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Author Topic: 100 essential SF B-movies, as chosen by you!  (Read 51078 times)
Kester Pelagius
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« on: August 07, 2008, 06:40:12 PM »

Since Rev. Powell's list was such a success, and given the number of sci-fi genre movies that didn't make it, and being the sci-fi junkie that I am, let's put together a badmovies.org list of the 100 Most Essential Sci-Fi B-Movies.  They don't have to be bad but they do have to be B-movies that are discernable as science fiction.

As the good Reverend ;) said. .

"Essential" means movies that you believe are necessary for a basic literacy in the field of SF B-movies, not just movies that you happen to love.  These should be those movies that would be required viewing if they offered a Ph.D. in SF B-movies.

NOTE: Make these movies you feel that others HAVE to see to fully appreciate the SF genre.  IOW: The sort of movie that you love so much, feel so strongly about being an essential genre flick, that you'd suggest to others; even if it's a beach party movie. So long as it's SF.  This is OUR list so make it a good one!

To keep any one poster from dominating the list, please post only one title at a time, and don't make back-to-back posts: give someone else a chance.

Feel free to give an explanation as to why you chose it.

With special thanks to Rev. Powell for the wise words so blatantly knicked above.

To start:

100. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

This is how to make a low budget b-movie!  On the surface an absurd premise that manages to be both humorous, in a curiously morbid sort of way, and so bad it's actually good.  I mean how can you NOT love a movie where people get turned into cotton candy and are attacked by mutant alien popcorn?  The SFX are used sparingly and, for the most part, work rather well for what they are.  The premise, killer 'clowns' from outer space, allows the designers to use off-the-rack clown costumes thus keeping the budget down.  Similarly the actors, portraying citizens of Anytown, U.S.A., get away with wearing their street clothes.  This is the sort of movie that could be shot after hours at a circus or using a carnival funhouse.  Why don't they make more movies like this?

The list so far:

100. Killer Klowns from Outer Space
99. Space Mutiny (1988) AKA Mutiny in Space
98. The Running Man
97. The Terminator
96. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
95. Space Truckers
94. Assault on Dome 4
93. Silent Running (1972)
92. Flesh Gordon
91. Robot Monster
90. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
89. Plan 9 From Outer Space
88:  Five Million Years to Earth
87. 20 Million Miles to Earth
86. Phoenix the Warrior (AKA She Wolves of the Wasteland)
85. Phase IV
84. Space Odyssey (AKA Sette uomini d'oro nello spazio)
83. Beast in Space
82. Galaxina
81. Cyborg
80. Battle Beyond the Stars
79. The Angry Red Planet
78. Starcrash
77. This Island Earth (1955)
76. The Astounding She Monster (1957)
75. Metropolis (1927)
74. Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)
73. Saturn 3
72. Flight To Mars (1951)
71. Queen Of Blood
70. Planet of the Vampires
69. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
68. Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
67.  X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
66. Invasion of The Saucer Men (1957)
65. The Phantom Planet
64. It Conquered the World
63. Teenagers from Outer Space
62. The Galaxy Invader
61.  A Boy and His Dog
60. Yor - The Hunter from the Future
59. Attack of the Monsters (1969)
58. Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983)
57. The Ice Pirates
56. It Came From Outer Space (1953)
55. Jason X
54. The Terrornauts
53. Leprechaun 4: In Space!
52. The Green Slime
51. From Beyond
50. Journey to the Seventh Planet
49. The Time Travelers (1964)
48. Moon Zero Two
47. The Colossus of New York
46. Terror from the Year 5000 (1958)
45. Fantastic Voyage
44. The Fly (1958)
43.  FORBIDDEN PLANET
42. CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH
41. Cherry 2000
40. Babylon 5 Thirdspace
39. Heavy Metal
38. Project: Moonbase (1953)
37. Cosmos: War of the planets
36. ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1958)
35. The Shape of Things to Come
34. The Giant Gila Monster
33. Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes
32. Monster Zero
31. Horror Of The Blood Monsters (AKA Vampire Men of the Lost Planet)
30. PAJAMA PARTY (1964)
29. BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND
28. THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936)
27. Event Horizon
26. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS 1953) 
25. Mars Needs Women
24. STAR CRYSTAL
23. THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD
22. The Thing (1982)
21. INVADERS FROM MARS (1953)
20. When Worlds Collide
19. Creature (AKA Titan Find)
18. Starship Troopers
17. Wing Commander
16. Screamers
15. Pulse
14. Virus
13. Lifeforce
12. Barbarella
11. FLASH GORDON (1980)
10. Leviathan
9. The Brain from Planet Arous
8. Inseminoid (AKA Horror Planet)
7. Serenity
6. DESTINATION MOON (1950)
5. CATWOMEN OF THE MOON (1953)
4. THE TIME MACHINE (1960) 
3. LEXX - I Worship His Shadow
2. FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964)
1. FANTASTIC PLANET (1973)


#
(dis?)Honorable Mentions  BounceGiggle go to::

Robo-Vampire - Robo-Vampire is a convoluted mess that has something to do with a dime store Robocop character set loose on international drug smugglers who use black magic, hopping vampires, an evil ghost woman, and a monster wearing a beat-up "monkey alien" mask from Godzilla Vs. MechaGodzilla. And when I say "dime store Robocop", I mean it in the literal sense because there's one scene where the hero is blown up, and if you pause it at just the right time, you see his stunt double: an empty man-sized suit of tin foil...

It's one of the worst movies I've ever seen, based almost entirely on the p**s-poor production costs, but helped along by Tang's infamous insistence on always covering two movies in pheromones, locking them in a room together, and forcing them to mate until they produce a disturbing hybrid movie. That's right, for anyone unfamiliar with The Tang, he likes to take incomplete movies and splice new material into them to make a complete movie, trying in vain to smoosh the two into some semblance of a coherent movie... and always failing. - AnubisVonMojo
« Last Edit: September 05, 2008, 09:22:32 AM by Kester Pelagius » Logged

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AnubisVonMojo
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« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2008, 06:50:20 PM »

KP, are we going in descending order or going from No.100-200? Question

No.99/101 - Space Mutiny - If you've ever seen the MST3K episode, holy crap, you know why it's here. Featuring the most railing related deaths of any movie in the last century. You could almost use it as a railing safety video it's so bad. Starring the mighty and screamy Reb Brown as our intrepid and generic beefcake hero and the departed John Phillip Law as the insidious Kalgan ("take me away!").
« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 08:16:04 PM by AnubisVonMojo » Logged


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« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2008, 07:00:33 PM »

I nominate Running Man
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Sister Grace
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« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2008, 07:04:31 PM »

What about movies that are broken up into several pieces for television? Such as V (1983)? I'm not sure how this would be classified as a movie or a short series? anyways, however it is seen (series or movie) it is essential to scifi education. I know I've already nominated something and please don't think i'm trying to dominate the list, i was just wondering how you would classify it.
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Kester Pelagius
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« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2008, 07:05:33 PM »

KP, are we going in descending order or going from No.100-200? Question

I was thinking maybe have this be a separate list, so long as Rev. Powell doesn't have any objections?
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« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2008, 07:25:42 PM »

I nominate The Terminator.  Hey, it cost 6.4 million, that qualifies it as a B movie.  The New York Times called it "A B-movie with flair.".  Don't think it needs to much explanation as to why I'd nominate it  TeddyR
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Rev. Powell
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« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2008, 07:32:43 PM »

KP, are we going in descending order or going from No.100-200? Question

I was thinking maybe have this be a separate list, so long as Rev. Powell doesn't have any objections?

Of course not.  The more lists, the merrier.  

As I understand it, these sci-fi movies don't have to be BAD, just b-movies.  I'll nominate:

96. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956).  Clasic 1950s paranoia.
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Kester Pelagius
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Not a Time Lord!


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« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2008, 07:42:19 PM »

What about movies that are broken up into several pieces for television? Such as V (1983)? I'm not sure how this would be classified as a movie or a short series? anyways, however it is seen (series or movie) it is essential to scifi education. I know I've already nominated something and please don't think i'm trying to dominate the list, i was just wondering how you would classify it.


Good question.

Mini-series aren't exactly movies, yet they're not all exactly TV series either even though many may become series and there's many a failed series whose pilot episodes were turned into movies.  (Warlord Battle for the Galaxy for instance.) On the other hand, not that long ago, it was common practice to edit genre series together to create telefilms.  IIRC I originally saw Galactica 1980 and Robin of Sherwood in their telefilm versions, yet both were released to DVD in episodic form.  Came as a surprise to me!

Also some "pilot" episodes were screened theatrically.  This happened with what became the pilot of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.  (The DVD set contains the theatrical movie version of the TV pilot but not the TV edit, which is slightly different.)  And wasn't the Battlestar Galactica series released theatrically in Germany as different movies?

I know the Time Tunnel telefilms still play on AMC or TMC from time to time and the Starlost series seems to exist on video only as telefilms so I'd say include telefilms, but not series, and treat mini-series as extended telefilms and be sure to state which they are.  In the case of telefilms edited from series state which series.  In the case of movies based on series, well, no need to worry about those sine they're already movies!

If that makes sense.

Examples of failed pilots turned movies:

Star Command
Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy
Genesis II (pilot for a Rodenberry PA series)
Planet Earth (see above)
Strange New World (yet another retread of the above)

Examples of telefilms edited together from series:

Destination Moonbase Alpha
Alien Attack
The Starlost: Deception
The Starlost: The Alien Oro
The Starlost: The Beginning
« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 07:45:59 PM by Kester Pelagius » Logged

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« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2008, 07:49:11 PM »

95. Space Truckers

Dennis Hopper, Debi Mazar, and a great role for Charles Dance as well as all manner or craziness make this one a real winner. Plus, it was directed by Stuart Gordon.
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AnubisVonMojo
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« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2008, 08:21:01 PM »

Sorry KP, I don't know why I botched the name, but I meant "Space Mutiny", not "Mutiny In Space". My bad.

Speaking of BAD, I'd like to nominate for No.94 - Assault on Dome 4: Bruce Campbell gets to play the villain in this Assault on Precinct 13... IN SPACE! movie which Campbell has said to have been his favorite role.

That's two of the first 7 I've made. I'll give everybody else a chance now. Heh. Wink
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« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2008, 09:16:18 PM »

93. SILENT RUNNING (1972) An interesting, not often seen film that is accused of being static and slow (mmm, it is) but it's also not one a viewer soon forgets. 
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« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2008, 09:19:31 PM »

Lol, , Allhallowsday stole mine!!!

Flesh Gordon, , I guess that would be 92. .
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« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2008, 09:31:07 PM »

Lol, , Allhallowsday stole mine!!!

Flesh Gordon, , I guess that would be 92. .

Great minds think alike.   Wink
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« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2008, 09:47:13 PM »

How ROBOT MONSTER never made the other list has me stymied (as opposed to spankied or buckwheatied.).

91. ROBOT MONSTER!

Small | Large


I feel bad for Ro-Man....I would tell him how to calulate whatever the hell he's trying to figure out...but I'm getting more confused by the minute just trying to type and  listening to this insane dialouge!
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« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2008, 10:15:42 PM »

How ROBOT MONSTER never made the other list has me stymied (as opposed to spankied or buckwheatied.).

91. ROBOT MONSTER!



Check the other list again (#41): you nominated it!

90.  THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
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