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Ok, so I have a new DVD player, but the only DVD I have right now that's mine is Serenity. I'm planning on trying to get the LoTR DVDs, and possibly the Matrix DVDs (I liked those movies, ok! ) but my knowledge of science fiction and fantasy movies has way too many holes in it. So what are some of the great SF movies that are must-haves on DVD? I've heard Blade Runner is good, and I'm a huge Philip Dick fan. Is the movie faithful to PKD at all and is it worth getting on DVD? Name all of the DVDs that are classic SF movies that you loved, chances are I haven't seen it. Thanks for any help.
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You should probably rent/borrow everything first to be sure that you like it. That said, here are some of my favorites.
I really liked Gattaca. I don't think it did all that well, theatrically, but then most sf doesn't.
Charlie Kaufman's films are great: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. Adaptation isn't really sf, but it's still good. Er, how old are you? I'm almost certain that all of these are rated R, so you might have to wait a bit for them.
Cube is a great character study, although the acting and the effects are often laughable. Be sure to get the original; I understand that the later movies are atrocious.
I think I enjoyed Solaris, but I don't really remember it. I think it was really late at night when I watched it and I slept through part of it.
Oh! Don't forget Mystery Science Theater 3000! Those are all either scifi or fantasy, I believe.
These are all that I can think of at the moment, I'm sure there'll be more.
Blade Runner is good, but dated, and not all that faithful to the story it is based on, Do Androinds Dream of Electric Sheep?. Still, it is a full length movie based on a short story. so it was good for it's time.
A Clockwork Orange is a good, although very nasty, movie. I can't stand to watch it anymore, but that's mostly because it's too good at getting inside the main character's head. *shudder*
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Wow, thanks everyone. I'll be going on amazon soon and read about all of those movies and see which ones sound like something I'd like. I've seen Eternal Sunshine and I liked it alot. I'll see if I could get that one, it really was a great movie. And all of the other movies that were by Charlie Kaufman (the writer or director?) are all as good as Sunshine?
I just looked at Gattaca and that sounds really cool. I'll probably rent or buy that one.
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I loved Being John Malkovich. It's a really twisted movie, and it has both John Malkovich and John Cusack in it! But then, I really like both of them so I'm biased.
Adaptation was weird. I liked it, but for me it definitely ranks after the other two. This may have also been influenced by the fact that I don't really like Nick Cage or, um, the woman who played the author (too lazy to google right now). EDIT Meryl Streep!
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12 Monkeys, Soylent Green, and Dark City all sound really cool. Can I get a second opinion on Solaris? It sounds good, but Crowswife said she slept through some of it, so I just want to make sure it's good .
Also, Kwea Do Androids Dream was a novel, not a short story.
edit: Gattaca is sort of pronounced the same way as Galactica, right?
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I don't think so, but you can buy the DVDs (or do what I do and "borrow" them from your friends).
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Back to the Future Trilogy I, Robot Terminator Powder Close Encounters of the Third Kind The 6th Day. Maybe it's the 7th Day Alien (s) Star Trek: Wrath of Khan and First Contact. If you're feeling risky, through in Next Generations War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise or Original, but I prefer Tom Cruise) Men in Black Equilibrium is a must.
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Actually, Invader Zim is televised, but on Nicktoons (if you have cable, digital cable services). The DVD's are priceless. Posts: 530 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Um... I'll add X-Men and probably X2. They're fun. Oh, and if you're into TV series, get the new Battlestar Galactica. Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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The original is more true to the radio series. Its very good. The special effects are hoakey. But its more fun that way.
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Road Warrior and/or Water World Tron Napoleon Dynamite. Seriously, guys, face reality: Napoleon was a government experiment gone horribly wrong. Chasing Amy Naussica: Valley of the Wind (Anime)
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There are two Solaris movies, one from 1972 and one from 2002. I've seen both of them and thought they were ok, you might want to rent them or something to see if you like them.
I would also add The Fifth Element, I liked it pretty good. And personally I like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, but not everybody likes it.
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Another great one was Equilibrium with Christian Bale (Batman Begins), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break), and Sean Bean (LotR). Angus Macfadyen (Robert the Bruce in Braveheart) is an excellent bad guy, and Emily Watson has a small but poignent role.
Plus, you get gun-fu. What more could you want in a Sci-Fi flick?
In my cabinet, I have Stargate (aliens on another planet), Evolution (funny aliens on Earth), and Swordfish. Ok, Swordfish isn't exactly sci-fi, and it is a bit dirty in places. But the storyline is kickin, and Hugh Jackman is amazing. I'm not into seeing Halle Berry's boobs, but that can be a plus for some folks. Whatever works for you.
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quote:The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension,
Classic.
The Fifth Element was a pretty bad movie, but somehow just...works. I second that recommendation, and third Equilibrium.
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Those are the only ones that I can think of right now that I don't think have been listed. There are a ton listed already that are fantastic movies.
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It isn't necessarily Sci-fi, but Tommy is good. Its based on The Who's rock opera of the same name.
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Don't really have anything that hasn't been mentioned, but my conscience will not let two things rest unchallenged.
1. Tommy is HORRIBLE. Listen to the Rock Opera by The Who. Now THAT is excellence in cassette tape form (yes, I still have tapes. Quiet ). It even comes on CD now! I fell in love with Tommy (album, not character), and then I saw the movie and nearly cried. Oh sure, there were moments (like Jack Nicholsen as the doctor), but overall? Crappy, 70's, badly adapted, and the only song that was not infinately worse than The Who doing it was Tina Turner's Acid Queen. Okay. Sorry for the rant. But I feel very strongly about this and once I have the Hollywood rep, my first move is going to be a remake that doesn't suck.
2. Gattaca was truly excellent until the end, at which point I wanted to kill (for fear of name confusion I use the actor's) Ethan Hawke. Who does that to a friend? Evil, evil, and the movie just passes it off like, "oh, it's okay, just fine, it's a beautiful thing and there's resolution and yadda yadda". Can't say more. It's a spoiler thing.
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starLisa's list is pretty good. I was going to throw votes in for The Abyss, Independence Day (I know, I love that movie!), and the Back to the Future trilogy. Great fun.
Galaxy Quest is a must though. No doubt about it.
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quote:Charlie Kaufman's films are great: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.
Oi, how did I forget THOSE? I suppose they're science fiction, after all.
I didn't see Eternal Sunshine, but now that I know it’s by the same guy that did the other two I will avoid it like the plague. Adaptation was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I hate pointless “arty” movies who seem to enjoy being weird just to be different.
I agree with most of the other suggestions.
I finally saw Serenity the other day. Granted I never saw the TV show, but I don't see what all the hype was about. It wasn't bad, but not that particularly great either.
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Here's IMDb's top SciFi list, and here's the fantasy list (there's some overlap). Some of my favorites that I don't think have been mentioned are Iron Giant, Brazil, and Manchurian Candidate (1962). Solaris (2001) is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
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I adore The 4400. Both the miniseries and the series. I have to check and see when that starts up again. Oh, also, 5ive Days to Midnight.
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) but my knowledge of science fiction and fantasy movies has way too many holes in it. So what are some of the great SF movies that are must-haves on DVD? I've heard Blade Runner is good, and I'm a huge Philip Dick fan. Is the movie faithful to PKD at all and is it worth getting on DVD? Name all of the DVDs that are classic SF movies that you loved, chances are I haven't seen it. Thanks for any help.
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). It even comes on CD now! I fell in love with Tommy (album, not character), and then I saw the movie and nearly cried. Oh sure, there were moments (like Jack Nicholsen as the doctor), but overall? Crappy, 70's, badly adapted, and the only song that was not infinately worse than The Who doing it was Tina Turner's Acid Queen. Okay. Sorry for the rant. But I feel very strongly about this and once I have the Hollywood rep, my first move is going to be a remake that doesn't suck. 
