Sci-Fi movies, TV Series

Radrook said:
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Also, I was very impressed by the intense drama in the 1951 version of The Thing. Later I assumed that the remake was deviating from the original written story. Then I found out that the remake is exactly what the writer, John W. Campbell Jr. had intended to convey and that the 1951 version was the one that had deviated from his concept.

Based on the 1938 John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There?, it tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms.
The Thing (1982 film) - Wikipedia
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I never knew that the '82 version of The Thing was more faithful to the book. Cinematically it was a better picture than was the '51 version, which stands to reason. They really couldn't have made the '82 picture in '51, plus the intense interest in SciFi hadn't yet developed. Both are wonderful films, though.
 
Paco Dennis said:
I was a huge fan of the "X files". They seemed to be right on the line of believability. I liked the diversity of the wide variety of "unexplained" phenomena. I love to watch David Duchovny act and liked the chemistry between him and "Scully".
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We just happen to be wending our way through the series run, although after the first eps of the first season I skipped to season 4. The earlier stuff was too dated to my taste.

But you're right about their chemistry. I guess in a later season they get together. Dochovny is kind of strange. Can't quite put my finger on it.
 
I always loved it when Captain Kirk was totally in the sh*t and then just asked Scottie to beam him aboard.
 
ChiroDoc said:
I never knew that the '82 version of The Thing was more faithful to the book. Cinematically it was a better picture than was the '51 version, which stands to reason. They really couldn't have made the '82 picture in '51, plus the intense interest in Sci-Fi hadn't yet developed. Both are wonderful films, though.
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Yep! Neither had I. I had always assumed that the1951 version had been the correct rendition of the novella and had assumed that the sequel was taking liberties in order to spice things up. Then I read the story and realized the truth.

Films​

The Novel has been adapted three times as a motion picture:

The Thing from Another World (1951) was a rather loose adaptation. It featured James Arness as the Thing, Kenneth Tobey as the USAF officer, and Robert O. Cornthwaite as the lead scientist.

In the 1982 remake The Thing stuck more closely to Campbell's original story. John Carpenter directed the film from a Bill Lancaster screenplay. Prior to John Carpenter's involvement, William F. Nolan, author of Logan's Run, wrote a Who Goes There? screen treatment for Universal Studios in 1978, but it was not published until 2009 in the Rocket Ride Books edition of Who Goes There?; Nolan's alternate take on Campbell's story downplays monster elements in favor of an "imposter" theme, in a vein similar to The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney.

A third adaptation, also titled The Thing, was released on October 14, 2011. It serves as a prequel to the events of Carpenter's film.

A fourth adaptation was announced in 2020 albeit based on Frozen Hell and will be produced by Blumhouse Productions.

Who Goes There?

But of course, you are totally correct. The sequel special effects were totally impossible during 1951 and both are indeed great Sci-Fi movies.

BTW
One thing that baffled me concerning the story is the motive for the alien hostility. The first version has has scientist striving to reason with the alien and has the alien respond by killing him. The same occurs during the film Prometheus, when the engineer first decapitates Dave the android, before killing the human who is communicating with him.
 
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Forbidden Planet is also my long time favorite science fiction film from that early era as am another one that prefers my science fiction close to what is possibly science believable in the future. Terrific concept for an advanced alien race. It always surprises me that many from our generation have never watched that movie.

Weekly watched all the Star Trek tv shows during its original broadcast run. During that era, TV broadcast network entertainment executives generally disliked science fiction series, so due to envy, were quick to shut down that series despite protests from fans.

Alien, Predator, and The Thing (1984) are my other favorites. Not a fan of slasher and usual horror films. I consider The Thing (1984) as arguably the scariest scifi movie ever. With all science fiction, how one enjoys such movies in part depends on one's psychological state going in. I recently watched Alien: Romulus and was bored probably due to the state I was in that day. The Thing dog kennel scene:


 
Radrook said:
[The Thing]
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BTW
One thing that baffled me concerning the story is the motive for the alien hostility. The first version has has scientist striving to reason with the alien and has the alien respond by killing him. The same occurs during the film Prometheus, when the engineer first decapitates Dave the android, before killing the human who is communicating with him.
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Good point. It was never a consideration in the early days: any alien was an enemy. Of course in The Day the Earth Stood Still, Klaatu was friendly, and wanted to have peaceful relationships with Earth, even though his bodyguard robot didn't stand for any guff..

"The Thing" does not connote a friendly being..:) And in a movie it's more fun to have a threatening alien. I think in more modern times there have been a few alien movies that have friendly soles making contact with Earth people. Whenever aliens DO make contact with Earth, I'm sure they'll be friendly.
 
ChiroDoc said:
Good point. It was never a consideration in the early days: any alien was an enemy. Of course in The Day the Earth Stood Still, Klaatu was friendly, and wanted to have peaceful relationships with Earth, even though his bodyguard robot didn't stand for any guff..

"The Thing" does not connote a friendly being..:) And in a movie it's more fun to have a threatening alien. I think in more modern times there have been a few alien movies that have friendly soles making contact with Earth people. Whenever aliens DO make contact with Earth, I'm sure they'll be friendly.
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True, depicting them as unfriendly added to the drama. The film The Angry Red Plane is one extreme example. It involves a very hostile Martian reception, and then finishes with a warming to mankind to keep its distance or else be destroyed.


Yet, from an atheist perspective, we don't really need to imagine any future contact with aliens in a negative light. Such films as 2001 A Space Odyssey, where the are seen as benefactors and ET where they are depicted as curious collectors of plants are based on this benevolent concept.

However, please note that a theist, who is a believer in the biblical account, needs to include that angels and God as extraterrestrials or aliens since their place of dwelling is not the Earth. They would also need to conclude that the contact between mankind and these aliens has not all been friendly. For example, one such an alien is described as maliciously lying and the effects of these aliens, referred to as the Sons of God, meddling in human affairs, is also described being extremely detrimental to human society, both socially and genetically.
 
ChiroDoc said:
It was never a consideration in the early days: any alien was an enemy.
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Not really, though probably more often than not. If you watched This Island Earth (1955) things are more complex than friend vs. enemy. Exeter had a mission but it wasn't at the expense of Earth or humanity and in the end he sacrificed himself.

 
I avoid watching horror or slasher movies (Freddy Exorocist, Texas Chainsaw, Dawn of Dead, etc). They don't scare me but rather I dismiss them as low intelligence science nonsense, quite predictively manipulative by direction, and visually purposely repulsive and disgusting. Due to neural plasticity, we are what we experience so I don't wish to affect my brain exposing it to such garbage. Like clock-work, any cast members that have a scene involving them engaging in seks or being seksy will be followed by a scene of them being the next victims.

The Thing (1984) as arguably the scariest scifi movie ever. The Thing dog kennel scene:

 
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Sorry, that this thread exists slipped my mind, so I posted just posted this thread:
Has Anyone Watched "From" On Amazon Prime?

In addition, I'm on a Sci Fi B movie kick and I'm finding them on several streaming platforms, including Prime, Fawsome and Tubi. I've watched...to name a few:
~Solar Impact (Prime)
~NYC Tornado (Prime)
~Left Behind (Prime)
~Doomsday Meteor (Tubi)
~10.5 Apocalypse (Prime, Tubi)
~Continental Split (Tubi)
As mentioned in the What's the Last Movie You Watched thread, I just finished A Quiet Place: Day One.
 
Does Twilight Zone count? I've been a devoted fan for decades. I raised all three of my kids on it.

I do like science fiction, but I prefer the books. Jules Verne is a favorite, as is H.G. Wells.
 
"Oblivion" (2013) is a pretty good post-apocalyptic science fiction tale. Almost an eerier, different experience on a rewatch where you know what is going on. Not all mysterious movies work well on a second viewing.


Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, and more but costs about $4.00 each place. I can't find anyone offering it free with ads or as part of a subscription.
 
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"Monsters" (2010) is a movie I really like. More of a road movie, it doesn't rely on gore or jump scares. They did a nice job painting the world it takes place in. Low budget but it makes great use of what they had.

Many people finish the movie and don't realize how it ends. Some catch it on a second viewing, others need 3 or more before the penny drops.


Tubi, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and more.
 
dilettante said:
"Monsters" (2010) is a movie I really like. More of a road movie, it doesn't rely on gore or jump scares. They did a nice job painting the world it takes place in. Low budget but it makes great use of what they had.

Many people finish the movie and don't realize how it ends. Some catch it on a second viewing, others need 3 or more before the penny drops.


Tubi, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and more.
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I was disappointed with this movie.
 
Nathan said:
I liked the Enterprise series but I have to say Voyager is my favorite. Of course I did like all the older and newer series as well. However I did get bored with Picard and didn't finish watching it.
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Me too! Seven of nine's development in Piccard was outstanding, I would suggest you re-think your decision. Yes Season 1 was boring but Seasons 2 and 3 were much better. Time travel, alternate realities and much more were done in excellent sci-fi fashion!
 
Season 3 of The Way Home on Halmark comes out next year. It is a good show with a nice twist on time travel.
 

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