Poll: Recommend: Science Fiction!
- Thread starter Cry Wolf
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Because it would probably devolve into weeaboo territory? Seriously, every great Steampunk setting has done this, except for Dystopian Wars (And that is a tabletopgame!).GethBall said:
Anyway, science fiction, yes, that is awesome. Some of the TV series mentioned here are pretty good. I'll also chime in that Deep Space Nine was a completeley different Star Trek, and totally worth your time. Good, heavy stuff.
As my avater shows, I am a big fan of the Prisoner, a surrealistic science fiction/spy drama, about a secret agent who, after resignation, awakens in a strange prison system called the Village, were people are trying to break his mind to get to the information he holds. Interesting about this show is that most of the conflict is between the minds of the Prisoner and his captors, violence is rareley used.
As for the original Star Trek series... you are just watching it wrong. The cheese is why people like it in the first place!
If you want to see a really good science fiction film, I got a couple you should watch.
Forbidden Planet:
Humans visit a distant planet where a research team that was exploring an ancient, advanced and lost civilization have gone missing. What they find is not what you'd expect from the premise, it's much betther. The sets are a real marvel, and there's the Robby the Robot, the best and most elaborate robot costume ever put on film.
Solaris:
A slow moving, psychologically draining film. Sometimes called the Soviet version of 2001: a space oddysey, this film will make the hair stand on the back of your neck without ever showing anything horrific. It basicly deals with humans that encountered a truly alien inteligence. This film will remain in your head for a long time, and can be quite disturbing. Again, without ever showing anything that may disturb you.
Things to Come
Adaptation of the H.G. Wells story of the same name, with screenplay done by the great man himself (This is an old film...) World war 2 is about to sweep the world in death and destruction, eventually sending civilization back into the middle ages. But a faction of scientists and engineers has preserved and expanded upon all the lost knowledge, and is taking steps to conquer the world (For it's own good). Again, great sets and special effects, it took many decades before a film of this scope was attempted again.
Brazil:
A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.
Terry Gilliams best film, as far as I'm concerned. It's brutal, disjointed, very dark, and one of the funniest films I have ever seen. Just make sure you watch the directors cut. This is not snobbery, the other versions all messed with the plot and what not, so if you are not watching the director's cut, you are not watching the real thing.
A boy and his dog:
In a post apocalyptic wasteland, a young man and his dog scavenge for food, sex and survival. Also, the dog is telepathic and more intelligent then the young man. Just go with it.
Look, you lot liked Fall Out? You will love this. The plot takes some interesting twists and turns, the characters are really good and interesting, and it's just such a rich and interesting film.. just don't watch it with a woman. Ever. It's... not very positive about them.
A betther review then me summed it up niceley:
"The setting of this film is not only a material wasteland, but a moral one as well. Our protaganists are a wandering teenage misogynist and his super-intelligent telepathic dog. The latter helps the former to locate potential rape victims. Their pursuit of one particular sexual quarry leads the young man on a journey into a subterranean perversion of smalltown America. The dog is the most sympathetic character in the movie, and is brilliantly voiced by Tim McIntire.
If you are able to wrap your head around the bizarre moral construct, this film is a nihilistic hoot."
Logan's Run
In a utopian society, things seem pretty swell for the human race. There's one catch: life ends at 30. Anything else would spoil the plot, so go watch, have fun.
The Man from Earth
Low(no?) budget film. A teacher is about to move without telling his friends and collegues. They catch him before he leaves, and what follows is an unbelievable story about a man who has lived since prehistory. The entire film is dialogue, but the premise keeps it going, and you'll find yourself heavily invested in the plot. Also, the makers of the film are totally okay with you pirating it, so, I'll just put that out here...
I'm watching through Farscape at the minute and it's great fun. Scorpius is swiftly becoming one of my favourite villains of anything ever. He's just so deliciously campy!Cry Wolf said:
Do you have any knowledge on what the various comic series are like?
DS9 was a counterpoint to Roddenberry's vision, dealing with messy ideas like religion, occupation, and the dark side of an organization like the Federation etc. The best part was the story arcs and character development, supporting characters got developed more than most regulars at TNG.Cry Wolf said:As I said, after the atrocities of Star Trek: TOS and Star Trek: TNG I decided it wasn't worth putting myself through another Star Trek show (I really don't like Gene Roddenberry's vision either). As for Babylon Five, eh. I've seen almost the entire first season and it really didn't impress me.Bertylicious said:
These guys? Almost enough reason not to watch Babylon alone
Freakin' 'ell, someone's watched this besides me... the mind boggles. One of Idris Elba's first major roles. What bugged me that it wasn't that satisfying an ending...Sixcess said:
OT: A bit of a twist on the 'sci-fi' designation: ReGenesis. A moderately well-received Canadian show about medical conjecture.
I'm a real big fan of Bab5 \(*)/ so i imagine that what i write below (much of which is covered with the damning patina of nostalgia)will be taken with some salt.Bertylicious said:*shakes head* There are none so blind as those that will not see.Cry Wolf said:As I said, after the atrocities of Star Trek: TOS and Star Trek: TNG I decided it wasn't worth putting myself through another Star Trek show (I really don't like Gene Roddenberry's vision either). As for Babylon Five, eh. I've seen almost the entire first season and it really didn't impress me.Bertylicious said:
These guys? Almost enough reason not to watch Babylon alone
Next you'll be saying Hawk The Slayer is rubbish!
But i can see how it doesn't appeal to everyone, but i still find the whole series has a clearly defined purpose plotwise, it covers a wide number of different ethical questions (like the episode where a child is denied medical service by it's parents because operations contradict their relgion) and most specifically that of the justness of revenge and the circular nature of racial hatred. I also like the fact that there's a lot of Deadpan snarking and a rich rooster of believable character.
Also, everyone who likes Bab5. read these words in the appropriate accent.
"aaaahh Mister garibaldi, i was just looking for you"
Because every sci-fi show is just like Star Trek. Really now, have you even looked at the OP and the stuff in this topic? There's plenty more out there than impossible spaceships and Rubber Forehead Aliens. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RubberForeheadAliens]GethBall said:
I know, right? And hurray for TV tropes, by the way.Cowabungaa said:
Of all the films I recommended, only two are about aliens; in Forbidden Planet their architecture hints at very weird aliens, but we never see them, and in Solaris the alien is so alien, that's basicly the point of the whole thing.
Man, Science Fiction is so awesome.
The comics are actually suprisingly good - though they delve into the "literal spiritualism" the weakest episodes of the show were based on. That said, still worth a look if you're really into Farscape. I've only read the post-Farscape continuation comics though.GiantRaven said:
Also; Scorpius is my favourite villian aswell. =D
GriffinStallion said:
Noooooo! How could I forget Red Dwarf! What's wrong with me? Time to fix!
Yay! Let's paint an entire genre with a single brush! That's a great idea!GethBall said:
Anyway.
Take a look at Firefly, come back, and then I'll give you an answer. As for steampunk television - it's been done. It's just not a particularly relevant genre. Science Fiction is in prime position to make deep social/human commentaries and discuss a wide range of speculative technological and moral issues. Steampunk on the other hand... looks nice?
Stargate Universe on the "good" list? Get out of here!
Also, can we put Futurama on there? It's technically sci-fi plus ten kinds of awesome.
And I remember seeing a series about some "settlers" stranded on a former prison planet. Earth-II? Maybe someone can help me out with the title of this.
This show is deliciously absurd. Everybody should watch at least one episode.Bassik said:
Also, can we put Futurama on there? It's technically sci-fi plus ten kinds of awesome.
And I remember seeing a series about some "settlers" stranded on a former prison planet. Earth-II? Maybe someone can help me out with the title of this.
Good might be a stretch - I used "Worth Watching" and "Not Worth Watching" for a reason. While I did actually enjoy it, I know I'm of a minority.Quaxar said:
Heh, that's my list =P. I've only ever watched it in passing (though I've seen a lot of it by now) and didn't really want to comment on it. EDIT: It's also worth noting that if I've put it on my worth watching list, I've seen all of it. If it's on my not worth watching list, I've seen atleast a season of it.Quaxar said:
I've never watched it. but would this be it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_2_%28TV_series%29Quaxar said:
Captcha: Take a look. Well I wont now, captcha.
Right, Arab 2, not Roman II. Close enough. Not too bad a series.Cry Wolf said:
I understand there's people who like SG:U. But I have a really hard time seeing why, I don't really have anything good to say about that series, it's an obvious try to remake BSG and a bad one too. It had its moments but frankly I'm glad it went down, though I very much dislike the awful way they ended the second season.
Not that I mind you watching it, go ahead and enjoy it all you like. I jist personally would never recommend it together with your other really good choices.
And by the way go watch Futurama now. As in immediately.
I have seen most of them - though attimitedly not for a very long time - and sure, go nuts. I was keeping my own post restricted to television (because I've seen a phenomneal number of sci-fi movies and am lazy).Bassik said:Hey man, awesome thread by the way. Have you ever seen, or plan on seeing, those films I talked about?Cry Wolf said:
And can we also talk about science fiction books?
Also; thanks!
I'd also highly recommend The Prisoner. I can't call it ahead of its time since in some ways it is very 60s, but it has a unique atmosphere and style that has never been bettered. One of the best tv series of all time.Bassik said:
Which reminds me - if anyone is feeling retro, two more old brit shows worth a look (if you can get past the low budget sfx)
Oh how I love old tv intros.
Blakes 7 is definetly worth a watch, if you can find it. In the US, unless you're able to use region 2 dvds, there isn't a legal method to obtain the series. The effects haven't aged well, the costumes are cheezy, and the tech is often silly looking. Not that I mind, I expect such things from a show made in 1978 and find these elements rather fun. Nonetheless, the story and characters are well done. The setting is darker, essentially an oppressive Orwellian government, and is a nice change.
Gotta diagree with you on this one. Dollhouse got off to a bad start, no one's denying that, and Dushku's really doesn't have the range that the role demands, but about halfway through the first season it saw a massive upswing in quality, and it's second season was nothing short of awesome. Even Dushku started to improve quite a bit.Cry Wolf said: