Comments on: Your Beginner’s Guide To Essential Sci-Fi At The Movies http://www.scificool.com/your-beginner-guide-to-essential-sci-fi-at-the-movies/ No Anal Probing Involved Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Hall of the Wendigo http://www.scificool.com/your-beginner-guide-to-essential-sci-fi-at-the-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-8076 Hall of the Wendigo Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:11:51 +0000 http://www.scificool.com/?p=5518#comment-8076 I'd throw in Forbidden Planet, The Thing From Another World and The Day The Earth Stood Still. All oldies but goodies. I’d throw in Forbidden Planet, The Thing From Another World and The Day The Earth Stood Still. All oldies but goodies.

]]> By: endymi0n http://www.scificool.com/your-beginner-guide-to-essential-sci-fi-at-the-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-6316 endymi0n Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:06:34 +0000 http://www.scificool.com/?p=5518#comment-6316 Great choices. I choose the films in the list for their easy-in quality. They are entertaining but not too much of a mind stretch. You don't want to lay The Matrix or The Fountain on a newbie. Great choices. I choose the films in the list for their easy-in quality. They are entertaining but not too much of a mind stretch. You don’t want to lay The Matrix or The Fountain on a newbie.

]]> By: steve davidson http://www.scificool.com/your-beginner-guide-to-essential-sci-fi-at-the-movies/comment-page-1/#comment-6315 steve davidson Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:23:51 +0000 http://www.scificool.com/?p=5518#comment-6315 Well. Hmmm. Essentials? THIS is where you have to start? Would it be any surprise that I'll take issue with your list? Admittedly, I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that movies I saw upon initial release (or at reviewer's screenings) are now more than a generation old (seems like yesterday) - but that only means that you can't really find fault if I go back almost another generation (or more) with my recommendations: If you really want to be familiar with the genre and find out where movies like the ones you recommended find their origins, you need to start with THIS list: Metropolis: either the original, the original with found footage or Giorgio Morodor's slightly colorized version will do. Silent, B&W and hewing to older sensibilities though it may, this was an epic production at the time and well-worth the watch. Things To Come. Korda. Massey. H. G. Wells. The prototypical apocalyptic - dark future, military SF and future to the stars movie. Other than Melies' tributes, the first time Wells is brought to the screen. A touching and thoughtful film. King Kong. The original, uncut version. Destination Moon. A Heinlein - based project - and the world's first scientifically accurate science fiction film. The Day the Earth Stood Still. Forbidden Planet. The Thing From Another World 2001: A Space Odyssey And a host of other so-called 50's 'B' movies. Not to mention some of the serials - notably Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. I've no doubt that some will find many of these slow, stilted and very revealing of the times in which they were made - but good roots are buried deep and always require the removal of a little dirt to get to. Well. Hmmm. Essentials? THIS is where you have to start?

Would it be any surprise that I’ll take issue with your list?

Admittedly, I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that movies I saw upon initial release (or at reviewer’s screenings) are now more than a generation old (seems like yesterday) – but that only means that you can’t really find fault if I go back almost another generation (or more) with my recommendations:

If you really want to be familiar with the genre and find out where movies like the ones you recommended find their origins, you need to start with THIS list:

Metropolis: either the original, the original with found footage or Giorgio Morodor’s slightly colorized version will do. Silent, B&W and hewing to older sensibilities though it may, this was an epic production at the time and well-worth the watch.

Things To Come. Korda. Massey. H. G. Wells. The prototypical apocalyptic – dark future, military SF and future to the stars movie. Other than Melies’ tributes, the first time Wells is brought to the screen. A touching and thoughtful film.

King Kong. The original, uncut version.

Destination Moon. A Heinlein – based project – and the world’s first scientifically accurate science fiction film.

The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Forbidden Planet.

The Thing From Another World

2001: A Space Odyssey

And a host of other so-called 50′s ‘B’ movies. Not to mention some of the serials – notably Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

I’ve no doubt that some will find many of these slow, stilted and very revealing of the times in which they were made – but good roots are buried deep and always require the removal of a little dirt to get to.

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