Essential sci-fi and fantasy to pick up on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[John P Grosskopf]

FECK!!!

@$%#ING DOUBLE POST!

 

[John P Grosskopf]

Here's a list, but some are not on DVD in Region 1 (or any region for that matter)
LATHE OF HEAVEN
It's dated and made for PBS on a shoe string, but a great story well realized. It's a pretty poor DVD though, but only a broadcast master
still exist, as the film elements have disapeared to heaven.
A Boy and His Dog
Great meat recipes to try when you have an anoying girlfriend over for dinner.
Cube
Lean, mean, and full of atmosphere.
Cronos
Sucks in the right way (but not that way).
Enemy Mine
Great make-up & "Baroque" special effects.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (all three)
"Paranoia will destroy ya." - Ozzy Osborne -
Time Rider: The adventure of Lyle Swan
Goofy sci-fi western that's fun all around (though the DVD uses different footage from an alternate cut near the end that changes the story for the worse. Seek out an old LD (like mine) for the true and superior theatrical ending.
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Not on DVD, but should be. What if?...
Tremors
Just how many cows does it take to make a stampede? Forget the lame-ass sequels though.
Hardware
So gory it got an NC-17, but was teriffic regardless.
Videodrome
Hello to the new flesh.
Outland
terrible DVD, but great remake of High Noon in space. Check out the letterboxed LD for a superior presentation until a remasterd DVD comes out
The Black Hole
Disney Goes PG with great effects, but little else. Still a fun way to waste time.
Solaris
Pour the Vodka nd blow your mind comrade.
Existenze
Where's Neo when you need him?
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Dated, but definitely a case where the Director's Cut is superior cinema.
Alphaville
It's not in English, but don't hold that against this excellent SCi-fi Noir that influenced Blade Runner.
12 Monkeys
Only the greatest time travel story of all time.
Scanners
Mind blowing sci-fi.
Until the End of the World
181 minute version is even better than the U.S. cut, but only available on OOP Japanese LD. I'd love to see the longest 6+ hour cut miniseries cut released on DVD someday.
Frequency
Guilty pleasure, but a really good Twilight Zone episode in widescreen.
This Island Earth
Made for M.S.T.3.K...but dig those foreheads. Influential for its time.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Sci-fi can be funny (and on video tape), just don't panic and bring a towel.
Fantastic Planet (La Planet Sauvage)
Best watched in French. A Great film with a universal message.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the Eighth Dimension
Activate your Occilation Overthruster and climb aboard for a rockin' good time.
Back to the Future I, II, & III
Activate your Occilation Overthruster...err...Flux Capacitor and climb aboard for a rockin' good time.
NOW FOR A FEW YOU MIGHT WANT TO AVOID:
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Predicted the rise of Bill Gates in the character of Forbin, though Windows has yet to join with Lennox (Lenin...get it?) to take over the world (but still pretty close).
Demon Seed
Same as Colossus entry above, but more reproductive.
Slent Running
Which is what you wish the film did everytime Joan Baez sings in this hippie-fest. A movie that begs the question: Just exactly what were they growing in those domes? They must have been rolling it off camera to get the final version.
Megaforce
The good guys always win, even in the eighties...but not at the box office when your film is "Megacrap." Sadly (or happily if you prefer) not on DVD.
Howard the Duck
I actually like this movie (therapy has been reccomended), but again, made for M.S.T.3.K. Sadly not on DVD, but I'd by a 5 disc Criterion S.E. of this one in a heartbeat.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I dont consider classic sci-fi as "essential", but if you can pick them up:
Fantastic Voyage
Very well done, technically accurate.
The Andromeda Strain

 

[Justin_S]

Several of the choices on John's list qualify as horror as well, but thats not a bad thing at all (horror is my favorite genre). My recommendation, THE THING also qualifies as horror by the way.

 

[John P Grosskopf]

Fantastic Voyage
Very well done, technically accurate.

Yeah, technically you can shrink down people and a submarine while reducing all that mass so it doesn't crush the patient.
...or were you refering to Raquel Welch's Fantastic...:b

 

[Stephen Orr]

Jason and the Argonauts!

20 Million Miles to Earth!

The upcoming Earth vs The Flying Saucers!

 

[Justin_S]

Oh yeah, another must have is Cronenberg's THE FLY. Don't pass it up, believe me!

 

[Damin J Toell]

Oh yeah, another must have is Cronenberg's THE FLY. Don't pass it up, believe me!

I just saw this screened theatrically this past Friday. It disturbs me now more than it did 16 years ago. I never believed such a thing could be possible.
DJ

 

[Rex Bachmann]

In addition to some of the others mentioned here, you should try Altered States (1980) for bizarre, sense-dazzling fun.
And, although not yet available on DVD, whenever it makes it you should try the Christian Nyby (/Howard Hawks?) classic Thing from Another World (RKO, 1951).

 

[Veli-Matti Reitti]

Armageddon!

 

[Robert C Wall]

DARK STAR !!!!!

 

[JohnE]

Not sure if I missed it but...

Event Horizon!

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

I thought Supernova was pretty good. Also: Freejack, Krull, Waterworld, and The City of Lost Children.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Terminator I & II
The Abyss
Conan The Barbarian
The Thing
They Live
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) very scary indeed
The Blob (with Steve McQueen)
The Thing from Another World, I want this one on DVD
Time Machine 1960 original version

 

[LeeL]

Or, for those nights when you just don't want to think about man's place in the universe and you just want to be entertained:
Mars Attacks!- It ain't great cinema, but it's a helluva lot of fun. Plus it beats the hell out of Tim Burton's PotA redux (no one mentioned the original moneky flicks yet? Inconceivable!)
Plan 9 From Outer Space- Remember, budding filmmakers: Hubcaps + fishing line + shower curtains=crappy effects, even for the 50s.
Robot Monster- Gorilla suits and diving helmets do NOT a terrifying alien make. Also, if you're going to have a swirling fog effect as a rocket zooms around, make sure the fog doesn't run out so we can see the guy's hand holding said rocket. That's just silly.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- Yes, it's fantasy, and yes, it's still great.
That's off the top of my head...I'm sure I'm missing things, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

 

[George See]

You know sci-fi/fantasy has always been a favorite of mine but I find that most of the movies in the genre just don't do it for me. I guess it's because I read so much sci-fi/fantasy that the movies seem short And lacking depth. I enjoyed mission to mars just on the visuals especially the early scenes in orbit around the redplanet but then again I am A Mars Junkie. I guess if I had to pick A few essentials i'd say 2001/2010, contact. Hrmmm considering how much I love reading sci-fi/fantasy there'd be more. But for some reason the best sci-fi movies just never satisfy as much as my favorite sci-fi books.

 

[dpippel]

Another essential I love which hasn't been mentioned yet:

"Starman" - John Carpenter's best film in my opinion.

 

[KyleK]

Robocop - In my opinion, Paul Verhoven's masterpiece (Total Recall comes close)
The Fly - Great movie, check out the original with Vincent Price also.
Pi - Kind of a sci-fi, shot on an extremely low budget but looks professional. A mind-bender.
Blade Runner - Nuff said.