The Science Fiction Appreciation Thread

[Punisher Rising]

I've always loved Predator 2, it's honestly my favorite of the entire Alien/Predator media (I know I'm in the minority on that, big-time). It's so fast-paced, intense and awesome throughout. I never get tired of it.

 

[spider-neil]

I've always loved Predator 2, it's honestly my favorite of the entire Alien/Predator media (I know I'm in the minority on that, big-time). It's so fast-paced, intense and awesome throughout. I never get tired of it.

new weapons
spear
cutting disk
cutting net

new setting
the city

new character
MIB type characters
police department

I'm with you man, great movie.

 

[Punisher Rising]

new weapons
spear
cutting disk
cutting net

new setting
the city

new character
MIB type characters
police department

I'm with you man, great movie.

The Predator kicks so much ass in Predator 2. I love both movies but the second to me amplified everything that was awesome about the original. It baffles me to see Predator 2 be so hated.

 

[spider-neil]

The Predator kicks so much ass in Predator 2. I love both movies but the second to me amplified everything that was awesome about the original. It baffles me to see Predator 2 be so hated.

I think because
a) it starred danny glover rather than an action hero
b) it was totally different from the original

 

[SuperFerret]

I think because
a) it starred danny glover rather than an action hero
b) it was totally different from the original

Both of those helped make Predator 2 a better movie.

 

[spider-neil]

Both of those helped make Predator 2 a better movie.

YAY! the predator 2 fans are in the house!!

 

[Sentinel X]

Predator 2 is really not as bad as most people make it out to be. I like the original a lot better but Predator 2 is still a fun film and has its moments.
Like the train scene...that was pretty creepy and well done, imo.

Also the scene where the Predator decapitates that Rastafarian's head...badass! The funny thing is he thought he actually had a chance

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

The Terminator was the first sci-fi movie I loved, and still love to this day, my 2nd favourite movie behind only Aliens, although depending on my mood sometimes T1 is top.

Honestly cant wait for more from Neill Blomkamp and Duncan Jones after D9 and Moon respectively though.

 

[[A]]

^ yeah, I think it's the same with me: I really can't remember when I saw The Terminator for the first time, though..

I do remember some TV mini-series with Roy Scheider that I saw when I was really young -- can't remember what it was about but I do remember I was crazy about it -- and every week I'll watch it.. It even ended with a twist!

 

[C. Lee]

A lot of the hate thrown towards Predator 2 was originally just directed towards the director, but as things deem to do, it eventually became a "let's join the bandwagon" and became an excuse to complain about the movie in general.

 

[spider-neil]

Predator 2 is really not as bad as most people make it out to be. I like the original a lot better but Predator 2 is still a fun film and has its moments.
Like the train scene...that was pretty creepy and well done, imo.

Also the scene where the Predator decapitates that Rastafarian's head...badass! The funny thing is he thought he actually had a chance

the best sequence is in the abattoir when the predator can't see the men in black (or silver ) and changes his spectrum to view them and doubles back around and then takes them out and the money cut being cutting those carcasses in half along with gary busey. AWESOME!!

 

[Doctor Jones]

^ yeah, I think it's the same with me: I really can't remember when I saw The Terminator for the first time, though..

I do remember some TV mini-series with Roy Scheider that I saw when I was really young -- can't remember what it was about but I do remember I was crazy about it -- and every week I'll watch it.. It even ended with a twist!

Was it Sea Quest?

 

[thegameq]

Hands down my favorite genre.

Sci-fi of the 70's and 80s did the trick for me. A healthy dose of B movie sci-fi classics and Marvel comics planted the seeds for....Star Wars....what else. Films, comicbooks, anime and videogames cemented me in the genre--not that I don't appreciate the other genres of course.

It's some what strange that despite the genre's obvious popularity and draw at the box office, it is still a genre that suffers from bouts of utter mediocrity. I know that can be applied to other genres as well, but you'd think sci-fi films would of be able to maintain consistent quality considering how prominently they tend to feature into the bottom line of many studios.

It's almost like the superhero genre. when it works, it's golden, but when it fails, it's terrible. You'd think studios, directors, etc. would know how to do these films after all these years.

I suspect the same thing that tends to hurt the superhero genre is the same thing that tends to hurt the sci-fi genre; lack of faith and understanding in the source material, as well as faithfulness to said source material. But the biggest contributor in my mind is $$$$$$$. Both genres usually come with big price tags and that usually effects the final outcome in one form or another.

 

[Punisher Rising]

Nice to see Predator 2 getting much love here I definitely agree with one comment that after a movie gets such a bad reception overtime, it just becomes trendy to bash it rather than judge it on it's own merits.

 

[childeroland]

Seconding Akira among sci-fi films I really like. (I am not looking forward to the Hughes Brothers' take on that classic.) The original Star Wars trilogy, 2001, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Dark City, the first two Terminator films, the original Village of the Damned, The Prestige and Steamboy (to include steampunk), The Iron Giant and Anna to the Infinite Power are all in my personal pantheon of favorites in the genre.

 

[SuperFerret]

I still don't consider Star Wars as sci fi. It's more like sword and sorcery high fantasy than sci fi.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Seconding Akira among sci-fi films I really like. (I am not looking forward to the Hughes Brothers' take on that classic.) The original Star Wars trilogy, 2001, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Dark City, the first two Terminator films, the original Village of the Damned, The Prestige and Steamboy (to include steampunk), The Iron Giant and Anna to the Infinite Power are all in my personal pantheon of favorites in the genre.

Certainly on Akira, fantastic movie. All the rest are great, though I haven't seen Anna to the Infinite Power

 

[Tron Bonne]

I still don't consider Star Wars as sci fi. It's more like sword and sorcery high fantasy than sci fi.

It's basically a space opera, so it's soft sci-fi. The Force is kind of mystical in sense, but that doesn't disqualified it from the genre

 

[DarKJediKnight]

I finally saw 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was sleepy when I saw this... I don't know if that's the right mood for seeing this film but it really did take me on an odyssey. Especially that Star Gate scene at the near-end, I felt like I was dreaming, like I was going into the infinite. I've already read some explanations for the film even before seeing this film, so I do understand some of the scenes, but I would like the other's thoughts on this film. And also on The Quiet Earth (I haven't seen it yet, but the ending was already spoiled for me).

 

[[A]]

Was it Sea Quest?

No, no, no -- it was from the late 70s/early 80s

 

[C. Lee]

No, no, no -- it was from the late 70s/early 80s

IMDB doesn't list him as being in any miniseries....you m ight be thinking of someone else.

 

[The Navigator]

Certainly on Akira, fantastic movie. All the rest are great, though I haven't seen Anna to the Infinite Power

I've heard a lot of good things about Akira but am rather opposed to anime in general. What do you like/recommend about it?

 

[[A]]

IMDB doesn't list him as being in any miniseries....you m ight be thinking of someone else.

yeah.. well, I was a kid (8-10 years old) so I'm probably way, way off

 

[SuperFerret]

It's basically a space opera, so it's soft sci-fi. The Force is kind of mystical in sense, but that doesn't disqualified it from the genre

It disqualifies it to me, but I'm not getting into this argument again.



Anyway, what's everyone's favorite Sci Fi series?

My personal fave is the Jurassic Park series.

 

[Sentinel X]

I've heard a lot of good things about Akira but am rather opposed to anime in general. What do you like/recommend about it?

You're missing out on some great films. But even if you don't like anime I'd say Akira is still worth checking out. Its sort of like Blade Runner meets the Matrix meets Star Wars. To me its a very unique and original film...also its really fun too.