100 Greatest sci fi films of ALL TIME according to drystyx
What makes a great film? Obviously, most people are fascinated the most by "credible characters in incredible circumstances". That especially holds true for great sci fi. It defines great sci fi. Here are what I humbly call the 100 greates sci fi films ever. I've seen most sci fi films. Sorry, but I haven't seen Avatar. Some are borderline. I put the LOTR trilogy under "fantasy" insteaad of sci fi, for example, so the hobbit movies just make another list.
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- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsJames WhitmoreEdmund GwennJoan WeldonThe earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.This has to be #1. The two romantic leads are not the two leads here. We follow basically six characters in this mystery, and it's best to view this without knowing the plot, as it begins as a mystery in the desert.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsGene BarryAnn RobinsonLes TremayneA small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.The most iconoclastic hero you'll ever see. Not only does he lose a fist fight, but our male romantic lead is nearsighted. A miracle that this got past the true censors on the baord of directors. Great action, thrilling spectacles, characters you will care about. This is amazing!
- DirectorKurt MaetzigStarsYôko TaniOldrich LukesIgnacy MachowskiWhen an alien artifact discovered on Earth is found to have come from Venus, an international team of astronauts embarks to investigate its origins.Talk about your hidden classics, if you forget this is Venus, then this still is relevant today. The characters are fascinating in this space travel story, and it tells of the chaotic way horror can envelop people in the void of space. The most dramatic and moving space film ever.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsPeter WellerNancy AllenDan O'HerlihyIn a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.Great blend of action, wit, humor, and originality in a story of a corporation making a robot policeman. The "in your face" directing is fantastic.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsJohn AgarMara CordayLeo G. CarrollA spider escapes from an isolated Arizona desert laboratory experimenting in gigantism and grows to tremendous size as it wreaks havoc on the local inhabitants.Immortalized by the Rocky Horror Picture Show itself, this sci fi crosses over into Horror with some of the greatest horror scenes ever as a giant tarantula attacks nameless characters. Moving humanity. This is horror to the max, and a great story.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.This story of killer aliens can make the list on one word alone: Hudson.
- DirectorMichael CarrerasLeslie NormanStarsEric PorterHildegard KnefSuzanna LeighThe captain, crew, and passengers of an old freighter-all of them with dark secrets to keep-find themselves adrift in a mysterious land full of monsters, conquistadors, and killer seaweed.Great characters in this story of a ship stranded in the Saragosa Sea, beset by seaweed monsters and barbarians. The balloon Girl made this a cult classic. Lots of iconoclastic scenes that slipped by the censors.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsChristopher LeePatrick AllenPeter CushingWhile mainland Britain shivers in deepest winter, the northern island of Fara bakes in the nineties.Isolated group of people attacked by monsters. It begins as a mystery. Cushing and Lee are the "thinkers" here, but the story revolves around others. Lots of twists from what you usually expect to happen to film characters.
- DirectorRichard LesterStarsGene HackmanChristopher ReeveMargot KidderSuperman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.Unlike sequels of other genres, we often see good sci fi sequels. Maybe because people already know the story. Here, Kal-El battles super evil and Earth evil. Lots of humor, lots of little things that add up to a great film.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsSam NeillWilliam H. MacyTéa LeoniA decidedly odd couple with ulterior motives convince Dr. Grant to go to Isla Sorna for a holiday, but their unexpected landing startles the island's new inhabitants.The best of the dinosaur trilogy, probably because it works just as well as a drama, with the best overall characters. Unlike the others, there are no "throw away" characters here. All have faults, and all have some degree of dignity in their fight for survival. Add all the great action, and you've got a complete package here.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsMichael RenniePatricia NealHugh MarloweAn alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.Gentler forms of aliens than we often see, come to Eath, but they have a message. It's the "matter of fact" way of every day life, and how our alien mingles that makes this fascinating.
- DirectorAndrew AdamsonStarsTilda SwintonGeorgie HenleyWilliam MoseleyWhile playing, Lucy and her siblings find a wardrobe that lands them in a mystical place called Narnia. Here they realize that it was fated and they must now unite with Aslan to defeat an evil queen.I finally decided to classify this as science fiction. It is allegory, too, but science fiction first. Entering another world through a closet-well, that makes it sci fi. It's the ability to show how the smallest fault can be made into somethng large, as a young boy struggles through humiliation before his siblings. Can he be redeemed
- DirectorDavid BradleyStarsKen ClarkMichi KobiTom ConwayAn international team embarks on an expedition to the moon in an uncommonly spacious rocketship. There they encounter a faceless alien intelligence who conclude that the human race is too immature and dangerous and must be destroyed.Begins as a narrative, and goes straight into action. Great idea: a voyage into space which combines many nations in a unified effort. The sidebar stories make this great, particularly the one of the drawing of straws at the end. An obvious inspiration for "Armageddon".
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsRoddy PiperKeith DavidMeg FosterThey influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.A film waiting till 1988 to finally happen. This alien conspiracy film is Carpenter's finest achievement. Hard hitting and iconic, a cult classic from day one.
- DirectorMichael PowellEmeric PressburgerStarsEric PortmanSheila SimDennis PriceThree modern-day pilgrims investigate a bizarre crime in a small town while on their way to Canterbury.Great to see a great actor like Eric Portman portray a benevolent character. This film is tough to classify. Like "Brazil", it has many angles. Interpret it as you will. I saw it as a sci fi film on the order of "Between Two Worlds", even made in the same year.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsChristopher ReeveMargot KidderGene HackmanAn alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.Fortunately, this film stayed close to the golden age comic book Superman, with the same likable characters, the same story line of Kal-El attaining super powers on this planet.
- DirectorTerry O. MorseStarsBruce KelloggOtto WaldisJim BannonScientists use a gigantic drilling machine for an expedition to the center of the earth.Scientists have a super drilling vehicle to take them deep into the Earth's crust. It isn't feasible, but the story is the characters. One of the best action dramas ever in which characters change convincingly.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingEdward JuddCarole GrayAn isolated remote island community is threatened by an attack by tentacled silicates which liquefy and digest bone and tissue.Isolated group of people against man made killer monsters. What's special here is the way it begins with the status quo. Cushing and MacGinnis lead the way. Don't want to spoil it too much. Just enjoy the ride.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsCasper Van DienDenise RichardsDina MeyerHumans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.I'm not big on special effects, but when you have what is possibly the best modern director in films, you get clever wit and action mixed together for a romp like this. Giant insects menace mankind, and we have a return to the old basic sci fi format of the comraderie of likable people. Think "All Quiet on the Western Front" meets sci fi.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJonathan PryceKim GreistRobert De NiroA bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.This remake of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" would probably not be sci fi if not for what happens to Tuttle. Fascinating fantasy, with great visuals.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.Full of iconic images, most notably the image of young Luke stranded on the farm, looking to the sky at dusk. Fantastic space adventure is full of iconic scenes, if these are the droids you are looking for.
- StarsGary SiniseMolly RingwaldJamey SheridanAfter a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.At first, it seemed silly, bur once you stop laughing about the scene where the guy screams about the "dark man", it really gels into a multi dimensional story about a possible time of Revelation. Lots of grat characters sell this.
- DirectorEdward L. CahnStarsMarshall ThompsonShirley PattersonKim SpaldingThe first manned expedition to Mars is invaded by an unknown life form, which stows away on the rescue ship.Those of us who saw this on TV, we knew how Alien would turn out. This came first, so it has bragging rights about a space ship crew fighting an indestuctble monster on board the vessel.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.Mystery or sci fi? I say sci fi. Saying more is, of course, a spoiler.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGregory PeckLaurence OlivierJames MasonA Nazi hunter in Paraguay discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.What would happen if a maniac like Dr Mengele cloned Hitler? That's the subject here. That's the sci fi angle. The rest is a cross between horror and drama, with many remarkable scenes that will stay with you.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsSam NeillLaura DernJeff GoldblumA pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.The first of the dinosaur trilogy. Its best asset are the iconic scenes. It could've been a dull story behind effects, but some good supporting characters pull it out.
- StarsWilliam PetersenKaren SillasCharles Martin SmithMysterious things happen at the coast of Graves Point: An empty boat lies at the shore, divers vanish. The sea biologist Dr. Talley thinks he knows the solution of the mystery: In the depth there is a gigantic squid.This underwater tentacled terror is more sci fi, while Jaws is more action. Actually, this is the better film, because we care more about the characters on the final voyage. Draws from some golden age sci fi films like The Beast from 20,000 fathoms.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsRichard DenningLori NelsonAdele JergensIn a post-Apocalyptic world after an atomic war seven disparate people find themselves in a protected valley in the home of a survivalist and his beautiful daughter.Very clever story line that could work just as well on stage. 7 people isolated after a nuclear holocaust, who don't know if they're the only survivors of the human race, but mutants may be close by.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsZach GalliganPhoebe CatesHoyt AxtonA young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.Simplistic story, and more of a sci fi comedy, or at least a light hearted sci fi. Small creatures must be handled with care, or else they become dangerous. It becomes a story of "following instructions", of handling stewardship. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and is very amusing.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsDana AndrewsPeggy CumminsNiall MacGinnisAmerican professor John Holden arrives in London for a parapsychology conference, only to find himself investigating the mysterious actions of Devil-worshipper Julian Karswell.This is a classic "darkest before the dawn" plot. A skeptic is given a piece of paper that he must force someone else to take, or he will be killed by a demon. The film covers all that takes place that turns him from skeptic to believer.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.Cult classic about zombies has drama and humor.
- DirectorFredric GadetteStarsSeamon GlassThayer RobertsAubrey MartinA deputy sheriff stops motorists on a mountain road after police dispatch reports of a possible nuclear attack.A macho policeman takes control over several motorists during a nuclear scare. What follows is all too realistic, except possibly for the convenient psychotic killer. People who don't think they could panic like this, or make these mistakes, are probably the most likely to make these mistakes.
- DirectorDouglas TrumbullStarsBruce DernCliff PottsRon RifkinIn a future where all flora is extinct on Earth, an astronaut is given orders to destroy the last of Earth's botany, kept in a greenhouse aboard a spacecraft.Don't be misled. In 1972, even high schoolers knew that if plant life died, human life would die out. Here, Bruce Dern is a scientist trying to save Earth's doomed plant life in a space dome, but incredibly almost everyone else wants to destory plant life and live on chemicals. Dern's reasons are far fetched, as he cites only the beauty of forests, instead of practicality, but he is opposed by people even more insane than he is. This moves very briskly, and makes it look like there is more action than there is, probably because of the directing. A must see.
- DirectorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsJohn HowardMala PowersPaul RichardsA millionaire leads an expedition into a remote jungle to find his wife's long-lost brother, but instead the group finds a mad scientist who has created a fungus monster that feeds on the local inhabitants.Very iconoclastic story of spelunkers finding slimy monsters. Our hero is even disabled. Great imagery, great cinema.
- DirectorRichard MarquandStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.The truth lies somewhere between those who think it is perfect, and those who denounce it. The end of the Luke Skywalker space hero saga, where he faces off with his evil father, Darth Vader, is fairly predictable, but still thrilling. The prequels-now they were disappointments.
- DirectorJames K. SheaStarsMary ApplesethHarvey ShainDerna WyldeA space-ship gets lost and is forced to make an emergency landing on an unknown planet. Soon the crew discovers that there are dinosaurs on the planet. The crew have to survive until they hopefully are found and rescued.This actually suffers from a contrived start, but that's only a few minutes. After crash landing on a planet, it moves very well, and it works great as drama. You could simulate off camera dinosaurs, and still have the great story, because it deals with how the characters react to being there. Some realize they will have to make it a home. Only one "throw away" character, and even he isn't one dimensional. More than meets the eye here.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.More comedy than sci fi, but this is very clever. Well done.
- DirectorJack BernhardStarsVirginia GreyPhillip ReedRichard DenningAn adventure seeker and his fiancée visit an uncharted island, only to find that it is inhabited by deadly dinosaurs and other creatures ready to attack.As we go down the list, I rate them more on "watchability" and "rewatchabiltiy". You can never tire of watching this, unless you're an effects dork. The effects are "yesterday", but the story is good. Expedition to island of dinosaurs. Some unexpected character twists make this exciting.
- DirectorSimon WellsStarsGuy PearceYancey AriasMark AddyHoping to alter the events of the past, a 19th century inventor instead travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds humankind divided into two warring races.This remake about Time Travel actually works very well. A lot of clever little things help out, but mostly it works because the characters are all identifiable and interesting.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.Remake of the Marshall Thompson film about battling an indestructable alien aboard a space ship has great characters, but the effects and gore seem much too contrived and made simply for beavis and butthead in the room to guffaw. Still, it works because it begins the series of a blend of horror with fairy tale. This one is "Beauty and the Beast".
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsLori CardilleTerry AlexanderJoseph PilatoAs the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.Another film that actually would have been better without all the effects and gore. Lost in the goofy gore is a great story of a fight against zombies in a compound in which the characters, including what may be the last woman on Earth, as pawns between a mad scientist rehabilitating the zombies, and a young militant officer who is tired of seeing his men butchered.
- DirectorDaniel AttiasStarsGary BuseyEverett McGillCorey HaimIn a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.A werewolf story with some interesting, clever touches, and some striking scenes. It is a bit before its time. Good story line, good characters.
- DirectorFred F. SearsStarsHugh MarloweJoan TaylorDonald CurtisExtraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact a scientist as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.We have evil aliens in this film. It's the drama that makes this flow. Again, it just seems to be full of action, and that's a good sign.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.Mesmerizing film about an alien invader who takes over bodies, and is very dangerous. Owes it success probably to the best use of sound effects you'll ever find in a film, but also to very well written characters.
- DirectorLarry BuchananStarsPaul PetersenQuinn O'HaraCharla DohertyIn a post nuclear Earth, survivors are stuck in a valley and have to protect themselves from mutant human beings, and each other in some cases.Remake of "The Day the World Ended" is not much different. The lead character isn't as interesting as the original, but the half human mutant seventh character is much better.
- DirectorErnest R. DickersonStarsBilly ZaneWilliam SadlerJada Pinkett SmithHigh-level demons collect low-level demons as warriors in attempt to obtain a key containing the blood of Christ. The key is guarded by immortal warriors called Demon Knights.Begins with the classic chase scene, where you know the guy who looks like the good guy and the guy who looks like the bad guy are not what they seem. It works great because they really seem like flip sides of a coin in this supernatural quest thriller.
- DirectorGeorge PalStarsRod TaylorAlan YoungYvette MimieuxA man's vision for a utopian society is disillusioned when travelling forward into time reveals a dark and dangerous society.Very entertaining story of time travel, and obviously the best movie the lead actor ever did.
- DirectorJoseph M. NewmanJack ArnoldStarsJeff MorrowFaith DomergueRex ReasonAliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.Very entertaining alien invasion film, with some good characters.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.One of those "very watchable" films, with great imagery, as we follow a family isolated in a haunted hotel.
- DirectorEleanore LindoStarsMichael A. GoorjianChandra WestLinda KashA scientific experiment in rapid-cell growth goes awry when a lab assistant steals the developed serum and injects it into his pregnant girl friend. The result is a child that grows through adulthood and will die within days, if a cure cannot be found.Very clever script, much like an old Twilight Zone story, so I won't ruin it, but it's a think piece.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerCarl WeathersKevin Peter HallA team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.This story of an alien who hunts game was extremely well done. A good idea, well written.
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsJames MasonPat BooneArlene DahlAn Edinburgh professor and assorted colleagues follow an explorer's trail down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the earth's center."Atmosphere" is the key. We care about these characters who travel inside the Earth. Great imagery. If only the inside of the Earth was that splendid. And James Mason rocks in this role
- DirectorIshirô HondaTerry O. MorseStarsRaymond BurrTakashi ShimuraMomoko KôchiA 400-foot (122-meter) dinosaur-like beast, awoken from undersea hibernation off the Japanese coast by atomic-bomb testing, attacks Tokyo.Japanese movie about a large, large monster. Actually, the narrative of the added American, though it is obviously added later, helps to clarify the plot.
- DirectorWilliam AsherStarsGene BarryValerie FrenchGeorge VoskovecAliens take five people, give them small capsules which can kill mankind without additional damage, with the understanding they will colonize Earth only if they use the weapons.Excellent story line. Aliens pick 5 Earth people, and test them by giving them vials which can cause great destruction. The ending is silly, but until then, it is a good story. The landmark scene involves a self sacrifice of a likable scientist.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.One of those "easy to watch" movies, about a planet of apes, based on the short story "By the Waters of Babylon". Owes its place here to the iconic scenes and lines, so get your hands off me, you d... dirty ape.
- DirectorCy EndfieldStarsMichael CraigJoan GreenwoodMichael CallanDuring the Civil War a group of Union soldiers, a Confederate and a civilian escape the stockade using a hot-air balloon and end up on a strange Pacific island.The original is easy to watch, with great visuals of the perils on Nemo's island, and a more three dimensional Nemo than the remake.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsGrant WilliamsRandy StuartApril KentAfter Scott Carey begins to shrink because of exposure to a combination of radiation and insecticide, medical science is powerless to help him.Unlike most movies, no explanation is given for why he shrinks, other than it has something to do with a phenomenom he witnesses. A lot of open endedness here makes this sort of avant garde sci fi.
- DirectorKarl FreundStarsBoris KarloffZita JohannDavid MannersA resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.The Mummy is one of the more interesting of horror-sci fi monsters. This one is very entertaining.
- DirectorBernard L. KowalskiStarsKen ClarkYvette VickersJan ShepardA backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.The absolute king of cheese. The ultimate still scene photo, with the muscular hero holding a gun in one hand and a skimpily clad long haired beauty in the other, and he's a scientist? This movie belongs to Yvette Vickers, who steals the entire show. It's quite scary, too.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsRichard CarlsonJulie AdamsRichard DenningA strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.Scientists find a creature in a lagoon, but not before he finds their female. Cult classic has a formula plot, but it is very exciting.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsPaul ManteeVictor LundinAdam WestStranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.An astronaut is alone on Mars. His struggle for survival matches his struggle for sanity. It's almost too bad it becomes more sci fi with the addition of other creatures later, but it still is a great psychological sci fi thriller.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsColin CliveMae ClarkeBoris KarloffDr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.You surely know the story. Frankenstein plays God, and makes a monster.
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsDennis QuaidMax von SydowChristopher PlummerA man who can enter and manipulate people's dreams is recruited by a government agency to help cure the President of the United States of his nightmares about nuclear war but stumbles upon an assassination plot.Visually stunning piece about dreams becoming alive.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerSharon StoneMichael IronsideWhen a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?Probably more confusing than it should be, but still an excellent action piece about futuristic mind altering in a lavish space base.
- DirectorKurt NeumannStarsDavid HedisonPatricia OwensVincent PriceA scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device.A man become half fly half man because of his invention. But that's the middle of the story. It is a police investigation of a bizarre event. Cleverly done.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsWalter BrookeEric FlemingMickey ShaughnessyAn American-led team of International astronauts leave their space station on the first mission to Mars, but the captain's religious beliefs may get in the way.Falls under the category of "exciting, watchable, humorous, action packed, and very watchable" instead of "reality based". A journey through space in which the commander goes insane.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsForrest TuckerPeter CushingMaureen ConnellA kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti.Merantile Forest Tucker and scientist Peter Cushing on an expedition to find the Yeti. Action packed and works well as drama, too.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsNaomi WattsJack BlackAdrien BrodyA greedy film producer assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island, where they find more than just cannibalistic natives.The first one was too Republican, the second one too Democrat. This story of the giant ape is somewhere between, more moderate, less preachy.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsRichard CarlsonBarbara RushCharles DrakeA spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.This alien invasion film is one of the most Shakespearean in nature. Lee van Cleef resmebles a Shakespearean king descending into madness.
- DirectorEugène LouriéStarsPaul HubschmidPaula RaymondCecil KellawayA ferocious dinosaur awakened by an Arctic atomic test terrorizes the North Atlantic and, ultimately, New York City.Iconic scenes include the diving bell and the ultra brave policeman with a pop gun against a dinosaur. It follows three characters throughout, with a fourth interchanging one, ending with Lee van Cleef in the mix. I'd rather the mariner gone along with them on their quest, which would have given us the classic sci fi group of four.
- DirectorStephen KingStarsEmilio EstevezPat HingleLaura HarringtonA group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.Machines come to life. Trucks are undriven, but run over people. Roughly the same plot as "Killdozer", but with more humor and wit interjected. We follow a motley group of people, mostly likable, in a struggle to survive.
- DirectorIshirô HondaStarsRuss TamblynKumi MizunoKenji SaharaThe sole survivor of a fishing boat recounts sightings of hairy giants. A scientist investigates, revealing mutated creatures, growing from remains of a previous monster. Nearly indestructible, they battle in Tokyo until only one remains.Good monster or bad monster? Both. One of the first to do this.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsBetsy Jones-MorelandAntony CarboneRobert TowneEv, her husband Harold, and their friend Martin go scuba diving while on vacation in Puerto Rico. When they surface, they find that everyone on the island has died.Two men and one women are all that are left, maybe. They don't know for sure, but everyone around them is dead, and no one responds on the radio. Great drama, and the only film Carbone ever did that didn't suck big time. Ends with a great finale.
- DirectorBert I. GordonStarsGlenn LanganCathy DownsWilliam HudsonA military officer survives a nuclear blast, only to begin to uncontrollably grow into an increasingly unstable giant.A genuinely good guy becomes a giant monster after a nuclear accident. His stature cause brain damage. Some very good cinema, and very exciting story.
- DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsJames DonaldAndrew KeirBarbara ShelleyA mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called in to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.Falls under the category of "mesmerizing" and cult classic. It's a think piece, so I won't spoil it. But scientists are baffled by uneplained going ons and a possible alien invasion of Earth millions of years in the making.
- DirectorNicholas MeyerStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyWith the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.The first movie was a bore, so they went back to basic action, which is what Kirk does best.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsMichael YorkJenny AgutterRichard JordanA police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth.One of the "clever plot" types, where a futuristic society is brainwashed into thinking they can die and regenerate at age 30. Some characters have reason to think otherwise.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsStephen BoydRaquel WelchEdmond O'BrienWhen a blood clot renders a scientist comatose, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him.Clever idea. Peole are shrunk in size to enter a human body to operate on it. They made this as exciting as they could, because it probably was tough to make an exciting film out of this.
- DirectorEdward A. BlattStarsJohn GarfieldPaul HenreidSydney GreenstreetPassengers on an ocean liner can't recall how they got on board or where they are going yet, oddly enough, it soon becomes apparent that they all have something in common.After a bomb raid, some peple find themselves mysteriousy on a boat. Yes, they died. So what awaits them now?
- DirectorDon SharpStarsGeorge SandersBeryl ReidNicky HensonAn amiable, psychopathic leader of a violent teen motorbike gang is spurred by his mother, a Satan-worshiping spiritual medium, into committing suicide and returning to life as an "undead".In order to achieve immortality, a biker convinces some of his group that they have to die.
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsJerry LewisJoan BlackmanEarl HollimanThe weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...Good old fashioned alien fun
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJames OlsonArthur HillDavid WayneTop scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what killed the citizens of a small town and how the deadly contagion can be stopped.Scientists looking for what caused the death of a town. This one is slow paced, and more of a think piece, so be forewarned.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsWalter PidgeonAnne FrancisLeslie NielsenA starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.Cult classic status for this one, loosely based on a Shakespear comedy, but this is no comedy. The mosnter from the id is a killer.
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsWalter PidgeonJoan FontaineBarbara EdenWhen the Earth is threatened by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, U.S. Navy Admiral Harriman Nelson plans to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt, using his experimental atomic submarine, the Seaview.Film makers learned early that submarine movies were tedious and hard to make exciting. Here, we have an element of sci fi involved, and sabotage to make things move along.
- DirectorChristian NybyHoward HawksStarsKenneth TobeyMargaret SheridanJames ArnessScientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.This one looks simple, about an alien unfrozen and come to life, but that's the atmosphere that makes this entertaining. A mad scientist makes life tough for the humans there.
- DirectorVirgil W. VogelStarsJohn AgarCynthia PatrickHugh BeaumontA party of archaeologists discovers the remnants of a mutant five-millennia-old Sumerian civilization living beneath a glacier atop a mountain in Mesopotamia.Good imagery and scenery as scientists go deep into the Earth to find people and creatures unknown to man.
- DirectorS.S. WilsonStarsFred WardChris GartinHelen ShaverEarl Bassett, now a washed-up ex-celebrity, is hired by a Mexican oil company to eradicate a Graboid epidemic that's killing more people each day. However, the humans aren't the only one with a new battle plan.This sequel about underground monsters was a bit better than the original, probably because Bacon's character just didn't have any likability in the original. Here, we care more about these people, and are given a bit better comic relief.
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsBridget FondaBill PullmanOliver PlattFour people attempt to stop a gigantic crocodile, who is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine.Giant freshwater crocodile eats people. Well, he's hungry. Any way, pretty good comic relief and identifiable characters make this watchable, but the Betty White character never should've been in it, nor the contrived bit with the bear. Take those two out, and you've got a top film.
- DirectorBarbara PeetersJimmy T. MurakamiStarsDoug McClureAnn TurkelVic MorrowHumanoid sea creatures start killing a fishing town's residents, and raping their women. It's up to the townsfolk and a visiting biologist to fight back and fend them off.This was rockem sockem scary stuff, and still is. These are bad ass creatures, and lots of iconoclastic fates you won't expect.
- DirectorTim StoryStarsIoan GruffuddMichael ChiklisChris EvansA group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom.The story of four super heroes who attain their powers from cosmic rays in outer space. It stays very close to the comic book. Reed and Sue are Reed and Sue. The story depends on Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm. The interplay with these two could've been more, but it was fairly close to the original comic stories, so this is a good movie.
- DirectorDanny BilsonStarsTim ThomersonTimothy Van PattenArt LaFleurIn Italy, during World War II some American soldiers find an alien UFO.There have been several like this since 1985, but this was a pioneer of the style in which we return to the golden age sci fi mixed with war and some modern characterizations that don't get too modern.
- DirectorErnest B. SchoedsackStarsRobert ArmstrongHelen MackFrank ReicherThe showman who brought Kong to New York returns to Skull Island and finds Kong's son, a spunky 12-footer with a winning personality and his dad's awesome strength.Robert Armstrong was one of the most charismatic and underrted actors ever. We probably have no famous charismatic actors in the filtered market of today. Here, he atones for a weak orignial Kong with a better story about the son of Kong.
- DirectorAntony HoffmanStarsVal KilmerCarrie-Anne MossTom SizemoreAstronauts, and their robotic dog AMEE (Autonomous Mapping Evaluation and Evasion), search for solutions to save a dying Earth by searching on Mars, only to have the mission go terribly awry.The action isn't much, but the characters make this space travel film worth watching. Lots of introspect mixed with emotion.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsBoris KarloffElsa LanchesterColin CliveMary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.Has become more of a cult classic than Frankenstein himself.
- DirectorRobert CollectorStarsCatherine Mary StewartMichael PraedJohn StandingProfessor hires a spaceship to get to the source of weird signals from deep space. The trip is cut short however when the ship's computer gets jealous because the captain is in love with one of the female passengers and it gets homicidal.Eerie, but creative story of a ship that lives and thinks, and a crew caught in its trap.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsRichard GarlandPamela DuncanRussell JohnsonScientists become trapped on a shrinking island with intelligent, murderous giant crabs.Good old fashioned fun, full of excitement. One of the better films from this studio.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsJoan CrawfordMichael GoughBernard KayA sympathetic anthropologist uses drugs and surgery to try to communicate with a primitive troglodyte who is found living in a local cave.Basic sci fi, old fashioned entertainment. Something to eat popcorn, have a soda, and enjoy.
- DirectorHarry ThomasonStarsWink RobertsRoger ManningRobert GinnavenA glowing meteor falls into a secluded pond into which Mafia hitmen have dumped the body of one of their victims. Students from the local college use the pond for a swimming hole. Then the fun begins.Now this is truly back to basics fun, with the old time small town comradeire you want to see, some lines that should be famous today, and perhaps this will achieve the cult status it deserves.
- DirectorWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsHelena CarterArthur FranzJimmy HuntA young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.Of these "imagination" movies from a kid's point of view, this is probably the one that communicates the idea best.
- DirectorJim SharmanStarsTim CurrySusan SarandonBarry BostwickA newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.Because #100 should be something special. Great Scott!