New Poll. Most "Groundbreaking" Sci Fi Film.

[Worf101]

You want "groundbreaking"? How about going all the way to the beginning?

I would put Georges Melies' 1902 silent short of A Trip To The Moon on any list of groundbreaking sci-fi by virtue of the its status as the first science fiction movie. Probably the most famous single shot of the early silent film era is the iconic image of the space capsule poking into the "eye" of the moon. Looking at it now, it's a somewhat offbeat and goofy movie. But, considering the primitive technology and how unprecedented much of this movie's visuals and story elements were for its time, this probably broke more ground than any other sci-fi movie.

And I almost put it on the list BUT, to paraphrase a great Chris Rock routine,.... " want to have a conversation about film history??? Don't talk to "new P***y she ain't seen a movie older than last week!!!!" I just figured so few of the folks on this board would have seen this short, complete with girls from the Folles Bregerre pushing the capsule in the gun, as to make it a wasted pick. I almost put in "Metropolis" or the "The Shape of Things to Come" but left them both off for the same reason.

Da Worfster

[Woochifer]

And I almost put it on the list BUT, to paraphrase a great Chris Rock routine,.... " want to have a conversation about film history??? Don't talk to "new P***y she ain't seen a movie older than last week!!!!" I just figured so few of the folks on this board would have seen this short, complete with girls from the Folles Bregerre pushing the capsule in the gun, as to make it a wasted pick. I almost put in "Metropolis" or the "The Shape of Things to Come" but left them both off for the same reason.

Da Worfster

I hear 'ya, but you'd be surprised as to what people have seen, or at least known about. Smashing Pumpkins did a send up of A Trip to the Moon on one of their music videos, and Queen's video for "Radio Ga-Ga" was transposed with Metropolis. Iconic films like those aren't necessarily seen in their original form, but are so engrained in pop culture that their influence remains significant.

And, if anyone wants to see A Trip to the Moon, it's actually included as a bonus feature on the Around The World in 80 Days DVD.

[20to20K]

But I'd include both "Metropolis" by Fritz Lange and "Things to Come" by HG Wells
on the list as well. Both groundbreaking with unprescedented looks into the future.

Based on your list...I'll choose 2001.

[eisforelectronic]

I'm gonna do a complete 180 on all of you and vote for Star Wars. 2001? There weren't even any lasers.

[Kam]

but would like to add just one more, if not for groundbreaking, for its unfluence. the original 1931 Frankenstein. this had an incredible influence on stories from this point onwards, and pretty much any sci-fi (including star wars) has issues brought up here. oh and the invisible man too, pretty cool effects before this digital age. never thought having an unlimited amount of resources, and having everything you wanted was a good way for creativity to thrive. personally think you can come up with better stuff having to work through/around limitations. (for e.g. original star wars vs. sp ed)

on your list, i voted for 2001 though. tough flip between that and star wars, but went with 2001 because it was groundbreaking in both its sci-fi and filmmaking aspect (not that star wars wasnt, but in a different way). who else would dare put about 30-40mins of footage without a single word of dialogue, let alone that incredibly long epilepsy-inducing segment as bowman passes through the lights, and then about 30 mins of no dialogue to start the movie! about half the movie has no dialogue at all! pretty crazy stuff. but a good kind of crazy, like a peter jackson kind of crazy, not a michael jackson kind of crazy.

peace
k2

[dean_martin]

For in-depth articles and interviews with key players covering sci-fi films (and other cool stuff) from the Silent Era through the 70's, I highly recommend subscribing to FilmFax magazine. Here's a link:

http://www.filmfax.com/

I'm impressed with the references to the Golden Age. I guess we're not all "New P***y" as Worf so eloquently put it. Some of us are in fact as old as dirt.