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

[Kester Pelagius]

Hmm well I have to admit to some confusion with regards to this thread. I thought what was wanted was "so bad they're good" type films or "films you just gatta see to believe" instead of genuine good SF B-Movies.

Not merely "good" or "bad" but essential movies.  Movies you feel that others HAVE to see to fully appreciate the 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.   So feel free to nominate any genre defining SF b-movie that you, personally, feel are must see flicks; even if it's a beach party movie.   

EX: I put in STAR CRYSTAL because, well, it is one of those "films you just gatta see to believe" because it's an Alien knock-off with a E.T. twist.  I know, I know it's also incredibly bad.  But I plan to nominate Horror Planet (AKA Inseminoid) and Titan Find (AKA Creature), which are also, IMO, must see Alien knock-offs.  But I put in SC first because, well, it ranks lower for me as a "must see".

Why not GALAXY OF TERROR or FORBIDDEN WORLD?  Because I haven't seen them, or rather haven't watched them since the 80s.  They're AWOL on R1 DVD but I have the others and would, and have, recommended them.

If we're supposed to go that route, a lot of 1950s SF certainly qualifies even THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (a film I thought too good to name here) which features James Arness as the vegetable monster.

I'll second that as an "essential" sci-fi b-movie.

And I might as well nominate. . .

22. The Thing (1982)

[Raffine]

21. INVADERS FROM MARS (1953)



One night, a small boy, David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt), sees a flying saucer land near his home. His scientist father (Leif Erickson) goes to investigate; when he returns, there is an unusual mark on the back of his neck and he behaves in a different, cold and hostile manner. Gradually, David realizes that there is a conspiracy in which the people of the town are one by one becoming cold and inhuman.

With the help of a local astronomer Arthur Franz and health-department physician Helena Carter, he learns that the flying saucer, that has buried itself in a sandpit just behind his home, is the vanguard of an invasion from Mars. The Army is contacted and convinced to investigate, leading to a military penetration of the underground hideout established by the Martians. The troops enter the saucer. Inside they find a Martian, mostly a large head with strange tentacles, encased in a glassy sphere. The Martian mastermind is served by tall, green, silent humanoid "mutants", who use cerebral implants to control the townsfolk in order to sabotage nuclear rocket experiments at a facility just outside of town.
Wikipedia plot summary

[AndyC]

20 - When Worlds Collide

[Kester Pelagius]

19. Creature (AKA Titan Find) - An 80s era Alien knock-off taken back to it's Planet of the Vampire roots with an over-the-top performances (as usual) from Klaus Kinski and Diane Salinger.

[brooky1969]

18. Starship Troopers

Pays tribute to the old classics but adds some modern effects work and features a couple of cute girls. Michael Ironside is his typical badass character and the bugs are pretty awesome. Good violence and Doogie Howser in space elevate it even further.

I hope this qualifies as a B flicker. If not, then you can replace it with Steel Dawn, which was Patrick Swayze in the modern-ish adaptation of Shane.

[Kester Pelagius]

17. Wing Commander

While made pre Uwe Boll, pre the rise of the lame sciffy original movies, this was largely a disappointment to fans of the video games the movie at the time.  However when compared to recent movies adapting video game properties WC is actually not all that bad.  Anyway it's better than Starship Troopers 2.   

[brooky1969]

16. Screamers

Peter Weller on a distant planet battling self-replicating killing machines that burrow into the ground and destroy all enemies. Of course at some point they decide all humans are enemies and the hunt is on. Also features the lovely Jennifer Rubin.

Wing Commander is headed straight into my netflix queue. Been a while since I've seen that one. Good choice. 

[JJ80]

No.15 - "Pulse" (1988) - A malevolent form of electricity (whose source is never explained) endangers a newly wed couple and the husband's son from a previous marriage. Cliff De Young gives a nicely dedicated performance as the Dad in this strange mix of "Poltergeist" and "Maximum Overdrive".

[AndyC]

14 - Virus (1999) - A more recent entry, and a movie I'm really quite fond of. Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Baldwin taking on biomechanical horrors in the middle of a hurricane. Some freaky looking critters in this one. Gotta love it. Worth seeing just to see Donald Sutherland turned into a spidery cyborg sea captain!

[Kester Pelagius]

To continue the theme I'll nominate. .

13. Lifeforce

Starring Mathilda May, directed by Tobe Hooper, with guest appearance by Halley's comet.  ;)  A bit dated but campy space-vampire fun.

[brooky1969]

12. Barbarella

Fantastic sets, interesting characters, and Jane Fonda in skimpy futuristic fashions. Yummy!

[Allhallowsday]

FLASH GORDON ?? (1980)  Watch out for CHEEZEWIZ...
 
Now this was a Big Budget Movie, that was way "B" for me, I guess camp always lends itself to B-worthiness! 

[Jack]

Leviathan - fairly standard Alien knock-off, but with truly excellent characters and a great setting in an underwater mining rig. 

[Dr. Whom]

Did I miss it, or is The Brain from Planet Arous not on this list? If so, I nominate it!

[Kester Pelagius]

8. Inseminoid (AKA Horror Planet)

From director Norman J. Warren comes an not so standard Alien knock-off that starts out similarly to Star Crystal but quickly becomes a LSD nightmare ala Galaxy of Terror as Judy Geeson's character is abducted by an giant phallic E.T. look-a-like space alien and impregnated, soon after to give birth to it's progeny of deadly alien spawn.  This movie is totally mad!

Inseminoid Unrated VHS cover scan (NSFW)