Looking to the Stars for Answers

Ever since I was a little kid I was head over heals for science fiction movies.  I was consumed by the epic good vs evil battles while being swept away to other worlds.  Growing up that fact has yet to change.  What has changed is what I have been privileged to view and come to appreciate.  Such movies I have been privileged to view have been Ridley Scott’s Alien, James Cameron’s follow up Aliens while haven found new appreciation for Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

So here are a selection (5) of my favorite science fiction movies.

1. Alien/Aliens

Some may consider it cheating to have two films in one spot but when mentioning Alien you can not leave Aliens out of the conversation.  It’s like peanut butter and jelly, you can’t have one without the other.  Both movies routinely keep me on the edge of my seat and cheering as Ripley kicks ass and takes names.

2. Planet of the Apes

Not only my favorite of the genre but one of my favorites period.  The Charlton Heston center piece is everything I want in a movie.  A bit of social commentary, decent story, decent effects for its time, and one hell of an ending.  I still get a lump in my throat each time I see Mr Heston pounding the beaches at the films reveal.

3. The Empire Strike Back

With 5 words the film has the greatest twist in film history.  The second of the original trilogy has some of the greatest battles ever filmed and shows perfectly the battle of good vs. evil.  Skip the prequel trilogy and enjoy Star Wars as it was originally: A science fiction masterpiece.

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

One of two films I call perfect movies.  The imagery is stunning and story compelling.  What I particularly love is how there is little to no violence in this movie.  The climax has almost no dialogue yet keeps attention perfectly.

5. Blade Runner the directors cut

Please note the directors cut not the original cut.  This movie benefited greatly from a reedit.  It’s beautifully shot and well crafted with a great story.  Not to mention Harrison Ford is pitch perfect in his role.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Moon(2009), John Carpenter’s The Thing, and the original War of the Worlds