The Blu-ray.com Community Top Modern Science Fiction Films (1991 - Present) [Read OP]

[Al_The_Strange]

DEADLINE:
Tuesday (January 31st 2017) at noon eastern time (9 am pacific) Extended to 2200 EST

Rules

1) Simply list your top 20 - 30 films favorite sci-fi films made from 1991 onwards in descending order, the higher up the film is, the more points it'll get.

1. 25 Points
2. 19 Points
3. 18 Points
4. 17 Points
5. 16 Points
................
16. 5 Points
17. 4 Points
18. 3 Points
19. 2 Points
20. 1 Point
................
21. 1 Point
22. 1 Point
23. 1 Point
24. 1 Point
25. 1 Point
................
26. 1 Point
27. 1 Point
28. 1 Point
29. 1 Point
30. 1 Point

Your favorite films will count more this way, and will mitigate potential ties. Also continuing what other members set forward, you have the option of the additional 21 - 30, they all get 1 point each, which will hopefully allow us to include a larger pool of obscure, cult, or mixed-genre films. If you can't think of extra films worth mentioning, then don't worry, the minimum amount of submission is 20 films, the extra 5 - 10 are for those who want to go the extra AU.

And please, list your films in the order given. Unnumbered submissions will be assumed to be in-order as-is.

2) As mentioned above, Minimum amount of films listed is 20 and Maximum is 30. If you can't list 20 sci-fi films, then all the films on your list will only receive 1 point each towards the total so be sure to reach that 20-movie milestone if you want your votes to count the most.

3) Please only make one list - You are free to update and change your original post as often as you'd like until the deadline. It will make tallying very hard if there are multiple lists from one person. Just find your original post and click 'Edit' to make your changes. If you do re-post your list twice or more, I'll message you to remove them.

4) Do not combine multi-part or multi-volume films into one line. The Matrix trilogy is three separate films, do not list them all on one entry. EXCEPTION: Miniseries and anime OVAs can be eligible as single entries. More details to come.

5) For films that have been made more than once, please indicate the year of production in parenthesis. For example, Total Recall (1990) or Total Recall (2012). If you don’t indicate whether you’re voting on an original film or remake, I will ping you for clarification. If you still don’t specify, I will assume you mean the most popular version. But please make it clear so nobody gets confused. This is not necessary for films with alternate versions.

7) Be excellent to each other. Suppose somebody puts Battlefield Earth as their #1 pick, or claims that 2001’s Planet of the Apes is better than the original? Contrary to popular belief, the universe will not implode. Everybody is entitled to their tastes and opinions—please respect them and be civil about it. If you don’t have anything nice to post, don’t post at all. And party on, dudes!

6) OPTIONAL: Add a short review of your film choices. To personalize the list, feel free to post a short bit of prose about your choice. This can range from a short sentence consisting of a couple of words to a couple of lines long paragraph, or you can link to a previous review you wrote when the film was released. This is not compulsory, and you can write these short pieces on however many of your choices you want, even if it's only for your first pick. However the more input the better, the short words of wisdom will be included on the final tallied up list in a well presented manner, and your list will be linked with your description so others who see your words will hopefully want to look at your other choices as well.

8) Finally, just to remind you, the Deadline is set for:
Tuesday (January 31st 2017) at 2200 EST

This long deadline will hopefully allow members to find, explore, and watch all the sci-fi you can between now and January—feel free to pass recommendations around (in a respectful, non-condescending manner, of course).

Please make sure you get your list in and make any final edits before this deadline, as any changes after that will not count.

[Al_The_Strange]

Most of you probably know sci-fi when you see it. The purpose of this post is to clarify any gray areas where films’ classification may be disputed. My goal is to allow as broad of a scope as possible—movies with even the loosest of a sci-fi connection may be eligible. Check below for more specific definitions, or feel free to ask and discuss.

WHAT QUALIFIES?

Short answer: look it up on imdb.com and look at the genre keywords.

Long answer: Science fiction is a broad classification that bleeds into multiple genres, mediums, and formats. By definition, the film must have a speculative plot: this can be through the exploration of “hard” science, or “soft.” Regardless of how accurate or dense the science is, the best sci-fi typically explores sociological, humanitarian, political, or existential implications of advancement, technology, or other concepts.

I believe the quickest and easiest way to identify sci-fi is to look at the story and determine if it addresses a “what-if” question. What if aliens attack us? What if robots get ticked off? What if I can travel back in time and change my past? Those are the kinds of stories that makes up sci-fi on a fundamental level.

Because of that, most movies that involve aliens, space, time travel, robots, the apocalypse, bioengineering, virtual reality, alternate timelines and realities, and mad science can count. But not every “what-if” question warrants sci-fi (you could ask “what if I move into a house and it’s haunted?” Sorry, that’s horror, not sci-fi—you need the science or speculative aspect to back it up).

Cross-genre movies are permitted. Sci-fi horror (Prometheus, Event Horizon, Pandorum), sci-fi drama (Contact, Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect), sci-fi comedy (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, Hot Tub Time Machine, Paul), and many superhero or comic-book films (Superman, X-Men, Watchmen, Avengers, etc).

If a movie is able to blend supernatural or paranormal aspects with a scientifically-plausible scenario (like Ghostbusters or X-Files), it can count.

The Thin Line Between Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Sci-fi fantasy can count, as long as the film’s setting has a basis in sci-fi tropes or speculation and not fantasy or myth. That means Star Wars can count (on the basis of the technological and extraterrestrial worldbuilding involved). As can the Thor and Stargate movies (which reimagines myth with sci-fi and superhero tropes). Most movies with space-faring civilizations count as sci-fi (Frank Herbert’s Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc).

However, films like Clash of the Titans and Gods of Egypt (which show space scenes) do not count, since they’re based solely on myth and magic. And fantasy movies with time travel (namely Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban and Prince of Persia) do not count for the same reason.

Sci-fi in the Modern World

Movies set in modern time or near-future with a speculative angle can still count as sci-fi (because they’re still “what if” scenarios). That means Her, Nerve, The Purge, that WarGames sequel, can count. Many surrealist films can too—see further down.

Astronaut movies may count ONLY IF they’re speculative in nature, with missions or technology that currently doesn’t exist or scenarios that could only happen in the future. That means The Martian, Red Planet, Mission to Mars, Gravity, Space Cowboys can all count as sci-fi. But, historic films (Apollo 13) don’t.

Movies that feature gadgets don’t automatically qualify them as sci-fi. That means most James Bond and Batman films don’t count. And while Eraser may have rail-guns and lots of computers, it’s an action movie, not sci-fi.

In the same vein, movies that feature speculative technology that aren’t part of the main plot doesn’t automatically qualify them as sci-fi. 1997’s The Saint uses Cold Fusion technology, but it is an espionage thriller, not a sci-fi movie in the strictest terms. Same goes for Kingsmen and various Bond movies. If the technology is being used as a MacGuffin in the modern world, think carefully about whether it’s an action or spy movie more than sci-fi.

Heroes of Tomorrow!

With superhero and comic-book adaptations, the movie must have the sci-fi aspect clearly present: movies that don’t show a scientific/speculative basis for superpowers (such as The Crow, Hellboy, Constantine, Suicide Squad, Blade, Spawn) do not count.

That also means Batman alone is ineligible. Batman vs Superman, the Batman Beyond film, and maybe the Joel Schumacher films, look to be the sole exceptions. Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Tim Burton’s films have no speculative qualities to count.

Oh, the Horror!

As mentioned before, horror/sci-fi hybrids are eligible. Obvious examples include horror movies set in space or are about aliens.

Zombie movies can count as long as the speculative aspect is present (I Am Legend, 28 Days Later, Resident Evil, Planet Terror could count—Dawn of the Dead is unexplained or more supernatural in nature and would not).

Monster movies can count: Frankenstein is considered the first-ever sci-fi story, after all. This also means other monster flicks with a scientific basis can count (Godzilla, Splice, Species, The Host, Hollow Man, Jurassic Park, etc). Anything based on fantasy or the supernatural, or lacking in science, do not count (no King Kong or Wolfman please).

“Lovecraftian” movies count as sci-fi (this includes Call of Cthulhu, Whisperer in Darkness, Die Farbe, The Mist, etc).

Is This The End?

Apocalyptic movies must be based on a “what-if” scenario. This may include any number of end-of-the-world scenarios, but historical dramas with apocalyptic tones and themes do not count necessarily (unless anybody knows of any good alternate-history ones).

What is Real? How Do You Define Real?

Surreal films can count as long as they’re speculative. Open Your Eyes, Vanilla Sky, Upstream Colour, Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect can count. Other films like The Machinist are based on…something not science, I don’t even know what. If you choose to vote on these, we can discuss their eligibility based on how many votes they accrue. To count as sci-fi, a surrealist film should still incorporate some sci-fi element, trope, or speculative aspect.

Surreal movies set in the future or use sci-fi tropes (like Immortel) are fine.

Tertiary Protocols

Stand-alone short films longer than 10 minutes can be listed individually (meaning The World of Tomorrow can count).

Shorts that are part of an anthology don’t count on their own: please list the anthology itself (The Animatrix counts as one, don’t break it down into The Second Renaissance and Program and so on).

A miniseries or made-for-TV movie that can be seen as a single feature can count (such as The Stand, Frank Herbert’s Dune). However, features broken down into multiple episodes (rather than multiple “parts”) do not (no single Twilight Zone episodes or Star Trek two-parters or anything like that please). Also, the four Futurama! films made and released after season 4 are eligible, even though they aired on TV as TV episodes for some reason.

Anime OVAs can count as long as they’re viewable as one feature. Battle Angel, Parasite Dolls, etc can count. Iria: Zeiram the Animation doesn’t, because it’s broken down into episodes (collectively longer than a feature film).

[Al_The_Strange]

Eligible titles (probably) in theaters this season!
It's an exciting autumn/winter. Catch them while you can!

[dallywhitty]

01. Donnie Darko
02. Alien³
03. Watchmen
04. Battle Royale
05. Jurassic Park
06. Vanilla Sky
07. Under the Skin
08. Arrival
09. Mad Max: Fury Road
10. Dark City
11. Franklyn
12. The Girl with All the Gifts
13. Delicatessen
14. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
15. Midnight Special
16. 10 Cloverfield Lane
17. The Martian
18. Jurassic World
19. The Faculty
20. Prometheus

[Leslie Dame]

01 The Matrix (1999)
02 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
03 Donnie Darko (2001)
04 Serenity (2005)
05 Twelve Monkeys (1995)
06 The Iron Giant (1999)
07 Mr. Nobody (2009)
08 The Fifth Element (1997)
09 Dark City (1998)
10 Battle Royale (2000)
11 Watchmen (2009)
12 28 Days Later... (2002)
13 Equilibrium (2002)
14 Pi (1998)
15 Galaxy Quest (1999)
16 The Fountain (2006)
17 Cube (1997)
18 The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
19 Starship Troopers (1997)
20 Unbreakable (2000)
21 Dredd (2012)
22 Pitch Black (2000)
23 Pacific Rim (2013)
24 Paul (2011)
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
26 Matrix Revolutions (2003)
27 Event Horizon (1997)
28 Space Jam (1996)
29 Mars Attacks! (1996)
30 Waterworld (1995)

[principehomura]

I'm not si much interested in sci-fi, but I've definetely seen a certain amount of these films. Plus the thread is so well done that now I have to!

[esteban²]

I will have a lot of catching up to do !

[Tony208]

reserved

1. Gattaca
2. The Fifth Element
3. The Matrix
4. Empire Strikes Back
5. Star Wars
6. The Terminator
7. Alien
8. Predestination
9. The Planet of the Apes
10. Blade Runner
11. Jurassic Park
12. 12 Monkeys
13. Terminator 2
14. Aliens 2
15. Snowpiercer
16. A.I.
17. Back to the Future
18. Guardians of the Galaxy
19. Close Encounters
20. Serenity
21. 2001
22. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
23. Armageddon
24. The Force Awakens
25. Looper
26. Pacific Rim
27. Arrival
28. Interstellar
29. Minority Report
30. Passengers

[Tony208]

This should be fun, it's my favorite genre.

[Foggy]

Now this is gonna be good!

[jabbercash]

1. Her
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Twelve Monkeys
4. Children of Men
5. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Inception
7. Iron Man
8. Terminator 2
9. The Matrix
10. Ex Machina
11. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
12. Arrival
13. Under The Skin
14. Unbreakable
15. 10 Cloverfield Lane
16. Pans Labyrinth
17. Signs
18. District 9
19. Battle Royale
20. The Martian
21. The Truman Show
22. Jurassic Park
23. Gravity
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
25. Midnight Special
26. 28 Weeks Later
27. Wall-E
28. 28 Days Later
29. Avatar
30. Cloverfield

[The Great Owl]

1. Under the Skin
2. Ex Machina
3. Body Snatchers (1993)
4. Dark City
5. Battle Royale
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. The Matrix
9. 28 Days Later...
10.Never Let Me Go
11. The Mist
12. War of the Worlds (2005)
13. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
14. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
15. 10 Cloverfield Lane
16. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
17. The Island
18. Cloverfield
19. Children of Men
20. Oblivion
21. Arrival
22. Jurassic Park
23. AI: Artificial Intelligence
24. Gattaca
25. Lucy
26. The Thing (2011)
27. Signs (2002)
28. Gravity
29. Village of the Damned (1995)
30. Event Horizon (1997)

I didn't include superhero movies, simply because that would open the floodgates and change my list considerably.

[SillySauce]

1. Fire in the Sky (1993)
2. Jurassic Park (1993)
3. Unbreakable (2002)
4. Alien 3
5. The Prestige (2005)
6. Frequency (2000)
7. Star Trek: Insurrection
8. Signs (2003)
9. Moon (2009)
10. Red Planet (2000)
11. Dark City (1998)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13.
14. Donnie Darko (2001)
15. Terminator 2 (1992)
16. The Fountain (2006)
17. Stargate (1995)
18. Contact (1997)
19. Soldier (1998)
20.


Minority Report
War of the Worlds
Mission to Mars
Europa Report
Serentity

[CZAR]

1. The Avengers (2012)
2. Avatar (2009)
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
4. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
5. Unbreakable (2000)
6. I Am Legend (2007)
7. Transformers (2007)
8. Iron Man (2008)
9. Pacific Rim (2013)
10. The Mist (2007)
11. Jurassic World (2015)
12. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
13. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
14. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
15. Signs (2002)
16. I, Robot (2004)
17. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
18. Super 8 (2011)
19. The Butterfly Effect (2004)
20. Dredd (2012)
21. Godzilla (2014)
22. District 9 (2009)
23. X-Men: First Class (2011)
24. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
25. Knowing (2009)
26. The Book of Eli (2010)
27. War of the Worlds (2005)
28. Body Snatchers (1993)
29. Independence Day (1996)
30. Species (1995)


Got Em!!

[Michael24]

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
2. Stargate (1994)
3. Jurassic Park (1993)
4. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
5. Waterworld (1995)
6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)
8. Dredd (2012)
9. The Time Machine (2002)
10. Galaxy Quest (1999)
11. The Postman (1997)
12. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
13. Titan A.E. (2000)
14. Demolition Man (1993)
15. Soldier (1998)
16. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
17. John Carter (2012)
18. Serenity (2005)
19. Prometheus (2012)
20. Moon (2009)

[Mandalorian]

Too many variables for me. I've opted out of a few of this year's ranking threads for the same reason. My head would spin thinking about the movies I could include, but don't want to (like superheroes, I think Star Wars is fantasy, etc, etc... ah shit, it's already spinning! Okay, bye.)

[Jasonic]

Well, I've narrowed it down to 60 films. Now just to cut half of them.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I didn't include Terminator 2: Judgment Day, because the original post says to include movies made after 1991. If it were allowed, however, then I would be ranking it pretty highly.

I didn't include superhero movies, simply because that would open the floodgates and change my list considerably.

Nuts, I should update that OP. The last list went up to 1990, so I did intend for 1991 to be included this time around (thus, I figured T2 would garner some votes this time around). Sorry for the confusion.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Let me know if any of these do not qualify. Got Em!!

Nope, they all look good.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Nuts, I should update that OP. The last list went up to 1990, so I did intend for 1991 to be included this time around (thus, I figured T2 would garner some votes this time around). Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks! It's all good. I went back and added Terminator 2: Judgment Day to my list as such.


Oh, and, to everyone reading this, it's supposed to be Terminator 2: Judgment Day, not Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Get on board, y'all!