Ten Deep 10.08.09: Top 50 Science Fiction Movies - Part 1/5

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 10.08.2009

Owain J. Brimfield begins an epic five-part slog through the fifty best SF movies in history! Join us for the opening ceremony and a look at numbers 50 through 41!





Welcome to week 50 of 'Ten Deep'! Yes, the column is half a century old in one sense, and about a year old in another more accurate sense, and although I've only been at the helm for the past four months or so it felt like a good time to celebrate with another five-part edition, like Lucas did a while back for the top fifty westerns. Before we get stuck into it though, let's remind ourselves of last week's taster column and some:

Reactions and interactions

A surprising amount of acceptance for old C-3PO in the top slot, which is encouraging my good friends. Aside from the usual clutch of sadsacks who suggested robots I clearly stated I'd be leaving out for one reason or another, the most debate was caused by the omission of any Terminators. Now, yes, the main ones portrayed in the films by Arnie, Robert Patrick et al are cyborgs, not robots. But what about the background exoskeletons, which do really fall under my definition of "robot"? Well, frankly, they're pretty much just extras. Sure, the visual design is fantastic, but that was already revealed in The Terminator when the skeleton was part of the cyborg T-101, which kind of dilutes its impact when it subsequently appears as a standalone.

A couple of people lobbied for the inclusion of some of the robots from The Black Hole, two of which did make the shortlist but were cut out. Kudos though to mstrong73 for having a Black Hole lunchbox, you must have been popular at dinner time.

Also, yes, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot deserved some mention, I had of course neglected to consider the MST3K theatrical release when I was composing the list, so they would definitely have made a joint honorable mention if not higher.

No Bender, fender, because he was in TV movies, not cinematic releases.

neverAcquiesce wonders why I'm down on R2-D2's magic rocket booster jets. I'd say it's mainly because, like you say, the films do progressively show new tricks up his sleeve, but that one comes across as so patently OTT in Attack of the Clones that it damages the film, which let's face it was still struggling at that point to earn our love as fanboys. So as a robot in itself, no minus points, but knock a few off the score for damaging (IMO, at least) the legitimacy of one of the films he appears in.

Zingy wants a Star Wars / Trek crossover to see Data and Threepio get in a fight. One for Celebrity Deathmatch, maybe? God knows if that show is still going on or not.

And some final words from our own Jasper Gerretsen, whose sentiment rings so true it deserves to be repeated:

"Wall-E is the best cinematic depiction of the realities of marriage ever made.

Here's this guy. He's enjoying his life all alone on Earth. He listens to music, watches TV, does the work he was made to do... he even has a friend. Wall-E's life is grand. And then the woman shows up. Needlessly hostile, cold and violent, she rearranges his life violently. She destroys his home, wrecks his things and, the moment he gives her what she wants (his seed), she completely stops communicating with him. Then, she drags him halfway across the universe, away from his life and his friend and maroons him with thousands of horrible, self-obsessed, greedy pricks."

On a thematic similarity, I received an email out of the blue from a chap named Julian Bane, whom I interviewed last year for 411. Here's the first episode of his new independent Doctor Who film, 'Alternate Empire', for your delectation:



Moving on!

So as I said, this week we're breaking down the lower end of the top fifty list of science fiction movies. SF is a genre close to my heart, as a few of you may remember from my old column 'The Flux Capacitor'. In fact, I tried to do something like this as part of the final edition of that column a year or so ago, but grossly underestimated the work involved and only came up with a half-assed list. While the upper echelons of this list this time round may be similar to that experiment, this will be a much more comprehensive look, as evidenced by the five-week approach I'll be taking. Now, hopefully what constitutes a SF movie should be relatively obvious to most of you, but in addition to my ever-present 'golden rule' omissions which we'll get to shortly, there's also a list I'll give you upfront of films which, while possessing fantastical elements and SF themes, didn't seem strongly sci-fi enough for inclusion in the list but might have made it otherwise:

A Clockwork Orange, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Frankenstein, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, The Prestige, The Truman Show

Bear in mind, too, I'll only be considering cinematic releases, so no TV movies, serials or miniseries allowed. This was an immensely difficult list to compile, and I'm sure if you asked me to do it again in a few months' time it would look different. Most of all though, this list is meant to provoke debate, so have at it in the comments section, and enjoy.

As always, there's one golden rule: if I haven't seen it, it's not allowed on the list.

This week's golden rule notable omissions: District 9, Fantastic Voyage, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Moon, Tetsuo





Honorable mention: The Man From Earth (2007)

One of the few examples of a film that succeeds via its discussion of SF ideas alone.

Honorable mention: La Jetée / La Voyage dans la Lune (1962 / 1902)

Shorts, and thus not really viable for inclusion, but hugely important to the genre nonetheless.

Honorable mention: Logan's Run (1976)

A classic to be sure, but just too campy to make the final list.

Honorable mention: The Quiet Earth (1985)

See, low budget SF can be suspenseful, classy and intriguing.

Honorable mention: Serenity (2005)

To prevent a mass uprising from the Browncoats who would undoubtedly chastise me for its exclusion.

50. Casshern (2004)

And so we begin our epic top fifty countdown with a choice that immediately reveals the fact that my predilections have influenced the placing. Yes, I try and remain objective about most of these things, but the fact remains that my whims do for the most part dictate what films appear whereabouts in the list. And really, wouldn't you rather have that than a tired retread of every other "best of" list out there? Well, no, I guess some of the comment fools wouldn't, but let's disregard them. Anyway, Casshern, a live-action adaptation of a 1970s anime, scrapes into the list by virtue of being one of the most visually astonishing science fiction films ever released. The Japanese have an eclectic ethos when it comes to the genre, and the tale of a soldier resurrected with superhuman powers to battle a group of genetically engineered creatures in charge of an ancient robot army is no different to that spirit. While the story has its enjoyable ups and downs but doesn't bring anything particularly spectacular to the table, and the soundtrack, while solid, has an unhealthy preference for repetition (both 'Moonlight Sonata' and another musical motif are featured in no fewer than three extended sequences each), the film's visual style is an absolute treat to behold and utterly makes the movie. Drawing influences from sources as diverse as Nazi and Soviet iconography and modern-day comic books, the film has an aesthetic that's comparable in parts to Sin City (indeed, I believe it predates that film as one of the first to film exclusively on greenscreen), but for the most part completely unique. Sure, extensive post-production isn't exactly first on most people's lists when it comes to the ingredients for classic science fiction, but for an example of the genre's capacity to push visual boundaries you need look no further.

49. Pi (1998)

Having only watched The Wrestler for the first time recently, it's remarkable to think what a world away that movie is from the intense chaos theory and numerology that are the hallmarks of Darren Aronofsky's debut feature, a mixture of paranoia and mathematical clairvoyance that is more about the science fiction of ideas than it is the more conventional trappings of the various supercomputers and weird visions that make up the backdrop of Pi. For certain, it's definitely one of the least overtly sci-fi movies that will feature over the next five weeks, as much psychological thriller as SF, and the complete other end of the scale to Aronofsky's later excursions into the genre - in fact now I think about it, it's actually somewhat thematically resonant with Eternal Sunshine, a film I excluded from this list and about which I'd better stop thinking before I have to crowbar it in somewhere. While the more technical side of the genre is covered by the mechanics of Euclid, the powerful contraption that protagonist Max uses to generate a mysterious 216-digit number that comes to haunt his existence, the film exists more on the level of social disorder and numerical experimentation being used towards the purpose of a powerful, and very definitely SF-flavored, thought experiment - what if God, and the meaning of life, could be discovered through maths (or "math", as I believe you good folk on the other side of the Atlantic prefer to call it)? With themes as seemingly divergent as Jewish theology and stock market predictions weaving into one tale, Pi is a true low-budget science fiction flick, using the power of its ideas to move the story forward without relying on any fancy gimmickry, and setting the stage for Aronofsky's later ventures into the genre that may, or may not, appear later in our top fifty.

48. Independence Day (1996)

...and immediately I'll be accused of pandering to the populist tastes of the numpties who enjoy big explosions and simplistic storylines. But dammit, Independence Day may be simple but it's barnstormingly good at what it does, which is aliens blowing stuff up and humans fighting back against the odds. To use an oft-circulated phrase from amongst my fellow 411 writers, it's a good time at the movies. While Roland Emmerich hasn't exactly established himself as a byword for quality within the science fiction genre, his movies are always well worth it for the sheer spectacle involved (and his upcoming 2012 promises to be the zenith of that appeal). The scenes here where the alien ships first arrive across Earth causing panic and intrigue across the globe, and later begin their onslaught by demolishing buildings left right and center, possess just as much giddy magic now as they did a decade ago, and for all the silly patriotic guff and random plot holes (Randy Quaid turning his fighter jet vertically on a sixpence, Jeff Goldblum somehow developing a computer program compatible with alien software architecture), the film makes every effort to assist with your suspension of disbelief. Independence Day ticks off every box in the "sci-fi blockbuster" category, from the immensely likable leads to the adrenaline-pumping set-piece battles and the touches of humor (Judd Hirsch is golden in the primary "light relief" role), and remains one of the best pure-popcorn type entries into the genre since its release. Frankly, it's one of the few movies I'd be happy to tell you to lighten up if you think it's immature or basic (or should that be "Bay-sic"?), and besides, if you don't get goosebumps from the egregious destruction of several US landmarks or Bill Pullman's rousing Fourth of July speech, you're likely an alien anyway. Or a communist.

47. The Time Machine (1960)

No doubt the first of a number of films in our top fifty to take its inspiration from a literary classic, in this case the famous novel by noted Victorian author H.G. Wells, the original Time Machine is also one of the finest works of sci-fi director/producer George Pal, who brought us amongst others Destination Moon and When Worlds Collide, the latter of which did make the shortlist for this column. Needless to say, given the rather brusque title, the plot of The Time Machine is quite simplistic - man invents time machine, travels into the future and anguishes at mankind's many predicaments throughout the course of future history. Of course, as any passing fan of Wells will know, his fiction wasn't exactly focused on the human face of science fiction but showcased some pretty nifty ideas, not least for his time, but the film does well to focus on the contraption itself and the mechanics of time travel while also bringing in the requisite elements of humanity necessary to lift it to another level. The machine itself is designed with flair and flourish, and is one of the true geek classics of movie props, as fans of The Big Bang Theory can no doubt well testify. But it's the depiction of life some 800,000 years hence that sticks with the viewer, with the declining post-apocalyptic civilizations of the Eloi and the notorious Morlocks locked in a battle for survival that our trusty time traveler despairs to fathom. While by no means the most accurate cinematic depiction of the not-exactly-foolproof concept of time travel (for accuracy, check out number 44), The Time Machine mixes invention and adventure in equal measure and deserves its reputation as a classic of the genre, typified in microcosm by its coda in which the traveler's erstwhile companion ponders what three books it would take to restart a civilization.

46. Things to Come (1936)

Another entry, another Wells adaptation, albeit one that came much closer to the original novel's publication date than our previous film, as evidenced by the fact that Wells himself penned the screenplay (and appears, in name, rather prominently on the poster). In some ways, the film is a hugely condensed version of an Olaf Stapledon novel (that's right, obscure literary reference for geek cred), setting out as it does almost an overview of the progress of society, and mankind in general, over the scope of a hundred years of technological development and all the assorted woes and wars that go hand in hand with such. Directed by Alexander Korda (Hungarian, as was George Pal, trivia fans - also for bonus intrigue, I believe Korda would later produce cinematic milestone The Third Man), Things to Come is for the most part one of those films you're only likely to have come across if you're genuinely interested in the history of science fiction, since it seems to have rather faded into obscurity outside of the genre's stalwarts and other film nerds (I say that in a loving way). Focusing on the city of Everytown, a name that nowadays sparks a chortle at its humble naiveté, the film takes the bold step of predicting the advent of World War II, gets it ominously right, and shows the steady decline of the warring world for decades until a technocratic society known as 'Wings Over the World' gains power and turns the world into a gleaming vision of sci-fi architecture. Of course, the film then takes the cynical approach of having society once again threatened, this time by a Luddite cult, but what's admirable is how real the narrative's progress still feels, even seventy years after its release, and how well the production design stands up too. For those wanting a slice of the genre's capacity for prognostication, Things to Come is a safe bet.

45. Solaris (2002)

The third adaptation of Polish author Stanislaw Lem's acclaimed quasi-existentialist novel, Steven Soderbergh's version sets aside much of the metaphysical quandaries that serve to bolster or beleaguer (depending on your opinion) the source text, to focus on the romance between George Clooney and Natascha McElhone, who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, the resurrection of his dead wife, an alien symbiote, or some combination of the three (or more). The pace of the movie is utterly languid, with the slowly pulsating mass of the Solaris entity and the rolling space station matched by the reserved performances of Clooney and his co-stars, as they struggle to come to terms with whatever meditative mysteries have befallen the station's crew. Clooney's character, a psychiatrist, is theoretically best placed to both understand and explain the enigmas and visions that beset the film's tight-knit cast of characters as their base revolves ever closer to the strange alien planet/lifeform/thingy that seems to be causing all the trouble. Visually, it's a stunner even on a relatively low budget, with the exterior scenes possessing a low-key grandeur that's matched by the cinematography. The overall aesthetic is completed by Cliff Martinez' haunting score, which sounds like the background to a psychiatric examination as much as it does the backing to a sci-fi film. While Lem was apparently unhappy with Soderbergh's focus on the central relationship (comments he apparently made without seeing the movie, proving that even noted authors can at times be ill-informed nincompoops), the romance is affecting both as a pure love story and a philosophical pondering on Solaris' apparent intentions. As languorous spacebound psychodramas go, Solaris is near the top of the bill, and while it may not quite live up to its predecessor (oops... spoiler for a future entry, there), it's certainly a worthwhile film in and of itself.

44. Primer (2004)

As mentioned earlier in regard to its accuracy, if The Time Machine is the layman's answer to cinematic time travel, then Primer belongs to Stephen Hawking. If you thought time travel on film was something you could wrap your head round easily enough, then get a load of this bad boy - nine separate timelines and around a dozen different iterations of the two main characters, all interacting freely and desperately trying to get you to work out a coherent pattern of what happens over the course of the film's eighty minutes. This is very much a cinematic representation of what the literary buffs among you will know as "hard" science fiction, ie. a version of the genre that prides itself on accurate scientific or technical detail. Time travel has rarely been as believable on screen as it has here, and that's no mean feat in itself, particularly because the film built around the concept is so absorbing, too. Made on a shoestring budget with zero visual effects (indeed it placed quite highly in my column on low budget movies several weeks ago), nevertheless Primer convinces you that two engineers could feasibly create an accidental time machine in their garage, and doesn't beat around the bush when presenting the technical mumbo jumbo that would make such a feat possible. Perhaps someone with a degree in theoretical physics might have something to say about how easy the movie is to follow. Regardless of its complexities, though, Primer is a prime [sorry!] example of the SF genre's capacity to provoke thought and speculation, and to put scientific concepts through the wringer. It might take a few watches to work out what's going on, mind. And by "a few" I mean "about forty".

43. Robocop (1987)

Paul Verhoeven's brutal (in more ways than one) sci-fi-satire has lent the genre many memorable moments, from ED-209's destructive screen debut (as covered in last week's column), to hapless Emil's toxic meltdown which may well be the messiest movie death ever, to simple highlights like "dead or alive, you're coming with me". There's also the impression left by über-baddie Clarence Boddicker, a performance by Kurtwood Smith so nasty that when I saw his guest appearance on House a few nights after last watching Robocop I didn't recognize him for about twenty minutes. However, the lasting legacy is the title character himself, a genre icon whose physical presence would go on to redeem several lackluster sequels and spinoffs that possessed none of the original's bite. Following plod officer Murphy's harrowing disfigurement by some of the many ne'er-do-wells that inhabit future Detroit, his mangled and comatose body is unwittingly enlisted as a test pilot for the Robocop programme pioneered by slimy greaseball exec Miguel Ferrer. Needless to say, we all know what happens next - Murphy finds himself in possession of a shiny new cyborg body kit and quickly sets about dispatching all and sundry who happen to cross his path, until an emerging sentience leads him on the warpath against his previous attackers. The costume design of the robo-bloke himself is nothing short of a marvel, although you have to wonder how well Peter Weller coped under its burden for most of the movie. However it's Weller's human touch that lends a definite degree of empathy to the character (even when unmasked to reveal the world's largest and most unsightly forehead), particularly when contrasted with the utterly amoral Boddicker, and Robocop's quest for revenge is undoubtedly cheer-worthy. Most fans will praise Verhoeven's subversive sleight-of-hand in constructing the film's narrative, but for me it's Robocop himself that defines the film as a sci-fi actioner for the ages.

42. Superman II (1980)

Funnily enough, harking back to the old edition of 'The Flux Capacitor' I mentioned earlier, old Supes only just failed to make the cut to sneak into the top twenty there, and now here he is languishing in the 40s. Like I said, clearly my feelings about this sort of listmaking will change over time. In fact I've even been rearranging the placement of a few of these films as I write this particular blurb, so Superman II can thank my indecision for an extra placing over last night's draft. The question of course must first be raised as to whether we consider the theatrical release or the Richard Donner cut released only a few years ago, as the definitive version of the story. All the production brouhaha aside, it's a simple case of watching the two side by side, and Donner's version is pretty clearly the superior film - less of a slapstick tone, a more flowing narrative, and the crucial reintegration of John Williams' unforgettable score all add up to make this a better version than the original Richard Lester cut released by Warners. Despite the somewhat contrived ending, where Superman pretty much time travels the entire planet back to a state before the events in the film occurred (pretty much an embellished form of "it was all a dream"), the malevolent crusade of General Zod and his cronies to take over the planet, ably assisted by a toadying Lex Luthor, is a compelling story, and is the essential depiction of the Man of Steel on the big screen. Terrence Stamp's imperious presence as superpowered Kryptonian warmonger Zod adds a much needed dash of danger to contrast with Luthor's more comedic foil, and Superman's quest to oust them from their seat of power while simultaneously pursuing a love story with Lois Lane remains one of the best comic book movies ever made.

41. Westworld (1973)

"Isn't this a western?" I hear you cry, because after all it does feature Yul Brynner as a cowboy. Well, not it isn't, but it does feature a wild west setting, which immediately gives it some bonus points because the mixture of cowboys and androids is always going to be exciting, regardless of the execution. Spending the first third of the film setting the scene, Westworld takes place in a futuristic leisure resort populated by androids programmed to obey the patrons' every whim and fancy, whether carnal, violent or modest, which immediately scores a second Red Dwarf reference in the space of this paragraph for its similarity to the 'Better Than Life' episode. With all the earthly pleasures from medieval banqueting to wild west prostitute shopping catered for, the visitors to Delos have everything going for them. However, it wouldn't be much of a film if things didn't go wrong, and go wrong they do in a spectacularly horrible fashion, as the androids (admittedly somewhat inevitably) break their programming and begin to murder the punters. Brynner in particular is fantastic as the stone-faced Gunslinger, previously besmirched in his compliant state by our protagonists James Brolin and Richard Benjamin, before callously gunning down Brolin in cold blood and following Benjamin in a terrifying chase across the resort and into the bowels of its control center. Lulling the audience into a false sense of security before gradually exposing the unwinding mayhem behind the androids' passive eyes, Westworld descends into a game of cat and mouse that's endlessly suspenseful, with the Gunslinger barely even being halted by having acid thrown in his face. Plus, his quick-step gait is bloody frightening. The scenario itself is classic science fiction in nature, but what it lacks in complication it more than makes up for in execution.

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We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

And finally…

Feeling aggrieved or elated at this week's ten picks? Then let me know! The magic of the interweb allows you to post your comments right here on this very page, and if they're especially insightful (or idiotic), I may even respond in the next column. Be sure to tune in next week for another edition of 'Ten Deep' and numbers 40-31, but until then - keep watching the skies.