Blade Runner tops SFX poll

[Rhodes]

The Ice Pirates!

[P_Funk]

I hate how they just lump Sci Fi and Fantasy and Horror all into one category. It slike if you put War Movies and Action Movies in the same category. Predator beats out the Longest Day in this week's top ten!!!!!

Blaerunner really is the best Sci Fi film. Visually its also incredible. Without egregious CGI, before computers dominated every effect in every movie, looks just as good as anything made today.

The real heart of Sci Fi is the discussion of the nature of humanity, or the nature of reality, which is a similar if the same topic. Bladerunner really hits the balance in feeding us a story about the nature of humanity but still having that essential plot and action.

I felt that movies like Minority Report weren't as good because they took that essential purpose of the story and kind of fed it through a "Lets make a really cool plot" machine and left you with a lot of effects and a lot of action and basically turns an abstract discussion of ideas into a clever "whodunnit".

This is why I'm really glad that its taken forever for Ender's Game to get anywhere in production for filming. I don't even know if it ever will get made, all I know is that book would get ruined by a treatment anything below the standard of Bladerunner. Sadly, Sci Fi today is mostly seen as action in space.

Luckily while CGI ruins most blockbusters, smaller indie flicks can afford to look as good as they should if the director and producers can keep their heads on straight. Sunshine is a brilliant example of Sci Fi done right balanced with an appropriate level of modern CGI.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

Predator beats out the Longest Day in this week's top ten!!!!!

[Buddahaid]

Beat me to it. Star Wars is not even science fiction. Just because it's in space, or in the future, or a long time ago, far, far, away, doesn't make it science fiction, it has to be about the science involved and can take place next door right now.

And 'Blade Runner' is a fantastic movie which qualifies as science fiction being mainly concerned with replicant technology. It is a dark movie which is perhaps what turns some off.

Sky like Solaris! I thought I was the only person not bored to death with it(the original).

[TarJak]

I'm partial to Solaris. One SF movie I really liked was Gattaca. Great cast and very interesting concepts around the future of society ruled by your DNA.

[Osmium Steele]

In a list of SciFi movies, I can see Blade Runner at the top, but a list of Scifi, fantasy and horror movies? How is The Exorcist not #1?

[Buddahaid]

Well 'The Exorcist' was a shocking movie when it was a first run but I watched it again years later and thought it was a lot of bad acting too which would be my guess why it's at #17.

[sharkbit]

Just curious-
For the "Blade Runner" lovers out there-
Which version do you like best, the Director's Cut or the original?

It's been a couple of years since I watched the director's cut(have it on DVD) and many, many years since I've seen the original version(I think I have it somewhere on VHS, recorded from cable).

I seemed to like the original better, mainly the ending, but it has been waaaay to long since I saw the original and I can't really compare them fairly.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by sharkbit

Just curious-
For the "Blade Runner" lovers out there-
Which version do you like best, the Director's Cut or the original?

It's been a couple of years since I watched the director's cut(have it on DVD) and many, many years since I've seen the original version(I think I have it somewhere on VHS, recorded from cable).

I seemed to like the original better, mainly the ending, but it has been waaaay to long since I saw the original and I can't really compare them fairly.

Final Cut

[MaddogK]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

The Ice Pirates!

loved it,
It's good to see 'Blade Runner' top the list and FTR I thought the directors cut was best but I preferred the original happy ending. One of the most profound items of the film that I never see mentioned is Deckard questioning his own humanity- he realizes he doesn't know for sure if he's human or replicant, and it goes totally unmentioned without the americanized theatrical ending.

I thought Alien was awesome too, it killed me to see the re-mastered version where the blood red sky on LV-426 recolored to a cool blue. I read it was because it was hard to see the characters in space suits with the red dust blowing around.

...and where's 'Dark Star' on the list ? No film has ever topped the conversation with the bomb.

[Sailor Steve]

Among my old favorites was Silent Running.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067756/

[MaddogK]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Among my old favorites was Silent Running.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067756/

Ya, great film. Also loved that parts of the film were shot aboard the real U.S.S. Valley Forge before it was scrapped.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by MaddogK

loved it,
It's good to see 'Blade Runner' top the list and FTR I thought the directors cut was best but I preferred the original happy ending. One of the most profound items of the film that I never see mentioned is Deckard questioning his own humanity- he realizes he doesn't know for sure if he's human or replicant, and it goes totally unmentioned without the americanized theatrical ending.

Not correct I think - it gets indicated that he has doubts in all versions of the movie, even without the first happy ending. It is when Rachel asks him whether he ever had run the Voigt-Kampff-test on himself. The question gets asked - and THEN he closes his eyes and pretends to sleep, and just does not answer. Does he prefer not to answer? Is he not sure of himself anymore? Is he afraid of the implications of the question? For me this scene always was an indication that at that time of the story he already had doubts about himself.

Even clearer it becomes in the director'S and the final cut. The scene about the unicorn, when he sits at the piano and the film shows the unicorn breaking through the bushes and trees in his imagination. At the end of the movie, Gaff leaves an origami figure in the shape of a unicorn on the floor. Decktrd finds it, freezes and stares at it - and nodds. Gaff had read his file, and there he read about all memories that giot implanted into deckard'S mind. Gaff told him by leaving that figure that Deckard is a Replicant - and Deckard learns it at this point of the film at the latest.

[MaddogK]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Not correct I think - it gets indicated that he has doubts in all versions of the movie, even without the first happy ending. It is when Rachel asks him whether he ever had run the Voigt-Kampff-test on himself. The question gets asked - and THEN he closes his eyes and pretends to sleep, and just does not answer. Does he prefer not to answer? Is he not sure of himself anymore? Is he afraid of the implications of the question? For me this scene always was an indication that at that time of the story he already had doubts about himself.

Even clearer it becomes in the director'S and the final cut. The scene about the unicorn, when he sits at the piano and the film shows the unicorn breaking through the bushes and trees in his imagination. At the end of the movie, Gaff leaves an origami figure in the shape of a unicorn on the floor. Decktrd finds it, freezes and stares at it - and nodds. Gaff had read his file, and there he read about all memories that giot implanted into deckard'S mind. Gaff told him by leaving that figure that Deckard is a Replicant - and Deckard learns it at this point of the film at the latest.

So they just let Deckard run off with Rachael (who'se supposedly the only replicant without an expiration date), and the details about the implanted memory of a unicorn are in Deckards file for Gaff to read ?

I don't think the unicorn is referring to Deckard at all, always thought it referred to Rachael since that ending scene when Deckard holding the oragami unicorn has Gaff narrating 'too bad she wont live...', but Gaff doesn't know she wont 'expire' after 4 years.

[kiwi_2005]

Alien, Blade runner and The Matrix belong there but as for the rest I can think of three that should of been voted in, imho.

Pandorum (2009)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/

Moon (2009)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/

Cargo (2009)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381940/

Cargo is one of my all time favorites, I think it was a B grade movie, its nothing great so dont rush out and buy it as there is a 90% chance you wont like it. Cargo for me gave that feeling that you were part of the crew all alone in deep space. And Pandorum should of definitely been in the top 5. Moon well its a gem and will still be a favorite among many, 25 yrs from now.