100 essential SF B-movies, as chosen by you!

[AndyC]

45 - Fantastic Voyage

[brooky1969]

44. The Fly (1958)

Teleportation goes badly for a scientist when a fly is accidentally brought into the teleportation equation.

[ulthar]

43.  FORBIDDEN PLANET.

Didn't see it on the list yet.  One of the best depictions of naval 'protocol' in any space movie.  Cool story, too.

[Psycho Circus]

42. CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH

[Allhallowsday]

I don't think FORBIDDEN PLANET nor FANTASTIC VOYAGE are "B" movies...

[Kester Pelagius]

I don't think FORBIDDEN PLANET nor FANTASTIC VOYAGE are "B" movies...

It all depends on what your definition of B-movie is.  I mean ID4 was a million dollar 'blockbuster' but, for all the marketing hype, it was just a cheezy B-movie with a bloated budget. 

FWIW I'll mark these as contested.

[Kester Pelagius]

41. Cherry 2000 - There's just something special about this strange tale of a yuppie living in a dystopian future that literally decides to go to the ends of the Earth (or in this case into the forbidding wasteland) to find a replacement for his shorted out sexdroid.  Ah, love.  It makes you crazy.

[Jack]

How about a made-for-TV movie? 

Babylon 5 Thirdspace



Whether you're a fan of the TV series or not, this movie absolutely rocks 

[brooky1969]

39. Heavy Metal

This animated feature was really cutting edge in its day and received a devoted cult following. Features lots of cartoon boobies and a decent if not entirely "metal" soundtrack.

[JaseSF]

38. Project: Moonbase (1953): Who knew T-shirts and gym shorts and a goofy hat was all that was required to travel in outer space?! 

[Cthulhu]

Although, I have not yet seen the entire movie,(only the first 30 minutes) I must nominate Cosmos: War of the planets
It's like it's been made on planet Goofball. There is more cheese in it than there is in a cheese shop.
Ridiculous costumes and pathetic special effects, this movie has it all.
Maybe I'll watch it tomorrow...
So, 37. Cosmos: War of the planets
UPDATE: watched it

[Allhallowsday]

I don't think FORBIDDEN PLANET nor FANTASTIC VOYAGE are "B" movies...

It all depends on what your definition of B-movie is.  I mean ID4 was a million dollar 'blockbuster' but, for all the marketing hype, it was just a cheezy B-movie with a bloated budget. 
FWIW I'll mark these as contested.

I think terms are thrown around without any consensus of their meaning.  I'm no expert, but if films like these are included as "SF B-movies" then why not PLANET OF THE APES (take yer pick) SOYLENT GREEN, OMEGA MAN?  Or for that matter CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, TARANTULA, each of these films, for different reasons, warrant a spot on this list with no clear definition.     It's about the list. 
I will say this site is "Badmovies" which is not "B" for budget (certainly the original meaning behind a "B" picture).  "B-Movie" I suppose nowadays might mean low budget (but possibly a great movie) or it might mean "low rent" "morally bankrupt" "meritless" (in others words junk movies that BAD MOVIE LOVERS CRAVE...) 

Okay, I do have a nomination of an essential SF B-Movie:
ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1958)

[ulthar]

I'm no expert, but if films like these are included as "SF B-movies" then why not PLANET OF THE APES (take yer pick) SOYLENT GREEN, OMEGA MAN? 

Funny you should mention that.  I was GOING to nominate SOYLENT GREEN.

It's not my list, so I'll defer judgement to KP on what definition of "B" is, but for my part, I think "B" refers to budget and general mainstream-ness at the time it was made.  Like someone pointed out recently, just about ALL sci fi during the 50's and 60's (and of course before) was considered "B" cinema.  Science Fiction movies during that era just were not made to appeal to the widest audience, but mostly to kids and teens and a few adults with an interest in the genre.

Though this site is called "Badmovies," a look at Andrew's list of reviewed movies, and his ratings of them, suggests an underlying appeal to the above definition rather than strictly "bad."  That is, some of his reviewed movies are truly GOOD (NOTLD as one example) by just about any measure you can name; the inclusion of such gems suggests, to me at least, that this site is not about "bad" movies so much as "B" movies.  I could, of course, be wrong.

All I'm really trying to say is that I don't think we should get too wrapped up on the name of this web site DEFINING what kinds of movies "fit" a list or not; Kester can define his list better for us as needed.

That said, as the person who nominated FORBIDDEN PLANET, I freely admit that in hindsight, there IS a big difference between this movie (production values, effects, acting, budget and overall direction) compared to, say, THE HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND.  One's a serious sci fi with a solid message and theme, the other is a goofy romp (but still fun, imo as a "badmovie" lover).

So, KP, I won't be offended in the least (not that that should matter to your decision if I were,  ) if FORBIDDEN PLANET is removed.

[AndyC]

On the other hand, Forbidden Planet has many of the elements that make a good 50s b-movie. The difference is in quality.

The term b-movie certainly started with a more specific definition, although even the original definition gets debated. But I see it as an evolving term that continues to be applicable. Me, I look at the spirit of the movie, the style, the genre and the year, and decide if it feels like a b-movie to me. Technology changes, fads come and go, budgets come in all sizes, but I think the b-movie is about more than those things. It's just really hard to define the quality of b-ness.

[Kester Pelagius]

The question of what a "B-movie" is, in my opinion, somewhat subjective.  Originally the term applied to a studio's second string (using "B" list as opposed to "A" list talent) productions.  Many film noirs were second string productions.  Most, if not all, genre pictures were second string productions.  But it's not merely about budget or even talent, since many of the actors went on to greater stardom.  Too, this term originally applied to the Hollywood STUDIO SYSTEM, yet has since taken on meaning beyond it's original coinage.  That said. .

FORBIDDEN PLANET is a sci-fi essential.  It's influence and impact on the genre can be plainly seen in Star Trek AND Babylon 5.  (Remember the planet the space station is near?  The interior look was basically an homage to the great Krell planetary machine.  Roddenberry even gave a nod to FP as being the inspiration for his transporters when he found out he didn't have the budget for landing craft and had to figur out someway to get the crew from the ship to a planet.)

FANTASTIC VOYAGE is a similarly iconic sci-fi movie.  It's been spoofed on the Simpsons so it's influence is plain.  And it has "A" list stars I do believe and yet some think it a bit cheezy.  Why?  Not because of budget or talent but due to it's premise.  Sometimes a premise seems to qualify a movie for "B" status.  (Or, in the case of ID4, premise AND choice of talent.  ;) )

However I don't think FV was a second string feature.  It was probably the ID4 of it's day.  Now FP might have started out as a b-string feature.  But it has "A" SFX and costumes.

So what is a "B-movie"?  Based on my observations it seems a movie is called a "B" movie because it's Bad, has a low Budget, stars B (C, D or even Z) string talent, or because a movie is not a Hollywood production.  I consider the latter reason spurious since it was Hollywood that originated the classification.  Also it has to be pointed out that the term has long been used to ghettoize genre cinema(*).  Science Fiction movies were not considered "A" movies by most critics for years, and even now many critics are dismissive of the genre.  Granted with some of the crap Hollywood's been churning out in recent years they may have just cause, but not all SF is "B" movie bad.

So if no one ELSE contests the two nominations, citing good reason, I'm perfectly happy to leave them in place since they do meet the criteria for being SF essentials.  Of that there is, at least, no doubt; I hope.  

(*) viz: http://movies.msn.com/movies/moviesfeature/dvd/george-stop-now/?GT1=28002 (Star Wars the penultimate "B"ad movie?)