The X-Files Promos: "Colony" and "End Game"

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Films: Jeffrey Siniard

Our final list for today (with more coming up tomorrow and Friday...) comes from Jeffrey Siniard, and it has some great selections that we haven't seen before.

Starship Troopers (1997) -- a caustic satire of nationalist propaganda -- is here to represent the works of Verhoeven, and I also appreciate that Gilliam's mind-bending 12 Monkey's (1995) made the list.  Both are solid and worthwhile choices.  

Here's Jeffrey:

"Here's my list for Science Fiction films. I decided only to list films I've actually seen, along with some honorable mentions and films that I need to watch.

Note: I understand the lasting impact and influence of Star Wars is incredible, especially it's special effects, pacing, and it's status as the original blockbuster, but it's really not Science Fiction to me (more like Fantasy, where it would be close to #1).  Also, if I'm picking a Star Wars film, I'd want the best one - which I think is The Empire Strikes Back. Anyway, onto the list...

Top Ten (no particular order after #1)

#1     2001: A Space Odyssey    

    Forbidden Planet

    Starship Troopers

    Alien

    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    Silent Running

    The Matrix

    12 Monkeys

    Blade Runner

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Honorable Mention

    Gattaca

    A.I. Artificial Intelligence

    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

    Prometheus

    The War of the Worlds (1953)

    Aliens

    The Abyss (Director's Cut)

    Solaris (2002)

    Sunshine

    The Terminator

    Terminator 2: Judgement Day

    Moon

    

On the "to watch" List

    Solaris (1972)

    Metropolis

    Brazil

    District 9

    Things to Come

    Logan's Run

    Destination Moon"

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Films: Le0pard13 at It Rains...You Get Wet.

Le0pard13 at the blog It Rains...You Get Wet, is one of my favorite film writers on the net, and a great friend to boot.  Last year he compiled a top ten sci-fi films list at his blog, and I want to include his excellent choices in our tally.

So here is Le0pard13's list:

1. Blade Runner (1982)

2.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

3. Planet of the Apes (1968)

4. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

5. Star Wars (1977)

6. Alien (1979)

7. Forbidden Planet (1956)

8. The Matrix(1999)

9.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

10.Children of Men (2006)

This is (I think...) the first list that has Blade Runner (1982) in the number one slot, and that's a great choice.  My top twenty would include Alien, Blade Runner and Prometheus -- a veritable Ridley Scott-a-thon.

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Film Lists: David Fullam

Reader David Fullam tallies up his top ten SF films, below, with some explanations:

"Here is the list of the ten I find to be the best. This WAS NOT easy by any means. Picking only 10 was a pain and several classics were left out. 

1. 2001-A Space Odyssey.

2. The Day The Earth Stood Still (Original).

3. Space Runaway Ideon-Be Invoked.

4. Forbidden Planet.

5. Andromeda Strain.

6. Silent Running.

7. Things to Come.

8. War of the Worlds (George Pal version).

9. Invaders From Mars (Original).

10. Mobile Suit Gundam 3-Reunion in Space.

Just missing out were Blade Runner, Metropolis, Star Trek 2-The Wrath of Khan, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars and The Thing From Another World. I feel that Alien and the Carpenter version of The Thing are actually Horror films. I tried to limit it to what I feel is straight up Science Fiction, which is why classics like THEM and Godzilla (1954) are not here. I think they veer more towards Monster movies."

Great list, David!  I also seriously pondered The Andromeda Strain, Things to Come and Silent Running, so I'm happy to see all those titles made your list.  Your anime choices -- I must admit -- are not from my field of expertise, but I'm dipping my toe into anime with Star Blazers at the moment (and have already watched Evangelion).  I'm intrigued by the title of these, so I will definitely check them out at some point.

Also, this is the first time that Invaders from Mars has made the list!  Cool.  I love the expressive production design in that Menzies film.  The whole film takes on a child's eye perspective in an amazing fashion.

And readers: don't forget, I'll be posting reader top tens through Friday, and then tallying up all the votes by the weekend. So send me those lists at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com

Readers Top Ten Science Fiction Films List: Ampersand

A regular reader and commenter, Ampersand offers his top ten list below.

"Disclaimer: Ask me again tomorrow and you might get 10 different films, but I think over time these are the ones that I'd pick most often. Presented in alphabetical order:

1. Alien (with honours to its spiritual predecessor, Dark Star)

2. Blade Runner (pretty much any of the various versions; they all have their strengths)

3. Forbidden Planet (without which we might not have Star Trek or Star Wars or ...)

4. James Whale's Frankenstein / Bride of Frankenstein (I justify including this as one movie if only because the combined runtime of the two movies is less than that of most individual movies today)

5. The Iron Giant ("I am not a gun.")

6. Slaughterhouse-Five

7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (of all the ST movies, this is both the closest in spirit to and a thoughtful critique of The Original Series)

8. Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope if you must -- I personally think the sequels and prequels led to increasingly diminishing returns, but nothing beats the original for evoking the sheer excitement of space opera)

9. John Carpenter's The Thing (which I do consider sci-fi, although it's also a damn fine horror movie)

10. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Looking over my selections, I'd like to say that there's an overall connecting theme involving an implicit or explicit discussion of the nature of storytelling ... but that might just me being pretentious.

Anyway, thanks for your great blog, and thanks for giving us a chance to play along!"

My pleasure, Ampersand.  

And you played very well, indeed!  I am a fan of The Iron Giant, and I actually have Slaughterhouse Five at home here (from Netflix) so I can review it for my upcoming book, Science Fiction Films of the 1970s,   I have never seen it before, so seeing it on your list is great serendipity.

I am also happy to see Alien atop the list!

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Films List: Kevin Harmon

Blogger and friend Kevin Harmon starts us off today with Day Three of Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Film Lists.  

I'll be posting more lists today and tomorrow and Friday, and then, on the weekend, be tallying up all the votes.

Kevin's list highlights some great choices, and it reminds me of the Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back Conundrum.  Which goes on the list?  I picked Star Wars on my list, as the originator, but Empire is, in many ways, a superior film.  The question is, does that superiority arise from the short-hand/characterization/world established by Star Wars?  I think everyone will answer this question differently, but they are two great films, to be certain.

I was also happy to see Children of Men on the list.  It is a brilliant film, but God is it bleak! It makes me cry like a baby every time I've watched, and I've watched it three times!

I should also observe at this juncture that 2001: A Space Odyssey is by far and away a favorite not only for the reader top ten, but appears on most lists in the number #1 slot!  

So here is Kevin's list:

"1.2001 A Space Odyssey

2. Alien

3. Blade Runner

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

5. The Empire Strikes Back

6. E.T.

7.Star Trek Wrath of Khan

8. Planet of the Apes

9. Children of Men

10. Gattaca

Then, in 'impossible to rank' order: The Road Warrior, The Terminator 2, District 9, Looper, Flash Gordon, Minority Report, A Clockwork Orange, The Matrix, Primer, Aliens."

Great list, Kevin!  

And readers: don't forget to send me your list Muirbusiness@yahoo.com

Collectible of the Week: The Colonial Warrior and Cylon Centurion from the Battlestar Galactica Collection (Mattel; 1979)

“In the far reaches of space, human colonies were founded by a legendary mother race.  The Colonials are their descendants.  Now, in the seventh millennium of time, these freedom-loving humans try once again for peace with their rivals, the evil, non-human Cylons.  On an errand of peace, the Colonial fleet is treacherously attacked.  The battle lines are drawn again.  Now it’s Colonials against non-human Cylons.  The epic struggle resumes.”

-From Mattel’s Battlestar Galactica Colonial Warrior and Cylon Centurion Box Art, circa 1979.

In 1979, the Star Wars (1977) toy and movie craze was still going strong, and Mattel acquired the license to Glen Larson’s new outer space series, Battlestar Galactica (1978 – 1979). It produced many toys for the line, including small toy ships (Vipers, Cylon Raiders, stellar probe, Scarab, etc.), as well as a full line of 3-inch figures.

In addition, however, Mattel manufactured two large, 12-inch figures, the Colonial Warrior and his enemy, The Cylon Centurion.   The figures shared the same body mold, which was actually a re-cast or re-use of a character called Captain Lazer” (“Major Matt Mason’s Friend from Outer Space") in the late 1960s.  This wasn't the first time Mattel had re-purposed old space toys.  Their Space: 1999 Moonbase Alpha set, for instance, featured a "star flash" computer that was also, actually, a Matt Mason toy.

Both BSG action figures came complete with a large black backpack and a “pump” that when pressed would activate the lights on their crystalline-appearing energy weapons, and in the Cylon's case, his chest light or "heart."  These energy weapons came with a variety of strange extensions, of different shapes, and made “star system sounds.”  

Additionally, the Cylon Centurion’s tell-tale red “eye” could be moved back and forth in his robotic skull by a horizontal lever on the back of his helmet.

The Colonial Warrior was a blond-haired, elfin-looking fellow garbed in a tan vest, who failed to resemble Apollo or Starbuck to even a slight degree.  In fact, he appeared to have slightly pointed ears and up-swept eyebrows, granting that kind of “fantasy" elf impression.  I remember, when my aunt Patty and Uncle Bob bought me these great toys for my birthday, the first thing I did was paint the Colonial Warrior’s hair brown.

Somewhere along the line, I managed to lose my customized Colonial Warrior.  I still have in my home office the Cylon Centurion, complete with his chrome chest-plate, though his “laser pistol” extensions are all broken or gone at this late date.  Below the toy commercial heralding these large-scale figures from the Battlestar Galactica Collection (posted by the wonderful Plaid Stallions).

Model Kit of the Week: Cylon Raider (Monogram)

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Film Lists: Pierre Fontaine

The lists are coming fast and furious now!  Keep 'em coming!   I'll be posting them all week (along with other posts), and then tallying up all the votes for a blog post this weekend.

Next up, a great list from reader and writer Pierre Fontaine.  I love that he has Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) on the list, to represent the work of the great Robert Wise.  

I almost moved The Andromeda Strain (1971) (also from Wise) onto my list.  But The Motion Picture is really terrific, and much better than it is given credit for.  I'm also happy to see King Kong on the list, and the George Pal War of the Worlds.  That's another one that made it close to my top ten.

So, here is Pierre's list:

"Here's a list of my top-ten sci-fi movies (with a few fantasy films thrown in as well).  I can easily name many more TV shows but here are the movies I really love:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture  (truth be told, 2001 and Star Trek are basically interchangeable...I know sacrilege!!!)

3. Planet Of The Apes (1968 version)

4. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

5. Star Wars/The Empire Strike Back (tie)

6. Metropolis

7. King Kong (1933)

8. Forbidden Planet

9. War Of The Worlds/When World's Collide (tie)

10. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

I would love to include a bunch of 70's sci-fi as well which would be very hard to rank in order:

Logan's Run

Soylent Green

Colusses - The Forbin Project

WestWorld

Great topic and as always a wonderful blog!"

Thanks Pierre, that's a great list!  Remember readers, send 'em to me at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com

Reader Top Ten Science Fiction Film List: Collin R. Skocik

My friend Collin Skocik contributes another thoughtful and outstanding list here, and one with a few surprises.  

I'm glad to see another John Carpenter title -- Dark Star (1974) -- make the list, as well as another one of my favorites, Moon (2009).  

Collin also comments on scientific accuracy as being a qualification for inclusion on his list.

Collin writes: 

"Very difficult list to compile. My qualifications are scientific accuracy + great entertainment + 

long-term relevance--the scientific accuracy part explains the absence of such favorites as Star Trek II, Flash Gordon, and Star Wars. Also, I compiled this in a hurry, so I didn't give it too, too much thought, and there might be glaring, unforgivable omissions. But, here we go... 

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2. Forbidden Planet

3. Planet of the Apes

4. Blade Runner

5. Soylent Green

6. Alien

7. Metropolis

8. 2010: Odyssey Two

9. Moon

10. Dark Star

Don't forget to get me those lists at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com.  I hope to have an amalgamated or "definitive" list by this weekend, with votes tallies!

Reader Top-Ten Science Fiction Film List: J.D. at Radiator Heaven

J.D. Lafrance, a reader, and the terrific movie blogger at Radiator Heaven contributes his list of top ten science fiction films, below:

"J.D. here from Radiator Heaven. I saw your post about ranking top ten fave SF films. Man, tough choices, but I think I narrowed it down to 10:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2. Star Wars (1977)

3. Blade Runner (1982)

4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

5. Planet of the Apes (1968)

6. The Matrix (1999)

7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

8. The Thing (1982)

9. Mad Max (1979)

10. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)"

J.D.'s list is great, and I'm happy to see a Star Trek film crack the top ten.  It makes sense it should be Wrath of Khan, I agree, in part because of the literary mirrors that Khan and Kirk/Spock represent: Moby Dick (revenge) vs. A Tale of Two Cities (friendship, sacrifice).  

I'm also thrilled to see a Body Snatchers film on the list, though I've always *slightly* preferred "my" generation's Pod People; the 1978 film with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy 

Terrific list, J.D.! 

Don't forget to send me your top ten list at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com