Time after Time was a very good movie. I was entertained the whole way through, Mcdowell gives a very good performance, quite nuanced, it could have been easy to overplay a role from the 19th century, but he didn't. I also enjoyed the aspect of the film where Welles thought that in the future there will be equality, that the philosophy he was defending in 1890 would be possible a 100 years later and that in fact it was the opposite. The utopian place he wanted to live in doesn't seem to exist.
I've also started to watch Gunbuster and it's great so far (2 episodes)
I've seen most of these movies now so here's my take-
The Thing A long time favorite with an amazing setting, great atmosphere and tension, a bad ass Kurt Russell, and some of the best gore effects ever put on screen. I view this as pretty close to a masterpiece, and it would've very likely gotten my #1 vote if I was in this HoF.
Planet of the Apes Just like MovieMed, I was never interested in this before, but I watched it about 6 months ago and loved it. My likely #2.
The Face of Another I just finished watching this and thought it was terrific. My likely #3.
Escape From New York Long time favorite, but I haven't seen it in a few years, and I'm not exactly sure how I'd feel now. Most likely my #4
Children of Men I watched this with my wife when it came out and I was underwhelmed. However, my wife not liking it could've had a lot to do with my enjoyment. I feel like I could love this movie when I eventually watch it again, but I'm not sure. This movie would've been a wild card on my list.
Blade Runner Saw it in the 80's and didn't like it. Saw it in the 90's and didn't like it. I watched it last year and thought it was very good. I can understand the love, and it most likely would've placed in the top half of my list.
Time After Time and Paprika Watched both recently, enjoyed both, but neither has stayed with me. Most likely these would've ended up somewhere between the middle and bottom third of my list.
Starship Troopers I watched this once a few years ago, and only remember thinking it was ok. My opinion on it could certainly change with another viewing, but I have my doubts.
Brazil This movie is one of the reasons I didn't join, because I didn't think it'd be fair to Lucas. I saw this one time at the movies when it came out, and I hated it. Granted, I was only 14, but I have never been a fan of Terry Gilliam, so I don't think I'd like it now.
Gunbuster This nomination was another reason why I didn't join. I didn't want to invest 3 hours in what I don't think should even qualify, when I'm focused on the 60's list. With that being said, I'm interested in seeing this at some point. It does sound interesting.
Snowpiercer Not a movie I was especially interested in, but I certainly wouldn't mind trying it. I don't think I'd love it based on the trailer, but I wouldn't be shocked if I enjoyed it.
The main reason I didn't join is because I'm not a huge Sci-Fi fan, and I couldn't think of a nomination that was true Sci-Fi, and that I could really get behind.
This seemed like kind of a strange HoF because everyone who joined it did do because they enjoy sci-fi movies, but it seems liked we all have different ideas about what kind of sci-fi we like.
I could be wrong about this, but it didn't seem like anyone was happy with all (or even most) of the nominations. Maybe next time we should be more specific and do something like an "alien invasion" sci-fi HoF, or a "time travel" sci-fi HoF, etc.? Maybe by narrowing the genre, people might enjoy it more?
I agree with you GBG. I think the Film Noir HoF worked so well because the films were all a similar type.
I'm afraid I'm not getting many list this time around.
There are still a few days left before the deadline, so hopefully people are finishing up and you'll get some more lists soon.
It's a shame that people didn't enjoy this HoF more. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, but some of these movies just seemed to cross the line into other genres more than sci-fi, or in some cases, they didn't feel like sci-fi movies at all.
I can see people liking all types of sci-fi. That's why your idea of different styles of sci-fi hofs would have been good. We could have had several mini-hofs at the same time. A person could join all of just a few. I like 50's sci-fi, cerebral sci-fi, post apocalyptic sci-fi, time travel is a good one and the others that you mentioned too.
Maybe when we're ready, (after the 7th HoF, the watch list, the 60's list, etc.), we should try a poll to find out what type of sci-fi people might enjoy?
That sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure when The Watch list is over? or the 7th Hof? But there will be time in the future for specific sci-fi Hof. I still like to see musicals, at least I know you, Gideon and me love musicals.
I'm looking forward to the musicals HoF too. I hope most people nominate some of the classic musicals, rather than some of the more offbeat and/or obscure ones.
There are still a few days left before the deadline, so hopefully people are finishing up and you'll get some more lists soon.
It's a shame that people didn't enjoy this HoF more. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, but some of these movies just seemed to cross the line into other genres more than sci-fi, or in some cases, they didn't feel like sci-fi movies at all.
Well, I usually think of sci-fi as something involving large scale world building and the use of scientific elements into the plot and commenting on it's impact on society. For instance, Starship Troppers, Blade Runner, Brazil and Gunbuster are examples of sci fi characterized by large scale world building as they build up a fictional world.
In Gunbuster we also see stuff like black holes being deployed as military weapons which is very interesting and the incorporation of time dilation into the plot (I think in these two elements, Gunbuster represents the only example I know of in film). Though the mecha named after the title is more fantasy than sci fi (since it's a "magical" superpowerful mecha, unlike the more common line of duty mechas which prove themselves useless against the swarms of infinite enemies).
To me a movie like Escape from New York is not sci fi, it's more a type of speculative fiction since there is no future technology/science involved in the plot, same with Children of Men. I think they are classified as sci fi because they happen in the "future", though in Children of Men we see some future technology being depicted (computers more advanced than those available at the time it was filmed).
The Face of Another is sci fi indeed but without the world building aspect it focus on the social impact of a technology: what would happen if we had the technology to make people being able to use different faces than their own.
Also I enjoyed all the movies nominated. Though I might be alone in there.
Gunbuster This nomination was another reason why I didn't join. I didn't want to invest 3 hours in what I don't think should even qualify, when I'm focused on the 60's list. With that being said, I'm interested in seeing this at some point. It does sound interesting.
Gunbuster is an essential watch for a fan of animation because it's regarded as one of Anno's most important works. It's also one of the masterpieces of the mecha subgenre of science fiction anime. Mecha is extremely popular subgenre of manga/anime but it's completely un-watched among people in this forum. Which is a shame because there are many famous classics in the genre, though most are TV series not movies. In fact, the best mecha movie of all time, Gunbuster, is not a theatrical release but a direct to video animation. If it's a movie or not, well, Anno regards his TV series as cinema. Same with Miyazaki and Takahata when they made Heidi and Conan in the 1970's they said they were making "film" before they focused on theatrical movies.
So who is Anno? According to Miyazaki himself the 3 most important animators working in the late 1990's can be regarded as: Hideaki Anno, Isao Takahata and Mamoru Oshii, besides himself, obviously. I never nominated an Oshii movie for a HoF, I also never nominated a Takahata or an Anno before recently, I also notice most people here have only watched Grave of the Fireflies from Takahata and Ghost in the Shell from Oshii and none of Anno's work. Though the corpus of all 3 artists is essential viewing for understanding modern animation and also, in Anno's case, Otaku subculture. Very few anime films are as intensely populated by otaku tropes as Gunbuster is.
I can't wait to hear your thougts on Starship Troopers, Citizen! I wasn't a fan of it, but I would like to hear in-depth thoughts from someone who is.
Thanks MM.
Starship Troopers works on 3 levels, at least according to me, others will see this differently.
On a basic level it's one helluva action packed, over the top, rock-em-sock-em movie. I mean the carnage and the firepower are insane!
On another level it blatantly mocks super patriotic, militaristic types with a Nazi like send up, complete with SS and Gestapo style uniforms and state sponsored propaganda clips from the Federal Network.
On a third level, the film is like a litmus test. It feeds us images and actions that intellectually we know are wrong. But because there's no movie cues like: sinister music or scenes where actors react with horror to the wrong doings...we accept that what we are seeing is the truth, which is: the good guys are fighting the evil bugs to save Earth...and that's a lie!
The entire film is a propaganda tool, much like some of the films Nazi Germany made. All of the information that we know about the enemy is told to us by the Federal Network news clips. We see attractive young people going off to war heroically after Earth has been attacked by 'bug meteors'. But it's the bugs who are the victims. The film gives a couple strong clues to that fact. It was the Mormon colonist who invaded the bugs territory. In one Federal Network news clip the only dissenting voice is heard when the reporter says, "some say the bugs were provoked by the humans into their natural habitat, that a live let live policy is preferable to war with the bugs."
It's in this video clip below, notice there's an announcement that says "we now break net and take you live to Battle station Ticonderoga"...That's important! as it's a live feed from an reporter who gives us the information. It's not part of the Federal Network's propaganda information system. This gives us access to the only dissenting view on the war.
At the end of the film we see the smart bug is caught and taken to a laboratory, where it's being tortured by sticking a metal probe into it's head. It's screaming in pain and no one cares. Torturing prisoners are wrong. Yet there's no sinister music, none of the character looks on in horror as the prisoner is tortured, the film tells us 'it's OK to torture your enemy' and we buy it.
The whole asteroid strike on Argentinian is a false flag. It's used as a prelude to war with the goal being eradicating the bugs from the galaxy, so humans can colonize. The bugs can't send asteroids to attack Earth, they're on the other side of the galaxy! It would take 10,000 of years for an asteroid to reach Earth. The bugs have no technology, they can't possible see Earth from where they are, they can't even aim. The bug plasma is nothing more than their way of mating.
The film tells us one thing through the power of propaganda and then challenges us to see the truth.
I did send everyone a PM right before I left on vacation, saying I was going to extended it to June 12th. But I will go ahead and PM everyone again, (except you as we're talking about it right now)
No, that's not what I mean. I am referring to the night of the 12th. You have say, seven of the twelve lists in. You shouldn't assume we bailed. Especially me. If I say I'm going to do something, then I do. Thanks to my health, and other crap in life, I do run late these days. I do still finish what I say I will, though. An example with me would be my nine hour power outage the other day. We got over it finally, bailed to a friend's house, and didn't come home until midnight.
Also, you said sometime before your vacation that you'd extend the date, but if you posted the exact date, GBGoodies and I looked everywhere for it, but failed to find it. She posted the date, because she said you PMed it to her.
I just reread that, and nope, no PMs for anyone but GB.
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I never nominated an Oshii movie for a HoF, I also never nominated a Takahata or an Anno before recently, I also notice most people here have only watched Grave of the Fireflies from Takahata and Ghost in the Shell from Oshii and none of Anno's work. Though the corpus of all 3 artists is essential viewing for understanding modern animation and also, in Anno's case, Otaku subculture. Very few anime films are as intensely populated by otaku tropes as Gunbuster is.
