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Old 06-13-21, 12:02 AM
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14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Guess what time of the year it is! That's right, it's the 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge!

List Thread for 2021 will be HERE.

Dates: Dusk June 30-Dawn August 1st

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. Documentaries include UFO and alien abduction type shows.

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

Use any counting method you prefer, as prize determination does not depend on number of items watched.

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.

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.

Audio:

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.

*Exceptions:*
1: The Tarzan films are eligible to watch and count for the watch list, but not for the check list.
2. Superhero films. If they do not have a sci-fi/fantasy tag, they count for the watch list, but not for the check list.

2020's Finalized Checklist:
Spoiler:
*Watching enough shorts or TV to count as one entry, you can use that one entry as a check on the checklist, as long as each of them count for whatever you're checking. You can mix and match what you've seen to make a check, they all don't have to be grouped together as a single entry on your watch list.

3 Wildcards allowed

--- Watch a film in 9 of the following decades:
--- 1890/1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
--- 1980 -
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 -
--- 2010 -
--- 2020 -

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

--- Watch a film in 9 of the following:
--- Watch a MST3K/Rifftrax/Cinematic Titanic/Hosted version of a sci-fi/fantasy film -
--- Watch a film made on a low budget (ex. Corman or Castle movie) -
--- Watch a film based on a novel -
--- Watch a film which was nominated for a Hugo or Saturn Award-
--- Watch a Documentary Feature (at least 40 minutes long) -
--- Watch a Film from the Criterion Collection (Doesn't have to be the Criterion Version) -
--- Watch a film with commentary -
--- Watch a film and at least two sequels -
--- Watch an animated film -
--- Watch a film with special effects by Ray Harryhausen -
--- Watch a film that takes place in the "future" but the year has already come and gone -
--- Watch a film and its remake/reboot -
--- Watch a film about a LGBTQ+ person/topic or about POC/other minority groups -

--- He's dead, Jim. Watch 4 out of the following:
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Ned Beatty -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Helen McCrory -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Cloris Leachman -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Sean Connery -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Christopher Plummer -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late David Prowse -

--- Thank the Maker. Watch 4 out of the following:
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Gene Roddenberry -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late C.S. Lewis -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late J.R.R. Tolkien -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Jules Verne
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late H.G. Wells -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Stan Lee -

--- Watch 10 films directed/produced/written by:
--- J. J. Abrams -
--- Luc Besson -
--- Tim Burton -
--- Roger Corman -
--- Richard Fleischer -
--- Ron Howard -
--- Peter Jackson -
--- Alice Guy -
--- Fritz Lang -
--- George Lucas -
--- George Melies -
--- Hayao Miyazaki -
--- M. Night Shyamalan -
--- Stephen Sommers -
--- Steven Spielberg -
--- Guilermo del Toro -
--- The Wachowskis -
--- Robert Zemeckis

--- Watch a film in 4 of these ratings:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA)/Approved -
--- G-
--- PG/GP/M-
--- PG-13 -
--- R -
--- NC-17/X (not porn!)/Unrated -

--- Watch a film in 6 of the following sub-genres:
--- Action/Adventure -
--- Animation -
--- Comedy -
--- Crime/Film Noir/Mystery/Thriller -
--- Drama -
--- Family -
--- History/War/Western -
--- Horror -
--- Music/Musical -
--- Romance -

--- Watch a film in the following 12 sub-genres:
--- Alien invasion -
--- Alternate History -
--- Based on fairy tale -
--- Christmas in July -
--- Comic Book -
--- Disaster -
--- Dystopian Society -
--- High Fantasy -
--- Immortality -
--- Kaiju -
--- Mad Scientist -
--- Mythology (Can be anybody's mythology) -
--- Paranormal -
--- Post-Apocalyptic -
--- Prehistoric -
--- Robot/Android -
--- Space Themed -
--- Superhero Themed -
--- Sword and Sorcery -
--- Time travel -

Not sure what qualifies? Check here for a description or even better: here.

--- Watch 6 of the following IMDB.com Title Types:
--- Feature Film -
--- TV Movie -
--- TV Series -
--- TV Episode -
--- TV Special/TV Short -
--- Mini-Series -
--- Documentary (any length) -
--- Video Game -
--- Short Film -
--- Direct to Video -

--- Watch a film starring 15 of the following actors:
--- Helena Bonham Carter -
--- Benedict Cumberbatch -
--- Luke Evans -
--- William Fichtner -
--- Harrison Ford -
--- Morgan Freeman -
--- John Goodman -
--- Jake Gyllenhaal -
--- Chris Hemsworth -
--- Michael Ironsides -
--- Samuel L. Jackson -
--- Scarlett Johansson -
--- Dwayne Johnson -
--- Boris Karloff -
--- Gugu Mbatha-Raw -
--- Sir Ian McKellen -
--- Chris Pine -
--- Natalie Portman -
--- Chris Pratt -
--- Vincent Price -
--- Geoffrey Rush -
--- Ryan Reynolds -
--- Arnold Schwarzenegger -
--- Andy Serkis -
--- Will Smith -
--- Evan Rachel Wood -






2020's Discussion thread here.

Suggestions for next year, 2022:
Spoiler:
Add mystery/crime to watch sub-genres list
Add Stephen King to the writers list.
Remove Alice Guy from produce/director list.

Last edited by LJG765; 08-10-21 at 01:11 AM.
Old 06-13-21, 12:08 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Please take a look at the suggestions for the checklist from last year! I plan on finalizing the checklist on Sunday, June 20th.

My plan is to make sure the checklist is finalized well before the end of the month, not only to help those who are still planning their lists (I know some of you already have been working on them as well!) but to give me a bit of leeway for the start of the challenge. I will be checking in at least once a day as I will be traveling the last week of June and the first week of July and would like to get things finalized before I leave.

I also would love suggestions for the "He's Dead, Jim" section!

Suggestions:Par down the sub-genre list. Maybe pull out and make own section (Romance, Action/Adventure, Horror, ect)... Add Mythology to sub-genre list. See how the new time travel to the past that hasn't come yet did over the 2020 challenge.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds to actors' list, Michael Ironsides. Luke Evans

Remove (maybe) Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

Add: DTV and Made-for-TV movies, Food based movies. "Watch a TV mini-series or a complete season"

Remove director Francis Lawrence

Add to directors: Peter Jackson, Guilermo del Toro. Need more work on directors-maybe drop # required, need new names. Antonio Margheriti, Sam Katzman, and Globus & Golan, Alice Guy-Blaché. Maybe switch to "Watch 3 films by female directors, watch 3 films by male directors, watch 3 films by a POC director?" Roger Corman, Terrence Fisher, Freddie Francis,
Robert Stevenson, Robert Zemeckis has roughly 24 Sci-Fi/Fantasy credits. Robert Rodriguez has roughly 16 credits. Roland Emmerich has roughly 12 credits. Bryan Singer has roughly 10 credits but the vast majority are for the X-Men franchise. Christopher Nolan has roughly 8 credits and they are mostly for the DC movies. Alex Garland has roughly 7 credits and Duncan Jones has roughly 4 credits.

Suggestion: a core group of, say, ten "gimmes" and then another group of twenty "deeper cuts" from which half gets rotated in and out of the checklist. Gimmes I'd suggest:
  1. Harrison Ford
  2. Samuel L. Jackson
  3. Christopher Lee
  4. Ian McKellan
  5. Vincent Price
  6. Zoe Saldana
  7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
  8. Will Smith
  9. Akira Takarada
  10. Sigourney Weaver
In the rotating pool, I'd suggest including Michael Ironside in one group and David Warner in the other. Neither is an obvious gimme, but they each have more than a hundred eligible credits on IMDb so participants may well stumble across either without actively seeking them. I'd also suggest splitting Peter Cushing and Boris Karloff. suggest removing Gene Roddenberry, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stan Lee, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells from "He's Dead, Jim" since they've each been dead for quite some time. Maybe create a "Thank the Maker" section for them since more stuff is based on things they created than things they personally wrote or directed? I'd shift George Lucas from Director to that pool and add Philip K. Dick.

Discuss removing NC-17/X/GP/M ratings, removing 1890s, 2020 decade until there are more years.

taken from alyxstarr's checklist:
Cover all the title types on IMDb:
-X- Feature Film -
-X- TV Movie -
-X- TV Series -
-X- TV Episode -
-X- TV Special -
-X- Mini-Series -
-X- Documentary -
-X- Video Game -
-X- Short Film -
-X- Video -
-X- TV Short -
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Old 06-13-21, 07:27 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I'm in favor of all the new proposals. Rather than remove the 1890's, I'd be fine with consolidating it with the 1900's. I thought about also consolidating the 2020's with the 2010's until we're a bit further into this decade but honestly, I'm not even sure they're making any movies anymore that aren't sci-fi/fantasy. It's absurdly easy to already cover this decade. I don't think we'd really gain anything by withholding it. Other thoughts:

Ratings
  • Honestly, I'm not a fan of this section altogether and I'd be in favor of nixing it. But if we are to keep it, it can be reasonably streamlined.
  • Change "Unrated (pre-MPAA)" to Pre-Code. Possibly consolidate with "Approved" since those are dead eras with finite pools of movies that won't grow with the challenge. If so, then rename to just "Pre-CARA" since there were also films Not Approved by the Hays Code.
  • Consolidate M, GP, and PG. It's the same rating with the same guidelines. All that changed was the name, because of confusion about what each designation stood for.
  • Consolidate NC-17, X and "Unrated (post-MPAA)." That way if someone is into that realm of content, they still get checklist credit for it. If they're not, the NR/UR padding should provide a good deal of wiggle room to find something more palatable. Also, "post-MPAA" is inaccurate since the MPAA continues existing. Recommend renaming it "Unrated by CARA."
IMDb TV Title Types
  • TV Series suggests to me that you'd have to watch an entire series. I know some participants in any given year's challenge are just gonna gorge on series anyway, but I think "Series" as a check is overkill.
  • Consolidate TV Episode and TV Special. I can't remember if we're still doing the run time conversion formula in this challenge, but if we are then I'd add the qualifier this should be 2 broadcast hours.
  • Consolidate TV Short either with TV Episode/Special or with Short Film. TV Short just seems unnecessarily niche.
  • Documentary - Rather than try to keep up with what's just a DVD bonus feature and what's a doc proper, I'd impose a minimum run time of 40 minutes (the threshold for qualifying as a feature).
Also, definitely remove "Watch a film that takes place in the 'past' but the year has not yet come." That one was considerably more limited than I realized when I pitched it last year.

Propose adding LGBTQ+ Writer and/or Director.
Old 06-13-21, 08:01 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Suggestions for director: M. Night Shyamalan (8)
Suggestions for actors/actresses:
John Goodman (20+)
Natalie Portman (15)
Robert Pattinson (14)
Michael Rooker (12)
Rose Byrne (10)
Megan Fox (8)

Most of the other suggestions look good. We should definitely look at other actors/actresses to add and shake up the director list somehow (although I don't really have any good suggestions for that).

Whatever you decide will be good with me. I'm glad you are looking to finish by the 20th. That gives us lots of time to finalize our lists.


Old 06-13-21, 08:10 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I forgot to mention that your "Thank the Maker" idea and the idea to freshen up the He's Dead, Jim idea is really good. Maybe we could put in actors/actresses/directors that died last year and this year. That would change it every time. Your additional directors or 3 different male directors/3 different female directors and 3 different POC directors could also fly. Another idea is to just put in watch a film by a female director as they are still hard to find (at least for me). I'll shut up now and check out other peoples suggestions.
Old 06-14-21, 12:32 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by orlmac
I forgot to mention that your "Thank the Maker" idea and the idea to freshen up the He's Dead, Jim idea is really good. Maybe we could put in actors/actresses/directors that died last year and this year. That would change it every time. Your additional directors or 3 different male directors/3 different female directors and 3 different POC directors could also fly. Another idea is to just put in watch a film by a female director as they are still hard to find (at least for me). I'll shut up now and check out other peoples suggestions.
Ned Beatty passed away yesterday, and he was Otis in the first two Superman movies.

I’ve already started lining up things to watch, including looking for things to put on my DVR. Last night, The Mysterians was on a local channel that airs a hosted B Movie show every Saturday night at midnight.
Old 06-14-21, 01:08 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Actors to suggest:

William Fichtner (37)
Geoffrey Rush (13-Fantasy)
Old 06-15-21, 09:49 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I'm opposed to:

"Maybe switch to "Watch 3 films by female directors, watch 3 films by male directors, watch 3 films by a POC director?" and Propose adding LGBTQ+ Writer and/or Director."

I couldn't care less what race, sex, sexual orientation, etc. a director/writer/actor/crew member is. I just want the film to be *good* or at least watchable. None of that has *any* bearing on quality of work.

Last edited by BobO'Link; 06-15-21 at 02:33 PM.
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Old 06-15-21, 11:16 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I wanted to say thank you to all the suggestions so far! I really appreciate them and hope that they keep coming!

BobO'Link: I have to admit, I don't personally object to adding diversity to the check list. It could help get people out of their comfort zones, that being said, I don't know that I would want to add this category to the directors list. It's already a tough one since there aren't a ton of directors who have worked enough in Sci-Fi/Fantasy that we can really even rotate them as it is without narrowing the field down even further.

That being said, I do like adding a check for diversity, so instead of specifically having men/women/POC/LGBTQ+ directors, we'd have something more like, "Watch a film by or about the LGBTQ+ or other minority groups." I'd put it into "Watch 9 of the following" category, so if someone wanted to skip it, they easily could.

Thoughts? Do people want me to move it into the director category instead? I'm just thinking it might be more accessible if we open it up beyond just writer or director.

Orlmac: I usually do change up the memorial section every year. I just haven't kept track very well this year on who's passed and it can definitely include actors/actresses/directors/other film crew.

Travis: I'm not a huge fan of the finite ratings options either. I don't want to get rid of them per se, but I agree combining them seems to be the way to go. I think combining those TV ratings/options seems doable too.

Thanks again for the suggestions!
Old 06-16-21, 03:23 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by LJG765

I do like adding a check for diversity, so instead of specifically having men/women/POC/LGBTQ+ directors, we'd have something more like, "Watch a film by or about the LGBTQ+ or other minority groups." I'd put it into "Watch 9 of the following" category, so if someone wanted to skip it, they easily could.
I like this idea, It opens up the options to make it easier to find movies that fit it.

Since I have been trying to find choices for the director and actors field that have been in Science Fiction/Fantasy movies I have a much greater respect for what you do. It is easy to find people in these categories with TV shows but very hard to find a good number of movies by individuals (unless they are featured in some sort of series of movies). Maybe you could find a good website and say watch four people from this website that features Science Fiction actors/actresses that have died. Many of those people will only have a few choices but maybe there will be 50+ people listed. I found some interesting websites such as https://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/science-fiction/. The down side is many of those listed is they only have a few movies but when you have 82 to choose from we should be able to find some good movies. Having a "watch one TV season" is also looking like a good idea to me. If it is a choice somewhere those not interested in TV shows can just skip it, and there are enough short TV seasons out there that it doesn't have to fill up all the time people have for the challenge.

Having made enough suggestions I am glad that I don't have to come up with a final result and I appreciate that you do not want to just cut and paste what was done last year. This is difficult to do and I support whatevver decisions you come up with!
Old 06-18-21, 04:40 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I wouldn't think in this, of all challenges, where half the participants annually just re-watch Star Trek of all things, that it would need to be spelled out why the demographics of a storyteller are, in fact, relevant. The checklist's purpose is to get participants to do some exploring of the theme at hand. Stories told by people who are x are often overlooked by audiences. Surely y'all can recognize that what stories a storyteller even sets out to tell, as well as how they want to tell them, are all rooted in their life experiences, which are in turn rooted in things like their gender, race, etc. Telling a story from the outside looking in is inherently different from telling it from within.
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Old 06-18-21, 07:10 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Things I like from the current suggestions:

• Add Mythology to sub-genre list
• Add "Watch a TV mini-series or a complete season”
• Combine older decades (1890-1900) and some ratings (Pre-Code/Approved, GP/M, NC17/X/Unrated)
• Core group of 10 “gimmes" and twenty rotating "deeper cuts"
• "Thank the Maker" section (eg HG Wells, George Lucas)
• Film by or about the LGBTQ+ or other minority groups in the “Watch 9 of the following" category
• Remove "Watch a film that takes place in the 'past' but the year has not yet come."
• Leave the RIP section for those who passed since the last challenge. This is a list I’ve been keeping since November - haven’t gone through the earlier months. Not sure how we’d want to limit these, but here are some to choose from. (I included ones with at least 3 non-duplicate scifi/fantasy credits.)
Cast suggestions:
Johnny Depp (23)
Ewan McGregor (19)
Laurence Fishburne (17)
James Cromwell (16)
Stellan Skarsgård (16)
Jude Law (12)
Evan Rachel Wood (8)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (7)
Naomie Harris (6)

Director Suggestions:
Ron Howard (6)
Stephen Sommers (6)

Other suggestions:
• Remove the laser shot into space item due to limited films

I’m good with whatever gets decided. Looking forward to next month!
Old 06-18-21, 07:18 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Spoiler:
*Watching enough shorts or TV to count as one entry, you can use that one entry as a check on the checklist, as long as each of them count for whatever you're checking. You can mix and match what you've seen to make a check, they all don't have to be grouped together as a single entry on your watch list.

3 Wildcards allowed

--- Watch a film in 9 of the following decades:
--- 1890/1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
--- 1980 -
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 -
--- 2010 -
--- 2020 -

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

--- Watch a film in 9 of the following:
--- Watch a MST3K/Rifftrax/Cinematic Titanic/Hosted version of a sci-fi/fantasy film -
--- Watch a film made on a low budget (ex. Corman or Castle movie) -
--- Watch a film based on a novel -
--- Watch a film which was nominated for a Hugo or Saturn Award-
--- Watch a Documentary Feature (at least 40 minutes long) -
--- Watch a Film from the Criterion Collection (Doesn't have to be the Criterion Version) -
--- Watch a film with commentary -
--- Watch a film and at least two sequels -
--- Watch an animated film -
--- Watch a film with special effects by Ray Harryhausen -
--- Watch a film that takes place in the "future" but the year has already come and gone -
--- Watch a film and its remake/reboot -
--- Watch a film about a LGBTQ+ person/topic or about POC/other minority groups -

--- He's dead, Jim. Watch 4 out of the following:
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Ned Beatty -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Helen McCrory -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Cloris Leachman -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Sean Connery -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Christopher Plummer -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late David Prowse -

--- Thank the Maker. Watch 4 out of the following:
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Gene Roddenberry -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late C.S. Lewis -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late J.R.R. Tolkien -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Jules Verne
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late H.G. Wells -
--- Written by/inspired by/or related in some way to the late Stan Lee -

--- Watch 10 films directed/produced/written by:
--- J. J. Abrams -
--- Luc Besson -
--- Tim Burton -
--- Roger Corman -
--- Richard Fleischer -
--- Ron Howard -
--- Peter Jackson -
--- Alice Guy -
--- Fritz Lang -
--- George Lucas -
--- George Melies -
--- Hayao Miyazaki -
--- M. Night Shyamalan -
--- Stephen Sommers -
--- Steven Spielberg -
--- Guilermo del Toro -
--- The Wachowskis -
--- Robert Zemeckis

--- Watch a film in 4 of these ratings:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA)/Approved -
--- G-
--- PG/GP/M-
--- PG-13 -
--- R -
--- NC-17/X (not porn!)/Unrated -

--- Watch a film in 6 of the following sub-genres:
--- Action/Adventure -
--- Animation -
--- Comedy -
--- Crime/Film Noir/Mystery/Thriller -
--- Drama -
--- Family -
--- History/War/Western -
--- Horror -
--- Music/Musical -
--- Romance -

--- Watch a film in the following 12 sub-genres:
--- Alien invasion -
--- Alternate History -
--- Based on fairy tale -
--- Christmas in July -
--- Comic Book -
--- Disaster -
--- Dystopian Society -
--- High Fantasy -
--- Immortality -
--- Kaiju -
--- Mad Scientist -
--- Mythology (Can be anybody's mythology) -
--- Paranormal -
--- Post-Apocalyptic -
--- Prehistoric -
--- Robot/Android -
--- Space Themed -
--- Superhero Themed -
--- Sword and Sorcery -
--- Time travel -

Not sure what qualifies? Check here for a description or even better: here.

--- Watch 6 of the following IMDB.com Title Types:
--- Feature Film -
--- TV Movie -
--- TV Series -
--- TV Episode -
--- TV Special/TV Short -
--- Mini-Series -
--- Documentary (any length) -
--- Video Game -
--- Short Film -
--- Direct to Video -

--- Watch a film starring 15 of the following actors:
--- Helena Bonham Carter -
--- Benedict Cumberbatch -
--- Luke Evans -
--- William Fichtner -
--- Harrison Ford -
--- Morgan Freeman -
--- John Goodman -
--- Jake Gyllenhaal -
--- Chris Hemsworth -
--- Michael Ironsides -
--- Samuel L. Jackson -
--- Scarlett Johansson -
--- Dwayne Johnson -
--- Boris Karloff -
--- Gugu Mbatha-Raw -
--- Sir Ian McKellen -
--- Chris Pine -
--- Natalie Portman -
--- Chris Pratt -
--- Vincent Price -
--- Geoffrey Rush -
--- Ryan Reynolds -
--- Arnold Schwarzenegger -
--- Andy Serkis -
--- Will Smith -
--- Evan Rachel Wood -




This is the updated 2021 check list. I revamped it fairly hard, so please take a look. I added a few new categories. For one, I added a "thank the maker" section for the names we leave in because they gave us such iconic universes to play in like Star Trek, LotRs, etc. Feel free to suggest any other names to add to this one. I also added a category based on title types from IMDB.com. I did combine some so as to make it a little less bulky. Travis, I know you weren't a fan of the TV Series option, but it's not necessary to watch a full series to complete that part of the list, only 6 checks would let you finish that. If someone is a big completer and wants to try to blackout the list, there are plenty of series out there that are 6 episodes or 12 episodes long, which I feel is pretty accessible. Also, I know documentary is here along with earlier in the list, but the first is a feature, so I put a time required on that at 40 mins, whereas the one in this section could be a short.

From this point on, I think I'm going to keep the "He's Dead, Jim" section purely to those actors/writer/directors/etc who have passed in the last year since our previous challenge. While there have been many deaths this year from Hollywood, I'm not seeing a lot that had a career Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Maybe one or two movies/shows here and there, but not enough to make it accessible to the most number of people.

I updated the years just a smidge. I updated ratings a bit. Please let me know if I combined something I shouldn't have, I did rely on Travis' suggestion for it.

I added an item on diversity to the "watch 9" list towards the beginning. Please give me feedback about wording; I feel like what I have is a bit awkward.

I did switch around the directors, tried to remove some that had been there a while and add a couple new ones in. I also felt our actor list was becoming too long and cut quite a few that have been on there for a while. Please give me feedback on this, did others feel the same way? Did I cut someone that really should stay? Let me know.

Finally, I did break out the sub-genres into 2 parts. I thought it was just more readable this way. Also, the more esoteric sub-genres, I did remove to make it a bit more stream-lined and accessible. I don't want it to be super easy, but there were definitely some genres in there that weren't super great either.

If I don't have objections/changes, this is likely our checklist for this year!

Last edited by LJG765; 06-18-21 at 07:45 PM.
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Old 06-18-21, 07:20 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by tarfrimmer
Things I like from the current suggestions:

• Add Mythology to sub-genre list
• Add "Watch a TV mini-series or a complete season”
• Combine older decades (1890-1900) and some ratings (Pre-Code/Approved, GP/M, NC17/X/Unrated)
• Core group of 10 “gimmes" and twenty rotating "deeper cuts"
• "Thank the Maker" section (eg HG Wells, George Lucas)
• Film by or about the LGBTQ+ or other minority groups in the “Watch 9 of the following" category
• Remove "Watch a film that takes place in the 'past' but the year has not yet come."
• Leave the RIP section for those who passed since the last challenge. This is a list I’ve been keeping since November - haven’t gone through the earlier months. Not sure how we’d want to limit these, but here are some to choose from. (I included ones with at least 3 non-duplicate scifi/fantasy credits.)



Cast suggestions:
Johnny Depp (23)
Ewan McGregor (19)
Laurence Fishburne (17)
James Cromwell (16)
Stellan Skarsgård (16)
Jude Law (12)
Evan Rachel Wood (8)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (7)
Naomie Harris (6)

Director Suggestions:
Ron Howard (6)
Stephen Sommers (6)

Other suggestions:
• Remove the laser shot into space item due to limited films

I’m good with whatever gets decided. Looking forward to next month!
Thanks so much for this! you posted as I was posting. As you can see a lot of your suggestions were implemented! I really appreciate the actors/director suggestions and the people who have passed. I'll take a look in a bit and add those into the revamped check list in the next hour or so!

P.S.: Thanks for the links, it's saving me a lot of time! Also, our minds think alike because I already removed the laser shot into space item for that reason!

Last edited by LJG765; 06-18-21 at 07:28 PM.
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Old 06-18-21, 07:46 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Updated with Tarfrimmer's suggestions, so if you've already taken a look, you might want to double check it. Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions!
Old 06-18-21, 10:18 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Checklist looks good, LJG765.

I've hardly watched any sci-fi since the last challenge. Can't wait!
Old 06-19-21, 03:58 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I get to be the first one to ask a stupid question so I'm going to make it two for two. I'm planning to watch the movie "Awake" on Netflix. I assume it fits in the Unrated category because it is TV-MA, but I can't find where one of the IMDB.com Title Types is. So I am assuming it is a TV-Movie, is that right?
Old 06-19-21, 04:24 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by orlmac
I get to be the first one to ask a stupid question so I'm going to make it two for two. I'm planning to watch the movie "Awake" on Netflix. I assume it fits in the Unrated category because it is TV-MA, but I can't find where one of the IMDB.com Title Types is. So I am assuming it is a TV-Movie, is that right?
It looks like they are considering it a TV Movie since they are rating it using the TV system and movie would be the logical place for it.

I haven't had the question in the past about tracking TV ratings before... As far as I'm aware, I don't think people have been inserting them into the rating list... Am I wrong about that? Do people want me to add TV ratings? So...sure, put it under "unrated."
Old 06-19-21, 08:29 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

The checklist is awesome! I'm excited to do some planning!
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Old 06-19-21, 09:03 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Alright, final night to make comments or concerns known before I finalize the list tomorrow! I'll also make the list thread as well, so people can get started there as well.
Old 06-19-21, 09:34 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

I'm conflicted what to prioritize. Part of me wants to knock out as much of my unlogged pile and streaming watchlists as I can squeeze in. But another part of me kinda just wants to gorge on the Superman movie series box set. I also have the extended TV version of the first movie, and Supergirl (both cuts). In addition to the 1978-1987 films, that box has the original Fleischer & Famous Studio animated shorts, Superman and the Mole Men starring George Reeves, and assorted other things like the Superman 50th Anniversary TV special and the unaired pilot to Superpup. Watching everything, including every commentary, Superman might just take up the whole month. I've still got time to decide, of course, but once discussion threads get going and checklists get finalized, it starts feeling more imminent!
Old 06-19-21, 09:58 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Originally Posted by Travis McClain
I'm conflicted what to prioritize. Part of me wants to knock out as much of my unlogged pile and streaming watchlists as I can squeeze in. But another part of me kinda just wants to gorge on the Superman movie series box set. I also have the extended TV version of the first movie, and Supergirl (both cuts). In addition to the 1978-1987 films, that box has the original Fleischer & Famous Studio animated shorts, Superman and the Mole Men starring George Reeves, and assorted other things like the Superman 50th Anniversary TV special and the unaired pilot to Superpup. Watching everything, including every commentary, Superman might just take up the whole month. I've still got time to decide, of course, but once discussion threads get going and checklists get finalized, it starts feeling more imminent!
If I remember correctly, you have gone through the Superman set at least once before. I know you're a completest, but maybe go back and forth between the set and your unwatched pile? Best of both worlds?

I have to admit to not really prepping. I'm not even sure I'll get some watches in right away since I'll be away from home, but I do have Disney+ and access to many, many movies through Vudu, so do have some options if I have time. I'm liking the revamped checklist myself. I've been wanting to pare down the actors list for a couple years now and while it's still on the larger side, it feels a bit more streamed-lined.
Old 06-20-21, 09:26 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

My plan is to watch the unopened pile. Between movies and TV series I easily have a couple of month's viewing. Choosing will be the hard part.
Old 06-20-21, 11:51 AM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

Without even thinking, I have been burning through a lot of sci-fi options lately. I better stop or I won't have anything left for the challenge... oh who am I kidding, I probably have more sci-fi/fantasy movies and TV than any other genre. I just need to compile my list.
Old 06-20-21, 04:13 PM
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Re: 14th Annual Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge Discussion Thread

There's plenty of new movies (I've been holding back for next month) for me to watch (Netflix, Shudder, Prime,...) not to mention unwatched TV. I don't think I can hold off on the third season of Thunderbolt Fantasy until August, so I'll just watch it for this Challenge. In fact I think I'll scratch my animation itch any time I feel like it. There's plenty of animation that's suitable for this Challenge.


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