The MoFo Top 100 Sci-Fi Films: Countdown

Yellow Gemstone

03-24-17

Children of Men was #10 on my list!

Meanwhile, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was a film I liked as a child, but when it came to selecting films for this countdown there were too many sci-fi films I liked more for E.T. to make my 25, including another Spielberg film that will probably show up soon. I've only seen part of Stalker, but I liked what I saw, so I hope the see the full film at some point. I've seen and liked the remake of Total Recall, but I haven't seen the original.

My list so far, with predictions:
1. Top 5
2. Top 10
3. Contact (#49)
4. Top 18
5. Interstellar (#43)
6. Inception (#24)
7. Won't make it

8. Top 18
9. Ex Machina (#30)
10. Children of Men (#20)
11. Avatar (#80)
12. Top 5
13. Top 10
14. Won't make it
15. Dune (#99)
16. Will probably make it, but may not
17. Won't make it
18. Won't make it
19. Metropolis (#36)
20. Won't make it
21. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (#35)
22. Gattaca (#51)
23. Serenity (#59)
24. Strange Days (#81)
25. Earthbound (one-pointer)

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

03-24-17

I HAD CHILDREN OF MEN AT #2 ON MY LIST!!!

Amazing film, technically, thematically, spiritually and in pretty much every other aspect. And I also wrote what is probably one of my own personally favourite reviews that I have done. And I love how a lot of it came from a discussion I had with GBG about the movie and hope as a theme. It ended up working really well for the review. Anyways, here it is for the interested mofos out there...

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

MovieMeditation presents...
HIS FILM DIARY 2015
total movie count ........... current day count
139 .......................... 129
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May 6th

�� 2006 ��
Children of Men
�� sci-fi ��
EXTENDED REVIEW

"Everything is a mythical, cosmic battle
between faith and chance..."

The film starts out like a distinctive dystopian doomsday presentation, which is frequently used in various other futuristic films or genre-orientated concepts that revolves around the end of the world, as we know it. So despite eventually developing into something undeniably unique, the opening is your typical universal introduction to a global chaos phenomenon, where the importance of showing the social situation is placed high on the cinematic checklist� The great thing about this though, is that the film merely needs to scratch the very surface of its runtime, and yet still succeed in presenting an appropriate and detailed view directly into a world, which has been gradually collapsing for several years prior to this. The basic story illustrates a world, where the human race has suddenly become unable to have children, which therefore leaves the entire world stuck in a massive limbo, awaiting the inescapable death of every last person on earth.

What this creates is essentially a world lost of all hope and faith in the future existence of a better living - or simply any form of living � wherein the only hope they have got right now, is placed upon something that isn�t much more than a pathetic thought or a false comfort. Referring here, of course, to the blown-up scenario of the sudden death of Baby Diego, the youngest person on the entire planet. But in a world with no hope in sight, a little bit of optimism is really all that is needed to shine some light in the darkest of days. Showing the entire world in a state of emotional shock, because of their very last hopeful thought has died together with Baby Diego, this truly demonstrates exactly how little was needed to affect the entire population, and to this degree as well. Diego was never able to carry on the human legacy by himself anyways, but with hope in short supply you will do anything to hold on to just the slightest resemblance of hope � and not until that hope has died out will you ever give up believing and praying for a better tomorrow, though there is always a chance that a miracle might some day happen� This setup further helps the story to realistically set up the �sensational pregnancy� later in the film, where a woman has miraculously become pregnant, and could possibly be the long awaited answer to the future of mankind...

But of course this film is not only about showing whether or not there is or isn�t any hope present in the story, it is also one of the greatest dystopian depictions of a gritty and filthy future ever made in cinema. The amount of detail is spectacular and the realistic approach is a frighteningly accurate expansion of today�s society. We are shown everything from the paranoid and desperate living of human beings, the state of immigration and emigration alike, the rise of rebels and local religious and political wars, the government�s suspicious involvement in various legal and illegal activities, as well as their desperate, drastic and lethal measures to keep a sinking world afloat�. No wonder people are losing their minds. But of course, all this can shine ever so brightly in the script or in the novel that it is based upon, without ever reaching a visual presentation in respect of the source material. Thankfully, the combination of a brilliant and creative director and a masterful and ideal cinematographer, this is a match made in heaven of a world created in hell. The raw and gritty atmosphere is intensely presented using several long-takes and an impressive hand-held stylistic approach. Emmanuel Lubezki's work as director of photography is always gorgeous eye candy, especially his flair for lighting a scene; in particular his expert use of the sun, both as a natural source of light and as a direct focal point for the frame� However you may put it, the visuals are definitely a key element to this film, whether it is purely as a striking feast for the eyes or as a representational extension of the storyline and its further development towards a climax.

In order to create a nicely rounded conclusion to this review, I might as well cast a quick point of view on a previous discussion, concerning whether or not the ending of this film was hopelessly inevitable, and if that in any way ruin or contradict with the film and its story� First off, it is obvious that whatever you opinion of the ending might be, it is totally acceptable to have such opinion � negative or positive. Second, I do indeed think that the ending to some extent is hopeless, but it doesn�t at all goes against what the film has been saying for basically its entire runtime. It may feel completely hopeless to us, but to them every bit of hope counts. Ever since its opening shots of a destructive downfall for society, and more importantly, since the death of the youngest person alive on earth, the world has been feeling pretty much doomed, with the human race hopelessly left to slowly go into its ultimate extinction. At least that is how every single human on earth thinks at that point � except for those few still believing. �Children of Men� is kind of bittersweet in a way, because the future of the human race is indeed rather hopeless, but in a world with no hope in sight, a little miracle like that of a newborn is all they need to ignite it.

It may all be hopeless to us, but the birth of the baby acts more like a symbol of hope for people who haven't seen the shadow of it in a long time... The film is supposed to illustrate a world falling apart � in fact it has already done so many years ago � and then this miracle comes along and lights up the very soul of everyone around; even though this was a miracle too late, and the main characters are pretty much on a journey into uncertainty. Furthermore, all this also shows the common and current state of people's minds, and where they are in time, because to them, every little light is a shining hope in this dark and sinister world. It shows what they are essentially willing to do, and where they are willing to go because of it.

In the end though, I think it cinematically succeeds in delivering something I personally think is both powerful and thought provoking. The ending itself may be a little depressing in some ways, but you could say that it symbolizes hope present in a hopeless world. So however you may view the film and ending, you might see yourself resigning with one side or the other. So in a very simplified explanation, this film can be both hopeful and hopeless � it depends on how you define hope and whom you eventually assign it to�

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Miss Vicky

MoFo's Resident Bitch

03-24-17

I haven't watched it in awhile, but I remember Total Recall being quite a bit of fun. I had it at #22.

I haven't seen Children of Men and don't particularly want to.

My Ballot:
1. Her
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Wreck-it Ralph
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. Demolition Man
9. The Fifth Element
12. Signs
13. The Road Warrior
14. The Incredibles
21. Dark City
22. Total Recall
25. Caveman

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Camo

Msg

BANNED

03-24-17

Children of Men is awful!

Worst film.

Sexy Celebrity

Msg

Registered User

03-24-17

Isn't that a movie about a plague where women can't get pregnant anymore? Or did I invent that idea in my head?

77topaz

Yellow Gemstone

03-24-17

Originally Posted by Sexy Celebrity

Isn't that a movie about a plague where women can't get pregnant anymore? Or did I invent that idea in my head?

That is the background/setting of Children of Men, yes.

AdamUpBxtch

Registered User

03-24-17

ET was my #19 & Inception was my #23! Inception is still my favorite Nolan film but it's much lower than it would of been say 2 years ago when I made my favorites list and it was in my top 50. Haven't seen Solaris or Stalker. I have seen Total Recall but like I've said before not a huge Schwarzenegger fan Predator was just an exception because I liked the idea of the film itself and it was fun to me. I don't hate Total Recall as much as the Colin Ferrell remake though, that **** was trash. Children of Men on the other hand was gonna be on my list but it got edged off by a few other films, despite not making my list I still think it's a great film. Also, the fact that my #1 is gonna make the top 20 is amazing wasn't expecting it to (I hope anyways). Probably only 5 more of my films will make the list. Possibly a 6th but I doubt it.

My List: 16/82

Seen: 46/82

1. Will Make the List
2. Independence Day (40)
3. Looper (100)
4. Starship Troopers (54)
5. Will Make the List
6. The Prestige (72)
7. Not making it
8. Signs (76)
9. Not making it
10. Most likely making the list.
11. Making the List
12. Most likely not making the list
13. Avatar (80)
14. 28 Days Later (85)
15. Making the list, will probably be #1 or at least top 5
16. Predator (26)
17. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (27)
18. The Martian (60)
19. E.T. (21)
20. District 9 (65)
21. Edge of Tomorrow (66)
22. Mad Max: Fury Road (37)
23. Inception (24)
24. Source Code (92)
25. Cloverfield (Unranked)

Also gonna say will not be shocked if my #15 is gonna be #1 it's the latest film I watched that has made my list and I haven't posted my thoughts for it in the "Rate the last film You Saw" thread yet.

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Last edited by AdamUpBxtch; 03-24-17 at 10:18 PM.

Iroquois

Welcome to the human race...

03-25-17

I just checked and this is the first time both films in a slot have been on my list - Children of Men at #10 and Total Recall at #12. Needless to say, I think they're both good.

Also, I figured out that if I had voted for Brazil it only would have gone up three places anyway so I guess it's not a major disaster.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Holden Pike

One Ornery Sumbitch

03-25-17

I love Children of Men for the filmmaking and for its ideas, both of which are absolutely top notch. It was sixth on my list, and on another day may have climbed even higher. And that does it for the 21st Century releases in my top ten.

MY LIST
2. Solaris (#23)
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (#27)
6. Children of Men (#20)
8. Moon (#29)
9. Her (#25)
11. Brazil (#32)
13. Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1956] (#46)
15. Stalker (#22)
16. Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1978] (#58)
18. The Hidden (#82)
20. Ghostbusters (#57)
23. Guardians of the Galaxy (#77)
25. Safety Not Guaranteed (DNP)

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dadgumblah

Registered User

03-25-17

Is there anybody here who loves E.T. and seen it for the first time as an adult?

I'm not sure what I said----I think I said I saw it when I was younger, but let me qualify that by saying that in 1982 when I saw it, I was 21, and I'm 55 now. I probably enjoy it much more now than ever.

I had neither Children of Men or Total Recall on my list. I'm interested in the former because enough people I know seem to like it very much. The latter I love but didn't want to go overboard putting too much Arnold on the list. It's such a fun movie and endlessly quotable---a late friend of mine was an ever bigger Arnold fan than I and we used to probably quote this film more than any other Arnold film, albeit in situations that didn't really call for the line. Say for instance, "Get your ass to Mars," we would say all the time, and "See you at the party, Richter" was another favorite. Also, in addition to all the things most of us have been saying that we loved about Total Recall, I have to mention Michael Ironside as Richter. For me, he raises any movie he's in up a notch, even if it's a low-budget SyFy flick. And, according to IMDB, he has no less than twelve movies in various stages of production coming down the pike! Busy man, which is a good thing.

My list so far:
List so far:
#3 The Day the Earth Stood Still .39
#4 Forbidden Planet .38
#8 Invasion of the Body Snatchers .46
#12 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial .21
#15 The Road Warrior .31
#17 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .35
#18 The War of the Worlds .90
#20 The Time Machine .69
#23 Logan's Run .71
#24 RoboCop .28
#25 The Fifth Element .34

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Last edited by dadgumblah; 03-25-17 at 02:27 AM.

gbgoodies

You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.

03-25-17

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

Everyone who loves E.T. seems to say the same thing, they first fell in love with it as a kid. Is there anybody here who loves E.T. and seen it for the first time as an adult?

It depends at what age you consider someone an adult. I saw the movie in the theater in 1982, so I was 16 at the time. I loved it then, and I still love it today.

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gbgoodies

You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.

03-25-17

I watched Children of Men for the Sci-Fi HoF, but I didn't really care much for it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either.

Hubby and I watched Total Recall together a while back. I didn't like it, but he did, but that wasn't enough for it to make my list.

Seen: 66-1/2 out of 82
My list: 7 so far

1) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
4) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
6) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
13) The Avengers (2012)
16) Source Code (2011)
21) Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
23) Galaxy Quest (1999)

Raven73

Boldly going.

03-25-17

Originally Posted by Kaplan

It's got some iconic moments, but then it has things like the climatic scene and it's clear no one is trusting the audience to be on the right page without a ridiculously melodramatic John Williams score to tell us how to feel.

I disagree, Kaplan. For me, the score enhanced what I was already feeling. A movie can be an interaction of images and music - really good movies do this well, and I think E.T. is one of them.

I would use music with caution, however in the documentary film. I realize documentaries are often someone's opinion, but I believe when the film maker is presenting this as "the truth", they have some responsibility to try to be objective, and playing with people's emotions with music rather than facts can be antithetical to this cause.

honeykid

MoFo Whisperer

03-25-17

Two more to show up. I had E.T. at #23. Just making the list, mainly because it's been so long since I saw it and sci-fi isn't something I'm big on, but still a worthy addition, IMO. As with much of my list, nostalgia plays a big part and I remember seeing this 16 times in just a couple of weeks when it came out. I then didn't see it for many years as I was just done with it. Seeing again in my 20's made me see that it's actually a nice little film. Though seeing Drew as a child was just weird.

Total Recall was #10. It really could've been almost anywhere in the bottom half of my top 10. As mark has already said, it's a real blast. Much like Starship Troopers, you just strap in at the start and stay rooted to your seat until the film ends. Time flies by so fast I don't even think about getting up and doing something else. Like all the best action films though, there is more to the film if you wish to see it. But it's not necessary to really enjoy this wonderful ride.

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seanc

Lone Wolf

03-25-17

I have watched Children Of Men twice. I like it but still am not rabid about it like so many film fans are. Total Recall is another Arnold movie that I thought was cool 25 years ago.

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Cobpyth

As Time Goes By

03-25-17

My list so far:

1) Top 3
2) Top 5
3) Solaris (1972)
4) Brazil (1985)
5) Top 10
6) Not showing up
7) Top 5
8) Gravity (2013)
9) La Jet�e (1962)
10) Seconds (1966)
11) Not showing up
12) Not showing up
13) Not showing up
14) Dark City (1998)
15) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
16) Top 10
17) Forbidden Planet (1956)
18) Fantastic Planet (1973)
19) Top 15
20) Top 18
21) Top 15
22) Top 18
23) ???
24) Not showing up
25) Logan's Run (1976)

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