1. Looper
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| Looper (2012, Endgame Entertainment, DMG Entertainment) |
Looper is one of the best Scifis to come out in the last couple of years. It's set in the near future where the mob send targets back in time to appear before a hit man. While watching I had a similar feeling to when I saw District 9 for the first time. It was slick and original.
2. Minority Report
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| Minority Report (2002, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, DreamWorks SKG) |
This film is great in it's own right. It has a great story and some fabulous production design. One of the reasons I love certain Scifi films is the way they depict the future in terms of design, and Minority Report is one of my favourites. The film follows a huge development in law enforcement, where murderers are apprehended and incarcerated before they actually commit their crimes.
3. Akira
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| Akira (1988, TMS Entertainment) |
Akira, for me, represents the height of Japanese animated films. Ingrained with Japanese culture and history, Akira is set in a post war new Tokyo, where a military experiment grants a young gang member supernatural powers, endangering the city. It's a must see for Scifi and Anime fans alike. Although if you're in any way an Anime fan, you won't need me to tell you that.
4. Back to the Future
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| Back to the Future (1985, Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment) |
A classic movie that shouldn't need any introduction. That goes for the two sequels as well. unforgettable characters, funny and great for anyone to watch, Back to the Future is one of those films that you remember from your childhood and has endless re-watchability.
5. Brazil
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| Brazil (1985, Embassy International Pictures) |
Monty Pythons Terry Gilliam directs this weird and wonderful film. Set in a dystopian future, an administrative error causes a government desk worker to be quickly hunted by the state he worked for. Full of memorable characters and the quirkiness you can expect from a Python, this film is one of those ones that you might have missed, but should definitely watch.
6. Twelve Monkeys
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| Twelve Monkeys (1995, Universal Pictures, Atlas Entertainment) |
In my opinion one of Bruce Willis and Brad Pitts best performances. Twelve Monkeys is yet another Scifi gem by director Terry Gilliam. Less satirical than Brazil, it follows a more serious plot where Bruce Willis' character is sent back in time to gather important information about a terrible disease which plagues the present day.
7. Alien
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| Alien (1979, Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century-Fox) |
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| Prometheus (2012, Twentieth Century Fox, Dune Entertainment) |
Alien will be right up there on any Scifi movie list. Ridley Scotts vision, paired with the creature design of H. R. Geiger made for a horrifying experience. I would class this film as more of a Scifi horror, and it is horror at it's finest. What still makes me afraid to watch this movie is that pace of it and the fact that you don't see the creature! One of the things that too many horror films get wrongs these days. You will be afraid for the characters all the way through the film which is what great horror should do.
----RANT WARNING----
Since the original there have been several sequels set in the world of Alien, some of them great, and some of them not so great. That's why I want to acknowledge Alien as a series. Especially the newest sequel, Prometheus, which has gotten a lot of negative attention since it's release. I'm not going to into it, because I still want people to see it and make their own minds up. I will say this, it's called Science Fiction, FICTION! One of the main complaints was that a lot of the science was unrealistic in Prometheus, but name one Scifi where it is all realistic. There needs to be some willingness to suspend disbelief for you to enjoy any film, and although there are some logical plot holes in Prometheus, they didn't bother me. What I like the most about it is it's production design, creatures, horror element and the addition of lore to the Alien universe. I'm not sure whether it's peer pressure or what, but people seem to like movies less and less these days, and seem to be prone to fits of rage about them. Prometheus being a prime example. I for one, am looking forward to the next installment.
8. The Thing
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| The Thing (1982, Universal Pictures |
The Thing follows the crew of an Antarctic research outpost, who come across the remains of an alien spacecraft. The mood quickly changes to terror as an unknown alien life form hides among them in disguise. The film also takes creature design and special effects to the extreme in horror and gore terms. The best thing about it is that is all puppetry! I love puppets. They make it so much more real than CGI.
9. War Of the Worlds
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| War Of The Worlds (2005, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG) |
War of the Worlds is a classic story and has been popular ever since the original 1898 release of H. G. Wells' Scifi novel. A story that has been rehashed in many different mediums, the 2005 film actually does a very good job. It follows a small family trying to survive the horrors of an alien invasion and features some very nice redesigns of the recognizable tripod war machines. A very good watch, and very good Scifi.
10. Solaris
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| Solaris (2002, Twentieth Century Fox) |
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| Solaris (1972, Creative Unit of Writers & Cinema Workers) |
To be perfectly honest, Solaris is one of those films that I had to give a second chance, having fallen asleep on the first watch. I've since warmed to the film, which is a really good psychological drama set in a Scifi universe. Clooney is as good as ever (Come on, it's George Clooney) as he plays a psychologist sent to a remote space station orbiting a very unusual planet. He is charged with analyzing the crew of that station, but quickly succumbs to whatever had befallen them. Definitely give this one a chance, and if you can, get a hold of the original which is almost better.
