4th Annual Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge - Discussion Thread

[Mister Peepers]

Summer Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge 2011

Challenge Starts July 1st at 12am EST

Challenge ends August 1st at dawn

Sponsored by

Full Moon


and

Rules

Movies/TV shows should be labeled sci-fi or fantasy from either imdb.com or allmovie.com. Other labels don't matter as long as there is at least a sci-fi or fantasy label from one of those sites. Action/Sci-fi would be fine.

If anyone has a problem with something someone watches or just wants an opinion on if it's sci-fi or fantasy or not, ask here.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy documentaries are allowed but not DVD featurettes/interviews.

As with the other challenges, the lists must be numbered or it won't count.

Movies count as 1 entry each.

3 wild cards for all. Use for those shows you want to watch but know they really don't count but they're pretty close or borderline to counting.

TV shows count according to length as they are aired on TV(including commercials):

• 30 minute shows count as 1/4 an entry
• 1 hour shows count as 1/2 an entry
• 2 hour shows count as 1 entry

So you need 4, 30 minute shows for 1 entry or 2 60 minute shows or any combination that gets you to 1 entry. While X-Files has a runtime of around 43 minutes, on-air it's an hour show.

If it's short films that are 10 minutes or less, once you hit 23 minutes of watching them, you've reached one 30 minute show. This is based on the theory that the run time for a 30 minute show is between 22-24 minutes.

For mini series, do count each "day" that it aired (assuming that each day was a 2 hour block). For example, Dune: The Mini Series, would it be:

63. Dune: The Mini Series - Part I
64. Dune: The Mini Series - Part II
65. Dune: The Mini Seriies - Part III

When listing TV shows, keep them together for one entry.
Example:

65. Outer Limits:episode name / Futurama: episode name / Futurama: episode name

How do I list TV shows and other short stuff if I don't have enough for an entry?

At the bottom of your post/list, keep a Temp TV section. Add stuff there until you get enough for an entry.

Watching the movie with the commentary will count as an entry.

Watching multiple versions(theatrical and director's cut) of the same movie will also count.

Show what days you watched whatever it was you watched

Example

July 1:
1. Alien
2. Aliens

July 2:
3. Aliens 3

How to win a prize

There's 4 ways to get an entry:

1. Participate by watching at least 1 item
2. Watch 100 items
3. Start the checklist
4. Complete the checklist

Prizes

Full Moon


One deck of Haunted Casinos cards
http://www.fullmoondirect.com/Haunted-Casinos_c_47.html



One set of Haunted Casinos shot glasses











2 copies of Damnation, your choice of DVD or Blu-Ray



Strange Tales 20 Movie Pack
Filled with many movies that qualify for this challenge, as well as others


Brainstorm

Sci-fi/Fantasy Radio

I'm treating audio harshly since this is primarily a movie/tv challenge. That being said, one episode, 4 hours with commercials, of Coast to Coast counts as one entry. It's the same format for TV, only doubled. The topic of the show has to be sci-fi/fantasy related, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem with Coast to Coast.

If you're listening to something without commercials, or can skip them, you're looking at 3 hours of audio for one entry.

1/4 entry = 45 minutes without commercials and 60 with commercials.

1/2 entry = 90 minutes without commercials and 120 with commercials.

3/4 entry = 135 minutes without commercials and 180 with commercials.

1 entry = 180 minutes without commercials and 240 with commercials.

Previous discussion and list threads can be found here: http://forum.dvdtalk.com/9531033-post3.html

[Mister Peepers]

Online shows and films

http://www.hulu.com/channels/Science-Fiction (Online Streaming)
http://www.archive.org/details/SciFi_Horror (Online Streaming and Downloads) - Horror doesn't count for this challenge
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...atype%3Amovies Sci-fi results
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...atype%3Amovies Fantasy results
http://www.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=373&lnkctr=mhwG373 (Sci-fi and Fantasy instant streaming) Membership or free trial required -
Get a free month trial of Netflix here (Expires June 15th)
http://www.amctv.com/videos/b-movies/ Hit the sci-fi/fantasy tab for online streaming

Need more ideas?

http://www.movieretriever.com/genre/19/Sci-Fi
http://www.movieretriever.com/genre/10/Fantasy

How about a book?

The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction

[Mister Peepers]

Checklist
3 Wildcards allowed

Watch one film from every decade, starting with the 1900s.
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
--- 1980 -
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 -
--- 2010 -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- First language -
--- Second language -

--- Watch the MST3K/Rifftrax/Cinematic Titanic version of a sci-fi/fantasy film -
--- Watch a film and its remake -
--- Watch a film based on a video game -
--- Watch a film based on a novel -
--- Watch a film directed by Ed Wood -
--- Watch a film which won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- Watch a silent film -
--- Watch a Criterion version film -
--- Watch a film with commentary -
--- Watch a film and at least two sequels -
--- Watch a film that takes place underneath the Earth -
--- Watch a film that takes place in space -
--- Watch a film that takes place on or under the sea -
--- Watch an animated film -
--- Watch a film with special effects by Ray Harryhausen -
--- Watch a film directed by Roger Corman -
--- Watch a film directed by Ralph Bakshi -
--- Watch a film directed by Joe Dante -
--- Watch a film animated by John Lounsbery -
--- Watch a film directed by Charles Band -
--- Watch a film that takes place in the "future" but the year has already come and gone -

Watch a film for each rating:
--- G -
--- PG -
--- PG-13 -
--- R -
--- X/NC-17 -
--- Unrated -

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres:
--- Alien invasion -
--- Arthurian Fantasy -
--- Cyborg -
--- Post-Apocalyptic -
--- Dark Fantasy -
--- Sword and Sorcery -
--- Cybernetic revolt -
--- Immortality -
--- Based on fairy tale -
--- Mutants -
--- Superhero -
--- Mad Scientist -
--- Martial Arts Fantasy -
--- Time travel -
--- Giant Critters -
--- Prehistoric -
--- Paranormal -
--- Steampunk -
--- Urban Fantasy -
--- High Fantasy -
--- Kaiju -
--- Cyberpunk -

Watch a film starring:
--- John Agar -
--- Kenneth Tobey -
--- Charlton Heston -
--- John Carradine -
--- Kurt Russell -
--- Bela Lugosi -
--- Vincent Price -
--- Dennis Quaid -
--- Max von Sydow -
--- Helena Bonham Carter -
--- John Saxon -
--- Michael Ironside -

[davidh777]

Wow, I thought this was a bump from last year but it really is time!

[takingchase]

i can't wait, this and horror are my favorite challenges of the year.

[shadokitty]

I'm looking forward to this challenge. I've already started working on my list of possibkle movies and tv series to watch, already up to over 40 possible movies and series that I own that are eligible for the challenge, and I still have 3 more binders to go through.

[Fist of Doom]

Woohoo!

It might be time for me to do an X-Files rewatch.

[cardsfan111]

This thread is a true sign of summer.

I've got a whole slew of things on the DVR already set for this challenge, not to mention enough material on DVD to last for the next few years. If only I had more time. I fear July will be a busy month and I won't watch as much as I'd like.

[MinLShaw]

Last year, June and July were largely hijacked by all kinds of family drama but I'm hopeful that this year things won't be nearly that hectic. Looking forward to finally getting around to some of the genre giants that have shamefully remained entrenched on my To See list, like Alien. I'm particularly interested in that film as someone with Crohn's, as its screenwriter was a Crohnie and I'm given to understand that he very specifically intended certain story elements to reflect life with this stupid, obnoxious disease. Plus, we just found seasons 2-4 of The 4400 on DVD cheap and we're stoked to get to some of that as we missed much of the show when it originally aired.

Incidentally, Netflix is on schedule to begin streaming Star Trek series in July (except, naturally, Deep Space Nine which won't go live until October).

[lisadoris]

I can't wait for this challenge and believe it or not, I've been holding on to a question about it for awhile. I have several comic book movies I want to watch that imdb does not list as sci-fi or fantasy (I'm thinking of the Batman films specifically). I can't remember if there was a discussion to allow these films or not.

Now I have to decide whether I'm going to watch Babylon 5 or Enterprise

[Mister Peepers]

Originally Posted by cardsfan111

This thread is a true sign of summer.

For me, it's also about my wife taking the kids and going to Japan. Then I get a chance to clean the house and have it stay clean.

Originally Posted by lisadoris

I can't wait for this challenge and believe it or not, I've been holding on to a question about it for awhile. I have several comic book movies I want to watch that imdb does not list as sci-fi or fantasy (I'm thinking of the Batman films specifically). I can't remember if there was a discussion to allow these films or not.

Now I have to decide whether I'm going to watch Babylon 5 or Enterprise

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/02/the...e-fiction-hero

There's arguments both ways and there will never be a simple yes/no answer. I'll let the viewer decide for themselves.

On a related note, the 60s series does have a sci-fi label, so it automatically counts.

[davidh777]

Glad fantasy and TV are again in play That gives me the options of catching up on True Blood or taking another stab at B5 or Buffy. Or heck, finishing up DS9.

[Ash Ketchum]

To be frank, I don't like the checklist at all.

These are deal-killers for me:

Watch a film directed by David Cronenberg -
--- Watch a film directed by Larry Cohen -
--- Watch a film directed by Tim Burton -
--- Watch a film directed by Terry Gilliam -
--- Watch a film directed by Charles Band -
---

Watch a film starring:
--- Sigourney Weaver -
--- Harrison Ford -
--- Peter Cushing
--- Boris Karloff
--- Arnold Schwarzenegger -
--- Elijah Wood -
--- Drew Barrymore -
--- Daniel Radcliffe -
--- Keanu Reeves -
--- Patrick Stewart -

Peter Cushing I get, because he made many sci-fi films in addition to his horror films. Boris Karloff is more associated with horror than sci-fi, so I find his inclusion odd, although the Frankenstein films certainly qualify as sci-fi. The others are not people I associate with the genre and I'd rather not see any of their films for this. Why not just put "Alien," "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings," "The Matrix," and "Harry Potter" as checklist categories? Those stars are not significant genre stars. By and large, that's a really narrow range of directors and stars for this genre. There are so many others that I would choose for such a list that aren't there:

Stars: John Agar, Richard Carlson, Hugh Marlowe, Kerwin Matthews, Charlton Heston, John Carradine, Akira Takarada and all the other Godzilla actors...just off the top of my head, and there's gotta be millions more.

Directors: Roger Corman, Mario Bava, George Pal, Jack Arnold, Val Guest, Ishiro Honda, Kinji Fukasaku, Mamoru Oshii...dozens more.

And these genres are too narrow, too, and leave out lots of major subgenres, e.g. giant insects. Granted, I can probably find anime entries for some of them. But I'm scratching my head on "What if." Give me some examples of that. And how many are there on "immortality"?

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres:
--- Alien invasion -
--- Artificial intelligence -
--- Cyborg -
--- Post-Apocalyptic -
--- Dying Earth -
--- Sword and Sorcery -
--- Cybernetic revolt -
--- Immortality -
--- Parallel universe -
--- Mutants -
--- Superhero -
--- What-If -
--- Spoof -
--- Time travel -
--- Spy-fi -
--- Space Western -
--- Paranormal -


Sorry for so much griping, but I've already created a view list and there's so little on it that would fit any of these checklist categories.

[NoirFan]

Ash Ketchum - Cronenberg hasn't directed a sci-fi/fantasy film since eXistenX, but he has helmed ten such films, and is very much associated with the genre. I'd consider Larry Cohen more horror than sci-fi, though Burton/Gilliam are certainly fantasy-based directors. I like your actor list, and would like to suggest Kenneth Tobey as an additional option. Sigourney Weaver hasn't made any sci-fi films other than the Alien franchise, correct? Since assumedly everyone will be watching at least one Alien film, thus making her an easy checklist choice, I'd suggest replacing her with Agar, Tobey, or Carradine. Also, Giant Insect should definitely be a subgenre choice!

[takingchase]

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum

To be frank, I don't like the checklist at all.

These are deal-killers for me:

Originally Posted by Mister Peepers

Don't worry, I'm going to change the actors in the checklist so you'll all have new people to complain about

[Mister Peepers]

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum

To be frank, I don't like the checklist at all.

These are deal-killers for me:

Watch a film directed by David Cronenberg -
--- Watch a film directed by Larry Cohen -
--- Watch a film directed by Tim Burton -
--- Watch a film directed by Terry Gilliam -
--- Watch a film directed by Charles Band -
---

Watch a film starring:
--- Sigourney Weaver -
--- Harrison Ford -
--- Peter Cushing
--- Boris Karloff
--- Arnold Schwarzenegger -
--- Elijah Wood -
--- Drew Barrymore -
--- Daniel Radcliffe -
--- Keanu Reeves -
--- Patrick Stewart -

Peter Cushing I get, because he made many sci-fi films in addition to his horror films. Boris Karloff is more associated with horror than sci-fi, so I find his inclusion odd, although the Frankenstein films certainly qualify as sci-fi. The others are not people I associate with the genre and I'd rather not see any of their films for this. Why not just put "Alien," "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings," "The Matrix," and "Harry Potter" as checklist categories? Those stars are not significant genre stars. By and large, that's a really narrow range of directors and stars for this genre. There are so many others that I would choose for such a list that aren't there:

Stars: John Agar, Richard Carlson, Hugh Marlowe, Kerwin Matthews, Charlton Heston, John Carradine, Akira Takarada and all the other Godzilla actors...just off the top of my head, and there's gotta be millions more.

Directors: Roger Corman, Mario Bava, George Pal, Jack Arnold, Val Guest, Ishiro Honda, Kinji Fukasaku, Mamoru Oshii...dozens more.

And these genres are too narrow, too, and leave out lots of major subgenres, e.g. giant insects. Granted, I can probably find anime entries for some of them. But I'm scratching my head on "What if." Give me some examples of that. And how many are there on "immortality"?

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres:
--- Alien invasion -
--- Artificial intelligence -
--- Cyborg -
--- Post-Apocalyptic -
--- Dying Earth -
--- Sword and Sorcery -
--- Cybernetic revolt -
--- Immortality -
--- Parallel universe -
--- Mutants -
--- Superhero -
--- What-If -
--- Spoof -
--- Time travel -
--- Spy-fi -
--- Space Western -
--- Paranormal -


Sorry for so much griping, but I've already created a view list and there's so little on it that would fit any of these checklist categories.

I included directors to the change list as well. I'm open to choices of actors/directors/subgenres. I had some of the actors and directors you suggested in previous challenges but I've been changing them each year to mix things up.

I'll get some examples of the ones you asked about and will gladly take suggestions for actors/directors/subgenres. The checklist isn't final yet.

[SterlingBen]

Friday the 13th The Series viable fantasy?

[Mister Peepers]

Originally Posted by SterlingBen

Friday the 13th The Series viable fantasy?

It should be fine since it's similar to Outer Limits and Twilight Zone.

[coyoteblue]

- Immortality (two off the top of my head)
Highlander
The Finale Programme

Actor suggestions:
Malcolm McDowell
John Saxon
Richard Carlson
Janet Munro

[davidh777]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Sigourney Weaver hasn't made any sci-fi films other than the Alien franchise, correct?

Galaxy Quest and Avatar. Plus I guess she did voice work in Wall E, and throw in Enchanted for fantasy.

[MinLShaw]

Originally Posted by coyoteblue

- Immortality (two off the top of my head)
Highlander

Incidentally, this is now available for streaming from Netflix. It's on my massive I Should Have Already Seen This list, and I'm looking forward to finally getting to it next month!

[SterlingBen]

Originally Posted by Mister Peepers

It should be fine since it's similar to Outer Limits and Twilight Zone.

Also Tales From The Darkside or is that too much into the horror genre?

On the checklist: I would dump Burton and combine the NC-17 and X rating into one check.

[Gobear]

Originally Posted by coyoteblue

-

Actor suggestions:
Malcolm McDowell
John Saxon
Richard Carlson
Janet Munro

Seconded and I would also add

John Agar
Edward Judd
John Hoyt
Mara Corday


I would dump the "Takes place on a holiday" category because there just aren't many SF titles that take place on holidays other than Christmas. That works fine for the Horror Challenge, but not so well for this one.

Also "Post-Apocalyptic" and "Dying Earth" seem to have too much overlap--e.g., The Road, The Quiet Earth, and so on. I would replace one of them with "Mad Scientist" or "Dystopian Societies".

"What if" is too broad--ALL of SF is predicated on a "what-if?" concept. I would swap that out with "Giant Critters", which allows more than insects, like the giant octopus in It Came From Beneath the Sea or the dinosaur in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. Or perhaps you could add a kaiju subgenre as well.

I would also suggest a category for science fiction films that take place underneath the Earth, like Crack in the World, Battle Beneath the Earth and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

[davidh777]

Wuxia could be a possiblity as well, to tip it a bit more toward fantasy

EDIT: Though online sources don't seem to play up the fantasy element as much as I thought they would. I always took it to mean the Crouching Tiger-type whirling, mid-air swordfights.

[coyoteblue]

Originally Posted by davidh777

Wuxia could be a possiblity as well, to tip it a bit more toward fantasy

EDIT: Though online sources don't seem to play up the fantasy element as much as I thought they would. I always took it to mean the Crouching Tiger-type whirling, mid-air swordfights.

There's plenty of wuxia/martial arts fantasy that would qualify.

Wuxia:
The Web of Death
The Holy Flame of the Martial World
Buddha's Palm
The Bastard Swordsman I & II
Kung Fu Cult Master
Heaven and Hell
Chinese Ghost Story I-III
The Brave Archer

Martial Arts:
The Miracle Fighters
Kung Fu vs Acrobatic
Operation Pink Squad 2 (Thunder Cops) - (action rather than martial arts)
Taoism Drunkard
The Super Inframan

There's plenty of others I haven't listed.