A very personal view of great science fiction films, not including TV series or made-for-TV movies:
1. Top ten modern sci-fi films, in alphabetical order:
Alien (director’s cut)
Alien 3 (theatrical release version)
Bladerunner (‘final’ director’s cut)
Brazil (original uncut version)
Clockwork Orange
Final Cut
Minority Report
Paycheck (with the deleted scenes; some of these make essential plot points)
Rollerball (1975, not the remake)
Twelve Monkeys (and the original, La Jetee)
2. Honorable Mention:
Dark City (original version now finally released, without the Kiefer Sutherland prologue)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978- the one with Donald Sutherland)
Children of Men
The Man Who Fell to Earth
3. “More than the sum of its parts”: Individual films are weak, but the series as a whole adds up:
Terminator 1, 2, 3
Cube 1, 2, 0 [must be viewed in that order!]
4. Special award for brilliant concept though movie not so good:
The 13th Floor
5. Dubious award for an underscore so excellent it pulls your attention away from the screen:
Paycheck (music by John Powell)
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