Movie Cup round 8 - Science fiction films

First topic message reminder :

7 rounds down and The Bull is in the lead but he can be caught!!!

This round is all about science fiction and what a great selection we have:

The Matrix
Alien
Total Recall
Predator
Star Wars IV - A new hope
Inception
cocoon
Frankenstein
Start Trek II - The Wrath of Khan
Jurassic Park
Wall E


But no Flash gordon!

Anyway, as always, vote for your 2 favourite. Next week the penultimate round is films with a colour in the title.

Cocoon - Old folks at a home and at the end of their perceived usefulness find a swimming pool at a nearby house full of Alien cocoons...The Alien energy revitalises them and helps them rediscover their youth leading to self discovery and the realisation that age is a state of mind and not of body... A realisation that gives them a very tough decision to make....Funny and moving..

Inception - Amazing work from Nolan again as well as it being awesome and confusing for some but maybe to vote for this all you need to do is dream deeper!

Jurassic Park - The film that revolutionised special effects. The dino epic that spawned 2 sequels and a 4th/reboot in the pipeline. A truly outstanding films.

Frankenstein - man simultaneously harnesses science and pushes its boundaries that far that he gets to play god, the film is both poignant and chilling & left the viewer wondering who the monster really was. Could the Jurassic Parks of modern cinema ever have existed without it?

The Matrix - A film that came out of nowhere and made the science fiction cool again. A film that redefined Keanu Reeves and had the whole audience in awe as the film progressed. Forget about the sequels bringing down its rep, this is the real deal and works amazingly as a stand alone classic.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan - "KHHHHAAAAAAAAN!" raged Captain James T Kirk as this classic battle between hero and villain was playing out. Who can ever forget the first time they saw Wrath of Khan? William Shatner gives a good performance, Leonard Nimoy a brilliant one, but it's Ricardo Montalbán's performance as Khan that steals the show and makes this the greatest sci-fi film in history. The best bad guy ever written. And if that doesn't grab your vote, just remember - "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...or the one".

Total Recall (the original)
I never get bored of watching it. It's very cheesy, it's not brilliantly acted, but it's so entertaining.

Predator - Arnie, an alien, guns, the jungle, a wrestler, a mini gun, a laser, a token female, gunfights, soldiers, hunting, skull collecting, an alien nuclear weapon, government cover-ups, green blood! What's not to like?

Stars Wars IV A New Hope - It's not just the best Sci-Fi film, it's the greatest film of all time. Name a film that has changed the way films are made quite like the original SW film, name a film that has a day named after it, name a film that has people changing their religion to. Star Wars A New Hope simply has to win.

I chose Jurassic Park & Predator.
I went to watch JP and the dinosaurs were like nothing i'd ever seen before (ie CGI).

The Matrix and Wall-E. EXcellent films in very different ways. If Blade Runner were also there I would have had a hard choice to make. Think a New Hope is overrated except as a trend-setter and is possibly the 5th best Star Wars Movie to date. Alien is good but Aliens is better. Total Recall was one of Arnie's better films. Predator, I can see why people like but never really captured me the way Alien did. Never seen Cocoon. Inception was good but doesn't hold together as well on second viewing. Frankenstein doesn't carry across much of the message of the original novel which annoys me. As does the title Frankenstein. Nor would I call it Sci Fi. Jurassic Park is a classic and would have been my 3rd choice on that list. I have only ever seen the new Star Trek film.

Decent list missing a LOT of names. Interesting how Sci Fi and Fantasy (less so) and supernatural elements are so pervasive on Film and now days in TV but sneered upon by many in literary circles

Going to come to Wall-E's defence here-

It takes aspects from a lot of Sci-Fi films and parodies them affectionately yes, and it can be seen as a little anvillicious in it's message to humanity but as a movie that creates a better love story between animated robots than most Romantic films manage with real humans, making a very real message and mixing seriousness/thought provocation that all forms of fiction should have with humour is an incredible feat. Visually it is stunning. It was Pixar's biggest gamble and it paid off. One of the best animated films of all time and very different to the repetitive nature of a lot of Science Fiction films. It has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and 89% with audience (so those who called it dull are very much in the minority) and it managed that despite half the film being silent and it being an animated film about robots. If you didn't like it, don't vote for it but trying to insult those who did is ludicrous. It was in TIME's movies of the decade and was up for 5 OSCARs and won one. The notion that an animated film can't have as much value as a live action one is just a false as that a Sci-Fi film is of less value than a biographic

Its a shame that Star Trek II isnt doing better because unlike the Star Wars offering, it is the best of the series/ franchise.

Adam D wrote:Its a shame that Star Trek II isnt doing better because unlike the Star Wars offering, it is the best of the series/ franchise.

Never seen it I'm afraid. Thought the reboot was a pretty decent film though

Its the first film that I can remember that had a major character being killed off in that way (although they brought him back eventually).

The effects, acting, score and story are all superior to any of the other Treks (bar the 6th and possibly reboot)

I've had a combined total of 3 votes for my last two selections...& 2 of them are my own.

Galted wrote:I've had a combined total of 3 votes for my last two selections...& 2 of them are my own.

Were you cocoon?

Don't mention that title....

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Galted wrote:I've had a combined total of 3 votes for my last two selections...& 2 of them are my own.

Were you cocoon?

Nope, I'm the Frankenstein monster.

Was going to go for Empire Strikes Back but was a bit late with my pick so foolishly assumed it would've been taken.

Galted wrote:

ChequeredJersey wrote:

Galted wrote:I've had a combined total of 3 votes for my last two selections...& 2 of them are my own.

Were you cocoon?

Nope, I'm the Frankenstein monster.

It has the problem that many films do with being an adaptation (with a completely different colour) of a truly great book. Though I suppose so does Blade Runner. It is also not entirely clear which movie you mean as there have been so many

I meant the 1931 version (the one with the scene with the girl picking flowers) - sneakily didn't bother with the year hoping to pick up votes from people who may have thought it was the Brannagh/de Niro version.

A great tactician I am not.

People really like Star Wars, don't they?

ChequeredJersey wrote:People really like Star Wars, don't they?

Thought they were the greatest thing ever when I saw them as a kid in the 70s & 80s & stupidly bought both trilogies a couple of years back - the original 3 haven't really stood the test of time & the second batch were mediocre at best. Get the impression some people are just determined to like them. The blue elephant in Return of the Jedi does my head in.

Tough choice this one, went with Matrix and Alien.

Matrix as stated made Sci-Fi cool again, I remember watching it for the first time and being blown away, and for me it's one of those films you can watch over and over again. One of my very favourite films. Shame it was somewhat ruined by the sequels (though I'm one of the few who thinks Reloaded wasn't as bad as it's made out to be, I think it gets harsh criticism because it's measured up to the original), but as a stand alone film it works great.

Alien is for me the best of the franchise, a really well made film that's aged remarkably well. I actually think they got the Trilogy right, with the second a more light-hearted shoot-up in space, while the third went back to the darker roots (let's not talk about what came after that), but this one for me is undoubtedly the best.

On the others, Total Recall is excellent fun, really enjoy watching it. Predator was OK but I never really got into it that much, not Schwartzy's best IMO. A New Hope, though a very good film, isn't the best Star Wars, I'm astonished no one went for Empire Strikes Back TBH which may well have got my second vote. I however disagree with the assesment that Star Wars hasn't aged well: despite some parts looking outdated now, I think it's still very very good, considering when it was made and how far things have moved on since.

Inception is another excellent film, nice original idea and superbly made, though of course I'm a huge fan of Nolan in general so not surprising I enjoyed that one. Haven't seen Cocoon, Frankenstein or Star Trek. Jurassic Park another very good film which I really like. Finally I'm with Chequered on Wall-E, I thought it was excellent, brilliantly made and managing to keep you involved despite virtually no dialogue of note is no mean feat, the best of Pixar IMHO.

still waiting for nominations from :

Nay Bother
Sodhat
Hornblower
Chequered Jersey

Next round will be on Monday now!

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Didn't like Total recall...........Probably because I didn't understand whether it was a dream or real or what???

I think it is deliberately ambiguous and a fair argument could be made both ways.

Personally I reckon it was a dream and I have a couple of reasons for that. Always entertains me that film though.

sodhat wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Didn't like Total recall...........Probably because I didn't understand whether it was a dream or real or what???

I think it is deliberately ambiguous and a fair argument could be made both ways.

Personally I reckon it was a dream and I have a couple of reasons for that. Always entertains me that film though.

It's all a dream lad. Sci-Fi is just our impotent way of trying on get a grip on some kind of perceived reality. Whatever that is.

Funny (peculiar, not haha), most of it comes to be real over time. We can only dream to change what we can perceive subconsciously.

That has taken us a long way towards a possible nightmare. Or Nirvana.

So much beauty. So much need. So much ignorance. A deadly combination.

Humanoids eh?

Beware the Borg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa6c3OTr6yA

whens the next round going up H?

He's in Munich at the moment on his 40th bash, so presume upon his return.

I voted for Alien and Star Wars, Alien is easily the best in that franchise and Star Wars not the best in its.

Cocoon? At least it had Wilfred Brimley

I understand why Frankenstein is in there but it shouldn't be?

And Star Trek! Oy vey

I voted for Star Trek II of that list. However, I really think Blade Runner should have been on the list. My favourite Sci-Fi movie is Contact.

Voted for Alien.

That lot wouldn't have been my XI though...some right old rubbish included if you'll pardon my saying. Much preferred Gibson's list...

Never mind...Star Wars was always going to win , given the demographic. And not wishing to sound like a Grumpy Old Man , I don't mind. It was a fun movie , though not what I think of as real Science Fiction.

what's happened to round 9???

It will be up this afternoon!

Did I pick a film for the next round? I've slept since.

Still need to get noms from Sodhat and Nay Bother.

If I dont get by lunchtime, I will pick the colour Purple for both of them

I voted for Jurassic Park and Predator.

Scores as follows:

Bull 54
Nay Bother 40
Hero 36
Adam D 34
Azzy 29
Hornblower 28
Sodhat 21
Galted 20
Crazywomble 15
Chequered 15
Trussman 13


Bull out in front with only the slimmest of chances to be caught.

Next weeks round:

Films with a number in the title - sequels such as (Godfather II or Rocky IV do not count)

The first 3 people who have sent their nominations all picked the same film! Luckily second choices were different but at least I know what is likely to win!

Adam D wrote:The first 3 people who have sent their nominations all picked the same film! Luckily second choices were different but at least I know what is likely to win!

It is a brilliant film

Hulking_up wrote:I chose Jurassic Park & Predator.
I went to watch JP and the dinosaurs were like nothing i'd ever seen before (ie CGI).

Good, I thought you were suggesting you'd seen real dinosaurs before but not like the ones on the screen