# EW's Top 25 Film/Television Contributions to Science Fiction



## McMurphy (Jan 7, 2008)

EW.com, the online faction of the magazine Entertainment Weekly, has put together their picks for the top twenty-five "Greatest Moments" of television and film in the last twenty-five years for the Science Fiction genre.  See the list, with details, begin HERE.

A _at-a-glance_ version of the list is posted below:

25.) V 
24.) The Galaxy Quest
23.) Doctor Who
22.) Quantum Leap
21.) Futurama
20.) Star Wars:  Clone Wars
19.) Starship Troopers
18.) Hereos
17.) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
16.) Total Recall
15.) Firefly/Serenity
14.) Children of Men
13.) The Terminator/Terminator 2
12.) Back to the Future
11.) Lost
10.) The Thing
9.) Aliens
8.) Star Trek:  The Next Generation
7.) E.T.
6.) Brazil
5.) Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan
4.) The X-Files
3.) Blade Runner
2.) Battlestar Galactica 
1.) The Matrix


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## ravenus (Jan 7, 2008)

*V*? As in *V for Vendetta*? Where is the frelling SF in that? You can call it alternative history or speculative fiction, but science? Anyway it sucked for me. I think they pretty much missed the point of Alan Moore's book and just brandished a few superficial elements.

No mention of the *Cube* films.

*ET* has better SF moments than *Contact*?

:S


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## iansales (Jan 7, 2008)

No, it's *V* as in the lizard aliens who invaded Earth, starring that bloke from *Nightmare on Elm Street*.


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## iansales (Jan 7, 2008)

I'd also say *Alien* was a more influential film than *Aliens*. It was the start of the franchise, for one thing. In fact, overall that's a pretty safe list - all the films and tv series that are publicly perceived as "good" sf. For example, it's now become a cliché that *The Wrath of Khan* is the best Star Trek film, but have you actually watched it recently? It's an over-inflated television episode. *The Search for Spock* is better - a nicely-drawn character study with some real sfnal moments.


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## ravenus (Jan 7, 2008)

Even *Aliens* is a film about invading lizard aliens 
It's a crap list really, telling people only about the films they've already seen several times over.


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## iansales (Jan 7, 2008)

I'd agree with that. Except for... *Clone Wars*?! Who saw that, besides kids?


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## Connavar (Jan 7, 2008)

11.) Lost


That made the list stupid and fake.......

Battlestar Galactica if they voted the old crap before the best show on tv in the remake, nostalgia is way too powerful.....

I rather listen Time saying BSG is Nr.1 than this list


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## Dave (Jan 7, 2008)

It is certainly a strange list - it has all my favourites there - but the order is all wrong!

I certainly rate _V_ myself, and there was talk of a next generation-like sequel.

_Star Wars: Clones Wars_ - I have actually seen this as my son has the DVD. I don't rate it above the films, and _The Empire Strikes Back_ was the best of those. <ducks to avoid flying objects>

Personally, I think I would replace _Brazil_ with _Twelve Monkeys_, _The Thing_ with _Escape from New York_ and _Wrath of Khan_ with _The Voyage Home_.

I would also lose _E.T._! <ducks to avoid more flying objects>

Maybe I would add _The Fifth Element_ instead, or _Vanilla Sky_, or _Minority Report_.

There are other things I would want to add, but 25 years means it has to be post-1982, and they are just too old! Or else I am!

And I think that is why _Alien_ doesn't make the list (it was 1979).


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## Connavar (Jan 7, 2008)

Tell me you have seen the spanish movie Vanilla Sky was a remake of?  That was a great SF movie....

VS was a letdown in comparison.


V was my first SF tv show and i still love it.  I would watch a sequal anytime !!



Isnt it funny Starship Troopers, a really bad movie survives and makes many list just cause of how different it is from the novel.   Just cuase its dumb hollywood  version ,action feast....


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## iansales (Jan 7, 2008)

*Vanilla Sky* was a poor remake of *Abre los Ojos*. *Starship Troopers* is an excellent pastiche of military sf. Sadly, Dave, I've found *The Voyage Home* has not aged well at all. I remembered it with fondness, but watching it recently it made me cringe. Definitely, yes, *ET* should go home. Spielberg, ugh - never made a good film in his career.


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## j d worthington (Jan 7, 2008)

iansales said:


> *Vanilla Sky* was a poor remake of *Abre los Ojos*. *Starship Troopers* is an excellent pastiche of military sf. Sadly, Dave, I've found *The Voyage Home* has not aged well at all. I remembered it with fondness, but watching it recently it made me cringe. Definitely, yes, *ET* should go home. Spielberg, ugh - never made a good film in his career.


 
Not never, but damned seldom, for my money. I ended up darned near being ostracized because of my reaction to ET when it first came out. Felt a bit (to use one of Ellison's favorite phrases) like a cobra at a mongoose rally....

*Abre los Ojos* is a _very_ nice film. Haven't even bothered with *Vanilla Sky*, I'm afraid. I've not been overly impressed with Hollywood's remakes of foreign films for a very long time (if ever)....

Overall, I found the list to be, at best, uninspired; very "safe" (an apt description there) indeed....


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## McMurphy (Jan 7, 2008)

The magazine Entertainment Weekly is, to put it pleasantly, uninspired most of the time, and has suffered from the latest trend of magazines attempting to publish new lists in every volume.

I saw the link highlighted on my yahoo front page, so I dropped it here for a discussion. 

The only additional point to make, however, is the merit of Starship Trooper.  I don't know if it should be included in a top twenty-five list, either, but it was far from not being self aware, much in the same fashion of the original Robocop, and both films, in their satirical sort of way, were making political points.  

Robocop.  Now, there is a film that should have taken its spot.


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## Tillane (Jan 7, 2008)

Hmm.  Yes, it is a bit uninspired, though a few of their entries would make my own list (Blade Runner, The Terminator, Brazil, X-Files & Alien).  Have to agree with the majority on ET; I've always found it far too cutesy and saccharine to be taken seriously.

I'd have liked to see a few foreign films in there, too: maybe *Akira*, *Ghost In The Shell* and (as others have mentioned) *Abre los Ojos*.  And although I know it often divides opinion, I'd have liked to see *Tron *on there; it's flawed, but I think it's an important film nonetheless.


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## Pyan (Jan 7, 2008)

iansales said:


> Spielberg, ugh - never made a good film in his career.


Schindler's List?


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## ScottSF (Jan 8, 2008)

strange to include movies and TV.  Maybe they couldn't come up with enough or had things they wanted to include.  It's hard to think back to 1982 but I think they really missed some importan ones.  

I think the following belongs on the list
12 Monkeys
Minority Report
AI
Star Trek: First Contact
Contact
2010

and I think these don't belong on the list
V
Galaxy Quest
Futurama
Lost
Heroes
Quantum Leap


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## clovis-man (Jan 8, 2008)

Dave said:


> Maybe I would add _The Fifth Element_ instead, or _Vanilla Sky_, or _Minority Report_.


 
Absolutely should include *The Fifth Element* and *Minority Report*. I would include *Predator* (1987) also over much of the dreck on the list.

Frankly, the list demonstrates such a total lack of respect for the genre that it should probably not get much serious consideration. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep over how my faves were or were not treated in it.

Jim


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## clovis-man (Jan 8, 2008)

pyan said:


> Schindler's List?


 
Here's a list of films he's directed since *Jaws*. There's a decent flick here & there. Including some which could be included in this sage and erudite list. 

Jim

Munich (2005)
War of the Worlds (2005)
The Terminal (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Minority Report (2002)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) 
... aka A.I. Artificial Intelligence (USA: poster title)
The Unfinished Journey (1999)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Amistad (1997)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996) (VG)
Schindler's List (1993)
Jurassic Park (1993) 
... aka JP (USA: promotional abbreviation)
Amazing Stories: Book One (1992) (V) (segment "The Mission")
Hook (1991)
The Visionary (1990) (V) (segment "Par for the Course")
Always (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Empire of the Sun (1987)
The Color Purple (1985)
"Amazing Stories" (2 episodes, 1985)
... aka Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (USA: complete title) 
- The Mission (1985) TV episode 
- Ghost Train (1985) TV episode
"Strokes of Genius" (1984) (mini) TV mini-series (introductory segments) (uncredited)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (segment 2)
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 
... aka E.T. (USA: short title) 
... aka E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary (USA: longer version)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 
... aka Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (USA: video title)
1941 (1979)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) 
... aka CE3K (USA: informal short title) 
... aka Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Special Edition (USA: reissue title)
Jaws (1975)


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## iansales (Jan 8, 2008)

The problem with Spielberg is that he tells the audience how to react in his films, and I would sooner figure out how to react myself. I'll admit I do like *AI*, but bits of it are pretty naff - the Flesh Fair, for example - and I'm not sure which is Kubrick and which is Spielberg. *Munich*... tried to play so fair, it ended up neither condemning nor condoning Israel's behaviour. Good films have something to say, and it's up to the viewer to decide whether or not they agree.


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## Connavar (Jan 8, 2008)

pyan said:


> Schindler's List?



Exactly a great movie and the only movie of Spielberg i rate highly.

Really it was great mostly thanks to the amazing Ralph Fiennes.


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## j d worthington (Jan 8, 2008)

Anent Spielberg... this may be the unkindest cut of all, but it does reflect my honest opinion. I'd say that two of the best things he ever did were *Duel* and the episode "Eyes" from the pilot of the t.v. series _Night Gallery_..... Not that he hasn't done comparable (or better) things since, but that (considering his output) they've been so damned _few_.....


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## Connavar (Jan 8, 2008)

I dislike him mostly cause he opened way for the stupid,empty blockbuster movies.


He killed the era of Scorcese,Pacino,De Niro with Jaws......


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## Urien (Jan 8, 2008)

I tend to disagree, I think Spielberg's body of work is overall exceptional. And if one most have a blockbuster then Jaws is a truly excellent example of one. 

Does he make the odd duff film? Well certainly, who doesn't? But he is responsible for some of the most enduring cinematic images and movies, he has been much imitated and has shown terrific range from Jurassic Park to Schindler's List.


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## Connavar (Jan 8, 2008)

But also he showed special effects can sell movies better than good stories and acting.


Today's hollywood is his legacy.  Special effects are the masters of hollywood.

Sure he did some good movies but he did more damage than good IMO.


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## McMurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

Tillane said:


> Hmm.  Yes, it is a bit uninspired, though a few of their entries would make my own list (Blade Runner, The Terminator, Brazil, X-Files & Alien).  Have to agree with the majority on ET; I've always found it far too cutesy and saccharine to be taken seriously.
> 
> I'd have liked to see a few foreign films in there, too: maybe *Akira*, *Ghost In The Shell* and (as others have mentioned) *Abre los Ojos*.  And although I know it often divides opinion, I'd have liked to see *Tron *on there; it's flawed, but I think it's an important film nonetheless.



I must disagree with the sentiment towards ET and Spielberg in general.  Considering ET is a Jesus figure and being pacifist is a central theme of the film and book, it would only make sense that ET would be a healer, who dies and is resurrected.  As a film, it was a reaction to the trend of alien related film making that bore the likes of Alien during its time.  There was a conscious effort with ET to derail the notion that aliens can be only seen as sources of fear, the embodiment of the terrible unknown.  That said, ET should be on a list involving the last twenty-five years of science fiction related entertainment.

As should Jurassic Park, another immense milestone by Spielberg.  Prior to Jurassic Park, the body of dinosaur related science fiction was, overall, quite bad, yet it, by evidence of the repeated efforts, held a certain level of interest with audiences.  Jurassic Park marked a transitional period in how science fiction ideas were visualized on the big screen.


I do agree with the suggested inclusion of anime.  That venue of film and television science fiction has grown rapidly in both interest and acceptance with Western audiences in the last ten years, and there should be, at least, _a_ figure of representation on the list.


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## clovis-man (Jan 8, 2008)

Connavar of Rigante said:


> But also he showed special effects can sell movies better than good stories and acting.
> 
> 
> Today's hollywood is his legacy. Special effects are the masters of hollywood.
> ...


 
No, no! You're thinking of George Lucas! 

(a quote from *iansales*): _The problem with Spielberg is that he tells the audience how to react in his films, and I would sooner figure out how to react myself. I'll admit I do like *AI*, but bits of it are pretty naff - the Flesh Fair, for example - and I'm not sure which is Kubrick and which is Spielberg. *Munich*... tried to play so fair, it ended up neither condemning nor condoning Israel's behaviour. Good films have something to say, and it's up to the viewer to decide whether or not they agree._ 

Re *Munich*, if he left the issue in an equivocal state, doesn't that fulfill your stated desire for filmmakers to let the audience judge? Actually I thought the message in this one was that if your sole motive is revenge, then you are doomed to become the thing that you hate.

But my own opinion on filmmaking (or just story telling, for that matter) is that the creator of the story should be more than just a messenger. (S)he should have a point of view and the characters and plot shoud reflect that. There's usually a reason that you have empathy with some characters and/or aspects of a tale and not with others: The author/director wanted it that way. You don't have to beat me over the head with it, but a gentle nudge is okay. Some would say that Spielberg is too heavy handed. I find that the attention to detail that he displays outweighs any such considerations as a rule. YMMV of course.

Now to make a feeble attempt to not totally highjack the thread, I would place Spielburg's 1985 _Amazing Stories_ episode, *The Mission* in the pantheon of filmed fantasy tales that are worth the effort to track down. If nothing else, it took two young actors, Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland, and showed that they could convincingly play a role without benefit of hubris and studio hype.

Jim


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## Dave (Jan 8, 2008)

I haven't seen _Abre los Ojos_, though I mean to, and since that inspired _Vanilla Sky_, you are correct that it should be the one to make the list. _Vanilla Sky_ isn't a direct remake though, the director said it was an "extension", and I thought _Abre los Ojos_ was a short film.

Much the same applies to _Twelve Monkeys_ too. I have seen the French short film which inspired that, but there is much more in _Twelve Monkeys_.

As for _A.I._ we have had a discussion before about which parts of it were Spielberg and which parts were Kubrick. It is very easy to tell the difference, and I don't like the Spielberg additions. Having said that _Jurassic Park_ should be on the list, and I see what McMurphy means about the reasons for _E.T._ being there.

I also forgot about _Predator_ which I just saw again on TV.

If the list was really the most influential films of the last 25 years, then it should include those foreign shorts and the animé, and it should lose the blockbusters and franchises. It is just one of those lists that they always have this time of year. Who voted for it? Who decided? I expect that we here are more qualified to make those judgements than them. It produced an interesting thread though.


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## Tillane (Jan 8, 2008)

McMurphy said:


> As a film, it was a reaction to the trend of alien related film making that bore the likes of Alien during its time.  There was a conscious effort with ET to derail the notion that aliens can be only seen as sources of fear, the embodiment of the terrible unknown.


Absolutely agree - but in my opinion Spielberg had already done that, and done it better, with _Close Encounters_ five years earlier (though obviously that film wouldn't qualify for EW's list).  My opinion of ET is simply that, an opinion; I know what Spielberg set out to do - I just didn't enjoy it.

I'd entirely agree with Jurassic Park's inclusion on the list, too.  It's a landmark, ground-breaking film that spawned a load of inferior sequels and cash-in monster movies (Godzilla et al).  And it was damn good fun, too.


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## Pyan (Jan 8, 2008)

My personal opinion is that the only good thing about lists like this is that they open up debate on how non-inclusive and wrong-headed they are...


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## McMurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

It seems that EW's list only complicated matters by feeling the need to infuse both television and film contributions within the same list.

Surely, there has been enough notable marks separately, even when considering just Western publications, to merit two different lists.

If there was going to be a revised list that centers itself around the 25 years of science fiction televised to Western audiences, I imagine that X-Files would remain well noted.


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## McMurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

pyan said:


> My personal opinion is that the only good thing about lists like this is that they open up debate on how non-inclusive and wrong-headed they are...




Shhh!  You are going to spoil everything!


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## iansales (Jan 8, 2008)

Dave said:


> I haven't seen _Abre los Ojos_, though I mean to, and since that inspired _Vanilla Sky_, you are correct that it should be the one to make the list. _Vanilla Sky_ isn't a direct remake though, the director said it was an "extension", and I thought _Abre los Ojos_ was a short film.



No, it's not a short film - 117 mins according to IMDB. I don't know in what respect Cameron Crowe thought *Vanilla Sky* was an "extension" but it wasn't in terms of story...


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## Connavar (Jan 9, 2008)

iansales said:


> No, it's not a short film - 117 mins according to IMDB. I don't know in what respect Cameron Crowe thought *Vanilla Sky* was an "extension" but it wasn't in terms of story...



What did you expect him to say ?  "_eh this movie is nothing new just a direct remake of the spanish movie_ "


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