Wow, when I said I had sci-fi backlog, I wasn't even thinking of the load of new and old Who I have (Torchwood too). Last year I was thinking of trying one of those stand-alone specials (Planet of the Dead, maybe) as a trial balloon and might work it into this challenge. Have watched none of the new Who but expect I'd like it.

I'm all kinds of excited for this. Starting to plan out my renting/recording activities for the challenge. There are a bunch of scifi shows starting up this month and next, so my DVR's quite thankful that those shows can be included!

Going to try to fit in as many of my unwatched titles as possible. And I'm trying to limit my rentals to mostly new (to me) titles, for the checklist.

Can't wait!

Some of the things I want to watch for this challenge are the various straight-to-video animated films based on Marvel and DC comics. I watched JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER and BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD for the August Animation Challenge last year and I've seen BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT, but I have quite a few others I haven't watched yet, including ULTIMATE AVENGERS, DR. STRANGE, IRON MAN, WONDER WOMAN, BATMAN BEYOND: THE RETURN OF THE JOKER, and one or two others. I haven't yet picked up the Green Lantern one and there's a Superman/Batman one I was interested in but I forget the title and never bought it.

I liked JUSTICE LEAGUE very much and BATMAN MASK OF THE PHANTASM, but BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD and BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT much less so. (I forget what my criticisms were.) I also really liked both HALO LEGENDS and THE ANIMATRIX, to mention some stylistically related productions that fit my anime-oriented tastes.

Any recommendations of ones I haven't seen/haven't mentioned?

Thanks.

Man, I loved Under the Red Hood. I was considering watching a lot of these for the sci-fi challenge also but I think I'll hold off till Animation in August.

As for suggestions, I've heard Allstar Superman is really good.

I think I watched JL: Crisis on Two Earths for the animation challenge last year--pretty good. Superman/Batman Apocalypse was OK.

I plan to catch up on a huge pile of unwatched comic book animation, but can't decide if I'll do it in July or August. Heck, it might take longer than both months at my current viewing pace.

I can also recommend JL: Crisis on Two Earths as I own the DVD, can't decide if I want to watch it for the sci fi challenge or the Animation Challenge. And while IMDB doesn't list it as sci fi or fantasy, it does have an alien monster, there is also Superman: Doomsday which isn't too bad.

Best Buy had some superhero animated films at discount prices last night, so I picked up GREEN LANTERN FIRST FLIGHT, SUPERMAN DOOMSDAY and SUPERMAN/BATMAN PUBLIC ENEMIES. Definitely want to get JL: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS.

Need to watch BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD again. I don't remember what my issue with it was.

I prefer 2-D animation anyway. I just wish they designed these things for theatrical release (i.e., spent a little more money and made them longer than 75 min. or so). I saw THE ANIMATRIX at its one public screening (on film!) in New York and it was magnificent. It should have gotten a theatrical release.

I saw that Target has some DC animated triple feature. It was The Flash, Superman and something else.

I'd like to see an animated version of Marvel Civil War.

So how would motion comics fare for this challenge? Would they be allowed? I saw that netflix has a bunch of them.

1.5 hours for one full entry, as long as they fit into the genres.

Full Moon and Hamilton Books are both donating prizes for this challenge and the Animation challenge(you'll have to wait to find out what that is). I haven't worked out what they'll be from Hamilton but Full Moon is a deck of Haunted Casinos cards, and a set of Haunted Casinos shot glasses.

http://www.fullmoondirect.com/Haunted-Casinos_c_47.html

I don't use shot glasses, but those are some very nice designs.

I'm working on my list of movies to watch and I could use help with 3 categories. First and second, what does High Fantasy and Urban Fantasy mean and does anyone have a list of movies that would qualify for them? Also, I always have trouble with the X/NC-17 list, does anyone have a list of movies that would qualify for them? Thanks for your help.

I am going to take it that since no one objected to Tales From The Darkside that I am good to go on that one. Also Jericho too much of a stretch?

Jericho has a solid sci-fi premise (post-nuke USA), so it is definitely in. I've used The Day After in past challenges, so [b]Jericho should be included, too.

This challenge needs to start soon; my DVR is positively bulging with sci-fi titles I've accumulated over the past month.

^ Jericho was a fun ride. I caught it on DVD well after it had been cancelled, and while I can't really explain why I liked it so much, it was one of those series that I didn't want to stop watching and didn't want to end.

High fantasy takes place in a separate, non-real world like LOTR and unlike Big Trouble in Little China.

There's some descriptions of those a few pages back, or so. High Fantasy would be stuff like Dungeons and Dragons, where everything's pretty much fantasy. ^^^what he said

Urban is contemporary, so think about a modern day movie where some element of fantasy is there. Harry Potter would work. It's modern day with a bunch of wizards and witches.

As long as the episode from Tales of the Darkside fits, it should be fine. Most of them are of a sci-fi/fantasy nature, I believe.

There's already been discussion on comic book movies, but what about documentaries on comic books? I ask because yesterday I picked up Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics and wondered if it would be eligible as a sci fi/fantasy documentary.

I wouldn't, since it seems like it's more about the publication of comic books and not so much sci-fi/fantasy related. I think it would be a good choice for a wildcard. It's related to the challenge but not really in the challenge.

More examples of High Fantasy (to get a better feel for it):

Legend
Excalibur
LOTR
Dragonslayer
Ladyhawke
Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Return to OZ
Wizard of Oz
Alice in Wonderland
Sword of the Valiant
Jack the Giant Killer
The Magic Sword

So, list thread?

I know that this is an obsessive type question, but just what do we mean by film starring a certain actor. I remember a discussion last year for the Horror Challenge where the actor had to be one of the primary stars in the movie. Based on that I try to get movies where the actor is listed first but that dramatically reduces the choices of which movies to watch. So what are we thinking here, primary star, has a role in the movie or something else?

Today or tomorrow.

Doesn't matter to me. It can even be as small as an uncredited role. Sometimes it's fun to watch a film starring someone that later became famous in roles where they aren't the star yet.

You mean, like Clint Eastwood as the lab assistant in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) and the fighter pilot in TARANTULA (1955)?

Or future TV stars James Arness, Fess Parker and Leonard Nimoy in THEM! (1954).

Or Lee Van Cleef as the sharpshooter recruited for a special operation in THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953).

Or Adam West as the ill-fated co-pilot in ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (1964) just a year before "Batman."