Kumerica
Footballguy
12. Arrival (5 pts)Sorry for the delay. Eddie Van Halen died and I was inconsolable, listening to VH music, trying to remember how to play riffs, etc. When I looked up, it was later than I wanted to post.
Science Fiction On Earth
The (Un)Scientific Scoring Methodology:
1. As with every other category, while I was busy watching or rewatching some of the films, I enlisted some trusted and reliable movie-loving friends to assist. I asked them each to force rank everything in the category--without consulting the internet or other sources—according to their preferences. Sure enough, the results often differed substantially.
2. I took the average of their rankings to help create an initial tier.
3. Since they weren’t very helpful previously, I did NOT consult lists from a wide swath of publications this time around.
4. I went ahead and created my own ranking based on the following, in no particular order:
- My personal enjoyment watching and/or rewatching the movie, as well as my history with it.
- Does it belong in this category?
- Weight (i.e. Legacy, influence, timelessness, awards (rarely), average rankings of my friends, etc.)
In the end, there is such a thing as “best” vs. “favorite,” and as far as these rankings are concerned, in case it was close, my favorites tended to edge out what might be technically/ commercially/critically considered a better film within the genre.
The movies listed here are all great films in their own rights. But, before you get upset at the point assignments, please remember, whatever you think . . .
I make this look good.
16. Independence Day (1 pt.)
I remember seeing this for the first time in the theater. As the credits began to roll, my friend turned to me and said, “It was bad, but I liked it.” And that kind of sums it up for me. It was a 90s popcorn-and-Cherry Coke summer blockbuster. Poop, yes, but fun poop.
15. The Fly (2 pts)
Do You Have Room?
14. Men In Black (3 pts)
I feel kinda bad for ranking this film so low, I remember enjoying it a lot and it was tremendous fun. But when I rewatch it now, I just don’t enjoy it as much. It could be that it feels too much like a cartoon, or a a kids’ movie . . . I don’t know. More likely is that I’ve simply become jaded by the Will Smith swagger, particularly from this era, apparently.
13. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (4 pts)
Cold War paranoia at its finest, this movie was a template for many a SciFi horror trope, but not necessarily for the positive. It’s a classic, to be sure, but a classic B-movie that my rewatch only hindered and did not help. Sorry, drafter.
Recency bias may have this a bit lower than some might expect, but it feels right to me. There’s not a lot to complain about—the production design is stand-out fantastic—and the overall plot, alien intentions, narrative style, flash forwards, etc. are all woven together nicely. I really liked this movie, in the theater, as well as a few rewatches, but with each viewing I was constantly left feeling as though it’s a well-executed composite of things I’d already seen, and that I wanted it to be better.
11. Robocop (6 pts)
1980s Detroit, baby! It’s not a particularly high ranking for this classic, but that could be because it’s dated . . . or because it’s feeling a bit too real now. That said, I still love it, and will always watch it when it’s on, I just can’t rank it higher than the others above it.
10. Ex-Machina (7 pts)
The conversations we have when Science Fiction steps into Science Fact. The production design on this is stellar, the film is tight overall, and the actors are all aces. It’s quiet and meditative, leaning on its script and the nuances of its actors to carry it through—this is its strength, as well as its weakness in terms of ranking. As much as I liked it, in a scenario similar to Arrival, it didn’t resonate long-term with me as much as the films above it (or even some of those below it). Still, a small but mighty film with vision. The lesson? Be nice to your appliances.
9. Snowpiercer (8 pts)
My first Bong Joon-ho film, I saw this at the theater and, over the 7 years since, have been insisting to friends that they watch this movie. Liked Okja? Man, you need to see Snowpiercer! Loved Parasite? Yeah, you can see more of his class-based awesomeness in Snowpiercer, which really brought him to the fore! I’ve seen this several times, and although a rewatch in this case wasn’t necessary, I did it anyway. It’s grim, but I love it. I wish I could rank it higher, but there are some classics, surprises, and sentimental choices ahead of it. Still, a worthy contender.