Most underrated SF movies
- Thread starter TalkieToaster
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M. Night Shymalan's "Unbreakable". One of the best superhero movies ever made, IMO.
Also, Peter Hyams' "2010". It didn't try to be 2001, and I think it works pretty well on its own. I do think Heywood Floyd was miscast (nothing against Roy Scheider, just didn't seem like the right fit), Helen Mirren, John Lithgow and Bob Balaban were fantastic.
Also, Peter Hyams' "2010". It didn't try to be 2001, and I think it works pretty well on its own. I do think Heywood Floyd was miscast (nothing against Roy Scheider, just didn't seem like the right fit), Helen Mirren, John Lithgow and Bob Balaban were fantastic.
The only ones I feel like watching again as a result of this discussion are the Solaris remake, Children of Men, and Gattaca. Maybe Dark City.
I've never watched The Fifth Element all the way through because its fantasy premise doesn't interest me, and the bits I've seen I didn't like at all. It just looks like one of those weird European strips that ran in Heavy Metal magazine way back when.
Life is too short for M Night Shyamalan movies.
I liked Moon and Space Station 76. The latter was sometimes labeled a parody but it's only rarely funny; it's more like what someone in 1976 would have come up with if they were seriously trying to cross a mainstream domestic drama/social commentary film with mid 70s SF without realizing how bad an idea that is. I'd like to see Radio Free Albemuth but I am not an Alanis Morissette fan.
I've never watched The Fifth Element all the way through because its fantasy premise doesn't interest me, and the bits I've seen I didn't like at all. It just looks like one of those weird European strips that ran in Heavy Metal magazine way back when.
Life is too short for M Night Shyamalan movies.
I liked Moon and Space Station 76. The latter was sometimes labeled a parody but it's only rarely funny; it's more like what someone in 1976 would have come up with if they were seriously trying to cross a mainstream domestic drama/social commentary film with mid 70s SF without realizing how bad an idea that is. I'd like to see Radio Free Albemuth but I am not an Alanis Morissette fan.
How is Children of Men underrated? It's almost universally praised by both critics and the audience.
I love both of those movies.
Not something I see mentioned by SF fans all that often, though.
I love that film. TFE's one of my favorite SF movies of all time. The future New York City looks really cool, and I love the music. About the only thing I didn't like was Chris Tucker (although the idea of a DJ being able to carry his studio around with him so he can do his show live from wherever he wants, is excellent).
Supergreen!
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I don't know if this counts as underrated or cult, but I just finished watching Planet of the Vampires on Comet TV.
You could definitely see some of the influence it had on Alien with the derelict ship and the alien corpse.
I also liked the unusual interior design of the spaceship and the leather space suits.
The twist ending you could see coming a mile off in that it's similar to an episode of the Twilight Zone, Third from the Sun, if I'm remembering correctly.
You could definitely see some of the influence it had on Alien with the derelict ship and the alien corpse.
I also liked the unusual interior design of the spaceship and the leather space suits.
The twist ending you could see coming a mile off in that it's similar to an episode of the Twilight Zone, Third from the Sun, if I'm remembering correctly.
I haven't seen PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES in decades, but I remember that it scared the heck out of me as a kid--and, yes, the first time I saw ALIEN, many years later, I immediately flashed back to PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES.
I haven't watched it in ages, but I loved Batteries Not Included when I was a kid
Those two are good.
I like those too. I actually saw 2010 long before I saw 2001, and was kind of amazed just how different they were from each other.
Moon was an awesome movie. I think that was one of the few movies where I actually managed to go in without getting the twist spoiled before hand. Sam Rockwell did a great job. The fact that Duncan Jones is directing it is one of the big reasons I'm very optimistic about the Warcraft movie.
There seems to be something about the Wachowskis that works for me that doesn't work for most people, because I appear to be one of the only people that actually likes The Matrix sequels (I know I already mentioned them), Cloud Atlas, and Jupiter Ascending.
I'm one of those people who hated, hated, hated his character when the film came out.
...but now I don't. For some reason I get it now.
I love "Signs". For all it's flaws, it has a lot more good in it. Good pacing, often good writing (but not always), good shots, a fantasic score that is one of the best things James Newton Howard has ever done, some real emotional scenes here and there, and the way they decided to play the angle of a family in a rural area and how they handle it all.
"The Fifth Element" isn't bad, it just needs some sprucing up.
Chris Tucker didn't need to be in that film at all. He's pointless, annoying, and reminds me of a worse version of Rob Schneider in "Judge Dread". Only singing. It would be very difficult to edit him compeltely out of hte film, but it's worth it.
And the evil mysterious force from a planet far away, is never really developed properly. It's an intergalactic McGuffin.
And in my opinion, they should have had the rap-like opera. If they wanted weight and dramaticism, they should have stay with a regular opera, as scenes from film and TV have done with opera, classical music, etc., for montagish scenes with violence and/or death. It cheapened the whole thing.
And while I don't mind the song at the end credits, it was kind of pointless. It was like shoving a song on there for nothing more than CD sales and/or something that might do well on the radio. Somebody was diluding themselves on that.
"The Fifth Element" isn't bad, it just needs some sprucing up.
Chris Tucker didn't need to be in that film at all. He's pointless, annoying, and reminds me of a worse version of Rob Schneider in "Judge Dread". Only singing. It would be very difficult to edit him compeltely out of hte film, but it's worth it.
And the evil mysterious force from a planet far away, is never really developed properly. It's an intergalactic McGuffin.
And in my opinion, they should have had the rap-like opera. If they wanted weight and dramaticism, they should have stay with a regular opera, as scenes from film and TV have done with opera, classical music, etc., for montagish scenes with violence and/or death. It cheapened the whole thing.
And while I don't mind the song at the end credits, it was kind of pointless. It was like shoving a song on there for nothing more than CD sales and/or something that might do well on the radio. Somebody was diluding themselves on that.
Some I can think of (maybe not all are the most underrated but I think they were better than many might have considered them then and now):
Strange Days
Gattaca
The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake)
Supernova
Pandorum
Equilibrium
The Chronicles of Riddick
Dark City
Virtuosity
Priest
Battle: LA
Surrogates (maybe? At least it seems forgotten and it was a decent film, though Willis's Looper was better)
After Earth
Edge of Tomorrow
Oblivion
Pacific Rim
Godzilla (Matthew Broderick version; that's not a typo)
Babylon A.D. (I'm on the fence about this one, but it wasn't that bad)
Strange Days
Gattaca
The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake)
Supernova
Pandorum
Equilibrium
The Chronicles of Riddick
Dark City
Virtuosity
Priest
Battle: LA
Surrogates (maybe? At least it seems forgotten and it was a decent film, though Willis's Looper was better)
After Earth
Edge of Tomorrow
Oblivion
Pacific Rim
Godzilla (Matthew Broderick version; that's not a typo)
Babylon A.D. (I'm on the fence about this one, but it wasn't that bad)
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Agreed. Real simple, non-pretentious, with a really great cast. Will rewatch.
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