Scientists polled: best Sci-Fi movies?

[Dr Mordrid]

The UK's Guardian newspaper surveyed 60 top scientists as to what is their list of the best Sci-Fi movies. Results in order;

Blade Runner
2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars IV
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
Alien
Solaris (Tarkovsky's 1972 Russian version, not Soderbergh's lame remake)
Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Day the Earth Stood Still
War of the Worlds
The Matrix
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Not too bad. I might quibble over the order of the list, but it's a good list. I'd probably add;

ET: The Extraterristrial
Aliens (example of a sequel as good or better than the original)
Young Frankenstein (gotta put in a comedy or two )
A Clockwork Orange
Planet of the Apes (original)
Dr. Strangelove (comedy #2)
Incredible Shrinking Man (just flat excellent writing)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original)
Fail-Safe

& perhaps a few others.

Dr. Mordrid

[gt40]

good list
I personally would take close encounters off - didn't really like it.

Blade Runner is definetly on the top thou

[Jessterw]

Some of the choices are a tad odd, but yes, a fairly good list.

[spadnos]

Add "The Quiet Earth", and you have a very eclectic list.

- Steve

[Brian R.]

Fail-Safe Science fiction?

Good list otherwise.

[Dr Mordrid]

Fail-Safe is a story about failures of technology and diplomacy causing political leaders to destroy two cities, NYC and Moscow, in order to save the rest of the world. What's not Sci-Fi about that? It's also more plausible than most Sci-Fi movies on or off the list.

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

Surprised to not see The Andromeda Strain or Farenheit 451.

[Dr Mordrid]

Those were in the "few others" catagory

Sound good to me....

Dr. Mordrid

[schmosef]

Who saw the Solaris remake? The thing barely made any sense. What a waste. It was like two hours of Clooney being sad (in every sense of the word). What a waste.

[Jewish Yenta voice]For this he left ER?[/]

[Jessterw]

Well it was a remake and it was starring Clooney in a role that just doesn't fit his projected screen persona. I fell asleep.

Can't believe Space Balls didn't make the list.

[schmosef]

Originally posted by Jesterzwild
Can't believe Space Balls didn't make the list.

Love Space Balls!

In my office, I'm known for the occasional declaration: "I'm surrounded by A$$holes!"

[Dr Mordrid]

Me too, but then I'm a huge Mel Brooks fan

Dr. Mordrid

[Dr Mordrid]

Originally posted by schmosef
Who saw the Solaris remake? The thing barely made any sense. What a waste. It was like two hours of Clooney being sad (in every sense of the word). What a waste.

You know what was worse? Watching Soderbergh and Clooney on PBS's Charlie Rose interview program talking for an hour about how good they though it turned out

Dr. Mordrid

[schmosef]

The interview was probably more entertaining.

I remember watching the movie and waiting for it to really start. About an hour in I realized, this is not pre-amble, this is the movie. And I thought, "Oh,... huh?"

[Brian R.]

Originally posted by Dr Mordrid
Fail-Safe is a story about failures of technology and diplomacy causing political leaders to destroy two cities, NYC and Moscow, in order to save the rest of the world. What's not Sci-Fi about that? It's also more plausible than most Sci-Fi movies on or off the list.

Dr. Mordrid

I call that fiction and drama, not science fiction.

You can classify it anyway you want. It's your list.