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The Friday Question - Science Fiction

Started by Mike Olbinski · 10 months ago

A special Friday Question this week in honor of Arthur C. Clarke, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 90. A true science fiction author who helped bring us 2001: A Space Odyssey, he was responsible for the idea of satellites orbiting the Earth.
2001 was a movie that I will never forge ... Continue reading »

26 comments

  • R.A. Porter

    1 year ago

    I think I'd have to go with Gattaca.

    R.A. Porter's last blog post..God Bless Yoga Pants
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  • Cap'n Schwartz

    1 year ago

    Best ever... tough one... Matrix is certianly great, Aliens (the second was clearly great), Independence Day, Total Recall, Star Wars series, Transformers....tough call to pick best ever...i
    If I did pick on I might have to pick Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan...
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  • Kory

    1 year ago

    I have never been a huge sci fi fan but I do love Star Wars. I am sure Tracy would go with The Abyss.
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    Wrath of Khan rocked....

    KHAAAAAANNNNNN! KHAAAAANNNNNNNNNN!
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    Ooooh Kory, tell her that I love that pick...The Abyss...what a great movie. The extended edition of it is pretty cool too.
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  • Frank C

    1 year ago

    Name just one? I can't do it. The genre is too broad. But, to list a few: The Matrix, Blade Runner, Alien, Aliens, A Boy and His Dog, The Fifth Element, Donnie Darko.

    Cap'n Schwartz, Transformers? You've gotta be kidding. That movie was one, long, boring commercial for a toy and video game line and GM cars.

    Frank C's last blog post..Niche Blog Content Ideas and Experiences
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  • R.A. Porter

    1 year ago

    Frank C, since you bring up the criminally underappreciated A Boy and His Dog, did you happen to see there's a new print going around? Rotten Tomatoes had an interview about a month ago with LQ Jones about it, the making of the film, and his eclectic career.

    R.A. Porter's last blog post..FSW: The Pep Talk
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    Wow, I never heard much or anything about A Boy and His Dog...I'll have to check that out.
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  • Frank C

    1 year ago

    Mike,

    You can watch it online at BMovies.com: http://www.bmovies.com/movie_page.php/A_Boy_and...

    Frank C's last blog post..Niche Blog Content Ideas and Experiences
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  • Cap'n Schwartz

    1 year ago

    LOL, A boy and his dog?!?! You ask me if i'm serious and you list a boy and his dog? Yeah talk about a true sci-fi that blew everyone away!!!..wait a minute.. no it didnt, noones heard of it!! Was this the one where the dog has built in rocket launchers and take out Megatron A.K.A Mr MBE1... (thats a reference to Transformers in case you saw a GM logo there)....
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  • R.A. Porter

    1 year ago

    I'll assume the Cap'n is joking, comparing a film based on Harlan Ellison's Nebula award winning novella to one based on an ad campaign.

    R.A. Porter's last blog post..FSW: The Pep Talk
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  • Cap'n Schwartz

    1 year ago

    Thats novel chief, not movie... question was what sci-fi movie...dont assume...most movies look to have products in everyday life in them so you can relate to it... they arent going to go make up 18 cars that dont exist for it... they mimicked what they saw, and transformed to it, and you call it an ad campaign?!?! since we are assuming, I'll assume you watch Barnaby Jones and watch him squeel his car tires on a dirt road and say that cant happen...but if you did that you would miss the story while you focus on what you didnt like...
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    *grabs his popcorn*
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  • R.A. Porter

    1 year ago

    Okay, then we'll talk about LQ Jones' Hugo winning movie, A Boy and His Dog. But, you know, I suppose the voters for the Hugo - just science fiction writers - were mistaken on that front that year.

    As for ad campaign, I was speaking about the original Transformers cartoon upon which Bay's movie was based. An ad campaign for toys.

    R.A. Porter's last blog post..FSW: The Pep Talk
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  • Frank C

    1 year ago

    Cap'n is right about one thing. If they did a remake of A Boy and His Dog today they would overdo the product placement and Blood (that's the dog's name) would have missiles shooting out of his butt. Oh, and they would have cut the 'mature' parts to a lewd quip or two. Gotta capture the ADHD audience these days.

    Of course, my low opinion of the Transformers commer...er...movie comes from me being too old to have grown up with the cartoon and toys, to having the watch the movie on 5 hour tour coach ride with my son and the rest of his Cub Scout pack and to my son playing the Transformers DS game non-stop since then. I will say though that Transformers was much better than Treasure Planet.

    Frank C's last blog post..Niche Blog Content Ideas and Experiences
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  • Cap'n Schwartz

    1 year ago

    Well I'll agree with you then, the writers were mistaken that year...
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  • Tim E.

    1 year ago

    Frank C. mentioned Donnie Darko. I really liked that one.
    My vote goes to The Matrix, Reloaded. I could watch the action scenes over and over and over.
    So, once a month or so, I do. I wait till no one's around but my 17 year old son or my 11 year old, and we watch only the action scenes from the park (big Smith dogpile), mountain mansion with the medieval weapons, and the freeway. We skip all the talking and adult only stuff and go right for the bloddy action.

    Tim E.'s last blog post..The Red Deer Book Exchange
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  • R.A. Porter

    1 year ago

    Well played, Cap'n. Nothing takes the air out of an argument like intentionally missing sarcasm. :)

    R.A. Porter's last blog post..FSW: The Pep Talk
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  • Cap'n Schwartz

    1 year ago

    {Insert the Cap'n bowing here}
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  • Rob O.

    1 year ago

    Wow, there are just too many great sci fi movies to narrow this down to one. But the one that probably had the greatest impact upon me was Star Wars. Bear in mind that I saw that in the theater when it originally released (boy, does that date me!).

    But I'm very , very fond of Gattaca if only because it is a subtler kind of sci fi. Very few effects, really. It's a story-driven movie, not a CGI-fest.

    Also, I've gotta mention Primer. Hard science sci fi. Almost no effects. Low budget. It's not an easy movie to figure out until you're already 2/3rds of the way into it, but once it clicks... wow.

    And just for fun factor, Back to the Future rocks!!
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  • BIM

    1 year ago

    Star Wars for me. Same as Rob - saw it in the theater as a kid. Then I saw it again every chance I could.

    Quickly made me a fan of the genre.
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  • The Trousered Ape

    1 year ago

    Shout out to BIM - what's up my brotha...

    My pick - Blade Runner and the blu-ray version is phenomenal! Also, Close Encounters was very good.

    The Trousered Ape's last blog post..Ape 2 - Dentist 1
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    I love the Donnie Darko pick and also Primer, which was mentioned...

    Although the Matrix Reloaded is baffling :)
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  • BIM

    1 year ago

    I like the Blade Runner pick, but only if it is the theatrical version.
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  • Raven Spinner

    1 year ago

    I loved Blade Runner, Total Recal, Minority Report,(yes I am a Philip K. Dick fan), The Chronicals of Ridick and Pitch Black, The 5th Element, The first Matrix movie only(I didn't care for the other two), Star Wars (the original), and Star Treck IV and First Contact. Gosh, I could go on and on.

    Raven Spinner's last blog post..Rascal
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  • Mike

    1 year ago

    What about "Contact" with Jodie Foster? Any takers? I absolutely loved that movie for some reason, my wife hated it :)
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