The 101 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies of All Time: 1. Interstellar (3 Viewers)

[El Floppo]

84. Gattaca​

1997 - 1h 46 - PG-13
Director: Andrew Niccol
Metascore: 64

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Vincent, an "In-Valid", assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, a week before his mission, a murder marks Vincent as a suspect.

I think this movie has one of the best glimpses of a possible realistic future. Love the concept, the story doesn’t quite execute as well as I'd hope, however.

Trivia: When Gattaca was first released, as part of a marketing campaign there were adverts for people to call and have their children genetically engineered. Thousands of people called, wanting to have their offspring genetically engineered.

I love this movie. What's always stood out to me is the art direction... Even implausibly sending astronauts into space in perfectly tailired business suits- it all just looked amazing. From Frank Lloyd wright's Marin Civic Center as home base, to all the brutalist architecture, citroens and other cars, and Uma of course.

Saw in my news feed recently that it's the one movie... NASA maybe? (I don't recall the agency) Calls the most accurate portrayal of the future (have to assume, bespoke business suits aside).

I saw that too and almost used it as the trivia blurb, but then I wondered how dated the comment might be. Does NASA still think this?

Genetic engineering? I'm sure they do

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I pay for Prime already

unbreakable is on prime

 

[Todem]

84. Gattaca​

1997 - 1h 46 - PG-13
Director: Andrew Niccol
Metascore: 64

- YouTube

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Vincent, an "In-Valid", assumes the identity of a member of the genetic elite to pursue his goal of traveling into space with the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, a week before his mission, a murder marks Vincent as a suspect.

I think this movie has one of the best glimpses of a possible realistic future. Love the concept, the story doesn’t quite execute as well as I'd hope, however.

Trivia: When Gattaca was first released, as part of a marketing campaign there were adverts for people to call and have their children genetically engineered. Thousands of people called, wanting to have their offspring genetically engineered.

SImply was not a fan of this film. I loved the concept...but the story was weak and it was boring.

83. Soylent Green​

1973 - 1h 37 - PG
Director: Richard Fleischer
Metascore: 66

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A nightmarish futuristic fantasy about the controlling power of big corporations and an innocent cop who stumbles on the truth.

Known for it's famous line and twist, this is also a pretty good detective/mystery.

Trivia: During shooting, Edward G. Robinson was almost totally deaf. He could hear people only if they spoke directly into his ear. His dialogue scenes with other people had to be shot several times before he got the rhythm of the dialogue and was able to respond to people as if he could hear them. He could not hear director Richard Fleischer yell "cut" when a scene went wrong, so Robinson would often continue acting out the scene, unaware that shooting had stopped.

I love this classic. Such great performances here from Heston and even moreso from the late great Edward G Robinson. A cult classic IMO.

82. Star Trek: The Motion Picture​

1979 - 2h 23 - G
Director: Robert Wise
Metascore: 50

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When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.

This movie ranks higher as a pure sci-fi film as opposed to a Star Trek film. This movie gets a lot of flak, mainly for it's pacing and character writing and some of it is justified. The ending has some problems too, but I still like the concept of it. The filmmakers were clearly inspired by 2001 and wanted to make another epic. Also, the effects and score were pretty cool. I'll admit to a little nostalgia in place here, as this was my first exposure to Star Trek as a kid.

Trivia: DeForest Kelley had reservations with the movie script, feeling that the characters and relationships from the series were not in place. Along with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, Kelley lobbied for greater characterization, but their opinions were largely ignored.

I was 9 years old....I had watched all the reruns of the series and was geeked up for this....and I fell asleep half way thru it in the theater. I have come back to it several times and it has it's moments, but it is quite bloated and tries too hard.......unlike the next 3 films that would follow it.

79. Star Trek: First Contact​

1996 - 1h 51 - PG-13
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Metascore: 70

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The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.

This is the only TNG movie I really go back to rewatch. It's really underrated and is like TNG on steroids despite it's plot problems. The Borg cube battle scene is excellent, some scenes play out like action-horror sequences which I loved seeing in a Trek film, and Picard's acting is even better than on the show. It also has one of the best lines in a Trek movie. "So you're all astronauts on a sort of.. Star Trek?"

Trivia: James Cromwell became the first actor in Star Trek history to actually utter the phrase "star trek"

I agree with you. This is the best Next Generation crew film. I never thought TNG translated well to the big screen, like the Original crew.

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

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Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I love this movie. It is so corny because it took itself so seriously. This is my favorite telling of King Arthur on the big screen.

 

[Gr00vus]

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

- YouTube

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Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I also love this film, but it has one big flaw. It's the acting and the direction of the actors. The cast were mostly stage actors coming into this movie, and they delivered their performances too much as if they were still on the stage. The movements, dialog delivery, emoting are all way too big most of the time. People are yelling lines for no discernable reason. You sometimes need that on stage, you don't need it in a movie. Boorman did a fantastic job in all other aspects of direction, but he failed here in not toning the performances down a bit. I feel that is the thing (and its a major thing) that leads to people feeling it was overwrought.

I easily overlook that to continue appreciating it as the rest of the film is so well rendered. Boorman's use of lighting and atmosphere is incredible. And that scene of Kay calling the troops to arms and then the knights taking their last ride into battle set to O Fortuna is an all timer.

 

[El Floppo]

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

- YouTube

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Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I also love this film, but it has one big flaw. It's the acting and the direction of the actors. The cast were mostly stage actors coming into this movie, and they delivered their performances too much as if they were still on the stage. The movements, dialog delivery, emoting are all way too big most of the time. People are yelling lines for no discernable reason. You sometimes need that on stage, you don't need it in a movie. Boorman did a fantastic job in all other aspects of direction, but he failed here in not toning the performances down a bit. I fell that is the thing (and its a major thing) that leads to people feeling it was overwrought.

I easily overlook that to continue appreciating it as the rest of the film is so well rendered. Boorman's use of lighting and atmosphere is incredible. And that scene of Kay calling the troops to arms and then the knights taking their last ride into battle set to O Fortuna is an all timer.

Good call with the performances.

I also remember the armor and weapons looking silly and wrong- as a 13yo D&D need amped to see this. Like, too shiny and cheap looking. Also remember the lighting effects being overdone... Kinda glimmery washed out?

 

[Gr00vus]

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I also love this film, but it has one big flaw. It's the acting and the direction of the actors. The cast were mostly stage actors coming into this movie, and they delivered their performances too much as if they were still on the stage. The movements, dialog delivery, emoting are all way too big most of the time. People are yelling lines for no discernable reason. You sometimes need that on stage, you don't need it in a movie. Boorman did a fantastic job in all other aspects of direction, but he failed here in not toning the performances down a bit. I fell that is the thing (and its a major thing) that leads to people feeling it was overwrought.

I easily overlook that to continue appreciating it as the rest of the film is so well rendered. Boorman's use of lighting and atmosphere is incredible. And that scene of Kay calling the troops to arms and then the knights taking their last ride into battle set to O Fortuna is an all timer.

Good call with the performances.

I also remember the armor and weapons looking silly and wrong- as a 13yo D&D need amped to see this. Like, too shiny and cheap looking. Also remember the lighting effects being overdone... Kinda glimmery washed out?

I believe they built the armor custom out of aluminum. It still ended up being pretty heavy according to the actors. They definitely polished it up to be super shiny for some scenes but once it got covered in muck that ended quickly. I think the part that looked off to me were some of the stylized helmets. The "standard" armor sets looked decent to me.

Boorman really loved to play with the lighting, using severe tints he achieved various ways on set (rather than post processing) in many scenes. I liked the effects he got that way, but I can see how others feel it was too much / distracting.

 

[El Floppo]

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I also love this film, but it has one big flaw. It's the acting and the direction of the actors. The cast were mostly stage actors coming into this movie, and they delivered their performances too much as if they were still on the stage. The movements, dialog delivery, emoting are all way too big most of the time. People are yelling lines for no discernable reason. You sometimes need that on stage, you don't need it in a movie. Boorman did a fantastic job in all other aspects of direction, but he failed here in not toning the performances down a bit. I fell that is the thing (and its a major thing) that leads to people feeling it was overwrought.

I easily overlook that to continue appreciating it as the rest of the film is so well rendered. Boorman's use of lighting and atmosphere is incredible. And that scene of Kay calling the troops to arms and then the knights taking their last ride into battle set to O Fortuna is an all timer.

Good call with the performances.

I also remember the armor and weapons looking silly and wrong- as a 13yo D&D need amped to see this. Like, too shiny and cheap looking. Also remember the lighting effects being overdone... Kinda glimmery washed out?

I believe they built the armor custom out of aluminum. It still ended up being pretty heavy according to the actors. They definitely polished it up to be super shiny for some scenes but once it got covered in muck that ended quickly. I think the part that looked off to me were some of the stylized helmets. The "standard" armor sets looked decent to me.

Boorman really loved to play with the lighting, using severe tints he achieved various ways on set (rather than post processing) in many scenes. I liked the effects he got that way, but I can see how others feel it was too much / distracting.

Aluminum... Interesting! That must be it. The material just looked all wrong- aluminum <> steel/bronze or whatever metal was being used in Arthurian days. I don't remember the helmets, but that also probably fed into smart *** D&D nerd feeling something was off.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

Watch it on the big screen in 3d for the experience? Sure.
Watch it at home at 65" and 2d? Well, I believe I've seen this movie done elsewhere and better many times.

 

[Scoresman]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

Except there are plenty of movies that do both, visually impress and offer up a rewarding narrative and characters.

But yeah, visual goes a long way in this genre. It’s why a movie I really didn’t connect with or want to see again made the list.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

They probably should. Some of the best unintentional comedy ever.

 

[The Gator]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

It’s a movie, not a painting.

Dialogue matters imo

 

[Psychopav]

78. Excalibur​

1981 - 2h 20 - PG
Director: John Boorman
Metascore: 56

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.

I feel like this movie captured the lore of King Arthur perfectly, with a great cast of , at the time, up and coming actors, and great music and art direction.

Trivia: Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren met on the set of this movie and lived together for the next four years.

I also love this film, but it has one big flaw. It's the acting and the direction of the actors. The cast were mostly stage actors coming into this movie, and they delivered their performances too much as if they were still on the stage. The movements, dialog delivery, emoting are all way too big most of the time. People are yelling lines for no discernable reason. You sometimes need that on stage, you don't need it in a movie. Boorman did a fantastic job in all other aspects of direction, but he failed here in not toning the performances down a bit. I fell that is the thing (and its a major thing) that leads to people feeling it was overwrought.

I easily overlook that to continue appreciating it as the rest of the film is so well rendered. Boorman's use of lighting and atmosphere is incredible. And that scene of Kay calling the troops to arms and then the knights taking their last ride into battle set to O Fortuna is an all timer.

Good call with the performances.

I also remember the armor and weapons looking silly and wrong- as a 13yo D&D need amped to see this. Like, too shiny and cheap looking. Also remember the lighting effects being overdone... Kinda glimmery washed out?

I believe they built the armor custom out of aluminum. It still ended up being pretty heavy according to the actors. They definitely polished it up to be super shiny for some scenes but once it got covered in muck that ended quickly. I think the part that looked off to me were some of the stylized helmets. The "standard" armor sets looked decent to me.

Boorman really loved to play with the lighting, using severe tints he achieved various ways on set (rather than post processing) in many scenes. I liked the effects he got that way, but I can see how others feel it was too much / distracting.

This was me. I didn't understand why most of the movie felt like it was out of focus almost. Distracting is a good word for it.

 

[Todem]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

It’s a movie, not a painting.

Dialogue matters imo

It is appropriately ranked in this countdown.

It's been acknowledged......not gushed about in the least bit. If it never showed up in the top 100....I would not have batted an eye. And I have seen far worse science fiction than Avatar. That much is certain.

 

[The Gator]

It is appropriately ranked in this countdown.

Agreed. Wouldn’t have it any higher

 

[Scoresman]

I need to stop rewatching movies and reranking them…

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits.

Same experience. The 3D was pretty ground breaking at the time. Movie is ok, but it didn't need to be great. Agree it's a visual movie - I've watched it at home when it came to cable after seeing it in theater. It was still ok. Without the huge screen and sound, however, it wasn't worth watching again and I haven't since. I have no hate, but also no love. Its a good movie and was a great theater experience for sure.

Maybe a lot of people never saw it in the theater.

I didn't care about the sequel and doubt I'll ever see it.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

But……its relentless. The amount of time spent chasing a negative just seems so pointless.
Didnt like it? Fine. No need to spend more time criticising it than people ever saw watching it

Dialogue matters imo

In certain contexts yes, in others not at all. We all take something different from a movie experience.
Would I enjoy a Tarantino movie without good dialog? Probably, but its much better with the dialog he puts into it
Am i expecting good dialog in an action blockbuster? Nope. A few funny quips here and there, believable characters and a high energy pulse matters more.

I didn't care about the sequel and doubt I'll ever see it.

Yeah it was more like a high school reunion. Good to see, but kinda disappointing.
The visuals werent an advancement and we dont really care about the characters enough to give a ****.
Would i see the next one? Yep. A trip to Pandora is good for the eyes.
Like a good meal feeds the palate or a good song hits the ears

 

[Psychopav]

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

But……its relentless. The amount of time spent chasing a negative just seems so pointless.
Didnt like it? Fine. No need to spend more time criticising it than people ever saw watching it

Impossible. That movie was like 6 hours long.

 

[Scoresman]

77. Ex Machina​

2014 - 1h 48 - R
Director: Alex Garland
Metascore: 78

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A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Great sci-fi horror. Incredibly well written and thought out. There's a particular montage that is probably one of the most bone chilling you'll see in sci-fi.

Trivia: Director Alex Garland has described the future presented in the film as "ten minutes from now," meaning, "If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn't be that surprised."

 

[Andy Dufresne]

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

But……its relentless. The amount of time spent chasing a negative just seems so pointless.
Didnt like it? Fine. No need to spend more time criticising it than people ever saw watching it

But that's kind of what this thread is about.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

77. Ex Machina​

2014 - 1h 48 - R
Director: Alex Garland
Metascore: 78

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Great sci-fi horror. Incredibly well written and thought out. There's a particular montage that is probably one of the most bone chilling you'll see in sci-fi.

Trivia: Director Alex Garland has described the future presented in the film as "ten minutes from now," meaning, "If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn't be that surprised."

I went into this movie having no idea at all what it was about - I found it amazing. The acting and the tension were well above most movies in that realm.

 

[Scoresman]

76. La Jetee​

1962 - 28m - NR
Director: Chris Marker
Metascore: 82

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfsK8rgtOl0 <------ Not a trailer. It's the whole movie!!!

The story of a man forced to explore his memories in the wake of World War III's devastation, told through still images.

Ok, I'm not usually an arthouse film lover, "artsy fartsy" as it's called. But this short film is an exception. It's easily digestible, tells a great time travel story, and is an influence to so many other time travel and sci-fi flicks. I'm not one to put a movie on a list solely for it's influence and legacy, but this one is also very watchable at 28 minutes long and also has visual imagery that holds up.

Trivia: Ranked number 86 non-English-speaking film in the critics' poll conducted by the BBC in 2018.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

La Jetee influenced a movie I'm guessing we'll see a bit later.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If the topic of Jurassic Park comes up and I use the expression "clever girl," you instantly know exactly what 30-second scene I'm referring to. "See, nobody cares!" instantly brings back one particular throw-away scene. "Life finds a way" if practically a cliche inspired by this film.

What did Avatar give us?

Dotson! We've got Dotson here!

We say that all the time.

No menthol?

 

[Scoresman]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

 

[KarmaPolice]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

My retort is great experience <> great movie. To me a movie shouldn't require me to see it in the theater in 3D to make it good. Then it turns into a gimmick. I watched (tried to) it at home and it's boooooooring and doesn't look great.

 

[KarmaPolice]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

I thought it, does that count?

Good job so far. Many i haven't seen, and some jems like Timecrimes. Ex Machina would be a lot higher on my list, but thats what makes these fun.

 

[Scoresman]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

I thought it, does that count?

Good job so far. Many i haven't seen, and some jems like Timecrimes. Ex Machina would be a lot higher on my list, but thats what makes these fun.

That counts. Post it! No thumper rule here and I know a handful of these will not be on anyone else's lists.

Yeah, I've rewatched a few of these and really want to rank some higher, but it's so tough. This is a tough genre to rank. I have so many different criteria I weigh when ranking these.

 

[The Gator]

77. Ex Machina​

2014 - 1h 48 - R
Director: Alex Garland
Metascore: 78

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Great sci-fi horror. Incredibly well written and thought out. There's a particular montage that is probably one of the most bone chilling you'll see in sci-fi.

Trivia: Director Alex Garland has described the future presented in the film as "ten minutes from now," meaning, "If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn't be that surprised."

Love it

However, lump it with Primer and District 9 as underrated imo

 

[Dan Lambskin]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

I take it you’ve never spent any time on the pornomemes subreddit?

“What are you doing stepbrother?” Is a much more memorable quote than anything from avatar

And I’m sure there’s a quote of me in this forum somewhere saying the sequel was one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had, but I have no desire to watch it or the original on regular TV

It’s visually stunning and made to be seen on the big screen, but it’s not a good movie by any means

 

[FarFromHome]

"Our great mother does not take sides, Jake; she protects the balance of life."

 

[KarmaPolice]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

I thought it, does that count?

Good job so far. Many i haven't seen, and some jems like Timecrimes. Ex Machina would be a lot higher on my list, but thats what makes these fun.

That counts. Post it! No thumper rule here and I know a handful of these will not be on anyone else's lists.

Yeah, I've rewatched a few of these and really want to rank some higher, but it's so tough. This is a tough genre to rank. I have so many different criteria I weigh when ranking these.

I was kidding about that part. My actual thought was more like "huh, maybe I don't like sci-fi/fantasy as much as I thought". There are a ton I haven't seen on your list -from Beastmaster to Conan to Star Trek movies. There are a few I thought I would have way higher like Ex Machina, Dark City, and Gattaca but I also haven't sat down and tried to think about what my list WOULD look like. Maybe tonight as I do some MAD listening. I know what my #1 would be because it's my favorite movie, but besides that little clue.

 

[KarmaPolice]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

I take it you’ve never spent any time on the pornomemes subreddit?

“What are you doing stepbrother?” Is a much more memorable quote than anything from avatar

And I’m sure there’s a quote of me in this forum somewhere saying the sequel was one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had, but I have no desire to watch it or the original on regular TV

It’s visually stunning and made to be seen on the big screen, but it’s not a good movie by any means

Not "I'm stuck!" ?

 

[Scoresman]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

I thought it, does that count?

Good job so far. Many i haven't seen, and some jems like Timecrimes. Ex Machina would be a lot higher on my list, but thats what makes these fun.

That counts. Post it! No thumper rule here and I know a handful of these will not be on anyone else's lists.

Yeah, I've rewatched a few of these and really want to rank some higher, but it's so tough. This is a tough genre to rank. I have so many different criteria I weigh when ranking these.

I was kidding about that part. My actual thought was more like "huh, maybe I don't like sci-fi/fantasy as much as I thought". There are a ton I haven't seen on your list -from Beastmaster to Conan to Star Trek movies. There are a few I thought I would have way higher like Ex Machina, Dark City, and Gattaca but I also haven't sat down and tried to think about what my list WOULD look like. Maybe tonight as I do some MAD listening. I know what my #1 would be because it's my favorite movie, but besides that little clue.

My number 1 here is also my favorite movie currently.

I think the tail end of many people's lists would be wildly apart. Nostalgia plays a factor here. Some movies click for you or they don't. All the online lists I've looked at while researching are all completely different for the most part, even in the ranking of the top 25.

 

[KarmaPolice]

That's all for today.

So far, haven't heard many comments on the order of "That movie doesn't belong on the countdown because it's terrible". That might change with tomorrow's first couple of movies with two pretty polarizing films back to back.

Peanut Gallery better be ready.

I thought it, does that count?

Good job so far. Many i haven't seen, and some jems like Timecrimes. Ex Machina would be a lot higher on my list, but thats what makes these fun.

That counts. Post it! No thumper rule here and I know a handful of these will not be on anyone else's lists.

Yeah, I've rewatched a few of these and really want to rank some higher, but it's so tough. This is a tough genre to rank. I have so many different criteria I weigh when ranking these.

I was kidding about that part. My actual thought was more like "huh, maybe I don't like sci-fi/fantasy as much as I thought". There are a ton I haven't seen on your list -from Beastmaster to Conan to Star Trek movies. There are a few I thought I would have way higher like Ex Machina, Dark City, and Gattaca but I also haven't sat down and tried to think about what my list WOULD look like. Maybe tonight as I do some MAD listening. I know what my #1 would be because it's my favorite movie, but besides that little clue.

My number 1 here is also my favorite movie currently.

I think the tail end of many people's lists would be wildly apart. Nostalgia plays a factor here. Some movies click for you or they don't. All the online lists I've looked at while researching are all completely different for the most part, even in the ranking of the top 25.

Let's be honest as well. My list probably only goes 50 deep because of my being a genre grump. I'd probably knock out too many to comedy, horror, whatever.

That said, I just looked at my shelf and I had more that could be used for the countdown than I expected. Several I hadn't considered for it or remembered, but I also wouldn't know where else I'd put them either. Like you said above, it's a visual genre that usually looks great on a screen, and I lean more this than straight action.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

77. Ex Machina

I'm doing a mental subset SciFi ranking for "movies to watch when your wife and kids are in bed and the edibles have just kicked in" and so far this one is at the top of my list.

 

[The Gator]

77. Ex Machina

I'm doing a mental subset SciFi ranking for "movies to watch when your wife and kids are in bed and the edibles have just kicked in" and so far this one is at the top of my list.

YES

 

[KarmaPolice]

77. Ex Machina

I'm doing a mental subset SciFi ranking for "movies to watch when your wife and kids are in bed and the edibles have just kicked in" and so far this one is at the top of my list.

Not for this guy. It freaks me out too much.

 

[FarFromHome]

77. Ex Machina

I'm doing a mental subset SciFi ranking for "movies to watch when your wife and kids are in bed and the edibles have just kicked in" and so far this one is at the top of my list.

Not for this guy. It freaks me out too much.

Ex Machina. Brilliant movie. Brilliant. When I'm scouring for similar movies im seeking for that next Ex Machina. One of those movies you wish you could watch again for the first time.

 

[opensourcebeer]

77. Ex Machina​

2014 - 1h 48 - R
Director: Alex Garland
Metascore: 78

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Great sci-fi horror. Incredibly well written and thought out. There's a particular montage that is probably one of the most bone chilling you'll see in sci-fi.

Trivia: Director Alex Garland has described the future presented in the film as "ten minutes from now," meaning, "If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn't be that surprised."

I went into this movie having no idea at all what it was about - I found it amazing. The acting and the tension were well above most movies in that realm.

77. Ex Machina​

2014 - 1h 48 - R
Director: Alex Garland
Metascore: 78

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.

Great sci-fi horror. Incredibly well written and thought out. There's a particular montage that is probably one of the most bone chilling you'll see in sci-fi.

Trivia: Director Alex Garland has described the future presented in the film as "ten minutes from now," meaning, "If somebody like Google or Apple announced tomorrow that they had made Ava, we would all be surprised, but we wouldn't be that surprised."

Love it

However, lump it with Primer and District 9 as underrated imo

Agreed.

"I’m gonna tear up the ****ing dance floor, dude, check it out."

 

[shuke]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

Watch it on the big screen in 3d for the experience? Sure.
Watch it at home at 65" and 2d? Well, I believe I've seen this movie done elsewhere and better many times.

I actually watched it on an airplane. Meh.

 

[The Gator]

So we need to watch:

Primer
Dark City (directors cut)
Return to Oz

I do agree that Conan and Beastmaster were too early.

I do like Avatar. The world is really awesome. The story though has been done and done a lot better. But the influence to pop culture is undeniable and yes the ride at Animal Kingdom is seriously the best theme park ride I have ever experienced.

I'd argue it's cultural impact is nearly zero.

The world Cameron created is quite popular. So I don’t know about its cultural impact…..but there is an entire section of a theme park dedicated to this world.

I like the world……as far as the actual story? I said it had been done. It’s Dances With Wolves in space.

Compare and contrast with Jurassic Park, which also gets the theme park treatment.

How many scenes from Jurassic Park can you instantly recall? How many lines of dialog? How many characters? How often do you see memes featuring stills from this movie?

Avatar just doesn't even seem to exist, by way of contrast.

I agree but people talk about Avatar like it’s trash.

It’s not trash. Overrated? Yeah I can agree with that.

They have a legion of fanatics.

It’s basically just Fern Gully in space

Do people concentrate on the dialog in porn movies?

Avatar is a visual experience.
People here talk about it like it killed their grandmother.
Way too much energy expended on talking about how overrated and bad the story is. The too cool for school crowd.

I will defend Avatar as a movie experience forever. Saw it three times in the cinema with my kids and we all loved it to bits. I dont give a flying **** about the story.

But... That's just confirming the criticism.

Watch it on the big screen in 3d for the experience? Sure.
Watch it at home at 65" and 2d? Well, I believe I've seen this movie done elsewhere and better many times.

I actually watched it on an airplane. Meh.

 

[shuke]

I guess I need to watch Ex Machina.

 

[shuke]

Totally serious, by the way.

 

[Tick]

First 5 out. Not listing any more than this in case someone wants to do a next 100 or whatever.

105. Krull
1983 - 2h 1 - PG
Director: Peter Yates
Metascore: 45

A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.

The glaive... that TE on the Broncos has brought this to mind some lately. I was the right age to think this movie was awesome at the time, but it sucks of course. I get some of the images mixed up with Conan the Destroyer for some reason.

 

[Tick]

OK, here we go.

​

100. Snowpiercer​

2013 - 2H 6 - R
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Metascore: 84

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

In a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.

The movie the TV show would later be based on. and from the same director as Parasite. This one is loaded with great acting, fast pacing, and good action sequences. The premise has some holes, but that's fine. This movie is more of an allegory about classism (similar to Parasite! Hmmm..).

This is such a brash movie - the villains are so over the top. It's just a perfect video game setting - better save before you enter the next car and see what's waiting for you. It's funny to see which movies have multiple superhero actors in it too - nobody would pick Snowpiercer and Scott Pilgrim for that.

 

[Tick]

97. The Beastmaster​

1982 - 1h 58 - PG
Director: Don Coscarelli
Metascore: 18

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man's search for revenge. Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his animal allies wage war against marauding forces.

This was 6 year old Scoresman's favorite movie for a few months. It's campy and cheesy, and just so perfectly weird.

Trivia: According to director Don Coscarelli, the original camera negative for this film is lost. Contrary to standard practices, it was stored in a private house which was sold, and it is not known what happened to the cans which housed the negative. Coscarelli has asked the public for help.

This one gets mixed up with The Sword and the Sorcerer for me - I would have told you Beastmaster had a 3-bladed sword in it, but I would have been wrong. What a year - Beastmaster, Sword and the Sorcerer, and Conan.

 

[Tick]

92. Conan the Barbarian​

1982 - 2h 9 - R
Director: John Milius
Metascore: 43

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.

Of all the sword and scorcery movies of the early 80s featuring shirtless men, this one is probably the best. This one also feels the most epic to me.

Trivia: Oliver Stone asked Ridley Scott, fresh off Alien (1979), to direct. He declined.

Rocks

 

[Tick]

92. Conan the Barbarian​

1982 - 2h 9 - R
Director: John Milius
Metascore: 43

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

A powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.

Of all the sword and scorcery movies of the early 80s featuring shirtless men, this one is probably the best. This one also feels the most epic to me.

Trivia: Oliver Stone asked Ridley Scott, fresh off Alien (1979), to direct. He declined.

I read a ton of the Robert E Howard books on Conan when I was a kid. I enjoyed this movie (although if memory serves the sequel was pretty weak).

They wanted a broader appeal for the sequel after the first was more successful than anticipated, and cut a lot of scenes to get to a PG rating and added more humor. It was not very good.

A little foggy, but I'm almost certain this movie was the first time i seen boobs in my life. Also my first real exposure to gore and violence. I loved it.

My first boobs too.