What is the greatest science fiction film or video series to date?
I am not asking about novels of any kind. There, I am well-supplied.
I am asking about original or adapted film or video.
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Tv Show: while it does get quite hammy and cheesy at times, once it hits its stride nothing can beat Babylon 5 at its most sincere. There are better shows for sure, but I don’t think there is better *sci-fi*
Movie: this is harder. I might say Arrival though. That one inspired me to find out who wrote it and then read everything he wrote.
@GeePawHill i dunno if it's the greatest per se, but i keep going back to the original three books in Asimov's Foundation series (the much later final two books are okay, but don't treat social issues in the same way as the first three).
The 1950's dystopia-turned-flawed-Utopia vibe really hits me just right, and i still remember what an epiphany it felt like at age 13 when i realized that the first book, especially, was an allegory of the American creation myth.
@GeePawHill Just from the top of my head while underway, so rather fuzzy.
Movies:
- akira
- blade runner (final cut)
- dark city
- enemy mine
- event horizon
- johnny mnemonic
- macross - do you remember love?
- metropolis
- nausicaä
- on the beach
- pitch black
- stalker
- solaris (the old one)
- strange days
- sunshine
- wings of honneamise
Series:
- babylon 5
- battle star galactica reboot (pilot + season 1 to 3 or so)
- deep space 9
- green legend ran
- planetes
- space above and beyond
@GeePawHill "Oblivion" is surprisingly good. The sound effects are masterfully done.
@Dougfir Old-school, right? Is there a modern take of it?
@GeePawHill
1959 so yes, very old school. I don't know about more modern versions. The last science fiction movie i watched was Starship Troopers. I really liked the book as a kid but the movie was so awful, i quit halfway through.
@GeePawHill The Day the Earth Stood Still
@GeePawHill In a different direction: Plan Nine From Outer Space
@gdinwiddie George. My friend. You know that you are the only person who will ever commend that to me. :)
@GeePawHill It was the winner of the reader poll in the Golden Turkey Awards book!
@GeePawHill Movies, TV, novels, or graphic novels?
@Legit_Spaghetti I am thinking of movies and videos specifically. I'll edit OP to make that more clear.
@GeePawHill Movies:
- Strange Days
- Pitch Black
- Ghost in the Shell (1995)
- Akira
- Gattaca
TV series:
- The Expanse
- Space: Above and Beyond
@GeePawHill For me personally, it is the reboot of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. As a fan, I can point out a lot of flaws with it, not the least the final Daybreak episode, but it still holds a special place in my heart for the atmosphere and its soundtrack.
This has to be in the top 3.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407362/
Going in, I should advise, I'm interested in works aimed at adults, not adolescents.
Further, I've never seen an adaptation of Cherryh, or Leckie, or Russell's "The Sparrow".
So I'm comin' in *cranky*.
Sturgeon's Law is fairly accurate: "90% of *everything* is crap", and of course that's true. I discard that shit. My issue is with the 10% that remains.
Not "crap" is a bar, a real bar. But I look around me and I see sf fans advocating stuff that is "not crap", but I am looking for more than that.
I am looking for, as I do with all of what I read or watch or listen to, the experience of "well this changes everything".
@GeePawHill I dont feel qualified to judge, since it will be so subjective.
But here's a related thought I've been having about pairs of movies which are both good and cover similar subject matter, but have wildly different takes:
Moon vs Mickey 17 was my first idea.
Blade Runner vs the Fifth Element, say.
Star Trek IV vs Galaxy Quest? Maybe parodies are too obvious.
@LyallMorrison "Galaxy Quest" was very classy.
