Essentials By Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Submitted by lukeprog on Sun, 07/18/2004 - 09:42
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  • Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
  • Metropolis (1927)
  • Frankenstein (1931)
  • King Kong (1933)
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
  • The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  • A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
  • Planet of the Apes (1968)
  • Star Wars (1977)
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
  • Alien (1979)
  • The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  • Mad Max 2 (1981)
  • Blade Runner (1982)
  • The Terminator (1984)
  • Aliens (1986)
  • Brazil (1985)
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  • Toy Story (1995)
  • The Matrix (1999)
  • Toy Story 2 (1999)
  • The Return of the King (2003)
bertie09/29/2004

I'm curious to know what you mean by 'essential'. This is not a criticism, merely a request for information.

lukeprog09/29/2004

Good question, especially since I wrote this list a long time ago and haven't touched it since. I believe at the time, when I made the list, it was simply a matter of the 'best' of the genre by critical consensus.

One of these days I'm going to have to re-do the whole 'essentials by genre' thing, because I've seen about 500 films since I made this list, and my perception of cinematic history and its artists and products has changed dramatically in that time.

bertie09/30/2004

Best by critical consensus. Okay, thanks. I look forward to the re-do.

lukeprog09/30/2004

I've actually archived them now until I can re-do them :-)

bertie09/30/2004

Notice the blank area at the bottom of my post? I think that's there because I started to discuss the concept of essentiality (wearing my philosopher's hat) and then thought you might think I was having a go at you and erased it - but not properly.

lukeprog10/01/2004

Oh, well I'm missing out, then! Since I'll be re-doing the lists anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what makes an 'essential!' Please!