While I agree that Hancock should clearly be sci-fi, opening things up to exceptions is a slippery slope.

Personally, I'd consider almost none of the various Batman incarnations as sci-fi.

I honestly can't believe people are so in favor of watching a movie multiple times with guys talking over the movie instead of its real soundtrack and other DVD extras yet are so protective of the titles other people are watching. There's something not quite right here. Yeah, if someone is trying to shoehorn in Ghost World just because it's a comic book, sure. We're talking movies that have enough of a SF element that a reasonable argument can be made. Horror relates to the tone of a film. Sci Fi is actually more expansive and not necessarily the focus of the film.

So...are we changing the rules now to what SHOULD be labled sci-fi?
I dont really care myself since I plan on watching Batman Begins and The Dark Knight this week but I really would not put them in Sci-fi category. I can see the tv series being labled as sci-fi but not the Burton or Nolan Batman films. Same with Hancock. If "The Specials" isnt labled as Sci-fi "Hancock" should not be labled sci-fi.

I thought the same thing when I watched this last night - the humour is sooo goofy, it has a certain charm

I fail to see how slightly expanding the range of actual films when the authority sites are incorrect hurts the challenge or those participating in it.

I'm not sure who you're replying to, but I think I was the only one with a comment slightly against more inconclusiveness.

I agree that IMDB is not perfect, but I was just pointing out that not having set rules leads to possible strife.

Also, to comment once again on your italicized text, I agree with you, but remember that this is not a sci-fi film challenge. It is a sci-fi content challenge judging by the rules.

I think it'll be easier for all of us if we just stay with the imdb and allmovie rule.

If anyone has any problems with genre listings at either site, they can start an online petition against the site.

Yeah, we have to stay with imdb. But I do always enjoy online discussions of what counts as Sci-Fi. It almost always boils down to people claiming that only good movies qualify.

Heads up. MST3K the Movie is on HBO-HD tomorrow and Friday.

and of course I had to go up and cancel HBO cause it's gotten too damn expensive - shit!

also how are we defining 'documentary' film again - in the sci-fi subgenre list, can I apply say 'Apollo 13' since it's neither a fictional or really "sci-fi"

Lots of documentaries should show up at either of the two movie sites and Apollo 13 isn't sci-fi on either site, so I'd say no.

so what films WOULD be considered documentary, give me a suggestion, I'm a tad confused.

Something like this

While we're asking for suggestions, can someone provide an example of a film in the spy-fi subgenre?

Wikipedia has a list , but a lot of them don't strike me as especially sci-fi.

I assume Renaissance would qualify as "spy-fi" - right?

Mister Peepers - I know both you and I are stats fiends. After the completion of the challenge, it might be interesting to have a top 5 movies and/or TV shows watched from all the participants. I would be willing to help compile the stats if you like.

Cool. I had fulfilled the spy-fi requirement without even realizing it.

Perusing the Spy-Fi list, they list Austin Powers. How do the Austin Powers films not count as Sci-Fi? Their plots revolve around time machines, space ships, cryogenic suspension, cloning, sharks with frikkin' lasers, etc. That alone proves IMDB cannot be an absolute reference. I renew my objection to that rule. IMDB is a reference, not an arbiter.

Good point. Only God can be the final arbiter. If only we had a god in this thread....





(Just teasing obviously, I think I agree that the (incredibly lame) Austin Powers movies should count for this challenge.)

Seriously, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably sci-fi. All the participants know what science fiction is. Unless a film is way out of line, no one should really be able to object to a title.

We can try it for the last half of the challenge, unless everything blows up.

As long as the movie or show is obviously sci-fi, list it. Even if it's not listed as such at the 2 movie sites.

If anyone has a problem with something someone watches or just wants an opinion on if it's sci-fi or not, list the title here and I'll shoot it with laser or let it live.

Sure. If you want to make a list of stuff on page 1 after the challenge and I'll do the rest, that'll help. Just remove any dates or numbers from the beginning of the title and one entry per line(which also means each tv show on it's own line, so we'd need to break those up) and PM me the list or post it here.

After that I just run it through a script that alphabetizes lists and count the stuff.

You rang?

I have to say I watched 'Empire of the Ants' this morning - and it's a hoot, while the expository establishing character dialogue/intros are painful, the fun begins when the ants appear and enact their carnage - it's suprisingly violent for a PG rating. And apparently it's set for a remake in 2010 according to imdb - in the right hands this could a vicious wild remake - paging Paul Verhoeven. (ack I'm scratching)

yesterday's viewing of 'Santa Clause Conquers the Martians' rightfully deserved the MSTK3000 treatment - I don't think I could have stomached it any other way (a large glass of coke and rum also helped - I couldn't get too sloshy drunk because I was going out to see 'The Lion King' over at the Kennedy Center).

'Alien Vs Predator: Requiem' - ugh - there many problems with the film, but the worse was too many badly edited/lit action scenes - you could barely tell what the hell was going on - great LOUD 5.1 soundmix and one victim getting slammed impaled on the wall (woohoo!) - but other than that... next!

Alien 3 - even though I watched the theatrical version (in High Def no less), not the faux director's cut, I was caught up with how intricate the soundmix was, this was one of the few CDS (Kodak's Cinema Digital Sound soundmix) releases and interlaced with a beautiful music score - I noticed many things I had never really noticed before.

From the discussions so far, I'd vote for allowing Hancock and the Austin Powers movies.

Also, how about a ruling on MST3K films? Do they all count, because of the "sci-fi" premise and host segments, or are they only sci-fi if the lampooned movie is sci-fi?