As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing and delighting in An American in Paris.
Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree. I hope to hear from all of you.
“You have just entered the twilight zone.” This phrase from the television show would be appropriate for watching almost any science fiction movie. You know that what you’re watching can’t be real, but you sure enjoy the ride. You might be scared; you might be amazed; you might be delighted; sometimes you might laugh.
The Star Wars and Star Trek movies are my favorites. The stories and the technology were superb. I can watch them again and again.
When I started researching this genre I found way too many movies that I liked. So, I tried to pick some lesser known and offbeat movies. I might have to revisit this genre.
Here are the ones I picked:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951): The original film is best. Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal star in this not-so-subtle plea for world peace. Here the aliens clearly have the upper hand as they have Washington, D.C. in their sights.
Forbidden Planet (1956): Leslie Nielson (way before he was a comic genius) as a starship captain who finds a paradise planet in a galaxy far, far away. Walter Pidgeon plays a doctor who has uncovered secrets that may or may not be helpful.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978): Both versions are well done, but I prefer the original. It’s darker and scarier. The term “pod people” has wormed its way into popular culture.
Them (1954): This is a film inspired by the atomic bomb. Radiation has mutated ordinary ants and other creatures into huge monsters. James Whitmore is the hero who battles them. This problem was of real concern at the time.
The Blob (1958): Another atomic-era film this time starring Steve McQueen. Our hero must battle a huge gelatinous blob. Scream, scream.
The Fly (1958 and 1986): Both versions are good, but here I prefer the second one. An experiment involving “beam me up, Scotty” matter transference has gone horribly wrong. Jeff Goldblum stars. Help me!
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): An unassuming power outage leads to an amazing and wonderful encounter. Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr co-star.
Dune (1984): A big, sprawling book leads to a big, sprawling film full of drama, intrigue and rather large worms. The battle is over power and spice. Kyle McLachlan and Sting star.
Planet of the Apes (2001): Charlton Heston, Mark Wahlberg, and Helena Bonham Carter star in this very clever and well-made film. The ending is perfect.
Illustrated Man (1969): This Ray Bradbury tale is fascinating and thoughtful. Before it was trendy, Rod Steiger was tattooed completely. Each tattoo has a story. Claire Bloom co-stars.
The Stepford Wives (1975 and 2004): Ira Levin is known for clever, spooky, delightful stories. Remember Rosemary’s Baby? In this tale, Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss wonder about the wives of Stepford. They are perfect in every way. Eat your heart out Martha Stewart. I didn’t see the later version. No need to.
Marooned (1969): A precursor to Apollo 14, this film stars Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and James Franciscus as astronauts sent to a space station to see how future astronauts would handle long space travels. Something goes wrong and David Jansen must rescue them.
The Thing from Another World (1951): In this version, James Arness and Kenneth Tobey star in a movie that scared me for years. A huge humanoid is found frozen in a block of ice. What will happen when he defrosts? Oh, my.
Angry Red Planet (1959): This movie is about an expedition to Mars--and a second mission to Mars. The cast is unremarkable, the dialogue less so, and the cheese is evident everywhere. Still, as a teenager watching this film in ’59, I loved it. The weird monsters and the red overlay during the Mars scenes captivated me.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976): Considered a cult classic but not a great film, the “Man” is interesting to watch. David Bowie as the innocent alien is thrust into our world of sex, booze and rock and roll. Eventually he starts to forget his mission to take water to his dry and dying planet. Can we corrupt everyone?
Quintet (1979): This film starts nowhere and ends in the same place. The earth is frozen. A once-great city is reduced to a ruin in which inhabitants play a life and death game called quintet. Director Robert Altman sends Paul Newman into this situation. An international cast includes Vittorio Gassman (Italy), Bibi Andersson (Sweden) and Fernando Rey (Spain). If you’re a fan of Altman and Newman (I could watch him reading the telephone directory) you might want to see this. If not, ignore it.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): Julie Adams and Richard Carlson travel to the Amazon. They stumble upon a black lagoon from which rises a scaly monster. The monster kills a bunch of people but our hero saves the damsel. Loved this movie.
