Where have all the good sci-fi films gone (vanity)?

Yours truly

[rjp2005]

Where have all the sci-fi films gone?

Those simple, thought-provoking speculative tales about how people respond to something new, what kind of moral choices they make, keeping traditions in the face of technological change. Essentially, the kind of films that were thought provoking and story/character driven - Day the Earth Stood Still, Planet of Apes, 12 Monkeys, Minority Report (more action though but good), etc.

The "Superhero and Fantasy Genre Craze" since Spiderman and LOTR has really eaten up a lot of support for original sci-fi works to film...

For 2008, we have two horror/slasher types "I Am Legend" (Omega Man remake) and "Death Race" (revisiting the 70's version), another superhero film in "Jumper", "Iron Man", which could be a treat, and maybe the only true sci-fi attempt, "Babylon A.D.". There was also "Sunshine", a late 90's disaster film leftover, possibly funded by Global Warming-mongers ;)

[MarkL]

Never saw the show.. the movie was rather entertaining though.

You really need to see the show, even if you thought that Serenity was "just OK."

The show, dialog, stories, and characters really grow on you. The show is very much character driven, with excellent stories, and you learn more and more about each character as the season progresses, with the exception of Book... The more you learn, the more you realize that you have NO IDEA about this guy's past. But you really want to! I missed the series during its short run on TV, but now I would have to guess that I've seen every episode at least a dozen times over the years. And I never tire of any of the episodes. If I find myself doing something that takes a long time at work, I've even ripped my DVDs to avis and keep them on my laptop for when I get bored!

Mark

[B-Chan]

Cowboy Bebop was a great show, and, again, it's an example of Japanese SF's tendency to set SF shows in a "future" that is actually a pastiche of some past or current historical era dressed up with futuristic gadgets. Bebop was basically an American International Pictures rebels-on-the-road movie from 1971, only with spaceships and planets instead of motorcycles and cities.

The show was insanely enjoyable, especially when accompanied by Yokô Kannô's fantastic soundtrack.

[Snickering Hound]

"Don't test my patience with yet another crappy Star Trek movie..."

[MarkL]

Oh and remake “The Tripods” to me this was great.

I found that book really disturbing when I was a little kid... I think that I read it when I was about 9 or 10.

Mark

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

a remake: Forbidden Planet.

A guy named Shakespeare made a fair attempt, he called it 'The Tempest'.

[B-Chan]

John Brunner was a consummate socialist — but Stand On Zanzibar will always be my favorite SF book. No other science fiction novel will ever come close. I re-read it once per year.

ITS HAPPENING ITS HAPPENING ITS HAPPENING SCANALYZERSCANALYZERSCANALYZERSCANALYZERSCANALYZERSCANALYZERSCANALYZER

[Calvin Locke]

Yeah, but they killed off Raelee Hill...

[MarkL]

Not to doubt you but the Sci-Fi channel was showing Firefly a year or two ago, did something change?

Sci Fi bought the syndication rights to show Firefly for a period of time, but Fox owns the rights to make more shows. I really wish that they would do so, but actors do get other jobs. I'd love to see more shows that come between "Objects in Space" and "Serenity." Like about 5 or 6 seasons worth.

Mark

[ASOC]

ROTFLMAO

I tell prole I listen to “The Seatbelts” and such strange looks.

Jupiter Jazz - OMG so nice.

Call me - oh so lonesome

The Real Folk Blues - OMG, OMG - so everything, jazz, blues,

And of course Tank, just because......better than coffee to wake up up.

You seen the Samuri Shamploo series?

Ghost in the Shell, movie and 2nd gig? also very good - Dragnet meets Brave New World.

[B-Chan]

Image: Bruce Lewis/Flickr

[Proud_texan]

"Lucifer's Hammer"

I liked LH a lot as I did with most of their collaborations as well as most of Niven's stuff. I especially like end of the world stories and I think that LH is one of the best of that genre.

Speaking of end of the world it's not great but I saw the Jericho marathon a couple of weekends ago (I'd never seen it before) and it wasn't too terrible for mainstream TV.

Or maybe I'm just a sucker for end of the world stuff.

[Uriah_lost]

See “Cripple Fight”!!

[MarkL]

GORT KLAATU BARADA NIKTO. Remember that. It's very important.

Especially when you're trying to get the Necronomicon! You must pronounce EVERY word!

Mark

[MarkL]

Think I’ll watch “The Fifth Element” this evening.

That's some of the crap I was complaining about in my last post.

I've got to stand with the good doctor on this one... While the Fifth Element may not be the world's greatest movie, it's a whole lot of fun. Another guilty pleasure of mine is "Starship Troopers." Now please understand that I think that the people who "adapted" Heinlein's work for that movie need to be lined up and shot, I still really enjoyed the movie (as long as I didn't compare it to the classic book.)

Mark

[Jimmy Valentine]

When the original movie “Godzilla” is your touchstone, all other movies seem to come up short.

[Publius6961]

Robinson Caruso on Mars

Was that the musical?

: )

[Proud_texan]

"Dick was one of the best"

Absolutely. I have no idea if it's true but I've read he's had more books made into movies than any other writer except for Stephen King.

To add to your list: Imposter, A Scanner Darkly, Screamer, Next and Paycheck as well as The Owl in Daylight and Radio Free Albemuth which have not yet been completed.

I will observe that I've never seen a movie from one of his books that comes close to capturing his own special brand of weirdness.

[Calvin Locke]

It was hard to believe that Guy Fleegman went on to become the president of the galaxy.

Then again, maybe not.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Great book, but not easy. I’ve read it 4 times!

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Rendezvous with Rama would make a good movie if it sticks to the story in the first book - the sequels were snoozers.