New Poll. Most "Groundbreaking" Sci Fi Film.

You all know em, you've all watched em (probably a million times) so now it's time to rate em. Most groundbreaking SciFi Films. I will include Monster Movies in here because of the Sci Fi element of "giant" monsters and artificial life...

Let the games begin.

Da Worfster

I voted for "King Kong". It was so realistic people fainted. It ran for decades. Stop action done so painstakingly well that it shines as a beacon to this every day. Hell, Kong took on the the NY City Subway system.... and won!!! Nothing could rival it for decades afterwards...

Da Worfster :cool:

Anything with Ray Harryhausen .

Picking between 2001 and Star Wars is tough. I guess I went with SW because it really blew open the possibilities of not only blending genres (sci fi / western / action) but also merchandising. Until SW came out, no other movie generated so much profit from outside licensing and merchandising. If you were old enough to see the first one in the theaters, you had a Star Wars toy somewhere. SW3 is about to be released and you can't swing a cat without hitting something plastered with Darth Vader's visage staring back at ya!

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.

http://www.filmsite.org/posters/voya.gif

Among the movies on your list, I would put 2001: A Space Odyssey at the top of the list because it had that incredible level of abstraction in the storytelling, yet remained strangely "down-to-earth" in how it made the future and its advanced technology seem accessible and even mundane (the Pan-Am spaceflights, the AT&T toll charges for a space phone, the human flaws with HAL, etc.).

Plus, I would put the visual effects in this movie against just about any of the CGI extravaganzas we see today. The level of detail involved in how it all looked and the clear effort involved in making it seem realistic is very evident (what other movie acknowledges that outer space is a vacuum and therefore silent?).

I went with 2001 just because of the era in which it was made, but now that I remember the "making of Star Wars" stuff I've seen, I think I have to agree Star Wars was the most unlikely movie of the bunch.

I certainly can't think of any movies SINCE Star Wars that broke more ground...

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Originally Posted by Woochifer

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.

http://www.filmsite.org/posters/voya.gif

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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

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Originally Posted by Worf101

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

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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.

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.

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

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

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.

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Originally Posted by Worf101

I voted for "King Kong". It was so realistic people fainted. It ran for decades. Stop action done so painstakingly well that it shines as a beacon to this every day. Hell, Kong took on the the NY City Subway system.... and won!!! Nothing could rival it for decades afterwards...

Da Worfster :cool:

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I picked King Kong also. I think that movie came out in 79 which put me at 8 years old. All I remember was wow. Now normally you can trick an 8 year old by putting a guy in an ape suit and saying it is real, but I have seen this movie many times as an adult and it still looks like a real giant ape terrorizing New York. Awesome movie.

I thought we were talking about the first KK? :confused: :confused:

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Originally Posted by shokhead

I thought we were talking about the first KK? :confused: :confused:

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When I read cam's post, I genuinely thought that it was the best bit of subtle humour I've seen around here in a while, especially when you figure in that avatar!

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Originally Posted by shokhead

I thought we were talking about the first KK? :confused: :confused:

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The first KK I have seen. It came out in 1933 or very close to it. Nothing ground breaking about it. Nothing.

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Originally Posted by cam

The first KK I have seen. It came out in 1933 or very close to it. Nothing ground breaking about it. Nothing.

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Cam!! I am surprised at this statement man. This movie began it all when it comes to stop action motion. Before this movie there was none better at this technology. I imagine you would have to put yourself back in the 1930's to understand how realistic it seemed to movie goers then, to us now it looks kinda hookey.

For me;
1. Metropolis has to be the most groundbreaking sci fi film of all time.
2. Star Wars is next as it brought Sci Fi back into the mainstream, had next generation visual effects and soundtrack.
3. Dark City for its composition, use of shadows, and concept.

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Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible

Cam!! I am surprised at this statement man. This movie began it all when it comes to stop action motion. Before this movie there was none better at this technology. I imagine you would have to put yourself back in the 1930's to understand how realistic it seemed to movie goers then, to us now it looks kinda hookey.

For me;
1. Metropolis has to be the most groundbreaking sci fi film of all time.
2. Star Wars is next as it brought Sci Fi back into the mainstream, had next generation visual effects and soundtrack.
3. Dark City for its composition, use of shadows, and concept.

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Laurel and Hardy was more ground breaking then the original Kong. HE HE HE!

Well,they were funnier then you. LOL :D

You, Cam are hereby thumped for illegal punnage.. foul humor and.... general silliness...
Off with his haid, his haid I say... You had me goin' for about 2 seconds then I smiled, chuckled and let it go. I was inches from a foul mouthed tirade (which is what you probably wanted me to do) when I figured both my legs and my dangle were being "pulled"...

Da Worfster :D

Besides using a great piece of music by Strauss, 2001 represented a new level in the use of theme and narrative in the presentation of the future, IMO.

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Originally Posted by Worf101

You, Cam are hereby thumped for illegal punnage.. foul humor and.... general silliness...
Off with his haid, his haid I say... You had me goin' for about 2 seconds then I smiled, chuckled and let it go. I was inches from a foul mouthed tirade (which is what you probably wanted me to do) when I figured both my legs and my dangle were being "pulled"...

Da Worfster :D

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Sorry Worf, when I checked off KK I had forgotten about the original black and white from the 30's. You're not going to tear apart a city or anything are you?

personally i would have Blade Runner on the list somewhere as SCI-FI. Star Wars is basically Cowboys and Indians in Space.

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Originally Posted by RGA

personally i would have Blade Runner on the list somewhere as SCI-FI. Star Wars is basically Cowboys and Indians in Space.

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There's a shot across the bow if ever I saw one.... Yipes... as Worfster turns off TV, pulls out popcorn and prepares to watch the bloodshed...

Da Worfster

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Originally Posted by RGA

personally i would have Blade Runner on the list somewhere as SCI-FI. Star Wars is basically Cowboys and Indians in Space.

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:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :confused: :confused: :mad: :mad: :(