Most underrated SF movies

[theenglish]

Wow, all I can say is that reading through this thread really makes me want to go back and watch a lot of these films.

I can't really come up with a great under rated movie, but as a B-Movie I really liked The Hidden.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Going out on a limb here, but one of my favourites that I hardly hear talked about, a movie about VR that came out at the tail end of the 90's craze is The Thirteenth Floor. From what I remember, it manages to avoid many of the things that make the genre cheesy while avoiding being too dated, and as a result, is likely the movie that many could identify with the most with this new VR craze. A world within a world, but which one is the real one? It almost seems like Inception.

 

[Smellmet]

For me, one that stands out is The Black Hole, I love that movie, visually stunning for it's age and damn creepy in parts for a Disney production. Can't seem to find a decent blu ray release for it though.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ The Black Hole scared the shit out of me when it came out. (I always wondered how Disney, of all companies, would allow them to actually have a scene in Hell!) And even though the science is, shall we say, not very accurate, it still looks amazing.

And I totally love the main title theme.

 

[publiusr]

I also love The Black Hole--and that edwardian supertanker CYGNUS

Solaris (any)

A little known film:
TAMING OF THE FIRE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taming_of_the_Fire

Igor Gorbachev as Ognev (think Glushko)

Imagine if he and Korolev had been friends.

 

[Steve Roby]

Going out on a limb here, but one of my favourites that I hardly hear talked about, a movie about VR that came out at the tail end of the 90's craze is The Thirteenth Floor.

I liked that one, too. I know I have it on VHS and I might have picked up a cheap DVD as well. Not bad at all for something based on a fairly obscure 1960s SF novel.

One of my uncles knew I liked SF movies, so for Christmas 1979 he bought me the novelization and the calendar of the Black Hole. I read the book (and still have it) but I don't think I ever saw the movie.

 

[Set Harth]

The theater I saw that movie in is now a Barnes & Noble. And probably part of a Today's Man.

 

[Greg Cox]

Going out on a limb here, but one of my favourites that I hardly hear talked about, a movie about VR that came out at the tail end of the 90's craze is The Thirteenth Floor. From what I remember, it manages to avoid many of the things that make the genre cheesy while avoiding being too dated, and as a result, is likely the movie that many could identify with the most with this new VR craze. A world within a world, but which one is the real one? It almost seems like Inception.

Trivia: The 13th Floor was actually based on a novel, Silmulacron-3, that had previously been filmed as a German mini-series. I flirted with the idea of reprinting the novel when the US movie was in the works, but feared (correctly, as it turned out) that the movie would not be enough of a commercial success to justify putting out a movie tie-in edition of the book.

VR movies were kind of in the air back then. There was also a Cronenberg movie that mined similar territory. In the end, of course, it was THE MATRIX that struck gold with the concept . . ..

 

[Owain Taggart]

Interesting, Greg! Yeah, The Matrix movies along with Neuromancer, and even the Lawnmower Man movies got all the attention. I did not know it was a novel beforehand, but that makes me want to read it now

I feel kind of sad that the movie didn't do so well, as the story stands up fairly well.

 

[Greg Cox]

Interesting, Greg! Yeah, The Matrix movies along with Neuromancer, and even the Lawnmower Man movies got all the attention. I did not know it was a novel beforehand, but that makes me want to read it now

I feel kind of sad that the movie didn't do so well, as the story stands up fairly well.

Here's some info on the novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacron-3

 

[MacLeod]

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!

I would tend to agree that was the part of the movie I liked the least. Character might have worked for some but didn't for me.

 

[Set Harth]

Given enough time, he actually grows on you.

You know, like a fungus.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I found TFA quite refreshing after enduring the horrid prequel trilogy.

Kor

You mean reminiscent. I've never seen a movie that bends over backwards to ask the audience in scenes, "Remember this? And this, and this, and this, and this, and oh how about this?"
The one thing I'll give the prequels, bad or good, it was something I've never seen before. I'm glad George didn't monkey off what was done in the original trilogy, which it looks like the trilogy is doing, and force himself to not look back.

 

[davejames]

Yeah you can give that to the prequels, but that still doesn't change the fact they were some pretty dull and lifeless movies to watch. Like everyone else I would have preferred a more original story for TFA, but the fact it was actually fun and had some engaging characters still makes it a whole lot better in my book.

 

[eyeresist]

VR movies were kind of in the air back then. There was also a Cronenberg movie that mined similar territory.

Existenz! Fits perfectly in this thread.

 

[Griffeytrek]

In some weird dissonance of the stuff that I like. Dark City is a wildly under appreciated one that I really love the look and style of. I also am oddly addicted to some of the oddball 70's Star Wars cash ins. With the Wildly hilarious Japanese Message from Space and the completely insane Roger Corman Battle Beyond the Stars being among my favorites. I also cannot ever not watch the campy wonderousness that is Flash Gordon. Other more guilty pleasure SF films? Hmmm? the three 90's era Gamera movies, which are just wonderful in every way possible. On par or superior to the recent Hollywood Godzilla offering.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

What SF movies do you think are really underrated?

Axanar

 

[Greg Cox]

Existenz! Fits perfectly in this thread.

Thank you! I was trying to remember the title. I never saw the movie, but I remember reading the script back in the day.

Meanwhile, speaking of FREQUENCY, apparently there is talk of turning it into a TV series. A pilot is or has been shot already.

 

[Kor]

You mean reminiscent.

No, I don't.

I've never seen a movie that bends over backwards to ask the audience in scenes, "Remember this? And this, and this, and this, and this, and oh how about this?"

I saw no "bending over backwards" in TFA. The few nods to past films were way more low-key than those in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

I would have appreciated a little more risk-taking with the storytelling in TFA, but I liked it just fine.

Kor

 

[Vorpal_Blade]

My favorite underrated sci-fi film is John Carpenter's Dark Star.