View Poll Results: Which is your favorite 50's sci-fi film?
When Worlds Collide




0
0%
Donovan's Brain




0
0%
Tarantula




0
0%
This Island Earth




0
0%
The Mysterians




0
0%
The Fly




0
0%
It! The Terror from Beyond Space




0
0%
Voters: 130. You may not vote on this poll
Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
#77
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
I just checked to see which one I'd voted for and it was THEM! But if I'd voted after seeing INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS last October, I probably would have voted for that. And there are times when I would have voted for GOJIRA.
#78
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I think time has been remarkably kind to it, and I prefer it to the many other adaptations. The emasculating studio-imposed ending excepted, the dark paranoia is still pretty powerful, IMO.
#80
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Which also points up how forgettable the science fiction genre has been in the decades since - or at least, post 1970s. I don't think it would even be possible to fill out a list of at least ten good science fiction films for any individual decade from the 1980s through the 2000s.
#81
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
I haven't seen them all. But a lot of them are awesome.
The list is missing one of my favorites: Qatermass 2, written by Nigel Neale. It is as paranoid as the X-Files.
The list is missing one of my favorites: Qatermass 2, written by Nigel Neale. It is as paranoid as the X-Files.
#82
Banned
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Agreed. That list is full of win, and you could probably add another twenty more from the Fifties that would equally deserve mention.
Which also points up how forgettable the science fiction genre has been in the decades since - or at least, post 1970s. I don't think it would even be possible to fill out a list of at least ten good science fiction films for any individual decade from the 1980s through the 2000s.
Which also points up how forgettable the science fiction genre has been in the decades since - or at least, post 1970s. I don't think it would even be possible to fill out a list of at least ten good science fiction films for any individual decade from the 1980s through the 2000s.
Blade Runner
The Thing
Aliens
Abyss
Vidoedrome
Empire Strikes Back
Terminator
The Fly
Final Countdown
Altered States
Brazil
E.T.
Last edited by Lt Ripley; 04-12-13 at 05:31 PM.
#83
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Agreed. That list is full of win, and you could probably add another twenty more from the Fifties that would equally deserve mention.
Which also points up how forgettable the science fiction genre has been in the decades since - or at least, post 1970s. I don't think it would even be possible to fill out a list of at least ten good science fiction films for any individual decade from the 1980s through the 2000s.
Which also points up how forgettable the science fiction genre has been in the decades since - or at least, post 1970s. I don't think it would even be possible to fill out a list of at least ten good science fiction films for any individual decade from the 1980s through the 2000s.
1980s:
Phoenix 2772
Mobile Suit Gundam Movies I, II & III
Adieu Galaxy Express
Arcadia of My Youth
Harmageddon
Macross the Movie: Do You Remember Love?
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
Wicked City
Akira
1990s:
Patlabor: The Movie
Gundam F91
Roujin-Z
Patlabor 2
A Wind Named Amnesia
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
Ghost in the Shell
Tenchi Muyo in Love
Tenchi Forever
Black Jack The Movie
And let's not forget the SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO movies, which started in 1977 and continued into the early '80s.
In the 2000s, we got STEAMBOY and GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE, but I'm drawing a blank on others right now.
Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 05-01-13 at 09:27 AM.
#84
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,198
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Just saw this one. It's a bit of a cheat since it's not 1950s, but actually 1961.
It's bad. Gangster gets caught in the middle of atomic testing (clumsy!) and becomes the man of steel, so he sets out for revenge on the other gangsters that betrayed him. Not much sci-fi here, since he doesn't really do a lot except ward off a few bullets. And double over in pain every so often from the radiation poisoning. It's not fun like other sci-fi movies of the time either, it's actually kind of salacious in some parts. Starring no one you know, and for good reason. I need to watch a giant bug movie now to get this one off my mind.
#85
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,198
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
My first time seeing this one, I think I saw some of the 80s remake years ago.
This was the best of the bunch so far. Good suspense and direction during the first half, I think the kid pulled off a good performance. A lot like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Too much repeated footage and a lot of stock footage of the US military gearing up to kick ass. One of the characters mentioned how we were going to use space to keep weapons pointed at the enemy, which was how the space race started, so I guess they wanted some USA RAH RAH in there.
The second half is weaker, with big lumbering Martians taking orders from the Great Gazoo. That was a letdown. Repeated foootage is a lot more obvious at this point.
The ending
Spoiler:
#86
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Just saw this one. It's a bit of a cheat since it's not 1950s, but actually 1961.
It's bad. Gangster gets caught in the middle of atomic testing (clumsy!) and becomes the man of steel, so he sets out for revenge on the other gangsters that betrayed him. Not much sci-fi here, since he doesn't really do a lot except ward off a few bullets. And double over in pain every so often from the radiation poisoning. It's not fun like other sci-fi movies of the time either, it's actually kind of salacious in some parts. Starring no one you know, and for good reason. I need to watch a giant bug movie now to get this one off my mind.
Made in 1958 but not released until 1961 because of the financial failure of producer Benedict Bogeaus' original distributor, RKO. Bogeaus sat on the film for three years until he was able to sell it to Columbia for a flat fee in 1961.
And what do you mean "Starring no one you know"??? Debra Paget is my favorite starlet of the 1950s. She does a very sexy "Egyptian" dance in PRINCESS OF THE NILE (1954). Her co-star in MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE, Elaine Stewart, actually starred in a NILE knock-off, also in 1954, THE ADVENTURES OF HAJI BABA. See what you're missing?
#89
#91
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,198
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Here's another good one. An undersea earthquake has uncovered some prehistoric eggs at the bottom of the Salton Sea, and they've hatched ugly giant swimming caterpillars. Some scenes reminded me a lot of Jaws. Gets a little slow in the middle, but picks up at the end. Extra points for having Hans Conried. See if you can keep track of how many times someone says, "Salton", I lost count.
#92
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
If it's "Favorite" and not "Best," then I've got to go with...
The War Of The Worlds
I love everything about that movie, but one thing in particular stands out - the voice work. Paul Frees, Les Tremayne, Sir Cedric Hardwicke - three fantastic voices all in the same movie. Of course, the movie itself is great - great script, direction, and the acting is really underrated and quite good. It's a classic, without a doubt.
But for me several films are practically tied with that one, including...
Forbidden Planet
Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Them
When Worlds Collide
The Creature From the Black Lagoon
The War Of The Worlds
I love everything about that movie, but one thing in particular stands out - the voice work. Paul Frees, Les Tremayne, Sir Cedric Hardwicke - three fantastic voices all in the same movie. Of course, the movie itself is great - great script, direction, and the acting is really underrated and quite good. It's a classic, without a doubt.
But for me several films are practically tied with that one, including...
Forbidden Planet
Gojira/Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Them
When Worlds Collide
The Creature From the Black Lagoon
Four years later I think I would still say the same thing. War Of The Worlds is my favorite, but I think the best from that era was Forbidden Planet. I love all of the movies I listed here.
And one that I wouldn't put quite that high on the list, but is worth watching is
IT! The Terror From Beyond Space
IT! The Terror From Beyond Space
#93
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Here's another good one. An undersea earthquake has uncovered some prehistoric eggs at the bottom of the Salton Sea, and they've hatched ugly giant swimming caterpillars. Some scenes reminded me a lot of Jaws. Gets a little slow in the middle, but picks up at the end. Extra points for having Hans Conried. See if you can keep track of how many times someone says, "Salton", I lost count.
#94
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,198
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Surprisingly gory for the time, with the Fiends bleeding marinara or dissolving into applesauce. Tasty!
#95
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
Great films, all of them, but I'm going with The Incredible Shrinking Man - how can you go wrong with existentialism and a giant kitty?
#96
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Favorite 50's sci-fi film?
