Posted on 04/14/2018 2:13:23 PM PDT by Rummyfan
What is the first thing you think of when you think of an alien movie? Does Sigourney Weaver's bald head pop into your mind as you picture her battling extraterrestrials in Alien 3? Or do you think of something unconventional, like Cloverfield or District 9? The alien genre is one that has certainly evolved over the years as special effects and computer-generated images have improved far beyond anyone's wildest dreams. But the fact of the matter is that for an alien movie to be good (actually, for any movie to be good), it has to tell a really good story, have character development, and be entertaining. Even the most beautiful film can be terrible if you just don't care about the people (or aliens) that you're watching.
Here are my picks for the best alien movies—for various reasons—dating back to 1982. I don't believe that older necessarily means better, but I also don't believe that higher budget means better either. See what you think.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Suzanne Pleshette brightened up any series she guested on, and they were often among the best episodes in those series.
Lifeforce, yes!
That is my favorite British sci-fi.
Battlefield Earth. Clearly the best of the best.
Noah Wylie was cool there and in the Librarians. He seems to be a lib puke in real life and is playing a guy married to a guy in some new show. /hurl
The ‘53 “Invaders from Mars” and the Hammer Studio’s “5 Million Years to Earth” (aka “Quatermass and the Pit”) would be top on my list.
Great parody, and hilarious stop action space monster. . . "Ow, my ass!" In a droll, dry British accent, no less.
Did you know there’s a sequel? "Flesh Gordon and the Cosmic Cheer Leaders”. My ex-wife, when she ran a day-care center took care of one of the kids of the woman who had been the casting director of it. I made a spinning wheel for her in my wood shop.
Whaddaya know. . . Amazon has Flesh Gordon available to rent in SD digital format for $1.99 for Amazon Prime members. Amazoning.
Oh, and the Sequel is “Flesh Gordon Meets the Cosmic Cheerleaders” made fifteen years after the first movie.
There were mechanical gauges and labels conveniently in English.
I hate most sci-fi, but really did like the (1996) “The Arrival” with Charlie Sheen. Ron Silver was great in it.
I gave up on going to scary movies after Aliens came out.
That one just scared the bejeebers out of me. I was hiding under my seat.
I grew up reading the original comic book, Space Family Robinson, by Gold Key Comics.
It was good. The enormous roving space station with small shuttle-craft foreshadowed the Enterprise battle-cruiser with its shuttle-craft.
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Wow. I was unaware there was an extensive series in comic books which predated the TV show. I just googled the cover art for the comic book.
Yes, that was a great one too! Excellent visuals.
What a sham....No “Mars Attacks” !!!
A big disappointment.
I would almost rather have Amy Adams explain the peculiarities of Portuguese grammar like she promised her class she would as sit through the movie again.
Basically Arrival felt like a remake of Close Encounters or Contact, even down to the title.
Those two have as much (or as little) place on a list like this, and may not be here just because they're older.
Generally, it seems like "first contact," aliens landing on earth and scientists engaging with them, movies are sort of a bust.
It's better when humans meet the aliens in space or when aliens come here with a bang and start destroying things.
I must need new glasses (or I should start reading the articles more closely).
“Paul” (2011) The alien is a true “smartass”.
“Your Assholiness!”
I love Flesh Gordon! Some nice stop motion, too.
The original version was better and much scarier, perhaps because the genre was relatively new and the idea of an alien “Thing” landing and attacking us in novel ways was also new and scary.
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