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 59: Game Over, Man! It's Aliens on Planet 8

In 1979, we learned that in space, no one can hear you scream. But there was plenty of screaming in movie theaters, as audiences jumped and shrieked, scared senseless by the phenomenon that was Alien. It was a film like no one had seen before, a horror story in space, with a truly terrifying alien creature. Pitched as "Jaws in space," it was just as suspenseful, but had a sense of claustrophobia and body horror that Jaws lacked. 

Your Planet 8 crew are big fans of the original Alien and its follow up, Aliens. These two films are so perfect, and complement each other so brilliantly, yet are so completely different in tone. We'll take a look at the ground-breaking 1979 film, its amazing visuals, impressive cast, and of course, the alien itself, the xenomorph, a true icon of creature design. The distinctive H.R. Giger designs made the film stand out from anything that had ever come before - and made your skin crawl!

It also made a star out of Sigourney Weaver. Alien was her first big film, and she gave a memorable performance as Ripley. It was unusual at that time for a woman to not only be the protagonist, but to be so self-sufficient and capable. Weaver wound up being the star of the franchise for years to come. 

The 1986 sequel, Aliens, went in a completely different direction thematically, and was more of an action film than a horror film. This worked surprisingly well. The space marines that Ripley teams up with were as interesting a group as the Nostromo crew from the original film. Actors we now know so well like Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, all provide classic performances. The film also gave us tons of aliens, including a giant alien queen. And just like the first film, everything was achieved with practical special effects, no CGI! Ah, those were the days.

Of course, we have to talk a bit about the soundtracks - the films had two well-known composers, Jerry Goldsmith on Alien and James Horner on Aliens. Both interesting soundtracks, but very different, and some of Horner's cues have been used on a number of trailers. And Aliens sure sounds a lot like parts of  his Wrath of Khan soundtrack!

These two films are still fantastic to watch and are true classics of science fiction film. If you haven't seen them in a while (or ever!), check them out. You will not be disappointed.

For our Sensor Sweep this episode, Karen appropriately shares an amazing coffee table book from Titan Books called The Making of Alien by J.W. Rinzler. This 300+ page tome does a deep dive into the origins of Alien, and is illustrated with production designs and behind  the scenes photos. If you are a fan, you will love this book!

That's it for us, folks. Send us your thoughts, your feedback, your insults, we'll take it all! You can leave comments here, or fire them off at our two other locations: 

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

Thanks for listening!