Get Those Space Boots On And Help Me!

[gp32rich]

I'm late so +1's to Bab5, Farscape, Firefly/Serenity, Defying Gravity

Lexx is weird and gets weirder by each series. It did sail close to the knuckle a few times (especially in the final series) but nothing you wouldn't show your ma. If you see the wrong clips you will get the wrong idea (living ship providing water/nutrients through fleshy tubes? )

Spreading the SciFi genre beyond space opera try Resident Evil (if you've played the games - you will have to view these as a 're-imagining' than 'port')
Aeon Flux - animated series better than film, ... but for Charlize Theron :wub:

The new V is more soap opera with sci-fi than hard sci-fi but interesting and the BSG prequel Caprica is catchy too - if only they'd show full series <_<

If you're liking THX1138, give a try to 1984 (John Hurt being po-faced ) & Brazil (Alan Price is happier in Terry Gilliam's take on 1984)

 

[iprice]

Oops missed that you'd posted The Thing already.

Not sure if this ones' been mentioned, but there's DeadSpace: Downfall. It's an animated movie, but it ticks all of the necessary boxes - space, monsters/aliens, horror. And it's well worth a watch - even if you haven't played the superd XBox/PS3/Wii games that it's based on.

 

[Gilrad]

Live action only? Cowboy Bebop is a must have.

Strongly agree. It pretty much takes everything awesome about American TV and movies over the past fourty years and jettisons it into space. If there is ever a reason to break a cartoon aversion (particularly Japanese animation--some people love it or hate it), this is an excellent reason to do so.

Also would like to add support to Firefly/Serenety. Loved that series so much


And I am amazed at the lack of Total Recall on these lists. Its a classic.

 

[SomeGuy99]

And I am amazed at the lack of Total Recall on these lists. Its a classic.

Talking about Verhoeven: Robocop. Absolute class (but not the sequels).

One of my favourite films ever. The dialogue alone makes it a classic.

 

[hobbyman II]

some not so obvious ones I like (all the others listed are good, got most of em)

Moonraker - yes it's Bond, but it's in space, and it's the ONLY film I have ever seen where space troopers storm a space station, which makes it all the more enjoyable imo

Quatermass and the pit - (hammer version), creepy and well done for it's time, sadly I was only ever able to get the BBC series the movie was based on in DVD format, which is similar, but much slower paced

Flash - (ah-ah!!!) saviour of the universe, made after Star Wars came out but overshadowed by Georges vision and more "fun" (read "camp"), some nice actors and classic lines

Barbarella - ah! Jane Fonda in the (semi)nude bonking her way to galactic salvation, lousy FX but still worth watching for some classic moments (plus you get to learn where the group "Durran Durran" got their name from)

GiJoe - not in space, buts lots of tec and fast paced, nanotech, pulse cannons, accelerator suits and an underwater battle that could have been in space

Forbiden Planet - A classic that still looks pretty good today, learn where Robbie the robot originated

The first men in the moon - another classic with stop motion giant insects inside the moon intent on invading Earth, should have taken some "flit" with em

When worlds collide - yet another classic, escape from the doomed Earth to a new Eden, worth watching imo to see a mechanical integrator at work (real tec of the time) and for the little (half hidden) twist at the end that hinted "sequel"

 

[Fishbong]

If anime is allowed, check out Planetes.

Also, Star Trek 2, 8 and 11 are great, though you might want to watch the series first to add some context. But not all of them, the second half of The Next Generation will probably be enough to get acquainted with the Star Trek universe.

Then there is Battlestar Galactica (2004) and its movie adaptations. I don't think it is possible to enjoy (or understand) the movies without having watched the series, though i can definitely recommend it if you did.

The first(!) Starship Troopers movie is also worth watching. Just don't expect your mind to be blown.

I don't think it is terribly wrong to watch those shows from streaming sites. It is hardly a loss for the media companies if you watch something for free which you wouldn't have bought anyway. If you were in the US, you could stream many of these series legally from hulu and if you buy used DVDs from ebay or watch them on TV, they don't earn anything either. It's really their own fault for forcing you to buy expensive boxsets when they know you can stream or download them for free. If they dont want you to watch their shows for free (or ad-supported like South Park) does, then why not at least let you pay a realistic price to watch a stream?
I know legal Video on Demand services exist, but at least in Germany, they offer far too little variety (i just checked the two major german VoD Portals and none of them had Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica) and are so expensive that renting a season is almost as expensive as buying it on DVD. If you are allowed to rent it that is. It seems most of the US stuff is not rentable, meaning you have to pay about 2,50€€(!) for an episode, making them even more expensive than DVDs but without the bonus material. And they probably are so full of DRM that i wouldn't even download them if it was free. On iTunes there is more variety, but of course you can't rent an episode. And all of these services will only let me watch shows in german, which is completely unacceptable for me.

So fuck you, media companies, if you are losing money it is not because of evil pirates but because you fail to deliver your content in way that makes sense to the consumer. I will certainly not pay Apple 3€€ (half the price of a cinema ticket) to watch an episode of Battlestar Galactica which i can only play on iTunes but not on my PMP or HDD enclosure.

 

[fusion_power]

LEXX was...uh...very interesting. Especialy the Episodes with Eva Habermann. Sadly, the Series was horrible cut and censored in german TV AND DVD release. (No, not the Sex-part but the violence part).
If you like trash and understand german language, I recommend the short but funny "IJON TICHY" Series.

Oh, "FARGATE" :

...AND "Gate Trek" or so...

 

[Dunny]

No love for Firefly and Serenity? Just got the series and the movie, watching them in sequence. Also, any of the John Carpenter films (The Thing was mentioned, I might also suggest "They Live!" for some fantastic sci-fi fun). As for "Space, Above and Beyond", I loved it at the time but it's really showing its age now - and not in a good way. The shite acting doesn't help either

D.

 

[Fishbong]

If parodies count, i can also recommend Star Wreck. A fantastic indie movie that made me laugh so hard at the many irrational concepts found in science fiction.

No love for Firefly and Serenity? Just got the series and the movie, watching them in sequence. Also, any of the John Carpenter films (The Thing was mentioned, I might also suggest "They Live!" for some fantastic sci-fi fun). As for "Space, Above and Beyond", I loved it at the time but it's really showing its age now - and not in a good way. The shite acting doesn't help either

D.

Erm, Firefly/Serenity has been mentioned more than once. And neither the Thing nor They Live plays in space. (Though i loved They Live, the fistfight was brilliant and i have never seen social criticism in a more entertaining way)

 

[Nova]

When I saw the thread, my first thought was Sunshine. But I see you have it already. its a great movie.

Just my 2 cents though, I found thx very dull. I've never watched it all the way through.

I don't know how spacy they are, but three great sci-fi films you must watch are Bladerunner, 2046 and A Scanner Darkly.

Oh, and I don't recommend Pandorum.

 

[Javacat]

Thanks for all of the recommendations so far! From here and other places I've already got 95 new things to get through!! There are quite a few of the films that I've seen already but forgot to mention, other films that I'd totally forgotten exist even though they are classics and some new things I've not heard of before so this should keep me busy.

I've updated my first post with a complete list of recommendations so far. Please keep more coming!

 

[Viral18]

Maybe 'The Fountain' by Darren Aronofsky. Not entirely spacey, though some of the space visuals are stunning (and non-CGI somehow ).

 

[Evil Star]

- Farscape

This.

Also, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In my opinion, the best science fiction ever made.

B) Farscape is the best sci-fi show ever.

Lexx on the other hand is truly appalling and is without a doubt the worst tv show I've ever had the displeasure of witnessing...YUCK!!!

I watched a sci-fi movie a while ago called Outlander, which was decent, not amazing but definitely watchable.

 

[Javacat]

Thanks for the new suggestions.

I've updated the list on my first post and sort of categorised everything now. Lemme know if I've put anything in the wrong place.

There are a few films mentioned, where I'm not sure which version people are actually talking about as there are a few things with the same name. For whoever suggested them, could they clarify? The ones I'm not sure about are:
Brave New World
Cyborg
Crash and Burn
Repo Man
Tetsuo

 

[bnair]

Add my vote for :

Serenity/Firefly
Farscape
Forbidden Planet

and add:

Fantastic Planet (a czech animated film from the 70's)
Red Dwarf!!! how could anyone forget this one???

gah! - ninja'd - didn't read the OP close enough

 

[Viral18]

The ones I'm not sure about are:
...
Tetsuo

(I didn't post Tetsuo) -though both Tetsuo: The Iron man, and Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer are worth watching (though the first is a bit better).

[Edit: As you have a non-spacey section, I'd also recommend Pi by Darren Aronofsky -atmospherically it feels as isolated as a space film, with some stunning black and white visuals.]

 

[Javacat]

Updated!

I think I'll add my original list to the recommendations later tonight to make it a wee bit easier for people to run over.

 

[Nova]

Total Recall?

 

[gaterooze]

Stranded (aka The Shelter)
Moon 44 (note: not "Moon")
Plaguers (really, don't bother. Please. Don't.)
Nightflyers
Dark Fury(?) - the animated Riddick movie

Kind of related:

Capricorn One
The Man From Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Virus

If you're feeling retro, I'd also recommend Macross, Star Blazers and Ulysses 31 cartoons/anime. And Captain Harlock!

 

[gp32rich]

a bit off topic but I see you mentioned red & blue

reminded me of this *ahem* pogram ...