The most underrated Science Fiction films:

[jeffreyab]

Via happyfunpaul 

The most underrated SF films w/ Daniel Kimmel, Mark Leeper, David Williams, Matthew Rotundo, Christopher Becker), who collectively suggested:

I have bolded the ones I have seen and underlined the ones I though were good:

“Creation of the Humanoids” (‘60s movie, hard to find, delightfully silly)
“They Live” (John Carpenter, aliens among us, satirical social commentary)
“Time After Time” (‘80s, Nicholas Meyer director, have to swallow two whoppers at the start-- HG Wells built a time machine and knew Jack the Ripper-- but then is good story)
“(Jerome Bixby’s) The Man From Earth”
“The Thirteenth Warrior” (controversial, many disliked, best Beowulf adaptation, tremendous musical score)
“Happy Accidents” (2000, w/ Marisa Tomei & Vincent D’Onofrio, is he from the future or is he just nuts?)
“Lair of the White Worm”
“War of the Worlds” (Timothy Hynes version)
“Five Million Years to Earth” aka “Quatermass and the Pit”
“Sleeper”
(various audiences suggestions provoke commentary, including:)
Sunshine,
Idiocracy,
Interstate 60,
S1m0ne,
Barjo
(Back to panel:)
“Brother from Another Planet”
“Phase Four” (superintelligent ants)
“Star Wars Holiday Special” (Audience: huge laughter. “Why? Because it gives you insight into the psyche of George Lucas”)
“Near Dark” (vampire film without the word vampire)
“Who?” (from Algis Budrys story)
“Frau im Mond” (a different Fritz Lang film from “Metropolis”... invented the countdown! Has weightlessness in space, stowaway = comic book fan boy, etc.)
(more from audience:)
“The Devil Commands” (Boris Karloff),
“The Postman”, (digression about “Waterworld”),
“The Quiet Earth”,
“Man Facing Southwest” (both art films with SF elements),
“The World, The Flesh, and the Devil”,
“Death”?,
“A Boy and His Dog” (and the is-it-sexist ending),
“Earth Girls Are Easy”,
“Nothing Lasts Forever”,
 “Buckaroo Banazai”,
“Tom’s Midnight Garden” (fantasy, region 2 DVD),
“Call of Cthulhu” (b&w silent film, as if it were a 1920s film),
“Seconds”
(Panel again:)
“Brainstorm” (1983) (Natalie Wood’s last film, great score; seminal film: “jack in”, beautiful scene transferring thoughts to another person, originally had portions of 60 frames-per-second; last third (minus Natalie Wood) didn’t work out)
“Stalker” (Russian film)
“Richard III” (1995, done as fascist takeover of Britain in 1930s alternate history)
“The Changeling” (spooky ghost story, another example of “simple spfx done well”)
“The Twonky” (plays off 1950s fear of television, is dated but from)
(back to audience:)
“The Ill-Met by Moonlight” (based on S. P. Somtow story),
 “5000 Fingers of Dr. T” (Dr. Seuss),
“Alphaville” (arty, not that SF),
“City of Lost Children”,
 “Dark City”,
“Colossus The Forbin Project”,
“Fantastic Planet” (animated version),
“The Last Action Hero”,
 “The Last Starfighter”,
“The Navigator”, medieval folks questing in modern NZ
“Sliding Doors”,
“Enemy Mine”
(panel in last two minutes:)
“Primer”

Comments

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I'd add "Silent Running" to that list.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Good Add!

I wonder why no one though of it?

"Battle Beyond the Stars" would be another pick for me.

[encorecrazay.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't give Buckaroo Banazai. Here's my comments on the one's I've seen that you hadn't:
“Lair of the White Worm”, very enjoyable film
“The Postman” - Terrible, don't bother renting it
“The Quiet Earth” I liked it
“The World, The Flesh, and the Devil” another very good post apocalyptic film
“5000 Fingers of Dr. T” - A fun kid's movie
“Alphaville” a very good Jean-Luc Godard film
“The Last Action Hero” really bad Schwarzenegger film

[trinfaneb.livejournal.com]

I would have loved to been present for that panel! Here are a couple I would add:

"Dark Star" shoestring budget, but has some funny moments, an iconic ending, and a rocking end credits song, "Denison Arizona."

"Bad Taste" Peter Jackson's first "real" movie, its an over-the-top sci-fi gorefest.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

I loved The Quiet Earth; I just recently picked up a copy of it on DVD.

[wpeters.livejournal.com]

I'd add Slipstream. Nonsensical ending but I love it :)

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

A Great Cast in search of a script I would say about Slipstream.

[leduck.livejournal.com]

I love The Navigator-- it is probably my very most favorite movie. There's something about the Epic Quest to cross the highway that I love.

[reddherring1955.livejournal.com]

Aw, shucks, we love The Postman. Shows what little taste we have. But maybe there's hope as The Last Starfighter and Enemy Mine are both favorites, too.

What made a film qualify as underrated? Would Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Mars Attacks be within the category? I didn't notice either on the list, but I guess they are intended as spoofs or are merely overrated (by whom, I wonder?). Gulp.

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

I am amused that my unedited notes turned into a meme. :-)