Sunday, April 11, 2010

Top 50 Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movies of All Time: Part 8

15. Metropolis – All the way back in 1927, before the first Academy Awards had even been handed out, Fritz Lang created one of the most enduring science fiction classics of all time. The story of the rich falling in love with a poor woman, was something that people at that time would have understood, especially with the huge gaps in income that were present during the 20’s and 30’s. But Lang dared to be different, by setting this classic story (hello Titanic) in a futuristic world unlike any other that had ever been seen. Metropolis broke ground of what science-fiction could do, and was way before its time. This classic film paved the way for Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Jim Cameron, and we can’t thank it enough.

14. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – In 1977, Steven Spielberg came into the mainstream with this classic alien story. It instantly became a sci-fi classic, earned 8 Oscar nominations, including Steven Spielberg’s first, and featured an incredible cast led by Richard Dreyfuss and Melinda Dillon. Furthermore, as Star Wars was all the rage, Spielberg was able to bring the Alien invasion to the Heartland in a story that hit a little closer to home. Finally, this was the movie that launched his career into the stratosphere, and he hasn’t looked back yet.

13. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – In one of Disney’s first animated classics, we were introduced to the story that has lasted generations, and has remained the greatest movie in the Disney arsenal. The story of a princess who finds refuge with a group of seven individualistic dwarfs, and who finds herself poisoned, only to be awakened by Prince Charming, is not just a classic fairy tale, but one of the first times it had been played out on the silver screen. Not only did it put Disney at the center of cinematic history, but is the pioneering work that not only was a thrilling fantasy, but a timeless love story that paved the way for every romantic movie since.

12. Wall-E – Then it comes full circle. What Snow White started, Wall-E continues, by carriying the torch brighter than any other Pixar film in its short, but successful history. Only Pixar could create an almost silent film about two robots in a futuristic world that fall in love with each other, and make it work. Not only did it work, but it soared. It was funny, poignant, and managed to make an environmental message without being too preachy. Years from now, we will still look back at Wall-E as one of the greatest fantasy/sci-fi movies of all time, or maybe just one of the best…period.

11. Aliens – While not as good as its predecessor (hint, hint), Aliens still goes down as one of the most thrilling, and coolest sci-fi movies of all time. Ellen Ripley’s return to LV-426 is only made possible by the lack of complete contact on the planet. The only survivor is a young girl, and with her help, and the help of some kick-ass marines, Ellen revenges the Nostromo and using some bad-ass weaponry goes to war with the blood-thirsty aliens. This movie was simply bad-ass, Sigourney Weaver killing shit, amazing. Jim Cameron may have a lot of faults, but making great sequels is one area that he deserves praise. Pure sci-fi heaven.

No comments:

Post a Comment