Totally understand your points there neighbor, but you're sort of missing the whole point of a checklist.

Yes, the main underlying point of the whole Challenge is to have fun, and even the checklist is pretty much fun for the most part. But the main emphasis of the checklist is on the "challenge" part of Challenges. It's supposed to be difficult. It's supposed to make you cringe and watch things that you don't want to watch. It's supposed to be finished by only the select few crazy enough to follow it. No, its not all bad, it is somewhat meant for all to be a guideline and a challenge to work up towards, but very few actually finish it.

Yes, it's perfectly fine to do only the parts you want, and to watch whatever you want, but their should be some order to it, a standard that isn't randomly changed by each of us. We can't have dogs and cats living together now can we?

I'm typing on an uncomfortable keyboard, and just rushing these thoughts out. I'm not at all attacking you or trying to discourage anyone from anything fun. I'm just trying to give some history to the checklists here. They aren't meant to be changed, or to be all that easy. Go for the pain! If any of these words upsets anyone, then I'm writing it wrong. Hopefully at least a couple of you will get what I'm trying to say.

Mass hysteria!

There is two more films in the categories of film and at least 2 sequels and 1 more in the category of film and its remake.

I can definitely see where doing the checklist could be restrictive but I love the challenge of finding a movie that I have access to for each category. Even if I can do that I'll have trouble watching that much in one month but it will be fun trying.

Completely agreed on this. Chances are I won't complete the checklist, but will feel a sense of accomplishment for every great movie I watch that will fit on the list.

And maybe some bad ones too...

The Day The Earth Stood Still for film and remake?

And the changing the checklist thing wasn't all directed at you(edit: I've confused you with someone else. Ignore me ), I just didn't want everyone to start changing it and then complain they lost an entry or something. I originally had the fellow you replaced Mr. Potter with but since I added fantasy to this challenge, I had to throw some of those people in too.

So after my first day, I've managed to watch Avatar. Not bad but not as amazing as the people that got depressed Pandora isn't real, made it out to be. I'm also chugging away at Stalker. Not really digging it. Couldn't get into it so it's one of those 2.5 hour films you end up forcing yourself through.

I'm torn between The Day The Earth Stood Still and King Kong. I can get the original King Kong off of TCM HD and I have the second remake of King Kong on HD (assuming it would work as a wild card). Of course, they would work for the Horror Challenge in October and The Day The Earth Stood Still would not so I will probably end up going in that direction.

why would you make the King Kong remake as a wild card it's a 'fantasy'/adventure film, and would be perfectly acceptable in my mnid.

So I am off to a rip-roaring start. Was able to finish Big Trouble in Little China and The Princess Bride. Figured I would start with movies that I've seen already and know I liked. Only about 80 more movies to go right? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?????

As an aside, I just rewatched Errol Flynn and The Adventures of Robin Hood and I just can't help but wonder how freaking kick-ass Cary Elwes would have been if he could have gotten a turn to play a "real" Robin Hood and not a parody of one. While Men in Tights was great, imagine Cary in a trilogy of Robin Hood films... if only...

And for BTiLC what can I say but to quote Ol' Jack: What the hell? This movie is a trip every time I watch it.

I deleted the checklist entirely. I just want to enjoy watching and discussing science fiction movies and not feel compelled to waste what little time I have left watching crap I don't like.

Not an easy film. Try it again in a few years; I find that it is a new experience each time I watch it. If you haven't already, try Tarkovsky's Solaris, which is a little more accessible.

I thought about doing the checklist, but I started to think along the same lines as you.

I know lots of members here enjoy going through the checklist. I definitely want to use this opportunity to watch films in my backlog or revisit films I haven't seen in a long time.

With that said, Event Horizon was still as much fun as I remember.

Started things off right by rewatching Star Trek XI for the first time since I saw it in theaters!

But have you watched it yet w/ the John Boorman commentary track? Remember, commentaries count.

I should also point out, for those doing the checklist who want an alternative to the Highlander series, that Zardoz takes care of your "Immortality". Not to mention the beautiful cinematography is done by Geoffrey Unsworth, who did 2001: A Space Odyssey several years prior. And Zardoz has more screen time for Sean Connery (and bare-breasted Irish girls).

So, just curious Trevor, if you had to choose between Zardoz and Highlander 2: The Quickening for "Immortality"...?

I mentioned this over in the Historical Challenge, but if you participated and you watch a "Historical" SF film on the bonus day July 4th, you can count it on the History Challenge. These would include Time Travel movies where the characters go back into the past, even Bill and Ted. Heck, Ill even count "SF movies that take place in a future that has already passed" (like 2001 or Death Race 2000).

Off to a good start... and getting pissed that my family vacation falls in the middle of this. I'll have to plan better next year.

I decided to start my way through Smallville (a series I haven't seen) and pick up Lost again (I got sidetracked at the beginning of season 3.)

Also watched Next, which had some huge plot holes, but was pretty entertaining.

As for Stalker, I love the movie. When I reviewed the two-disc edition (with the movie split between the discs) Started the first disc at 11 pm and figured I'd watch the 2nd half the next evening. Though it was my third time watching the film, I screened the whole thing that night. I just love the atmosphere. It is very slow paced, but I like that sometimes.

Have you been taking a look at my unwatched pile? I just watched Next yesterday and Lost and Smallville should be on tap before the month is out.

I absolutely agree that it would be acceptable but it is not listed as fantasy in the IMDB and I usually use it to help me qualify movies. My idea of what genre a film fits in doesn't always agree with what other people think, although I believe that King Kong is rather obvious.

Pardon my ignorance, but I wanted to clarify something... the rules state that Sci-Fi/Fantasy documentaries are not allowed, but not DVD featurettes/interviews. Does this imply that a feature length-documentary on the making of a sci-fi/fantasy film (say, the lengthy docs on "Alien" or "Blade Runner") would qualify but shorter featurettes/interviews are not eligible, or does this mean that no "making-of" DVD extras of any sort qualify??

I'm not speaking for anyone but myself, but I'm not counting any special features towards the challenge with the exception of commentary tracks.

Not sure about the longer docus you mention, but the shorter ones shouldn't count IMO. I don't think a 23-minute "it was an honor to work with everyone involved with this project" EPK featurette has much substance and doesn't really add to your understanding of the film or SF in general. Just my $0.02 worth.

Iirc, only feature-length documentaries count. Ones that have an IMDB entry, so were probably also released/shown on TV.

This. By documentaries, I was leaning more toward Bigfoot/UFO/Loch Ness Monster/Ghosts. If someone wanted to watch one about a sci-fi/fantasy movie, it'd need to be feature length.

Movie featurettes/interviews aren't usually anything more than promo pieces.

Thanks for the responses. I'll just stick to audio commentaries and leave the rest of the supplements alone in terms of listing stuff.

Since we are are talking documentaries, I had planned on watching "Don't Crash: The Making of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" documentary from the R2 DVD release. It's disc 2 and is 68 minutes.

Yay or Nay?

or Neigh?

^


seriousily though it's just over an hour - I'd count it.

I've got next to nothing going on outside the house until August so I'm planning on killing this challenge.