Scifi fans: what is your favorite CLASSIC SF movie ?

[whyterabbyt]

So it goes...

I see what you did there.

Big Vonnegut fan, and I do like the film, but I have to admit, I never thought it was great, just, 'not bad'.

Ever seen the film of Breakfast of Champions? Any good?

[IncarnateX]

Doesn' t really matter whether it is possible or not but whether the story is about anything grounded in science and the future, imo. I agree to a certain extent with PKD, e.g. the artificial human in Alien is not even a remote possibility to this date. But that doesn't mean that I would consider "Pinocchio" a sci-fi story. Both fantasy and SF can be "realistic" to the extent that they exaggerate present themes in a symbolic manner. The societal appeal of SF is not really about the tomorrow but about today.

[Numanoid]

The societal appeal of SF is not really about the tomorrow but about today.

That is one of the reasons why I can't stand Spielberg movies, because they are kitchen sink dramas disguised in a thin veil of sci-fi

[rp314]

So it goes...

I see what you did there.

Big Vonnegut fan, and I do like the film, but I have to admit, I never thought it was great, just, 'not bad'.

Next you're going to suggest that Hill does not belong with Kubrick and Tarkovsky as great directors.

That's precisely the point, no?

[whyterabbyt]

So it goes...

I see what you did there.

Big Vonnegut fan, and I do like the film, but I have to admit, I never thought it was great, just, 'not bad'.

Next you're going to suggest that Hill does not belong with Kubrick and Tarkovsky as great directors.

Blindspot. Shamefully, I just had to check what else he has done.

[rp314]

Interesting, so Asimov would be adherent to "hard" sci-fi, will Dick is "soft" sci-fi ?

PKD IMHO was as usual trying to stir things up. His book of essays also includes another relevant one titled "Who is an SF Writer?".

For me his work is as interesting as that of any great writer. I don't really care much whether Borges, Kafka or Vonnegut are considered to be part of a specific genre, but if they do use elements from one or another I'm confident that it will still make for great reading.

In that sense, it doesn't surprise one to see folks still talking about SF films that Kubrick and Tarkovsky made almost 50 years ago, regardless of how important they were to that genre.

[aMUSEd]

No love for Slaughterhouse 5?

Yeah it's a pretty good version actually

[aMUSEd]

So it goes...

I see what you did there.

Big Vonnegut fan, and I do like the film, but I have to admit, I never thought it was great, just, 'not bad'.

Ever seen the film of Breakfast of Champions? Any good?

I had no idea there was a film version, the book is hilarious.

[Numanoid]

So hilariously outrageous that it was banned in Footloose

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087277/quotes

[rp314]

So it goes...

I see what you did there.

Big Vonnegut fan, and I do like the film, but I have to admit, I never thought it was great, just, 'not bad'.

Next you're going to suggest that Hill does not belong with Kubrick and Tarkovsky as great directors.

Blindspot. Shamefully, I just had to check what else he has done.

...and of the three he's the only one that got an Oscar...

[GaryG]

Doesn' t really matter whether it is possible or not but whether the story is about anything grounded in science and the future, imo. I agree to a certain extent with PKD, e.g. the artificial human in Alien is not even a remote possibility to this date. But that doesn't mean that I would consider "Pinocchio" a sci-fi story. Both fantasy and SF can be "realistic" to the extent that they exaggerate present themes in a symbolic manner. The societal appeal of SF is not really about the tomorrow but about today.

Yep. Using the Ash/Pinocchio example, you could argue the difference is as simple as how the story's told; if magic is the cause then it's fantasy, science then it's scifi.

Of course, there is the argument that the scifi bits of a scifi story need to be central to the story or else it's just fantasy. Example 1: Star Wars. It could be argued the story could quite easily be told without any of the scifi elements (spaceships, blasters etc). Keep in the force stuff and you have an almost classical fantasy story. Example 2: Bladerunner. The whole premise of the story is about exploring what it is to be human, take away the replicants and you have no story.

[GaryG]

Ever seen the film of Breakfast of Champions? Any good?

Umm, no.

I'm tempted to be pithy and just say "Bruce Willis" but he does give it a go at least. Unfortunately the script and general direction means it's all a bit of a frantic mess. imho.

Slaughterhouse 5 is much better.

I think someone should step up and give Galapagos a go, could be fun.

[IncarnateX]

Star Wars. It could be argued the story could quite easily be told without any of the scifi elements (spaceships, blasters etc). Keep in the force stuff and you have an almost classical fantasy story

Well you wouldn't have to argue with me to convince me about that. Being an early age Advanced Dungeons and Dragons player (and still is today), Star Wars seems nothing but a middle age fantasy story about white and black knights brought into space with a few anacronisms here and there (like Han Solo's Western Villian character and a few robots). The space species are not that remote from the bestiary of AD&D so they make no particular difference.

[aMUSEd]

Never liked Star Wars

[mcnoone]

I suppose it is in the sci-fi genre... Gravity is as of last month, my favorite one.