The Matrix.

Too many sci fi movies start well and then go off the wall.

I love the old 'This Island Earth' and 'Forbidden Planet'..must get back to re-furbishing the Interrossiter.

New movies... Total Recall starts well ....

I sent my 'scope for a total recal .... dunno what happened to it!

I never Metaluna I didn't like!

-A-

'Forbidden Planet' is from the fifties! Most members here are much younger, I'd suspect. And the wacko robot... A prelude to HAL in Stanley Kubrick's 2001?

You have no sense of conspiracy/history !

The forbidden Planet is Shakespeare . 2001 ?

H = I

A = B

L = M

spot the pattern ?

Anyone rememer "LLand of the Giants" ? Brilliant !

I have A.C. Clarke on cd denying this.

Yeah, your right. I know he denies it and I don't doubt. They wanted a 3-letter acronym that could be spoken. HAL was just picked on a whim as far as I know. The odds of them picking one that could be connected to an existing company are probably huge. It's still amusing though, being the reason why cruddy books like The Bible Code sell and conspiracy theorists abound. It would make a fun pass-time to take the next acronym you hear spoken and see how many ways you can link it. I'll probably find myself doing this now, next time I'm stuck in a traffic jam or something.

It's really hard to pick one. Empire Strikes Back was great. So was the Matrix, I saw it at an IMAX theatre and knew nothing of the plot going in, it was amazing. Would Indiana Jones count as Sci-fi? Liked Star Trek The Wrath of Kahn a lot. Terminator of course and Predator for that matter. Too many to choose from. If I was forced to make a choice, I'd go with my first one, Empire Strikes Back.

I would add Contact and The Arrival to the list, but would probably choose The Matrix or Terminator as my top pick...

Love "Contact" - does "Apollo 13" count?

Hey YES !

APOLLO 13.....

In an ENGINEERING FOROUM????

Gotta be the best....

you win toights star prize...the nasty leg wound! (Monty Python..not me ...so don't shoot me folks)

"I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum."

- Rowdy Roddy Piper from John Carpenter's "masterpiece" They Live.

Hi, Chris

...nice one..I just read the synopsis.

just to confirm...this is fiction? Right?...

The best sci-fi evokes the human side of (a possible) future...

Very true...

But we all love a good robot too?

Indeed we do: "Klaatu barada nikto"

I rented They Live last night and enjoyed the heck out of it!

If you can find it, and just can't get enough of the Rowdy One, this one's a hoot too.

-A-

Greatest. Movie. Ever.

Hey, that's what Duke Nukem said in the computer game (Duke Nukem 3-D). I didn't know it was a line from a movie!

Mike

Plan 9 from Outer Space - quite possibly the biggest waste of film in the history of film

TRANSFORMERS. Planning to watch it this weekend

:)

Origional "Planet of the Apes"

Back To The Future, 1, 2, and 3. No contest

The Last Battle (Le Dernier Combat) - Luc Besson

Alien has to be near the top. A Boy and His Dog is fun. How about Day of the Triffids, or some of the other 'B' grade movies from the 50's and 60's - Them, The Thing, The Hammer Classics, etc.

Has to be dark star.

Dark Star

Ohhh yes 'Dark star' ... must be one of the best :-)

How about 2001 Space Odessey?

Or the best recent one was 'Galaxy Conquest' that is so hilarious and a spoof of the star trek charactors.... it must be amongst the best....

I agree with Kubrick´s "2001 Space Odessey". The best of all, for me

I think you meant Galaxy Quest and it is a great movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/

Guy Fleegman - "I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm just "Crewman Number Six." I'm expendable. I'm the guy in the episode who dies to prove how serious the situation is. I've gotta get outta here. "

..it was #2...complete with recall / recal pun...obviously so lame no one saw it...

I saw it, I read it, I just didn't GET it.

"I sent my scope. . ." ??

Sorry Del.

-A-

Man, I have to admit that Blade Runner is one of my favorites as well, but why can't they bring out the original (with voice over) in widescreen DVD, the bastards. Sorry, brain jumped time again. If you haven't seen Virtuosity (Russel Crowe) check it out; it ties for my favorite with BR. And crimey, The Hidden. Do see that one.

A Clockwork Orange is a fine piece of film.

So is 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Steve

Two great selections.

I know I'm going to take a hit for saying this but. . .

Kubrick showed us in "Clockwork" what an anti-social, pervert he really was.

The end of 2001 was a well crafted, beautiful story. . . in the book. The movie was a disconnected, drug induced, light-show with only the faintest remnants of the original story.

Kubrick was an over-rated hack, who only just managed to not screw up Full Metal Jacket.

-A-

Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion...

I happen to disagree about 2001.... and for that matter 2010!

I think you are confusing the 'art' and the 'artist' .

Hitler painted very innocuous pictures.

Let me start by saying that I can understand why you may not like Kubrick's films, but he is no hack.

I would argue that film is art, and Kubric has a distinctive style. A style that makes the background a character in his films. The docking scene in 2001 or the milk bar scene in Clockwork illustrates this. So does the chariot race in Spartacus and the maze in the shining. Kubrick also uses silence in his movies for dramatic effect.

So you may not like his particular style of film making, but that doesn't make him a bad artist. In fact, in my opinion he's a remarkable artist.

That said, I have a hard time sitting through his movies. They make me uncomfortable in a very visceral way.

Lolita was originally about a 12-year-old girl and a middle-aged man. Several scenes were cut from the film that depicted sex acts. Kubrick said if he had known about all the censoring, he would not have made the film.

Clockwork depicts teenage gang rape and group sex. Not to mention glamorizing murder and thuggery.

Eyes Wide Shut has silloets digitally placed over the live sex acts Kubrick originally filmed.

Spielberg chose to omit some of the raunchier details of A. I.

Kubrick's universe is filled with drugs, hallucinations, debauchery, and violence. Not in just one film, but throughout ALL his films in varying degrees.

I concede that he was a talented director. At the same time, I concede that Hitler was a decent painter. Kubrick's talents do not erase his perversions.

And that's all I have to say about that.

-A-

You seem intent on missing the point that it is entirely possible to depict perversion without being perverted.

He may be a pervert, but you cannot legitimately deduce this from his work.

In the same way you cannot deduce Monet like fishing because he painted 'waterlillies'....

Or Van Gogh liked sunflowers.....

Or wotis name liked laying on his back painting the Cisteen chapel or something??

John (philostine at work, please handle with care!!)

I though Fill-A-Stein was German for bar tender !

I think I am missing the point of this thread.

I DID like 2001, although I get tired of explaining the ending to people who were confused by it. It makes me feel like I am apologising for bad story telling. It is for this reason that I simply don't happen to think the ending was particularly well done.

2010 was a much better movie.

(Monet thought waterlilies were pleasing to look at and made good subject matter for the unique way he captured light on canvas. Kubrick preferred sex and debauchery. . . ARGH! I can't STOP!!)

O.K. say what ever you want. I quit.

-A-

I read recently that Monet had eye trouble and actually painted what he saw - rather than intentionally developing a new way of painting. One in the eye for the critics I think! (although I rather like the impressionist style...)

Those perversions you speak of were not invented by Kubrick, they are the perversions of humanity that we like to ignore and pretend don't exist. Right now perversions such as these and worse are occurring in the Sudan, Europe, and U.S. Kubrick often contrasts the harshness of the darkness of human nature to beautiful backgrounds to accentuate them. Kubrick is an artist exploring the darker side of humanity so of course our instinct is to resent him for it. Who wants to see their dark side? So rather than admit these issues exist and try to do something about them, we try to kill the messenger, calling him perverse or a fetishist.

Spielberg is easy to like. He focuses on all the things we like about ourselves and he's a terrific artist. John Ford emphasised the pioneering spirit of man. All directors come with a perspective, its how well they present that perspective that tells you what kind of artist they are.

I mentioned before that Kubrick produced a visceral reaction in me. That's how I know he's good. There is something primal in his films that we instinctively recognize and recoil from, especially when it is presented in the way only Kubrick can present it.

Please, its perfectly ok not to like Kubrick, but please don't compare him to a man that killed tens of millions of people, lets try and keep perspective.

Just noticed the other responses to your comment, sorry, I didn't mean to pile it on.

At the end of the day, its a good sign that you have such revulsion for the perversities presented in his films. I have the same reaction.

If someone asked me to chose which I'd rather watch, I'd pick Spielberg over Kubrick every time.

Someone mentioned the original Time Machine, that's a great film.

Kubrick's "Doctor Strangelove" is fiction, with only a little science, but it is still in my opinion, an excellent satiric film. So I support Kubrick, along with the writer Terry Southern, Peter Sellers (Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!) and Sterling Hayden's "precious bodily fluids". This may not be the way T.S. Elliot's world will end, not with a bang, but a whimper, but the ending Big Bang is certainly portentous. And, refering to another classic, I do like Gort.

You may not know this, but Clark wrote 2001 in parallel with the film being made, so you have to ask, what came first....

Like was it the obelisk or the apes ?..

(What did happen to Kris' pariah ape with the long toe nails?)....oooh spooky.

Yeah , and I don't recall who started it . I never even saw why it got terminated. It did have a tiny spark of seriousness to it. Smells fishy to me.

Wow, I have seen 26 of the films mentioned. Counting all 3 Back to the Futures that is. I missed the ones in bold. I wonder if anyone has seen them ALL?

I was hoping to get some movies I haven't seen, so this worked out great for me. I hope y'all found some new titles too!

2001: A Space Odyssey, A Boy and his Dog, A Clockwork Orange, Alien, Apollo 13, Back to the Future 1, 2, & 3, Blade Runner (Original Cut), Contact, Dark Star, Day of the Triffids, Forbidden Planet, Le Denier Combat, Metropolis (1927), Predator, Star Trek II, Star Wars V, Terminator (3 votes), The Arrival, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Hidden, The Matrix (3 votes), The Planet of the Apes (1968), The Thing, Them, They Live, This Island Earth, Total Recall, Transformers, Virtuosity.

-A-

Would be interested in what you think of The Hidden and Virtuosity.

Typical engineers all, except for a few of us...."Earth Girls are Easy"

Soylent Green , Gattaca , Equilibrium

I really liked Equilibrium. I know it kind of overdid the moral lesson, but I still think it was great.

That's a very interesting point about "moral issue". Most Science Fiction seems to go there one way or another. Perhaps it's an innately human thing - we dream about what technology may exist in the future , but we immediately wonder about the social issues. One of my favourite reads is 1984 , and Richard Burton is suitably chilling in the film. Forbidden Planet (mentioned here by someone) is famously based on Shakespeare's The Tempest (which I know nothing of) . The two issues go hand-in-hand. It says a lot about the folk on CR4 that we all care deeply about how Engineering and Science impacts on life. Those stereotypes of 'mad scientist' and 'wooden' Engineering types are way of mark. Apart from being a fantastic place to find out about technical stuff CR4 demonstrates very clearly the real nature of those who pursue such things. Next time I have a completely non-technical friend visit , I'll give them a brief tour of the scope of CR4's astonishing array of subject matter. One day we may all get payed in accordance to contribution to society ! I doubt it , but you know what - I don't think anybody would change their chosen vocation. Creativity is a passion that all here seem to share. Flame-ups happen occasionally , but more often than not it's because people aspire to achieving the best.

Strewth , I'm getting philosophical ! Equilibrium has some kick-ass fighting , and if Mila fell into my Fifth Element cab ; well derr Bruce ..... I must go adjust my bra (and take a shower)

I hate Soylent Green, mainly because I read the book first, Harrison being one of my favorite authors ( it was a short story). A typical Hollywood raping of a great story. Mind you, Make room, make room is a very uncomfortable story to read, so maybe they felt they had to make it more commercial.

Here is a link . I haven't read the book , but the film was probably at bit quicker to digest. It's almost inevitable that a film is going to be a slash-up version of a book. The film should have given credit to the book (I don't remember seeing any reference. Charlton Heston would have been pretty hacked off if his name was forgotten or buried in the credits).

Yes, they did credit the short, I remember ranting on about 'they ripped off Harry Harrison', so I did look for the credit, although, I thought no one else would notice....

I don't think anybody mentioned The Time Machine yet . Like so many re-done films the original was far better . Maybe it's just down to which you see first , but I don't think so. There are no counter examples that spring to mind.

Computer minded people might like The 13th Floor ( a multi layered computer reality . - Wiki needs a synopsis ) which is quite a mind twister.

Just seen the greatest SF movie ever! Wimbledon...an Englishmen wins the Mens singles title........If thats not SF, what is?

LOL. I heard that this morning and thought it was some kind of joke. Whatever next , the World Cup or something. Oops , nearly forgot , you can't play football on ice too much.

The flintstone is the best movie ever made and someday I'll see it. My opinion is solely based on the subject matter and anyone who thinks different is dumb.

Your name fits, Strife. You sound like a real fungi. . . I mean Fun Guy!

I prefer the company of people who think everything they don't understand is dumb.

-A-

The HBO series "Carnivale" where mental abilities along the dark side were exposed was quite interesting. There were some threads of logic that seemed as if they followed a realistic model:

Did anyone else get a sense that some of that was real?

Montirocks shoulda mentioned the site for hammer films. To put it in the dialog of the lead badguy from three amigos I'd have to say "Heffe, I'd say they have a plethora of personally unheard of movie titles there." Wish I could remember El Gwappo's name I never remember silly things like names when I want to.

You mean El Guapo? Alphonso Arau Also played Juan in Romancing the Stone. trivia over!

Actually, this works in a workplace environment....whenever one of the 'Grown ups' has a rant or a paddy, one of us invariably says 'but El Guapo, you are jus' saying that 'cos you are upset and getting old'

Hmm, does make me wonder how I've got a job....

"Could it beeee. . . that you are turning forty today?"

-A-

Been there, done that....

Would you say I have a "plethora" of pinatas?

Dude...StarWars. duh. or 'Behind the Green Door.'

How apropo. From the Engineering News Blog: The 100 Best Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies.

LOL. This is part of Second Life isn't it ? It appears to have no exit.

I liked "Cyber Wars" - not a mainstream hit. Also, no one has mentioned "Total Recall"!

Mike

Oh yes I did.....

The Invisible Man (B&W TV series, 1958)

Quatar Mass and The Pit.

How about somebody making one about the origins of the Borg?

Oooooooooooo yes 'Quater Mass and the Pit'

When I first saw that it was scary as well as imaginative... The human race inbred with martian grasshoppers.....

Sounds like a B movie but it was well directed and a goodie!

John.

It is a classic. Cuckoo....

Plenty of Borg options on google. The V'ger origin has been refuted I read. I've a feeling that the Borg cube copies another film , but you'd need a fan of Science Fiction to know for sure.

" ...The farce is strong with him.."

Origins of the Borg! Great, lets write a script!

It could start with some poor geeza stuck in a square. He starts moving in and out of focus then........

Leicester square? Times square?

..or even .....

.....on the square.......

OMG it's the Brotherhood ! Hide those Dollar bills.

Don't be silly it's nothing as simple as that.

!!!

He he he, you sick puppy...

I thought Borg was an acronym B.O.R.G doesn't this give a clue to their origins?

I forgot to add Howard the Duck...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_science_fiction_films

MadMax,Altered States.

OOOhhh... once I got to remembering it got tough to pick one. I guess "Behind the Green Door" is the wrong genre. My mistake.

How about Brazil? Any movie that turns on who has the right to work on ducts should be a favorite among engineers.

Max Headroom, the original English version, not the US remake. All about IT tech and media giants, set in a grim future. Sort of a cheap blade runner set, and one of the most chilling, tense chase scenes ever.

Ma Ma Max. Now that is one I hadn't heard of in a while.

I've got it on VCR somewhere, I'm gonna have to dig it out now, the lad hasn't seen it, and he loves that sort of thing.Besides, the more I think about it, the I remember how much I liked the film.........

BRAZIL

BRAZIL

I had forgotten this movie, but YES, I vote for it as well!!!!!

Very noir...