The MoFo Top 100 Sci-Fi Films: Countdown

Why are you surprised and what surprised you the most about the change?

I'm surprised nobody voted for "The Lobster" (2015). I wonder how well remembered it will be because I thought it was one of the very best movies of it's year.

Both placed highly on my list, which looked as follows:

1. Blade Runner (1982) #2
2. Ex Machina (2015) #30
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) #1
4. The Thing (1982) #3
5. Forbidden Planet (1956) #38
6. The War Of The Worlds (1953) #90
7. The Martian (2015) #60
8. WALL-E (2008) #16
9. Gravity (2013) #41
10. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) #39
11. Silent Running (1972) #86
12. Metropolis (1927) #36
13. Interstellar (2014) #43
14. Her (2013) #25
15. Moon (2009) #29
16. The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961)
17. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) #6
18. The Fly (1986) #15
19. Voyage To The End Of The Universe [Ikarie XB 1] (1963)
20. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
21. Planet Of The Apes (1968) #17
22. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) #18
23. The Machine (2013)
24. Solaris [Solyaris] (1972) #23
25. Transatlantic Tunnel (1935)

Thanks to Nope for curating the list - you did a great job!!

An excellent job hosting, nope! Many thanks for a very well run list!

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Why not just kill them? I'll do it! I'll run up to Paris - bam, bam, bam, bam. I'm back before week's end. We spend the treasure. How is this a bad plan?

My List:

1. Blade Runner (#2)
2. A Clockwork Orange (#7)
3. Metropolis (#36)
4. 12 Monkeys (#14)
5. Brazil (#32)
6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (#46)
7. Alien (#4)
8. X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (DNP)
9. World on a Wire (#73)
10. The Thing (#3)
11. Forbidden Planet (#38)
12. The Fly (#15)
13. The Terminator (#10)
14. Planet of the Apes (#17)
15. Total Recall (#19)
16. Godzilla (AKA Gojira) (DNP)
17. Moon (#29)
18. Solaris (#23)
19. 2001: A Space Odyssey (#1)
20. Sleeper (DNP)
21. THX 1138 (DNP)
22. Logan’s Run (#71)
23. A Scanner Darkly (DNP)
24. Westworld (DNP)
25. Ghost in the Shell (#64)

2001 was my #19. It’s not a movie I love, necessarily, but I find myself strangely drawn to and fascinated by it. I’ve seen it all the way through five times, read the book, and have a hard time turning away when I catch chunks of it on TV. I feel a relation to the tone, the visuals, the sounds, the pacing . . . so, yeah, it’s definitely grown on me from the first time I watched it when I didn’t like it at all.

Blade Runner was my #1. In its Final Cut version it’s the greatest science fiction movie ever, I think. From a purely cinematic point of view, it’s one of the best looking movies ever and I’m a sucker for its sci-fi neo-noir look and feel. Plus its sound design is amazing. Tonally and thematically I click with it on every level.


What missed out:

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

I’ve mentioned everywhere I can how much I love this movie, which starrs Ray Milland as a scientist who invents eye drops that allow the user to see beyond our normal range, even penetrating the very fabric of reality. Not satisfied with the animal trials, which has already resulted in the death of one of the primates, he experiments on himself, and thus begins his odyssey into madness.

Godzilla

The ultimate monster movie and a sincere warning about not just nuclear weapons but all weapons of mass destruction, as the only thing that can kill Godzilla is an experimental weapon called the oxygen destroyer, the inventor of which chooses to destroy forever after this one time use against Godzilla rather than risk it being used as a weapon of war. Of course as certainly as there will continue to be Godzilla movies, there will continue to be ever more insidious weapons of warfare. This really should have made the list. Really.

Sleeper

Early, funny, goofy Woody Allen, starring with Diane Keaton. Endlessly rewatchable. It feels like THX 1138 is one of the sources it’s parodying, and speaking of which ....

THX 1138

My only George Lucas-created film to make my list. It’s right at home among the many satirical dystopian science fiction works of literature of the 20th century, stuff like 1984, Brave New World, Anthem, WE, etc. And maybe it feels a little more clumsy than those works, but in the film world, it stands out as an interesting work whose reputation has grown considerably since its release. Essentially, in this underground world, sex is prohibited and everyone is forced to medicate themselves. And then one day . . .

I should note that I’m voting for the original version, not the murdered version released on DVD. I’d seen this a couple times in the 90s and then I watched the DVD and was aghast at the fact CGI had been used to “enhance” it. And trust me, the CGI stands out like a sore thumb. It looks awful, and even at its best, it undermines the tone of the original movie, and looks rather generic. Thankfully, there’s a pre-DVD version available online, and I don’t care if the “quality” isn’t as great, it beats the hell out of the George Lucas butchered version.


A Scanner Darkly

The themes and obsessions of Philip K. Dick resonate with me, and thus this was the third adaptation of his to make my list (along with Total Recall and Blade Runner), plus World on a Wire, which very much has a Philip K. Dick feel to it. I knew this one had pretty much no chance, and it’s certainly not hardcore science fiction, but I really like it and wanted to include it. The novel was quite autobiographical, as Philip K. Dick himself dealt with drug abuse while living with a bunch of drug addicts he couldn’t always trust, but the interesting aspect of the story is how one’s identity can become splintered, even to the point of not recognizing yourself on video. The rotoscoped animation is great.

Westworld

I thought this was a lock, but then I only gave it 2 points, so maybe it just never made it very high on anybody’s list. It really anticipated the appeal of immersive video games, and Yul Brynner creates an unforgettable, iconic science fiction villain.

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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

My List:

1. Sunshine
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. The Time Machine
4. Moon
5. Arrival
6. The Thing
7. Snowpiercer
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Coherence
11. Source Code
12. Predestination
13. Event Horizon
14. Ex Machina
15. 28 Days Later...
16. The Martian
17. Vanilla Sky
18. Europa Report
19. Donnie Darko
20. Twelve Monkeys
21. A Clockwork Orange
22. Contact
23. Alien
24. Dark City
25. The Fifth Element

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

Only two of us got that? I figured the only predictable part of the top 10 was #1 and #2.

And also, great job, Nope! You ran a pretty smooth countdown!

Thank You Nope for doing a great job running this countdown!

@Nope1172, Are you going to post the complete list of all the movies that got votes?

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

Nice work, Nope.

Nope, excellent job on the countdown. You handled it like a pro, and it was one of the more enjoyable "Top 100s" I've had the pleasure to participate in.

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

I really wanted to rewatch Blade Runner for the Countdown, but didn't quite get around to it. I had it at #15, and doubt it would've moved too much upon a rewatch, so I was happy leaving it there. 2001 was obviously an impressive achievement not only in science fiction but in filmmaking in general, but I just don't love it as much as a lot of people seem to. I do still really like it though and it was on my list at #20.

Thanks for hosting this, Nope! And great job with the presentation, it looks fantastic!

Seen: 88/100
My List: 22

01. Dredd (2012) - #96
02. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - #66
03. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - #35
04. The Martian (2015) - #60
05. The Thing (1982) - #3
06. Alien (1979)
07. The Fly (1986) - #15
08. Metropolis (1927) - #36
09. Galaxy Quest (1999) - #88
10. Brazil (1985) - #32
11. Dark City (1998) - #48
12. Twelve Monkeys (1995)- #14
13. Re-Animator (1985) (DNP)
14. Robocop (1987) - #28
15. Blade Runner (1982) - #2
16. Videodrome (1983) - #53
17. Flash Gordon (1980) (DNP)
18. Forbidden Planet (1956) - #38
19. Arrival (2016) - #33
20. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - #1
21. The Road Warrior (1981) - #31
22. Strange Days (1995) - #81
23. Ex Machina (2015) - #30
24. Equilibrium (2002) (DNP)
25. Primer (2004) - #44

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I ended up making 4 lists for this countdown. Took me ages, for once I wasn't the first person to submit a list
I think initially I had about 150 movies shortlisted.


25. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
24. Cloverfield
23. Westworld (1973)
22. Scanners
21. TRON Legacy
20. Metropolis (1927)
19. The Mist
18. La Jetée
17. Starman (1984)
16. The Andromeda Strain
15. TRON
14. Interstellar
13. Logan’s Run
12. Galaxy Quest
11. Saturn 3 (1980)
10. The Fifth Element
09. Deep Rising
08. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
07. The War Of The Worlds (1953)
06. Invaders From Mars (1953)
05. Repo Man (1984)
04. The Blob (1988)
03. Silent Running (1972)
02. Blade Runner
01. Sunshine (2007)
---
25. Alien Nation
24. Invasion Of The Saucer-Men
23. Enemy Mine
22. Paul
21. Explorers
20. The Chronicles Of Riddick (Pitch Black 2)
19. District 9
18. Freejack
17. I Am Legend
16. Super 8
15. Pitch Black (2000)
14. World War Z
13. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
12. Deep Blue Sea
11. Event Horizon
10. Riddick (Pitch Black 3)
09. Signs
08. Flight Of The Navigator
07. Predator 2
06. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
05. Innerspace
04. The Abyss
03. Waterworld
02. Independence Day
01 Timecop
---
25. Total Recall (1990)
24. Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
23. The Terminator
22. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
21. Starship Troopers (1997)
20. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
19. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
18. Alien
17. Aliens
16. Alien 3
15. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
14. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
13. Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
12. Jurassic World
11. Jurassic Park
10. Dredd (2012)
09. Ghostbusters (1984)
08. Moon (2009)
07. Real Steel (Hugh Jackman)
06. The Martian (2015)
05. Predator
04. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
03. The Fly (1986)
02. RoboCop (1987)
01. The Thing (1982)
---


Finalised List


25. Starman (1984)
24. Interstellar - 43rd
23. Logan’s Run - 71st
22. Galaxy Quest - 88th
21. Saturn 3 (1980)
20. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) - 58th
19. Invaders From Mars (1953)
18. Repo Man (1984)
17. The Blob (1988)
16. Silent Running (1972) - 86th
15. Blade Runner - 2nd
14. Sunshine (2007) - 52nd
13. Event Horizon (1997) - 93rd
12. The Abyss
11. Independence Day - 40th
10. Alien - 4th
09. Aliens - 12th
08. Alien 3
07. Jurassic Park - 13th
06. Dredd (2012) - 96th
05. Moon (2009) - 29th
04. Predator (1987) - 26th
03. The Fly (1986) - 15th
02. RoboCop (1987) - 28th
My 01 Movie. The Thing (1982) - 3rd

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I guess I underestimated how much Blade Runner is loved here.

Anyways, 25/25 for me.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

I will try to

I've seen Blade Runner and 2001 3 times each, and it wasn't until the 3rd viewing that I enjoyed and appreciated each of them. Neither will ever be favorites of mine but I understand the praise.

Thank you and great job Nope

Well done, Nope. I've only seen 52 of those 100 movies.

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"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."

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MoFo, you make me proud!!! After dominating the 60s Countdown, 2001 takes another Top Spot!!! And Blade Runner on #2? Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's my list:

1. 2001: A Space Odissey (1968)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. Star Wars (1977)
4. Alien (1979)
5. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
6. Mad Max 2 (1981)
7. Her (2013)
8. Le Voyage dans La Lune (1902)
9. The Truman Show (1998)
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
11. Armaggedon (1998)
12. The Fifth Element (1997)
13. The Fountain (2006)
14. Pi (1998)
15. The Man from Earth (2007)
16. Stalker (1979)
17. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
18. Time Lapse (2014)
19. Contact (1997)
20. Tremors (1990)
21. Cube (1997)
22. Blade II (2002)
23. Alien 3 (1992)
24. Jurassic Park (1993)
25. Die Tür (2009)

The fact that you missed Le Voyage dans La Lune is sad, though!

Thanks Nope for doing the list. You were really on top of things and kept a pretty tight schedule with the revealing. As I get older I find it harder and harder to find time to read and discuss things here. Sci-Fi being my favorite genre I was really excited to be a part of this list. I could not wait every day to see the next reveal and the reactions of all the members. Here is my list.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. The Matrix
4. Blade Runner
5. The Terminator
6. Primer
7. Mad Max: The Road Warrior
8. Alien
9. Back To The Future
10. Terminator 2
11. Snowpiercer
12. Aliens
13. Ex Machina
14. Gattaca
15. The Thing
16. 12 Monkeys
17. Total Recall (1990)
18. The Prestige
19. Inception
20. Edge Of Tomorrow
21. Robocop
22. Predator
23. Ghostbusters
24. The Fly
25. Sunshine

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Stallone is my hero!

Not too surprised, except by the gap: 100 points between the top two? Is that the biggest gap on any of these lists, or at least the ones with more than X participants?