Episode 74: Planet 8's Top Ten Sci Fi Films of All Time!

 

Welcome all to Planet 8's third anniversary episode! Yes, we have been doing this insanity for three years now. We thought the best way to celebrate would be to tackle the biggest question we could think of: what are the ten best science fiction films of all time?

Through an arcane process which we describe in the episode, we devised a list of ten great science fiction films. Now these are not necessarily our favorite films, but the films which we think are the most influential, most impactful, unique, and had artistic and/or technical achievements which set them apart. 

It was surprising to us which films we agreed upon, and which ones only one of us selected. But there were just so many great films to choose from. It was very difficult to cut some films, or choose between certain films in a series. 

We also noted that all of our selections fell between the 1950s and 1980s. Maybe it has to do with giving a film time to build a legacy. Or it could be we're just old farts who prefer older films!

If you want to be surprised by what films we chose, then skip over the section below. Otherwise, proceed! 

Planet 8's Top Ten Science Fiction Films of All Time

10.  Robocop

9. Tie - Predator and Empire Strikes Back 

8. War of the Worlds (1953)

7. 2001: A Space Odyssey

6. Forbidden Planet

5. The Thing (1982)

4. Alien

3. Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

2. Planet of the Apes (1968)

1. Star Wars

 We're sure this list may inspire some debate -we know it did with us! While these are all fine films, you can make an argument for where they should be positioned in the list, or if other films should take their place in the top ten. For some more insight into our thought processes, here are our individual lists.

Bob's List

1. Forbidden Planet
2. War of the Worlds (1953)
3. Alien
4. Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
5. Star Wars
6. Planet of the Apes
7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
8. The Thing (1982)
9. Blade Runner
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Karen's List

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Star Wars
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Planet of the Apes
5. Alien
6. The Thing (1982)
7. The Matrix
8. The Thing (1951)
9. Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
10. Quatermass and the Pit

Larry's list

1. Star Wars
2. Planet of the Apes
3. Predator
4. Robocop
5. Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
7. The Thing (1982)
8. Blade Runner
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
10. Forbidden Planet

What about the films we left off? Hard choices had to be made. Of course, we love Logan's Run but had to admit it was not top ten material. And no Star Trek films on the list? Sadly, it's true. 

We would really like to hear from you about what you would put on your top ten - again, not your favorites, but what are the best? Send us your thoughts and we will follow up on them in a future episode.

We've covered a number of these films we're talking about. If you'd like to go back and listen to those episodes, check these out:

War of the Worlds

Alien

2001: A Space Odyssey

Planet of the Apes

The Thing

This makes us realize that there are many more films that we need to cover! No danger of running out of material here on Planet 8.

Seeing as it is our third anniversary, we want to send out a special thanks to all of you who have been following the show. We didn't know we were going to be doing this for three years, but they have just flown by! We're still having a blast, and most of that is due to you listening and contacting us. So we hope you'll stick with us and continue on along the journey!

You also have one week until Bay Area Film Event's Godzilla's Monster Bash at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. On May 14-16 they will show ten classic Godzilla films, and there will be vendors and guests! It should be a great event, so if you're in the area, be sure to come out. You can get more info and tickets at  http://bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest

This wraps up our episode. Let us know what you thought. Leave a comment on the site, or you can contact us at:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet8Cast
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Planet8Podcast

Remember: Klaatu Barada Nikto!

Episode 68: HAL, open the podcast ap. It's 2001: A Space Odyssey!

 

Your Planet 8 crew has explored many realms of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but this time we are taking on one of the all-time greats: Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Still considered by many to be the finest science fiction film ever made, Kubrick, along with science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, developed a sweeping epic about mankind's place in the universe. It took almost three years from conception to the film's premiere in April 1968. Audiences had never seen anything like it, and many were simply dumbfounded by the ambiguity of the film. With 2001, Kubrick wanted to go outside conventional storytelling techniques and give the audience  "basically a visual, nonverbal experience" that "hits the viewer at an inner level of consciousness, just as music does." The film seems to be rather polarizing, with people either enjoying the mystery of it or finding the whole thing annoying.

Your crew has various levels of enthusiasm for 2001! Some of us -OK, one of us (Karen) loves the film! Other crew members are perhaps not quite as enthusiastic. But we all can agree on its importance to science fiction, and film in general. Without 2001, and the vast technological advancements it made, we certainly wouldn't have had Star Wars, or Battlestar Galactica, Space:1999, and pretty much everything that has been made after it. The pioneering techniques of Douglas Trumbull, Stuart Freeborn, and so many others paved the way for the science fiction films we all know and love. The effects still look surprisingly good today. 

Of course, the movie was made during the height of the space race, and that enters our conversation too. Kubrick and Clarke wanted to create something that showed the beauty and wonder of space exploration, and how it was mankind's destiny to leave Earth -the cradle -and go beyond. Certainly, the film must have had a different impact on audiences viewing it in 1968 than in 2021. 

2001 is nothing if not thought-provoking, and we get into some pondering of our own, as we wonder about the meaning and function of the mysterious monoliths, if progress is always fueled by aggression, what happened to HAL, and man's place in the cosmos. But hey, it's not all deep thoughts! You can be sure we'll talk about things like wobbly space stewardesses, cockney HAL, and Arthur C. Clarke in a towel!

Fittingly, our Sensor Sweep this time around centers on a massive tome, Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Benson. If you're a fan of 2001 or Stanley Kubrick, this is a fascinating look at how the film came together, from the initial meetings of Kubrick and Clarke, to preproduction and all the way to the film's reception by critics and audiences. It's amazing in its depth and detail. You can find it on Amazon, and be sure to check your local bookseller too.

That's all for us this time - we're shutting the pod bay doors now! Send final transmissions to:

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This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.