Comments on: Best of the Decade: Sci-Fi Movies

By: desdeelinodoro

desdeelinodoro — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:26:41 +0000

I haven’t read your list yet, but I’ll have to say this: EXCUSE ME!!! You didn’t include Avatar because you hadn’t seen it before you posted???? Avatar should not be in any best-movie compilation!! It has the most common-place story, meaning that it’s the most predictable and boring movie ever (thinking about how much attention it’s got). The only thing about it is the visual images it leaves, but after that, it leaves nothing… I really hope someone at the top of the decision-making hierarchy dies before they ever make a sequel…

By: anonyminality

anonyminality — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:13:49 +0000

One movie that has not been mentioned is Fahrenheit 451. It’s one man’s quest to find what he believes to be right in a world that is very much controlled. Based off the novel by Ray Bradbury that was adapted from his short story ‘The Fireman’, this movie is eerily predictive of society today with it’s dependence on media and pharmaceuticals. The ‘seashells’ used in the movie and book are thought to be the first concept of the walkman. In an interview with Ray Bradbury that is included with the dvd, he tells how a Japanese company actually came to him with the first prototype of headphones they had created.

The book was amazing and very stirring and the movie wasn’t far off from the book.

By: That Guy

That Guy — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:48:05 +0000

Children of Men is one of my favorite movies of all times. The One-shots in that movie were the best I’ve ever seen. Great list.

By: pbarney

pbarney — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:38:19 +0000

Excellent writing.

By: vtmediatechie

vtmediatechie — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:00:54 +0000

A.I. Thank you so much for acknowledging how great that movie is. It is one of the SADDEST endings of any film (similar sadness as 6th Sense). It is the idea of unfulfilled yet totally overwhelming love that makes the film so powerful. It stretches the imagination and the moral philosophies. Just what great Sci-Fi should do.

By: michaeljspinelli

michaeljspinelli — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:13:23 +0000

@ccs69: sorry, been a few days for me as well.

i will check out this “save the cat” series. i’ll also try hard to watch 2001, probably for the first time. i’ve seen bits and pieces, but never really committed to a thorough viewing. (sacrilege!)

By: ssjsongohan

ssjsongohan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:52:30 +0000

Many people don´t like AI because it reflects what the humans are.
We “evolve” and always forget about our starting dreams. That is a main point in the movie. The machines just want to survive (like the wildlife in the entire world) and do what they can do. The humans always want something more… and get no barriers to get that. That reunion with the guys from the mecha company is something that happens everyday. The only new thing was the mechas. Then all the story is centered on a machine (it was not one… but i will get to that) that the humans tryed to adapt to be like any normal human.
On other movies we see those machines taking over the world, destroying everyone and thing like that… on AI we saw that those machines still work for the humans… because they were created by the humans.
Then the garbage collectors are the same has now… we have thousands and thousands of human people hunting for wild animals everyday. In the movie the garbage collectors hunt for machines that where abandoned by the humans.
And there were 2 mechas that completed there journey: the boy and the teddybear. That´s something that goes away and the people just got the point with the boy (even that many just take it has a washing machine) but forget about the teddybear. He too completed is part on protecting the boy until it could complete is “mission of be a little boy”)

By: ccs69

ccs69 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:37:37 +0000

@michaeljspinelli

Sorry been a few days …

I respect your position on the matter, to be sure. I watched the two magician films back-to-back nights. Though I am much more inclined to like a Nolan/Bale/Jackman vehicle over a Burger/Norton/Biel vehicle (though I am always a fan of Mr. Giamatti in whatever he does) and in my mind it was close, I thought Illusionist aimed lower and hit its target, while Prestige aimed higher and missed. I still enjoyed it. I’m splitting hairs here. I rarely watch Hollywood fare anymore, so I definitely give The Prestige thumbs up.

Also, despite its thematic density, I think 2001 is one of the simplest films in the world, structurally, and that is why it is one of my favorite films. In fact it is one of the few films where the three-act structure has title cards. The story structure I refer to is best deconstructed, I think, by the late Blake Snyder in his “Save the Cat” books. All movies have the structure, and it is all about hitting those beats without having neon lighhts around them. I think Nolan is cool in that he really tries to make those beats original and interesting.

Anyway, peace, love and sci-fi! Be well.

By: crispy

crispy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:45:31 +0000

Why would they do a “Best of the Decade” list next year?

By: rtl3

rtl3 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:35:58 +0000

I say next year you let Lev do the list.
District 9, Serenity and Pitch Black should be high on this list. please redo.