Your top 10 favorite sci fi films before Star Wars

[Packerfan75]

Originally Posted by MechaGodzilla

I'm one of those people that don't consider Star Wars sci-fi, but I'll still contribute to the thread.

I'm not trying to argue or debate you, I'm just really confused by this statement. Star Wars has space, spaceships, lasers, futuristic technology and weapons, powers, aliens, etc. There are movies that have less of those than Star Wars does but are still considered sci-fi.
How is Star Wars not sci-fi?

[Astro Zombie]

01. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
02. Planet of the Apes (1968)
03. Death Race 2000 (1975)
04. The War of the Worlds (1953)
05. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
06. King Kong (1933)
07. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
08. Logan's Run (1976)
09. The Invisible Man (1933)
10. Forbidden Planet (1956)

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Packerfan75

I'm not trying to argue or debate you, I'm just really confused by this statement. Star Wars has space, spaceships, lasers, futuristic technology and weapons, powers, etc. There are movies that have less of those than Star Wars does but are still considered sci-fi.
How is Star Wars not sci-fi?

Some people like to distinguish between stories that use science and technology as a backdrop (Star Wars is a shoot 'em up that just happens to be set in space) or a simple plot device (being bitten by an irradiated spider can give you super-powers) and those 'real' science fiction stories that explore science and technology and their ethical implications and the impacts they can have on society and so forth and so on.

I'm happy to say I'm not one of those people. 'Real' sci-fi can be freaking fantastic but so can a lot of the other stuff.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Many people don't seem to realise that a film can belong to more than one genre.

[duggie walker]

2001: A Space Odyssey
Planet of the Apes
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Incredible Shrinking Man (sadly forgotten it would seem)
Village of the Damned
A Clockwork Orange
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Sleeper
Solaris
The Man Who Fell to Earth

And let's not forget Silent Running...

[benbess]

Originally Posted by duggie walker

2001: A Space Odyssey
Planet of the Apes
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Incredible Shrinking Man (sadly forgotten it would seem)
Village of the Damned
A Clockwork Orange
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Sleeper
Solaris
The Man Who Fell to Earth

And let's not forget Silent Running...

I forgot about Sleeper! That's probably number 1 for me. Thanks.

[JavaJulien]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

Many people don't seem to realise that a film can belong to more than one genre.

Boom.

Like I said, Alien is as much of a Horror movie as it is a Sci-Fi one but you rarely see anyone question it's Sci-Fi credentials.

[cjamescook]

The Man in the White Suit
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Forbidden Planet
The Twilight Zone (some)
The Outer Limits (some)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars (some, for its time)
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (at the time), and the first reboot now (the second was too derivative for "favorite" status)

Comment:
I don't argue that good science fiction must involve space ships; c.f. Star Trek: The City on the Edge of Forever, and Star Trek the Next Generation: The Inner Light.

However, why do too much of Hollywood think Science Fiction includes vampires, horror, (bad) fantasy, and swordplay? Sheesh.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by Packerfan75

I'm not trying to argue or debate you, I'm just really confused by this statement. Star Wars has space, spaceships, lasers, futuristic technology and weapons, powers, aliens, etc. There are movies that have less of those than Star Wars does but are still considered sci-fi.
How is Star Wars not sci-fi?

Basically what octagon says below:

Originally Posted by octagon

Some people like to distinguish between stories that use science and technology as a backdrop (Star Wars is a shoot 'em up that just happens to be set in space) or a simple plot device (being bitten by an irradiated spider can give you super-powers) and those 'real' science fiction stories that explore science and technology and their ethical implications and the impacts they can have on society and so forth and so on.

I'm happy to say I'm not one of those people. 'Real' sci-fi can be freaking fantastic but so can a lot of the other stuff.

Just generally there isn't much about Star Wars that really feels "sci-fi" to me, while the fantasy element is pretty strong. I've always seen it as fantasy in a futuristic kind of setting. This doesn't mean I look down on SW in any way, I love it, I just categorize it differently from many others.

Of course none of this is an exact science, it's pretty subjective. Most works of fiction that are considered to be one genre have elements of a couple other genres I reckon, and sometimes I'm not sure myself when something is or isn't sci-fi. Get too imaginative and out there with your sci-fi, and eventually it becomes more fantasy than it is any kind of theoretically possible (but improbable) science.

Some people here have suggested Star Wars should be considered fantasy with some sci-fi elements, and sure, why not? I'm not really that anal about genre labeling, in the end it isn't important, what matters is how enjoyable the story is.