy, which is considered by many to be one of the best Zone episodes made. I don't think I ever mentioned that the author of that episode was Jerome Bixby, who also wrote The Man from Earth.

Bixby also wrote three Star Trek [TOS] episodes: 1967's "Mirror, Mirror", which introduced the series' concept of the "Mirror Universe"; 1969's "Requiem for Methuselah", about "Flint", a 6,000-year-old man; 1968's "Day of the Dove", about an entity that feeds on hate and traps the crew in a cycle of endless warfare.

The screenplay for [The Man from Earth] was conceived by Jerome Bixby in the early 1960s and was completed on his death bed in April 1998, making it his final piece of work. [I have read that his son finally had to help finish the screenplay]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_from_Earth

Another bit of trivia that surprised me was that a number of Twlight Zone episodes were written by the real John-Boy Walton - Earl Hamner. Several of the episodes were about mountain folk. : Jess-Belle; The hunt; The Bewitchin' Pool. All of the episodes written by Hamner are excellent, imo... eh, less "Black Leather Jackets", which was okay for its time but not great.

"The Hunt" (1962)
"A Piano in the House" (1962)
"Jess-Belle" (1963)
"Ring-a-Ding Girl" (1963)
"You Drive" (1964)
"Black Leather Jackets" (1964)
"Stopover in a Quiet Town" (1964)
"The Bewitchin' Pool" (1964)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hamner,_Jr .

A lesser known Twilight Zone episode that I would highly recommend is "I am the Night, Colour Me Black" In my opinion, the best of the series. Available on youtube.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Has Primer been mentioned yet? I've just watched it and am very impressed. What a neat concept, and well done! I really enjoy the raw feel it has; no special effects were necessary and, in my opinion, would have been detrimental to the believability of the film.

I'll need to watch it at least one more time, though.

I mentioned that in the op - in fact it was the motivation for this thread - and you will find a number of Primer fans chiming in, in the pages that follow. After three viewings, I am still unsure about the guy found in the driveway.

Imo, "The Man from Earth" also deserves special note. If you go back and review this thread, you will likely find many quality sci-fi movies mentioned that you will enjoy... if you haven't seen them already. Given your [obvious] refined palate for sci-fi , please add any notables from your own viewing.

 

[RunSwimSurf]

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.

I just finished watching this! 10/10
Can anyone recommend any other movies that are like this? I'm not big on alien/spaceship type of sci-fi movies (except for Stargate).

EDIT: nvm, I'll just browse through the other pages and read up on the reviews on amazon

 

[JaWiB]

The Lathe of Heaven [1980]
Bad directing [esp], bad acting, but an interesting and unusual plot. A man's dreams become reality and he changes the world; many times. The plot makes it worth the watch.

It is available for free viewing at GoogleVids
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6032236535078716306&ei=hPhES9ePFI70qAOfoKjkDg&q=the+lathe+of+heaven&hl=en#

Somehow I made it through the first 5 minutes, and then I couldn't stop watching. What a horrible, wonderful film

 

[Ivan Seeking]

A lesser known Twilight Zone episode that I would highly recommend is "I am the Night, Colour Me Black" In my opinion, the best of the series. Available on youtube.

Yes, that is a great episode.

I was trying to remember the name of another one of my favorites. I have't seen it for a long time so the details are sketchy, but it was about a child who dreams of snow. It was done as a narrative.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I just finished watching this! 10/10
Can anyone recommend any other movies that are like this? I'm not big on alien/spaceship type of sci-fi movies (except for Stargate).

EDIT: nvm, I'll just browse through the other pages and read up on the reviews on amazon

You might take a look at Final Approach [1991]. It isn't as good as The Man from Earth but it has much the same flavor. My wife and I both enjoyed it.

I don't see it listed at a free site... Netflix has it available for streaming.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Somehow I made it through the first 5 minutes, and then I couldn't stop watching. What a horrible, wonderful film

Isn't it though??

I was curious so I went back and checked the credits. It was produced by New Yorks PBS and apparently had no director, which would explain why the directing was so bad! It only lists a director of photography. It almost appears to be an actor's workshop type of setting, or an experimental production.

From wiki

When it first aired in 1980, The Lathe of Heaven became one of the two highest-rated shows that season on PBS, drawing 10 percent of the audience in New York and 8 percent in Chicago, according to Nielsen ratings.[10]

The Lathe of Heaven was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. The screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for writers Roger Swaybill [11] and Diane English[12]

In 1998, Entertainment Weekly magazine named Lathe one of the top 100 greatest works of science fiction.[13]

Of the 2000 re-release (see below), TV Guide wrote, "Unlike much current science fiction, it's driven by ideas rather than special effects, and Davison's subtle performance as George, who turns out to be a far tougher character than he at first appears, is a highlight."[14] In Cinescape, a reviewer praised the film as

"an instant classic...a film of ideas rather than action...[W]hile the minuscule budget didn't grant the filmmakers the grandeur of some of Le Guin's set pieces in the novel, such as the alien invasion or the melting of Portland, the film's strength comes from its performers and the suspenseful concepts in the writing."[15] And Time magazine wrote:
Nineteen years before The Blair Witch Project, this classic sci-fi film showed that you can make an arresting fantasy with hardly more than the change under your couch cushions...ome of the no-budget effects haven't aged well--at one point the Earth is visited by alien ships that look like electric hamburgers. The provocative exploration of consciousness, though, is priceless.[16]

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

 

[Thetom]

Some of my favourite (recent-ish) Sci-Fi films for you guys...

Puzzlehead
Pi
The Fountain
Cube
Code46
Delecatessen
City of Lost Children


Already mentioned but deserve another shout...

Brazil
Dark City
Primer
Dune
12 Monkeys
Abyss

I love Sci-fi. I've studied it abit and even tried to write it. Didn't work though.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I ran across this video collage taken from Metropolis, while searching "Freddie Mercury".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IYgX7bl4uc

 

[Mark24]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but the Babylon 5 series still remains the best Sci-fi series/show I've ever seen on television, some 15 years after the fact. The overarching storyline made it fairly unique as far as series go, with nearly the entire story having been written prior to airing. None of this "writing by the seat of your pants" business that leads to poor quality in most series today.

Great series (especially Seasons 2-4)... anyone who hasn't seen it is missing out on some of the best writing ever seen in a TV series, Sci-fi or not.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Yes, that is a great episode.

I was trying to remember the name of another one of my favorites. I have't seen it for a long time so the details are sketchy, but it was about a child who dreams of snow. It was done as a narrative.

Twilight Zone...

Okay, now this is starting to bug me. I just made my third attempt to find even a reference to this episode, but after checking every episode listed at wiki, I still don't see it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Twilight_Zone_episodes

I am almost positive this was a Twilight Zone episode and it was unique in the genre, even for Serling. My guess would be that the narrative was taken from a classic work of literature; perhaps a short story. It would be a shame if this was lost.

Does this sound even vaguely familiar to anyone?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Silly me, it was a Night Gallery episode. Night Gallery was also created and produced by Serling.

Silent Snow, Secret Snow" (1934) is Conrad Aiken's best-known short story, often included in anthologies of classic American horror and fantasy short fiction. It appeared in The Collected Stories of Conrad Aiken in 1934, and since then has been widely anthologized...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Snow,_Secret_Snow

Best [second of two episodes, but the first episode is interesting as well]
http://www.hulu.com/watch/58804/night-gallery-the-phantom-farmhousesilent-snow-secret-snow

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fq3Y_Tco3k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1e3voETtQ0

 

[MotoH]

I hear the star wars movies are pretty good sci-fact flicks!

 

[JaWiB]

Isn't it though??

I was curious so I went back and checked the credits. It was produced by New Yorks PBS and apparently had no director, which would explain why the directing was so bad! It only lists a director of photography. It almost appears to be an actor's workshop type of setting, or an experimental production.

Somehow I missed this post earlier. That's hilarious--I've never heard of a film with no director! Maybe someone ought to remake it the right way?

Then again...it just wouldn't be the same.

 

[joelupchurch]

I think Dark City needs a stronger mention. Get the Director Cut with the commentary by Roger Ebert.

Also Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind should rank higher.

Time After Time

For Dune I liked the mini-series better than the movie version.

 

[DaveC426913]

Time After Time

I am of two-minds on this one.

It is a truly great example of a well-done time-travel story ,and will always have a place in my tin heart.

OTOH, I watched it again recently, and it was much more over-the-top and melodramatic than I ever remember.

 

[DaveC426913]

I think Dark City needs a stronger mention.

(I'll say it again because I'm proud of it...)

Truman's World, run by the Borg.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but the Babylon 5 series still remains the best Sci-fi series/show I've ever seen on television, some 15 years after the fact. The overarching storyline made it fairly unique as far as series go, with nearly the entire story having been written prior to airing. None of this "writing by the seat of your pants" business that leads to poor quality in most series today.

Great series (especially Seasons 2-4)... anyone who hasn't seen it is missing out on some of the best writing ever seen in a TV series, Sci-fi or not.

I rewatched it recently and really it was not as good as I remember. The overall story is certainly rather good but the actual writing and dialog are for the most part rather hackneyed.

 

[stevebd1]

I recently found this link (related to IMDb's Hit List) which may be of interest-

'The Five Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Masterpieces'
http://techland.com/2010/01/09/underrated-sci-fi/

which also has suggestions in the comments section.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I recently found this link (related to IMDb's Hit List) which may be of interest-

'The Five Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Masterpieces'
http://techland.com/2010/01/09/underrated-sci-fi/

which also has suggestions in the comments section.

So no one has to go through five pages just for a list of five movies...

1. Primer
2. Dark City
3. Serenity
4. Gattaca
5. Silent Running


I loved Gattaca. I worked at a Blockbuster Video when it was released to video and I do not know how many people I heard tell others not to watch it because it was boring. I was pissed, of course many of those people probably would have found it boring unfortunately. :-/

I have not seen Silent Running. I will have to look that up.

 

[Andromache]

So no one has to go through five pages just for a list of five movies...

1. Primer
2. Dark City
3. Serenity
4. Gattaca
5. Silent Running


I loved Gattaca. I worked at a Blockbuster Video when it was released to video and I do not know how many people I heard tell others not to watch it because it was boring. I was pissed, of course many of those people probably would have found it boring unfortunately. :-/

I have not seen Silent Running. I will have to look that up.

I'm glad to see Serenity made it. I've met quite a few people who love Firefly/Serenity, despite neither being successful - it's unfortunate that both only became appreciated after their releases.

 

[Andromache]

Also Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind should rank higher.

Great film, although perhaps not hard-core sci-fi. I find lot of people don't seem to realize they're watching a science fiction film, it has a wide appeal.

 

[joelupchurch]

Great film, although perhaps not hard-core sci-fi. I find lot of people don't seem to realize they're watching a science fiction film, it has a wide appeal.

Roger Ebert sometimes reevaluates movies and just put up a new review of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind":

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100102/REVIEWS08/100109999/1023"

His review of "Dark City" is what got me to watch it.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051106/REVIEWS08/511060302/1023"

Tastes vary on Eternal Sunshine. I loved it, but I have friends that couldn't sit through the whole thing.

For Primer there is a whole forum that doesn't do anything but discuss this movie.

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/index.php"

And a blog for it also:

http://theprimeruniverse.blogspot.com/"

What finally got me to watch primer was an Xkcd cartoon about it:

http://www.xkcd.com/657/"

Click on the cartoon to see it full size.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...His review of "Dark City" is what got me to watch it.

Never seen it but have it at the top of the queue.

For Primer there is a whole forum that doesn't do anything but discuss this movie.

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/index.php"

And a blog for it also:

http://theprimeruniverse.blogspot.com/"

What finally got me to watch primer was an Xkcd cartoon about it:

http://www.xkcd.com/657/"

Click on the cartoon to see it full size.

That is too funny! I esp liked the cartoon representation of Primer.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have not seen Silent Running. I will have to look that up.

I'm surprised! That is a classic - vintage '70s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oani3-RDvHw

 

[Ivan Seeking]

For Primer there is a whole forum that doesn't do anything but discuss this movie.

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/index.php"

I was reviewing the site to see what goes on and noticed this post from yesterday.

Shane Carruth's next project, A Topiary, is in the early stages of pre-production...

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1418&sid=574edead1f4942c7389ab41039ac3b37

For anyone who hasn't seen Primer, I thought this post conveyed the feel of the movie well.

1) Is Aaron #3, the one who made the recordings, the Aaron who was druged and stuffed in the attic?
-------------
Tim S wrote:
That was the main question that resulted in the book. When Aaron(2) interferes with Aaron(1) and puts him in the attic Tuesday morning, he can feasibly escape on Wendesday, find the fail-safe on Thursday and travel back to Tuesday morning. Thus after Aaron(2) arrives and heads to his home on Tuesday to drug Aaron(1), this new Aaron arrives 15 minutes later and follows Aaron(2) to his home.
I agree that in this respect, there truly is no Aaron(3) as I call him. Rather, he is more of an Aaron(2b). Aaron in the attic would be Aaron(1b) since he has been interfered with by Aaron(2).
This also helps us see that Aaron does not call Aaron as the narrator. But Aaron(2) calls Abe(1), now Abe(1b) due to that contact.
-------------

I think that sums up a major stumbling block for most fans.

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1416&sid=574edead1f4942c7389ab41039ac3b37

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The Lost Missile - 1958

Here is an unusual old movie that is as much a review of old defense systems and procedures, as it is a sci-fi story. Given the context of the Cold War, it has the flavor of a covert public education film. With lots of [film] footage of what was then state-of-the-art military technology, it is a story told in ~ real time about a rogue, alien missile, of unknown origin and purpose, that threatens the planet, either intentionally, or inadvertently. The Lost Missile is not by any means a good movie, but, thankfully, it is short and tolerable enough. The footage of old weapons systems made it worth the watch for me. As for the story itself, eh, not so bad. It has some pretty cheesy moments, but in many ways it qualifies as good hard sci-fi - an extremely dry, technical movie.

Free at Hulu
http://www.hulu.com/watch/114692/the-lost-missile