Blogger and reader Cannon presents next his list of the top
ten greatest science fiction films of the 1970s.
Cannon writes:
“Once again I’m forced to repeat myself: for me, Star Wars is far more fantasy
than science fiction, while Mad
Max isn’t really science fiction at all. Otherwise, both would
surely make the list.
10. Empire of
the Ants / Kingdom of the
Spiders
One has giant sized ants that take over people’s minds. The
other has regular sized spiders ...and William Shatner.
9. The
Terminal Man
The first of three on this list from Crichton. Mike Hodges’
staid direction coupled with George Segal’s eerie, doubled performance makes
for an effective slow-burner that predates many a man-machine films with its
cautionary tale of modern science wreaking a murderous havoc.
8. The Andromeda Strain
Robert Wise the Great, and his clinically precise approach
in crafting one of the finest techno-thrillers to ever grace the medium. Here,
there be intelligent characters who actually think their way
through a tightly wound narrative. Still possibly the most realistic depiction
of alien contact.
7.Coma
Directed by Crichton himself, and surely inspired by Wise
(maybe some Hitchcock, too). The behavior of its main protagonist as a woman in
a (then) modern medical environment -- the psychological/sociological
factors -- is as crucial to the story as is the plot concerning mysterious
deaths during anesthesia.
6. The Brood
A rather bizarre horror tale of a woman with the power of
parthenogenetic creation. It’s really rather difficult to explain any further
without drifting into complicated notions of meta-science therapy and
supernatural psychosomatics. It’s Cronenberg, so, you know it’s weird.
5. Invasion of
the Body Snatchers
Phillip Kaufman’s A-game in the director’s chair (2nd only
to The Right Stuff). I’ve
always particularly loved the San Francisco setting, among other. Honestly, it
is to the 1956 original what Carpenter’s The Thing is to
Hawks’ 1951 version. And that ending...
4. Close
Encounters of the Third Kind
Ironically, the aliens themselves are the least interesting
part; Spielberg does more cheating with sensationalism than genuinely exploring
the concept. The real magic at work here is how he uses the premise to
illustrate dysfunctions of the Baby-Boomers and contemporary American culture
in general; about a regular suburban family man that suffers from slight
arrested development, sent for the tailspin of all tailspins.
3. Star Trek:
The Motion Picture
A masterpiece. Hands down, the best cinematic incarnation of
Roddenberry’s romantic futurism, and Wise’s best film. No, it wasn’t like the
TV show. That was the whole goddamn point: the embrace of something bigger,
grander and more epic. To boldly go where no Trek episode had gone
before, with class and widescreen majesty. It’s visual, musical; poised and
astute. And, no, it doesn’t lack character depth. The crew and its main three
are right there, in the thick of a profound, high-concept journey, each fully
realized with story-related perspectives that offer insight to VG’rer’s
evolution.
2. Alien
I like the part where a half-naked Ripley slips into her
space suit. That whole scene is rife with sexual zigzags: a predatory
intruder -- a rapist -- and a woman slipping on
"protection".
1. THX 1138
Lucas has since described this as a comedy of sorts. Watch
closely, he’s right. Dry absurdity permeates the film. In any event, it’s
abstract, audiovisual storytelling that only Lucas can do.
Cannon: Your list and your explanations never fail to
impress.
Your list is heavy on Michael
Crichton – The Andromeda Strain, The Terminal Man, and Coma
– and that’s a good thing. The seventies
were the great decade for that author’s work on screen (especially when you add
Westworld
and The
Great Train Robbery to the list).
I love all of those films, and feel that they were trading not merely in
conspiracies (a major topic of 1970s films because of the Watergate Scandal),
but the cutting-edge of bio-ethics and sociology, as you rightly tag.
Also, I am very happy to read your affirmation of Star
Trek: The Motion Picture. Your
description absolutely nails the film’s virtues. I also agree with your description of THX-1138. There's a droll sense of humor under the surface there. It's a vibe that doesn't become entirely clear until the ending, and the capitulation of the State.
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