Fantastic Planets, Forbidden Zones, and Lost Continents : The 100 Greatest Science-Fiction Films

With great thanks to my son Shane Johnson Brode, whose contribution of time and hard work on this project brought it to fruition. Also, to my sons Shaun Lichenstein Brode and Shea Th axter Brode, for their suggestions as to fi lms worthy of inclusion and insights into such movies. the highest form of flattery: As in other genres, science-fi ction fi lmmakers often include homages to earlier works. An ultra-realistic image of likely future travel from George Pal's Conquest of Space (1955) would be almost precisely referenced in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Courtesy: George Pal Productions; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. XVI / INTRODUCTION notable combinations of the two, will all be lauded here. What then will not be included? Foremost are those examples of fantasy fi ction that cannot (or, at least, according to my view, ought not) be thought of as belonging to this genre. Th ese include epic fantasies, ranging from King Kong (1933) and Th e Wizard of Oz (1939) to 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) and Th e Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001)(2002)(2003). Th e issue here is not quality. Th ose fi lms are as excellent as anything contained in this study. Again, the decision to not include them is entirely based on a working defi nition of the genre. Th is does (indeed, must) impose limitations. But precisely what then are the boundaries? And how are they confi gured in this volume? Perhaps no one has so succinctly captured the heart, soul, and mind of the sci-fi genre as author Gregg Rickman. In a phrase that, by the beauty of its sheer simplicity, makes perfect, fundamental sense, Rickman defi ned sci-fi as "fi ction about science." King Kong may well rate as the greatest romantic adventure-cum-monster movie ever made. But as there is no hint of scientifi c explanation as to how and why that great ape exists on Skull Island, or how and why the dinosaurs there did not die as others of their breed did, Kong does not fi t, no matter how much we might want it to. At the same time, Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), which follows the plot of Kong almost identically, can be considered not only a monster movie or a horror fi lm but also as sci-fi . Th e group that, in this tale, journeys into a modern heart of darkness worthy of Joseph Conrad consists not of Hollywood moviemakers (as in Kong) but scientists. When they encounter and, in time, defeat the beast, discussions are about how and why this water-logged missing link sidestepped the evolutionary process and, more signifi cantly, what might be learned from its existence once the scientists return to their laboratory. Here, then, is this book's narrative thread. It served as the basis for selecting or rejecting individual fi lms (no matter how excellent) for inclusion as examples of sci-fi 's numerous subgenres. To quickly consider only one such subgenre, the unique realm we now call "dystopian fi ction," Th e Trial (1962), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and Brazil (1985) rate among the greatest examples of the form. Yet, they do not include any specifi c reference to science-that is, the mechanical apparatus that is the practical byproduct of intellectual science. In contrast, those dystopian pieces included here-Metropolis (1927), Th e Time Machine (1960), and Blade Runner (1982), to name but a few -directly address science by including, if not always explaining, some aspect of experimentation and the resulting technology. In each, some aspect of science is foregrounded rather than merely serving as an unmentioned backdrop to a dark futuristic tale. to begin at the beginning: Live action combined with an early version of animation led to the fi rst signifi cant example of cinéma fantastique in A Trip to the Moon/Le voyage dans la lune (1902), Georges Méliès's still-charming experiment. AcknowledgmentsIntroductionThe List: The 100 Greatest Sci-Fi FilmsA Trip to the Moon/Le voyage dans la lune (1902)Metropolis (1927)Woman in the Moon/Frau im Mond (1929)Just Imagine (1930)Frankenstein (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)Island of Lost Souls (1932)Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Black Cat (1934)The Invisible Man (1933)Things to Come (1936)Flash Gordon (1936), Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)Dr. Cyclops (1940)Destination Moon (1950) and Conquest of Space (1955)The Thing from Another World (1951)The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)Invaders from Mars (1953)The War of the Worlds (1953)The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and Them! (1954)20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Mysterious Island (1961)Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)This Island Earth (1955)1984 (1956)Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)Forbidden Planet (1956)Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)The Blob (1958)The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959), On the Beach (1959), and The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)The Time Machine (1960)Village of the Damned (1960) and The Day of the Triffids (1963)The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)The Birds (1963)The Last Man on Earth (1964)Alphaville/Alphaville, une etrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965)The Satan Bug (1965)Seconds (1966)Fantastic Voyage (1966)Fahrenheit 451 (1966)Five Million Years to Earth/Quatermass and the Pit (1967)2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Barbarella (1968)Planet of the Apes (1968)Night of the Living Dead (1968)Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)THX 1138 (1971)Solaris/Solyaris (1972)Fantastic Planet/La planete sauvage (1973)Westworld (1973) and Futureworld (1976)Sleeper (1973)Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)Time After Time (1979)Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)Escape from New York (1981)Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)Heavy Metal (1981)The Thing (1982)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)Blade Runner (1982)Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)The Terminator (1984)Back to the Future (1985)Cocoon (1985)The Fly (1986)Predator (1987)RoboCop (1987)The Abyss (1989)Total Recall (1990)Jurassic Park (1993)Stargate (1994)Strange Days (1995)Twelve Monkeys (1995)Open Your Eyes/Abre los ojos (1997)The Fifth Element (1997)Men in Black (1997)The Truman Show (1998)The Matrix (1999)Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)Space Cowboys (2000)A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Minority Report (2002)Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)V for Vendetta (2005)Children of Men (2006)Transformers (2007)WALL-E (2008)Avatar (2009)Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek into Darkness (2013)District 9 (2009)Inception (2010)TRON: Legacy (2010)Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)Cloud Atlas (2012)The Avengers (2012)Man of Steel (2013)Gravity (2013)The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)AppendicesGeneral IndexFilm Index Whether you judge by box office receipts, industry awards, or critical accolades, science fiction films are the most popular movies now being produced and distributed around the world. Nor is this phenomenon new. Sci-fi filmmakers and audiences have been exploring fantastic planets, forbidden zones, and lost continents ever since George Méliès’ 1902 film A Trip to the Moon. In this highly entertaining and knowledgeable book, film historian and pop culture expert Douglas Brode picks the one hundred greatest sci-fi films of all time. Brode’s list ranges from today’s blockbusters to forgotten gems, with surprises for even the most informed fans and scholars. He presents the movies in chronological order, which effectively makes this book a concise history of the sci-fi film genre. A striking (and in many cases rare) photograph accompanies each entry, for which Brode provides a numerical rating, key credits and cast members, brief plot summary, background on the film’s creation, elements of the moviemaking process, analysis of the major theme(s), and trivia. He also includes fun outtakes, including his top ten lists of Fifties sci-fi movies, cult sci-fi, least necessary movie remakes, and “so bad they’re great” classics—as well as the ten worst sci-fi movies (“those highly ambitious films that promised much and delivered nil”). So climb aboard spaceship Brode and journey to strange new worlds from Metropolis (1927) to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Whether you judge by box office receipts, industry awards, or critical accolades, science fiction films are the most popular movies now being produced and distributed around the world. Nor is this phenomenon new. Sci-fi filmmakers and audiences have been exploring fantastic planets, forbidden zones, and lost continents ever since George Melies 1902 film A Trip to the Moon. In this highly entertaining and knowledgeable book, film historian and pop culture expert Douglas Brode picks the one hundred greatest sci-fi films of all time. Brode's list ranges from today's blockbusters to forgotten gems, with surprises for even the most informed fans and scholars. He presents the movies in chronological order, which effectively makes this book a concise history of the sci-fi film genre. A striking (and in many cases rare) photograph accompanies each entry, for which Brode provides a numerical rating, key credits and cast members, brief plot summary, background on the film's creation, elements of the moviemaking process, analysis of the major theme(s), and trivia. -- Amazon Whether you judge by box office receipts, industry awards, or critical accolades, science fiction films are the most popular movies now being produced and distributed around the world. Nor is this phenomenon new. Sci-fi filmmakers and audiences have been exploring fantastic planets, forbidden zones, and lost continents ever since George Melie's' 1902 film 'A Trip to the Moon'. In this highly entertaining and knowledgeable book, film historian and pop culture expert Douglas Brode picks the 100 greatest sci-fi films of all time. Brode's list ranges from today's blockbusters to forgotten gems, with surprises for even the most informed fans and scholars With revelations for even the most avid fans, here are the one hundred greatest sci-fi films of all time, from today's blockbusters such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Gravity to forgotten classics and overlooked gems