Everyone has their own favourites, everyone will tell you what it is about this movie or that one, that they so admired that they just had to include it on their Top 10 favourites.
So of course, I’m going to add my 2 cents worth and share my current favourites. And yes, I say current, as tomorrow, or next week, or even next year, I just might watch another knockout SF movie that blows me away and, yep, nudges out an old fav, to take its rightful place on my list.
So let’s start with my current favs:
THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997) — directed by one of my all-time favourite directors, Luc Besson, this movie has it all, as far as I’m concerned. From the wonderfully crazy-assed storyline, to the actors, especially the dead-pan Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas going up against Milla Jovovich’s deadly and naive LeeLoo, to Ian Holm as the muddling Father Vito Cornelius. Each character is played to the hilt. And who could fail to remember Christ Tucker in the extra campy roll of Ruby Rhod? He nearly stole the show.
ARRIVAL (2016) — directed by Denis Villeneuve, this is one of the best all out SF (all caps) movies I have ever seen. Straight up intrigue and drama, along with a number of layered messages of hope, destiny, cooperation, never mind the great cinematography as well. Like Contact starring Jodi Foster, ARRIVAL has so much to say about humans, language, and communication. Asking us a number of questions about how we react and deal with the strange, in this case, non-violent aliens who are not hell bent on world domination (for a change).
DUNE (2021) — this Denis Villeneuve directed version is by far the superior outing of the Frank Herbert classic. From the choice of actors right on through to the director’s attention to detail in every lavishly recreated scene. He and his team have created a masterpiece in cinematography that is both visually stunning and lush in colour palate. This really is an immersive experience that thrusts you deep into the heart of Herbert’s fictional universe.
ALIEN (1979) — directed by Ridley Scott, this monster/SF horror movie set aboard an oil refinery in space, has all the classic Hitchcock movie elements in it. Shock and horror delivered by atmosphere and timing, revealing just enough to build the tension, before the big reveal. It was all about what you didn’t see, more than when we finally did get to see the alien. But even then, this seven foot monster is one of the scariest I’d ever seen, way back in 1979, when Alien first came out. It still holds up even after all this time.
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) — the remake directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams and Jeff Goldblum. A movie I saw when it first came out, and, quite frankly almost had nightmares about it. I went to see it with a couple of friends, and we all got creeped out. Again, like Alien, this one is more about the psychological aspect of scaring people rather than 70 foot monsters invading from space. And the final twist at the end, was classic. Still my favourite version.
BLADE RUNNER (1982) — another directed by Ridley Scott and, I have to say, up there with Luc Besson, one of my all-time favourite directors. He knows how to deliver on a promise, whether it’s outlandish monster movie set in space, or a layered SciFi movie filled with replicants and subtext. Scott has an eye for detail. But I should stress here, I prefer the original to the directors cut, which, personally, I didn’t like.
MINORITY REPORT (2002) — directed by Steven Spielberg and loosely adapted from the 1956 science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. While I could have done without the casting of Tom Cruise in the title role, nonetheless, the movie covered all the bases. And the whole premise of a PreCrime department monitoring us 24/7 is not so far fetched, in this day and age, given the leaps in technology. Even the precogs seem plausible and the context of the movie, stopping crime before it happens, is scary enough. Who decides what’s free will, and what’s determining? All pretty disturbing even though, in places, this was a classic chase film with overtones of futuristic noir.
12 MONKEYS (1995) — directed by Terry Gilliam and staring one of my fav action stars, Bruce Willis who, along with the crazed Brad Pitt, who went on to win a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the insane Goines. But given the year we now live in, 2020, and what we’re living through, a viral pandemic, was 12 Monkeys prescient in predicting the future? Even taking that out of the equation, this was still a creepy look at cause and effect in that did Cole himself cause the epidemic to happen, or not? Still a fun ride at the circas.
DISTRICT 9 (2009) — directed by Neill Blomkamp this film totally flips the idea of an alien invasion on its head. Given that the seemingly passive aliens in question have been forced into ghettos that border on concentration camps. This really is a dark look into humanity’s soul through an alien lens—a look at apartheid in a different light—and such a refreshing change to the usual SFF movie we’ve become accustom too.
CONTACT (1997) — directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Jodi Foster as Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, a SETI scientist searching for alien life, in an adaption of Carl Sagan’s novel of the same name. The movie delves briefly into the metaphysics of does God exist, while being ostensibly an adventure. Ellie, as part of a team that discover a message from space, goes on a ‘trip’ and in a nod to the above question, quite possibly touches the face of God before being rudely brought back to earth. Where everything, including whether she actually left Earth or not, is brought into question.
BEST RUNNER UP: WALL-E (2008) — directed by Andrew Stanton for Pixar/Disney and yes, an animated scifi movie. Okay, so maybe it was a toss up between several movies for this last slot but, in the end, I went with WALL-E for so many reasons, not least because the plucky garbage unit exemplifies courage against the odds. And who can fail to have at least one animated feature in their top 10, go on, I defy you to not see WALL-E as the perfect example of a science fiction movie. It has a great hero, it’s set in space, it has a love story, it has redemption, and some of the best damn humour you’re ever likely to find in any movie, period.
Close contenders were also ARMAGEDDON (yes, I know, so I like Bruce Willis in these kind of movies.) As well as SPACE COWBOYS, THE MATRIX, TERMINATOR, PREDATOR, MARS ATTACK (yes, I went there) and yes, even INTERSTELLAR, all for different reasons.
And you, what makes it into your top 10 fav SF movies list?
This movie was one long testosterone fuelled promo advert for the US Army Rangers, what with all the machismo and chest thumping, gruff voices, and lone-wolf attitudes. Over baked and undercooked, this one lacked enough ingredients to make it thoughtful, or interesting.
Lots of big bangs and explosions and not much else.
Three lifelong friends reunite after the death of an old classmate turns a wake into a dark mystery. They embark on a thrilling adventure across Ireland, piecing together enigmatic truths amid complicated lives.
We started watching the absolutely crazy Irish dramady, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast written by the team that brought you Derry Girls, and, in between the wonderfully twisted storyline, machine-gun delivered dialogue, and hilarious stunts, we were rolling around on the couch in stitches. I laughed so much my jaw hurt.
This is must-see TV if you’re looking for a break from the usual crime caper, especially as this one is laced with some great Irish snark and humour. Never mind class acting by our 3 leading ladies.
If you haven’t seen it yet, then I’m here to tell you, get thee hence and go watch the new German spy thriller, Unfamiliar on Netflix. Because it’s one of the best things I’ve seen this year (yeah, okay, we’re only in the middle of February, but the statement is still true.)
We literally inhaled three episodes a night for the last couple of nights caught up in the guessing game of who, what, where, and why.
A taut, well paced, action-filled thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
We decided to catch up on one or two shows, on Netflix last night, and chose the movie, Troll (no, not the kiddies animated version). And, I have to say, I’m glad we went with a silly fantasy because, it was ridiculously good fun. Putting aside whether we believe in trolls or not. It doesn’t matter. They gave their existence plausibility in this amusing Norwegian romp through the countryside.
Genuine and heartfelt in places, whimsical in others, it was all the scifi references and throw away lines that made this all the more enjoyable. And yes, before you ask, we will be watching Troll II at some point and will probably enjoy it just as much.
We watched the last couple of episodes of Harlan Coben’s latest mini series, Run Away, on Netflix last night. And, well, what can I say? What seemed like a great premise and a story ripped straight from the news headlines, this one came across as convoluted rather than clever and muddled rather than twisted. Both of us kind of guessed early on certain key plot points even before the so-called great reveal at the end.
There were some interesting aspects, but over-all? It lacked integrity in that we’re once again presented with the big bad cult brainwashing people into subservient belief. As the side plot, quite frankly, it bordered on the ridiculous. And then, the big reveal?
Well, I don’t care what anyone else says, we watched Borderlands on DVD last night and, I have to say, it was pure unadulterated fun. I should also add noisy, colourful, crazy, madcap, seriously demented fun. Kudos to both Kate Blanchet and Jamie Lee Curtis for knocking it out of the ballpark. Seriously, Jamie Lee gets better every film I see her in. Also, Kate was excellent as Lilith, she nailed the character.
We watched the torturous last episode of season 4 of Stranger Things last night which left me asking a number of questions. Like, “Why the hell did I put myself through watching several overly long episodes bulked out with so. much. filler?”
And … “Do I really want to watch season 5 based on my viewing experience of season 4?”
And … the answer is, no, maybe, I don’t know. Honestly. I might leave watching it till sometime in January, at least till all the episodes have aired and all the hype is over with.
As for what I thought of season 4? It wasn’t my favourite for a number of reasons (seasons 1 and 2 were the best). The humour was thin on the ground this time around, wedged in between lengthy and very boring monologues. And then what felt like tedious schlock action pieces.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the monster being a dude in a really bad rubber suit.
I’ve persisted with The Abandons despite being triggered in the first episode and then, taking a over a week before watching the next episode. Why did I come back to it? I’m not sure other than being intrigued to see where a show (and a western at that) starring not one but two female leads, goes.
The main event and catalyst in the first episode put me off wanting to watch more. But here I am 4 episodes in and wondering which of the two women, Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) or Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), will win the day in their battle of wills.
How will it all end? In hell fire and damnation I suspect.
At nearly two and a half hours long, this third instalment of the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, was 45 minutes too long. At least, in my humble opinion. I started to watch this Saturday night and, got as far as Msgr. Wick' confession to Father Jud outside the church, and gave up due to the trite and childish need to appeal to an audience of 12 year old boys. I didn’t actually finish the movie till late Sunday afternoon.
Sadly, my opinion didn’t change much about the characters and, by the sordid end, hoped they would all end up dead. The only light in this whole hot mess was Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. He lifted this morass but still, in the end, couldn’t save it from itself.
This run of the mill gangster flick on Netflix was made all the more enjoyable by performances from Pierce Brosnan, James Caan, and Morena Baccarin. However, stealing the show in the single scene she was in, Sharon Gless as the foulmouthed mother in law, got some of the best throw away lines going I’ve heard in a long time.
If you’ve got nothing better to watch, grab some popcorn, suspend your sense of disbelief, and just enjoy the stunts.
Of all the Star Wars iterations I have seen so far, this one was the weakest. From the very first episode Obi-Wan known as Ben, because, you know, he’s in hiding, was a moaning old fisher woman from start to finish. He. Never. Stopped. Complaining.
Obi-Wan’s failings aside, it was fun to get some of the backstory to Leia, and see her as a plucky 10-year old besting dear ‘Ol Ben and getting them both in and out of trouble. Kudos to the young actress, Vivien Lyra Blair, for nailing the part and making it her own.
But the one character/actress who gave heart to the whole series with her sacrifice has to be Indira Varma playing Tala Durith. I want a limited series with Tala running the underground.
Last night looking for something to watch on Netflix, I went surfing movie options and came across one simply titled LOU.
The write up wasn’t much to go on, but when I saw that it starred Allison Janney (CJ from the West Wing) I knew I wanted to watch it no matter what it was about. Turns out this was as much an action thriller as it was about retired spies and so much more.
“A young girl is kidnapped during a powerful storm. Her mother joins forces with her mysterious neighbour to set off in pursuit of the kidnapper. Their journey will test their limits and expose the dark secrets of their past.”
What? Allison Janney doing fight scenes? I couldn’t have asked for more. This one delivers on so many levels: viscerally, visually, and subtly.
Death by Lightning? More like death by boredom, slowly … excruciatingly slowly. I watched the first two episodes expecting it to start off somewhat slowly as they introduce the characters but, by the end of episode 2, I was beginning to wonder just how I would survive not throttling Charles ‘Charlie’ Guiteau or shooting James A. Garfield myself.
Neither a sympathetic character in any way shape or form. Guiteau being portrayed as a manic lunatic who, quite frankly, is so unbelievable as to make me question any historical accuracy. This drama seems more a historical farce borne of the mind of the writer and less nailing down of the who, what, where, when and, more importantly, why.
I’m not sure what I was expecting but what I got was definitely not what I was expecting. Some people have called this clever and quirky. Some have even raved about it. Me? I would say it’s a little far along the weird scale to struggle past the first two introductory episodes.
There was nothing of substance to grab my attention, even for quirky. And I certainly didn’t care for the lead character, the most miserable person on the planet apparently, played by Rhea Seehorn.
Haven’t we had enough of these bleak analogies? I know I have.
Watched the first two episodes of Down Cemetery Road starring Emma Thompson and, well, (possibly unpopular opinion here) I felt decidedly underwhelmed, never mind irritated by the drab, neurotic characters. Do they all have to be the same?
I mean, it’s all very blah, blah bland. Worse, Emma Thompson looks positively bored delivering snark at every possible juncture. And can they please stop casting Adeel Akhtar as the bumbling fool in every TV thriller.
I struggled to finish the first episode of Chief of War starring Jason Momoa, last night. It was ultra violent in places to the point of showing us visceral disembowelment and people having the skulls smashed in. You know what, there’s historical accuracy, then there’s historical accuracy.
This is not a show I will be finishing anytime soon.
I had such high expectations for season 3 of The Diplomat given how season 2 ended (on a cliffhanger). But, have to say, all the usual snark and drama has been overshadowed by way too much sex. This season has turned into a very bad British sex-farce worthy of a Benny Hill episode. I mean, I understand that having sexual tension between certain characters is a must these days, and can really change up a show.
But, dear me, when it devolves into us seeing naked butts thrusting skyward for five minutes solid, you can get distracted quickly from the message that the world is, once again, on the point of annihilating itself. Several sex scenes in one episode become tedious quickly.
So much so that, by the end of the last episode I was, quite frankly, bored and couldn’t care less.
It took me a long while to get into this one. I have to say that, after the first episode I was ready to abaondon it and, well, actually, I did in that my Apple subscription ran out and I waited till just last week to renew it.
Maybe the break was just what I needed because we’ve just binge watched the rest of the season. And, well — I loved it.
A House of Dynamite is a chilling film by Kathryn Bigelow that explores the terrifying scenario of a rogue nation launching a nuclear strike on the U.S. and the critical moments that follow.
Scarily accurate, authentic, and chilling to the bone, A House of Dynamite is Kathryn Bigelow’s peek inside just how it might all go down when a rogue nation decides to try its luck, and fires a nuclear warhead on the continental US, giving everyone just 20 minutes to decide if it’s real, and if so, how to respond before the shit hits the fan.
