Worlds of Wonder: Sci-Fi Goodness (and a bit of goofy fun)
by grendelkhan | created - 23 Jun 2013 | updated - 04 May 2016 | PublicI'm a sucker for worlds of imagination, so sci-fi has always been a favorite, even when it's been a bit cheesy (some of us have a sense of humor about this stuff). These are movie and tv show favorites; some are groundbreaking, some awe inspiring, some puzzling, and many are just plain silly. What's the point of having a future if it isn't at least fun? I'm skipping superheroes, if you don't mind, as I have covered them on another list.
Now, "Mr. Sulu, ahead warp factor 10!" "Aye, aye, Captain!" "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my parent's basement."
Some spoilers ahead...
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
TV-G | 13 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet
Votes: 55,733
George Melies classic silent film about a group of scientists who travel to the moon, via a cannon-launched projectile. The film loosely adapts Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, and was a wonder of special effects, for its time. Edison ripped him off before he could bring the film to the US.
2. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
Passed | 85 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A French professor and his daughter accompany Captain Nemo on an adventure aboard a submarine.
Director: Stuart Paton | Stars: Allen Holubar, Dan Hanlon, Edna Pendleton, Curtis Benton
Votes: 1,986 | Gross: $8.00M
Early silent version of the Verne classic, with the ultimate science pirate, Captain Nemo. The title refers to the distance travelled, not the depth, for the smarty pants at Saturday Night Live (a sketch from the 90s).
3. Aelita, the Queen of Mars (1924)
Not Rated | 111 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Engineer Mstislav Sergeyevich Los travels to Mars where he leads a popular uprising against the ruling group of Elders with the support of Queen Aelita who has fallen in love with him after watching him through a telescope.
Director: Yakov Protazanov | Stars: Yuliya Solntseva, Igor Ilyinsky, Nikolai Tsereteli, Nikolay Batalov
Votes: 2,891
Early Russian sci-fi extravaganza. I've only seen photos; but, it looks amazing. It gets high praises from movie historians. Very imaginative look, right there with Lang.
4. Metropolis (1927)
Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Votes: 185,458 | Gross: $1.24M
One of the true visual wonders of the silent era. Fritz Lang brings to life this tale of a monstrous city, where the elite live in grand towers, while the workers toil underground. One of the first uses of sci-fi cinema to make social criticisms, though there is plenty of that in Verne's work. The robot version of Maria would inspire the design of C3PO, which may explain why he acts that way.
5. Just Imagine (1930)
Passed | 113 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
New York, 1980: airplanes have replaced cars, numbers have replaced names, pills have replaced food, government-arranged marriages have replaced love, and test tube babies have replaced ...... See full summary »
Director: David Butler | Stars: El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White
Votes: 849
This is essentially a musical comedy, but it features some fantastic sets and interesting visuals. The main story is nothing to write home about.
6. Frankenstein (1931)
Passed | 70 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles
Votes: 79,681
This film straddles both the scientific and the horrific. The mad genius Dr. Frankenstein tries to creat artificial life, with tragic consequences. Boris Karloff made the monster human. The film departs quite a bit from Mary Shelly, but is probably the better known version. It would influence many things, both in the sci-fi and horror worlds.
7. Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Passed | 70 min | Film-Noir, Horror, Sci-Fi
A mad doctor conducts ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor who finds himself trapped there.
Director: Erle C. Kenton | Stars: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams
Votes: 10,900
Charles Laughton is Dr. Moreau in this early adaptation of HG Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau. Wells' metaphoric tale of genetic experiments is ably brought to life.
8. The Invisible Man (1933)
TV-PG | 71 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers
Votes: 39,919
Claude Rains stars in this adaptation of HG Wells. Again, this is as much horror as sci-fi, with Rains very effective as the scientist driven mad by his condition.
9. F.P.1 Doesn't Answer (1932)
114 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
Urged by famous airman Ellissen the Lennartz Company puts into reality the project proposed by his friend Droste: F.P.1, a huge floating platform in the Atlantic that makes long-distance ... See full summary »
Director: Karl Hartl | Stars: Hans Albers, Sybille Schmitz, Paul Hartmann, Peter Lorre
Votes: 306
Really two films, a German one and then an English one. An engineer designs and builds a masive floating platform (the FP1 of the title) that is to be a waystation in the Atlantic, for air and sea travel. However, from the start, there are people trying to sabotage it. Conrad Veidt plays a playboy aviator who lends a hand. The design is interesting and the plot is good, but much of the acting revolves around the pseudo-romance. May be a bit dull for modern audiences.
10. The Phantom Empire (1935)
Approved | 245 min | Drama, Family, Romance
When the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns beneath the sea. Cowboy singer Gene Autry stumbles upon the civilization, now buried ... See full summary »
Directors: Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason | Stars: Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, Betsy King Ross, Dorothy Christy
Votes: 539
Gene Autrey stars in this serial, as himself. A group of mysterious marauders is chased by Autry, only to find an underground advanced civilization. Autry gets caught up in the intrigue, but has to keep cutting out to record his radio show, or he will lose his ranch. This silliness tends to pull the plot to a halt, which keeps an otherwise good serial from becoming great.
11. Things to Come (1936)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, War
The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.
Director: William Cameron Menzies | Stars: Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott
Votes: 9,060
William Menzes directs this visually amazing tale of HG Wells' predictions of the coming future. Raymond Massey stars as John Cabal, a somewhat cynical man who is faced with man's stupidity as war breaks out. He joins together with a group of aviators and technocrats to bring about a new civilization, from the ashes of the old. Ralph Richardson is the "Boss," a petty tyrant with dreams of conquest. The acting is rather operatic and more than a bit pompous, but the visuals are stunning, from the Wings Over the World super bombers to the building of an underground utopia, to the moon launch at the climax. The film is a real triumph of modern design and imagination.
12. Flash Gordon (1936)
Passed | 245 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Alexis Zarkov visit the planet Mongo to thwart the evil schemes of Emperor Ming the Merciless, who has set his planet on a collision course with Earth.
Directors: Frederick Stephani, Ray Taylor | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson
Votes: 2,658
The first of Universal's Flash Gordon serials. This one sticks relatively close to the comic strips, as Flash, Dale, and Zarkov travel to Mongo to try and stop it from colliding with Earth. Neither the serial or the original strip ever address how they were supposed to do this and it is quickly forgotten. The acting is rather stiff, and some of the costumes are a bit clunky, not to mention, many of the actors weren't quite as athletic as Buster Crabbe, but it's a lot of fun and keeps you interested, once you get used to the rocket ships flying in circles. Universal gave this one a feature budget and it shows.
13. Undersea Kingdom (1936)
Approved | 226 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of earthquakes, Atlantis. They ride Prof. ... See full summary »
Directors: B. Reeves Eason, Joseph Kane | Stars: Ray Corrigan, Lois Wilde, Monte Blue, William Farnum
Votes: 634
This was Republic Studios' attempt at duplicating Flash Gordon. It doesn't have the same budget or imagination, but it makes up for it in action and beefcake. Ray "Crash" Corrigan is the hero, who is part of a naval expedition to Lake Pahoe, I mean, find a lost world. They find dictators, super tanks, and clunky robots, and a lot of guys in bedsheets, though they don't appear to be part of the KKK. Silly fun for a while, but you are ready for it to end far sooner than it does. Try it in small doses.
14. Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
Approved | 299 min | Action, Adventure, Family
When a deadly Nitron ray strikes Earth, Flash Gordon and his friends travel to Mars to battle Ming the Merciless and his new ally Queen Azura.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Robert F. Hill, Frederick Stephani | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Frank Shannon
Votes: 1,052
Flash and the gang are back, as they try to thwart Ming's new plan, while meeting Queen Azura. Lots of great action here, much of which would inspire Star Wars.
15. Buck Rogers (1939)
Approved | 237 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A 20th Century pilot named Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade awake from 500 years in suspended animation to find that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore, Jackie Moran, Jack Mulhall
Votes: 997
Buster Crabbe also starred as the original sci-fi comic hero, Buck Rogers. In a slight deviation from the strip, Buck and Buddy Deering are frozen by gasses, after an airship crash, only to wake up in the future. There, they help stop the scemes of the evil Kane. Pretty good visuals here. George Lucas later used a clip at the beginning of THX 1138.
16. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
Approved | 195 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov return to the planet Mongo for an antidote to the Purple Death, which wreaking destruction on Earth. However, Ming the Merciless has other plans for them.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles Middleton, Anne Gwynne
Votes: 1,498
Flash and his friends help out Queen Fria and King Ronal, rulers of Frigia, as they fight the evil Ming's schemes. Plenty of daring do and the usual circling space ships. The title crawl at the start of each episode would find its way to Star Wars.
17. The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938)
Approved | 204 min | Adventure
The US marine corps must battle a would-be world conqueror who uses electricity as a weapon.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Lee Powell, Bruce Bennett, Eleanor Stewart, Montagu Love
Votes: 125
An evil villain, the Lightning, launches attacks on the world, from his flying wing, while he launches electric torpedoes. It's up to a pair of US Marines to try and stop him. Much of the footage is recycled from Dick Tracy (including the flying wing) but the villain is brand new. His black costume and helmet would inspire Darth Vader.
18. Brick Bradford (1947)
Approved | 257 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An adventurer travels to the moon to stop a madman from getting hold of the Interceptor Ray, a weapon that could destroy Earth.
Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet, Thomas Carr | Stars: Kane Richmond, Rick Vallin, Linda Leighton, Pierre Watkin
Votes: 95
This was one of the rivals of Flash Gordon, an adventurer who travels through time in his Time Top. I have no idea how faithful the serial was.
19. Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949–1955)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
"Guardian of the Safety of the World", private citizen-scientist Captain Video, assisted by his teenage helper The Ranger and an army of Video Rangers, preserves the peace in the far-off ... See full summary »
Stars: Don Hastings, Al Hodge, Hal Conklin, Ben Lackland
Votes: 135
Another of the early sci-fi television series; one of the first, actually. This was a big hit with kids, back in the day.
20. King of the Rocket Men (1949)
Passed | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Jeff King in his experimental rocket suit battles the evil Dr. Vulcan.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty, House Peters Jr.
Votes: 965
Wonderful Republic serial about a scientist who fights saboteurs, using a rocket pack. The enemy uses all kinds of scientific devices to kill and wreak havoc. This is the best of the three serials.
21. Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950–1955)
15 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Four centuries into the future, Cadets Tom Corbett, Roger Manning and Astro are training to become Solar Guards. Their ship, the "Polaris" took them to numerous adventures, usually natural catastrophes rather than villains.
Stars: Frankie Thomas, Al Markim, Jan Merlin, Jack Grimes
Votes: 113
One of the early tv adventure shows, low on budget but not ideas. Its hard to take these things seriously, though.
22. Flying Disc Man from Mars (1950)
Passed | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A hero single-handedly sets himself against Martians trying to assume control of Earth.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Walter Reed, Lois Collier, Gregory Gaye, James Craven
Votes: 290
Another sci-fi serial, though not felt to be in the same caliber as King of the Rocketmen or even the Phantom Empire. The budgets in these things don't lend themselves well to great visuals, apart from the Lyedecker Brothers.
23. Rocketship X-M (1950)
Approved | 77 min | Family, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew on their way to the Moon are unexpectedly propelled by gravitational forces and end up on Mars instead.
Director: Kurt Neumann | Stars: Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, John Emery, Noah Beery Jr.
Votes: 2,495
One of the early sci-fi films with a great eye towards scientific accuracy. It's still a bit laughable, and more than a bit plodding, but it tries for serious. The Mysties roughed it up a bit.
24. Destination Moon (1950)
Not Rated | 92 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
"Destination Moon", tells the tale of when Doctor Charles Cargraves and retired General Thayer approach Jim Barnes, the head of his own aviation construction firms to help build a rocket that will take them to the moon.
Director: Irving Pichel | Stars: John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, Dick Wesson
Votes: 4,691 | Gross: $5.00M
Another early techno/sci-fi film, with ideas from Robert Heinlein. Unfortunately, they deviate a bit too much, but it's not a bad attempt.
25. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
G | 92 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe
Votes: 85,741
One of the first truly serious sci-fi films, with an alien ambassador who comes to Earth to try to steer it from the path of war and destruction. He is aided by his robot Gort. Of course, some trigger happy earthling stirs things up. Great film from Robert Wise. Forget the Keanu version.
26. The Thing from Another World (1951)
Approved | 87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.
Directors: Christian Nyby, Howard Hawks | Stars: Kenneth Tobey, Margaret Sheridan, James Arness, Robert Cornthwaite
Votes: 33,340
Classic sci-fi/horror tale of an alien that can take on other forms, who infiltrates a remote Arctic outpost. It would be remade by John Carpenter, in the 80s.
27. Radar Men from the Moon (1952)
Approved | 167 min | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
Strategic targets on Earth are being destroyed by an unknown weapon. Government security head Henderson suspects it's an "atomic ray" originating from the moon.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: George D. Wallace, Aline Towne, Roy Barcroft, William Bakewell
Votes: 1,180
This time, the hero is known as Commando Cody, as he fights an attack from the moon. It gets a bit ponderous and many of the props are recycled from other serials.
28. Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)
Passed | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The invaders come to Earth to create an H-bomb to blast Earth out of orbit so that Mars can take its place.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, Wilson Wood, Lane Bradford
Votes: 480
Last of the rocket man serials, with the rocket propelled hero fighting aliens, including a pre-Spock Leonard Nimoy. Things are pretty tired by this point, but the effects are good.
29. The War of the Worlds (1953)
G | 85 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.
Director: Byron Haskin | Stars: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite
Votes: 38,511 | Gross: $4.36M
HG Wells masterpiece is brought to life by George Pal. Things are moved up from the Victorian era to the present, though the tripods are replaced with flying ships, with heat rays. A flying wing (via stock footage) helps save the day, along with Dr. Clayton Forrester (not the mad scientist at Deep 13). Much more fun than the Tom Cruise remake.
30. Invaders from Mars (1953)
Approved | 78 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.
Director: William Cameron Menzies | Stars: Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson
Votes: 8,830
The Martians are coming, in this metaphor of Cold War paranoia. The acting is not quite Oscar calliber, but it's goofy fun.
31. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
G | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre
Votes: 37,152 | Gross: $28.20M
The classic version of Verne's tale, featuring James Mason as the definitive Nemo. Disney went to town here, creating the truly iconic Nautillus. Verne's social critique survives, amazingly.
32. Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954)
26 min | Family, Sci-Fi
Cruising the galaxy in his space ship "The Orbit Jet" Space Ranger, Rocky Jones, Vena Ray, and 10 year-old Bobby defend the Earth and themselves against space-bound evil doers.
Stars: Richard Crane, Sally Mansfield, Scotty Beckett, Robert Lyden
Votes: 236
Another early tv sci-fi series. It's big on imagination but rather light on budget. It has a certain campy charm and the Mysties weren't too hard on it.
33. Flash Gordon (1954–1955)
30 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Space hero Flash Gordon and his crew of the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation patrol space, battling space monsters, power-mad alien dictators and other threats to the stability of the universe.
Stars: Steve Holland, Irene Champlin, Joseph Nash, Henry Beckman
Votes: 295
Steve Holland stars as the earth hero, with not much budget. The show did make use of footage of post war Berlin, complete with bomb damage. Harris would also serve as James Bama's model for his seminal Doc Savage covers for the Bantam paperback reprint series.
34. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
Not Rated | 78 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Professor Bernard Quatermass' manned rocket ship returns to Earth, but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate.
Director: Val Guest | Stars: Brian Donlevy, Jack Warner, Richard Wordsworth, Margia Dean
Votes: 7,180
The British launch a mission into space, but what comes back isn't human, and it may be unstoppable. This is a feature adaptation of the first Professor Quartermass serial, also known as the Creeping Unknown. The character would serve to influence many future scientist heroes, especially Doctor Who.
35. This Island Earth (1955)
Passed | 86 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Aliens come to Earth seeking scientists to help them in their war.
Directors: Joseph M. Newman, Jack Arnold | Stars: Jeff Morrow, Faith Domergue, Rex Reason, Lance Fuller
Votes: 10,674
This has some nice effects and interesting ideas, but its kind of a glorified monster movie, albeit a big-budget one. I kept waiting for Russel Johnson to whip up a death ray with coconuts and bamboo. Best view with Mike and the Bots, if you ask me.
36. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Unrated | 83 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Extraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact a scientist as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.
Director: Fred F. Sears | Stars: Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis, Morris Ankrum
Votes: 9,103
Alien invaders menace the earth, but they aren't very good drivers, crashing into the US Capitol Building. One of the seminal "alien invasion" films of the 50s.
37. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Approved | 80 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan
Votes: 54,726
Adaptation of Robert Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters," though not much of Heinlein made it into the film. The original bunch of "pod people." This is pure 50s paranoia.
38. Forbidden Planet (1956)
G | 98 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
A starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.
Director: Fred M. Wilcox | Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens
Votes: 53,167 | Gross: $3.00M
One of the transitional sci-fi films, where we start to move away from monsters and invaders into more abstract concepts. MGM put some serious money into the film and it is a feast for the eyes. The cast is great, too, with Walter Pidgeon and Ann Francis as the father and daughter duo on the planet, and Leslie Nielsen as the heroic spaceship captain. This was a huge influence on Star Trek and much of the sci-fi of the 60s. Hard to believe Leslie Nielsen as a straight hero, if you have only seen him in the Zucker Bros. spoofs (or in his various roles as heavies, in 70s tv shows).
39. Quatermass 2 (1957)
Approved | 85 min | Sci-Fi, Horror
Professor Quatermass, trying to gather support for his Lunar colonisation project, is intrigued by mysterious traces that have been showing up.
Director: Val Guest | Stars: Brian Donlevy, John Longden, Sidney James, Bryan Forbes
Votes: 4,653
Second Quartermass feature, with Brian Donlevy back as the heroic Prof. Quartermass. This is still very Americanized, compared to the tv original.
40. The Mysterians (1957)
Approved | 85 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Shortly after a giant robot destroys a village, aliens from outer space arrive offering friendship. Will the people of Earth tie these two events together?
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Momoko Kôchi, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 1,896 | Gross: $0.98M
Toho-produced sci-fi film, in which aliens seem to come to earth in peace. It's all a cover and they unleash a giant robot weapon to wreak havoc. Toho couldn't quite leave the monster stuff behind.
41. From the Earth to the Moon (1958)
Approved | 101 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
In 1868, American inventor Victor Barbicane develops a powerful military explosive that he also uses as fuel for a moon-bound rocket manned by himself and a motley crew.
Director: Byron Haskin | Stars: Joseph Cotten, George Sanders, Debra Paget, Don Dubbins
Votes: 1,751
Joseph Cotton stars in this adaptation of Jules Verne's tale of a moon mission, launched via cannon. The story is a bit bland, which mars the wonder of the thing.
42. The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
TV-PG | 51 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.
Stars: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, James Turley
Votes: 93,094
Legendary anthology of sci-fi and horror tales, with iconic stories and performances. The worst episode beats most things today. features many episodes from noted authors, such as Richard Matheson and George Clayton Johnson, as well as Sirling himself.
43. The Time Machine (1960)
G | 103 min | Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi
A man's vision for a utopian society is disillusioned when travelling forward into time reveals a dark and dangerous society.
Director: George Pal | Stars: Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot
Votes: 44,828
George Pal brings HG Wells tale of a time traveller to life, with Rod Taylor as the inventor and pilot of the machine. It departs here and there but wonderfully captures the main story, with great visual flair.
44. Visit to a Small Planet (1960)
Not Rated | 85 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...
Director: Norman Taurog | Stars: Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, Fred Clark
Votes: 1,455
Jerry Lewis stars as an alien visitor to the Earth, in this comedy. More than a bit of a departure for Lewis, though it tends to follow the usual structure of his movies. This one isn't seen much, compared to his other films. It's a shame, as it is rather good.
45. Assignment: Outer Space (1960)
Unrated | 73 min | Sci-Fi
In the 22nd Century, Ray Peterson, reporter for the Interplanetary News, is assigned to write a story aboard a space station.
Director: Antonio Margheriti | Stars: Rik Van Nutter, Gabriella Farinon, David Montresor, Archie Savage
Votes: 1,042
Antonio Margheriti's first Gamma One film, featuring a reporter and a space station captain who but heads. Meanwhile, a spaceship is headed toward earth but it's radiation could kill everyone on the planet. Not up to his later Wild Wild Planet
46. Mysterious Island (1961)
Not Rated | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
During the Civil War a group of Union soldiers, a Confederate and a civilian escape the stockade using a hot-air balloon and end up on a strange Pacific island.
Director: Cy Endfield | Stars: Michael Craig, Joan Greenwood, Michael Callan, Gary Merrill
Votes: 8,537
Sequel to 20,000 Leagues finds a group of Union soldiers who escape from a Confederate prison in a balloon. They end up lost in a storm and land on a strange island, with giant animals. They eventially find Nemo and the wreck of the Nautillus. Known for its wild visuals, from Ray Harryhausen, there isn't as much science here.
47. Master of the World (1961)
Approved | 102 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
In 1868, an American scientist and his team become hostages of fanatical pacifist Robur who uses his airship Albatross to destroy military targets on Earth.
Director: William Witney | Stars: Vincent Price, Charles Bronson, Henry Hull, Mary Webster
Votes: 3,519
Verne's other great science pirate threatens the world, if they can't throw away their arms and learn to live without war. The script is cobbled together from both Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World, but Robur is turned into Nemo. Charles Bronson is a rather stiff hero, but Vincent Price makes up for it. The airship looks fantastic.
48. Supercar (1961–1962)
30 min | Family, Sci-Fi
The adventures of the crew of Supercar, an amazing land, sea, and air vehicle, based at a secret laboratory in the Nevada Desert in 1961.
Stars: David Graham, Graydon Gould, Sylvia Anderson, George Murcell
Votes: 393
One of the early Gerry Anderson shows, centered around a fantastic vehicle, which would establish the premise for his shows for years to come.
49. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
When the Earth is threatened by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, U.S. Navy Admiral Harriman Nelson plans to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt, using his experimental atomic submarine, the Seaview.
Director: Irwin Allen | Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, Peter Lorre
Votes: 6,659
Irwin Allen's movie about a high-tech sub that has to find a solution to radiation poisoning from the Van Allen belt. the movie would spawn the tv series, though this has Walter Pidgeon as the Admiral, as well as Barbara Eden and Michael Ansara.
50. Battle of the Worlds (1961)
Unrated | 84 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers.
Director: Antonio Margheriti | Stars: Claude Rains, Bill Carter, Umberto Orsini, Maya Brent
Votes: 981
Claude Rains appears in this Italian sci-fi film from director Antonio Margheriti. An asteroid goes into orbit around the earth, instead of crashing into it, then launches a fleet of ships to attack the earth. Don't expect ILM effects work. Part of the director's Gamma One series.
51. Space Angel (1962– )
Not Rated | 30 min | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
Scott McCloud is the Space Angel, a secret agent for EBI (Earth Bureau of Investigation) on board the spaceship Starduster fighting hard to protect the solar system.
Stars: Ned Le Fevre, Margaret Kerry, Hal Smith, Johnny Coons
Votes: 131
Pure pulp sci-fi, with lush detail from Alex Toth and Doug Wildey. The stories were great, even if there wasn't much motion, apart from super-imposed lips. One of my favorites, as a kid
52. Fireball XL5 (1962–1963)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Action, Drama
The interplanetary adventures of the crew of the World Space Patrol (W.S.P.) spacecraft Fireball XL5, patrolling Sector 25 of the galaxy in the year 2062.
Stars: David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Paul Maxwell, John Bluthal
Votes: 706
Gerry Anderson show about a rocket captain and his adventures. The Anderson shows tended to be a bit heavy on the gadgets, moreso than the characters.
53. The Day of the Triffids (1963)
Approved | 93 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
After an unusual meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind, a merchant navy officer must find a way to conquer tall, aggressive plants which are feeding on people and animals.
Directors: Steve Sekely, Freddie Francis | Stars: Howard Keel, Nicole Maurey, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore
Votes: 8,919
Superior alien invader film, based on the British sci-fi classic.
54. The Outer Limits (1963–1965)
TV-PG | 51 min | Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series of insightful science fiction tales.
Stars: Bob Johnson, Ben Wright, William Douglas, Robert Culp
Votes: 9,300
Lesser series, only in the shadow of the Twilight Zone. It had a bigger penchant for monsters, but featured some excellent stories, especially a pair from Harlan Ellison (The Soldier and Demon With a Glass Hand) which would be swiped for a certain Terminator. Ellison didn't take it lying down.
55. The Jetsons (1962–1963)
TV-Y7 | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
The misadventures of a futuristic family.
Stars: George O'Hanlon, Janet Waldo, Mel Blanc, Penny Singleton
Votes: 23,955
Really just a family sitcom, set in the future; but, what a future! There was sci-fi all around and some of the gadgets came to pass. Lots of fun, with a great cast and some excellent comedy.
56. Doctor Who (1963–1989)
TV-PG | 25 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
The adventures in time and space of the Doctor, a Time Lord who changes appearance and personality by regenerating when near death, and is joined by companions in battles against aliens and other megalomaniacs.
Stars: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker
Votes: 39,512
The BBC launched this classic series, right after the assassination of John F Kennedy. Despite this, the series proved a hit and would last for about 25 years, before politics and penny pinching killed it. William Hartnell started as the mysterious and cranky old Doctor, who is less trustworthy than his successors. Patrick Troughton would follow, establishing his own, lighter personality, ensuring the series would live on. Jon Pertwee made the Doctor a man of action, while Tom Baker gave him a wicked sense of humor and a truly alien point of view. Peter Davison made hima decent guy, while Colin Baker gave him an inflated sense of ego. Sylvester McCoy brought back some of the moral grounding and eccentricity, but suffered badly due to politics (though Colin Baker got the worst of it). Thrill to Daleks and Cybermen, UNIT and the Master, and everything inbetween.
57. Atragon (1963)
TV-Y7 | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When an ancient underground civilization and their snake-like guardian plots to reclaim the surface world, those of the surface fights back.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Yôko Fujiyama, Yû Fujiki, Kenji Sahara
Votes: 1,514
Toho film, from Ishiro Honda (Godzilla), about a high tech sub that encounters people from the lost continent of Mu. Typical Toho monsters and model work, from Eiji Tsuburaya.
58. Jonny Quest (1964–1965)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The Quest family and their bodyguard investigate strange phenomena and battle villains around the world.
Stars: Mike Road, Tim Matheson, Don Messick, Danny Bravo
Votes: 5,319
Awesome adventure show, with many sci-fi themes and advanced technology. It was like Popular Science, crossed with Terry and the Pirates and John Campbell magazines.
59. First Men in the Moon (1964)
Not Rated | 103 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
When a spaceship lands on the moon, it is hailed as a new accomplishment, before it becomes clear that a Victorian party completed the journey in 1899, leading investigators to that mission's last survivor.
Director: Nathan Juran | Stars: Edward Judd, Martha Hyer, Lionel Jeffries, Miles Malleson
Votes: 6,411 | Gross: $1.65M
Rather campy British film, based on the HG Wells story. It has a nice Victorian look and is played straight, but it is hard to take seriously.
60. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1968)
TV-G | 52 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
The submarine Seaview is commissioned to investigate the mysteries of the seas. Usually it finds more problems than answers...
Stars: Richard Basehart, David Hedison, Robert Dowdell, Del Monroe
Votes: 4,203
TV series that followed the movie, starring Richard Basehart and David Heddison. Full of monsters, spies, and other conflicts.
61. Stingray (1964–1965)
30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Follows the adventures of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, particularly the crew of its most advanced combat submarine called Stingray.
Stars: Ray Barrett, David Graham, Robert Easton, Don Mason
Votes: 1,426
Things are getting more sophisticated in the Supermarionation realm, as the model work evolves and the puppets are more mobile. The gang is still heavily in love with their model shots.
62. Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
Not Rated | 110 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
Stranded on Mars with only a monkey as a companion, an astronaut must figure out how to find oxygen, water, and food on the lifeless planet.
Director: Byron Haskin | Stars: Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin, Adam West, The Woolly Monkey
Votes: 7,154
Interesting little film about a spaceship stranded on Mars. There is ultimately only one survivor, who has a chimp as a companion and encounters an escaped slave, who is hunted by an alien ship. Rather dark film, though never boring.
63. The Wild, Wild Planet (1966)
Approved | 93 min | Sci-Fi
A deranged scientist is using his employer's top-secret bio-laboratory to engage in clandestine experiments. When he starts kidnapping leading citizens for use in his twisted tests, it's up to rogue cop Mike Halstead to come to the rescue.
Director: Antonio Margheriti | Stars: Tony Russel, Lisa Gastoni, Massimo Serato, Carlo Giustini
Votes: 1,126
Italian sci-fi film (aka Wild, Wild Planet) about a scientist who kidnaps leading citizens for experiments. The designs are great and the film reflects the 60s pop-art style.
64. Thunderbirds (1965–1966)
TV-G | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Family
In the year 2065, the Tracy family run International Rescue - a top-secret organization whose ongoing mission is to rescue people trapped in extraordinarily dangerous situations using their advanced Thunderbirds machines.
Stars: Sylvia Anderson, Peter Dyneley, David Graham, Shane Rimmer
Votes: 5,111
Gerry Anderson's masterpiece, in most fans eyes. For once, their are some decent characters and each episode is a race against time. The model work is excellent, but be prepared for long launch sequences and the like. Nobody ever just climbs through a door to get into a Supermarionation vehicle. Popular enough for a couple of movies.
65. Lost in Space (1965–1968)
TV-G | 60 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A space colony family struggles to survive when a spy/accidental stowaway throws their ship hopelessly off course.
Stars: Guy Williams, June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen
Votes: 8,859
The Robinson family get lost on the way to Alpha Centauri, and spend their time encountering aliens, monsters, and yet another excuse from Dr. Smith. The tv series is really a showcase for Bill Mumy, Jonathan Harris, and the robot. Everyone else was mostly window dressing. Still better than the 90s movie.
66. Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
Not Rated | 82 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
An eccentric inventor and his companions travel in his TARDIS to the Planet Skaro and battle the evil menace of the Daleks.
Director: Gordon Flemyng | Stars: Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, Jennie Linden, Roberta Tovey
Votes: 5,352
Peter Cushing stars in this feature version of Doctor Who, based on the third story and first Dalek adventure. This Doctor is an earthman who has built a time machine that can travel through time and space. Call me a heretic, but I like this more than the Hartnell original, especially the character os Susan. The young actress is more interesting than Carol Ann Ford and so is the character. Thankfully, she stuck around for the sequel.
67. Alphaville (1965)
Not Rated | 99 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Valérie Boisgel
Votes: 27,596 | Gross: $0.05M
French New Wave film, mixing detective Lemey Caution with a supercomputer. I tried watching it once but got a headache. Very existential.
68. The Wild Wild West (1965–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Western
Two Secret Service agents, equipped with a wide array of gizmos, work for the government in the Old West.
Stars: Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, Dick Cangey, Whitey Hughes
Votes: 6,487
This qualifies as an example of steampunk. James West and Artemus Gordon are a pair of Secret Service agents, who travel the west in a private railcar. They deal with various threats, many involving science fiction threats or advanced technology. It was a fun series, with clever plots and a great cast. The episodes with Michael Dunne, as the villainous but sympathetic genius Dr. Miguelito Loveless are true classics.
69. Star Trek (1966–1969)
TV-PG | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.
Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols
Votes: 92,866
The seminal tv series, big on ideas, but not always on budget. It limped through 3 seasons on the network, thanks to fan-driven write-in campaigns, but would truly find its audience in syndication. There are big ideas and goofy ones, with liberal doses of action, humor, horror, drama, and just about everything else you could name. It would eventually launch an empire, though how no one had ever thought of seatbelts in the 23rd Century is beyond me. "Live long and prosper!"
70. Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)
Not Rated | 84 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Dr. Who and his companions arrive on Earth in the year 2150 AD, only to discover that the planet has been invaded and its population enslaved by the dreaded Daleks.
Director: Gordon Flemyng | Stars: Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Ray Brooks, Andrew Keir
Votes: 4,540
Peter Cushing is back in this second feature adaptation of Doctor Who. Once again, the script is aadapted from Terry Nation's original, with a bigger budget to add more scope. Ian is gone, replaced by Bernard Cribbins, as a police constable. Good stuff, with some fine comedic moments.
71. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Not Rated | 112 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring
Votes: 45,408
Francois Truffault directs this version of the Ray Bradbury classic. Oskar Werner stars as Montag, the conflicted fireman, whose job it is to burn books. Julie Christie plays both his wife and a young teacher who senses his conflict and nudges him until he reads a book. Interesting visuals, though the story is a bit obtuse, at times. The opening titles are done as a voice narration and no written words are seen until books are found. There are some gaps in logic, like how a society of people who have outlawed books can read (assuming this has gone on long enough that people don't know why books are banned). Still, it is a feast for the brain, though it doesn't fully capture the book.
72. The War of the Planets (1966)
Approved | 99 min | Sci-Fi
In the 21st century, aliens invade the solar system.
Director: Antonio Margheriti | Stars: Tony Russel, Lisa Gastoni, Franco Nero, Carlo Giustini
Votes: 666
Sequel to the Wild Wild Planet. Nice ideas, but the effects aren't up to things. Aliens are stealing space stations, this time.
73. Fantastic Voyage (1966)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
When a blood clot renders a scientist comatose, a submarine and its crew are shrunk and injected into his bloodstream in order to save him.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O'Brien, Donald Pleasence
Votes: 20,819
A team of doctors and scientists, along with their sub, are shrunken down and injected into a man to perform a delicate surgical procedure. We travel along with them through the inner space of the human body, where they must fend off attacks by anitbodies and a saboteur within their midst. Very imaginative.
74. The Time Tunnel (1966–1967)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Two scientists with a secret time travel project find themselves trapped in the time stream and appearing in notable periods of history.
Stars: James Darren, Robert Colbert, Whit Bissell, John Zaremba
Votes: 4,228
Irwin Allen production, with adventures throughout time. Not quite Doctor Who, at the writing level, but entertaining. Certainly an influence on Stargate; but, then again, who didn't Devlin and Emerich swipe from?
75. Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
Approved | 97 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A mysterious artifact is unearthed in London, and famous scientist Bernard Quatermass is called in to divine its origins and explain its strange effects on people.
Director: Roy Ward Baker | Stars: James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley, Julian Glover
Votes: 11,509
aka Quartermass and the Pit. A crew digging a tunnel finds an alien wreck and trouble follows. Someone put in a call to Prof. Quartermass!
76. Those Fantastic Flying Fools (1967)
Not Rated | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
In Victorian England, an American showman uses a wealthy Frenchman's finances to build a German explosives expert's giant cannon designed to fire a people-filled projectile to the Moon, but spies and saboteurs endanger the project.
Director: Don Sharp | Stars: Burl Ives, Jimmy Clitheroe, Terry-Thomas, Graham Stark
Votes: 939
This had several titles, including Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon and Blast Off. Troy Donahue and Burl Ives star as a young inventor and PT Barnum, respectively, who join with a group of men to design and build a craft to reach the moon. Terry Thomas and Lionell Jeffries try to sabotage the project. It's all rather lighthearted, but it is mostly fun.
77. Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 25 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In 2068, the indestructible Captain Scarlet leads the agents of Spectrum in a war of nerves against the Mysterons from Mars.
Stars: Ed Bishop, Donald Gray, Francis Matthews, Sylvia Anderson
Votes: 1,900
This was the most mature of the Anderson shows, if you ask me. Explorers wake up aliens and cause them harm, leading to retaliation. The Mysterons can don other forms and use Captain Black as their agent. Heroic Captain Scarlet is practically invincible, and SPECTRUM operatesfrom a flying base. Great stuff.
78. Planet of the Apes (1968)
G | 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Votes: 193,067 | Gross: $33.40M
True classic, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, though greatly altered by Rod Serling. The ending has been swiped by everyone. "A planet where apes evolved from men?" "It's a madhouse, a madhouse!", etc, etc...
79. The Green Slime (1968)
G | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
After destroying a giant asteroid heading towards Earth, a group of scientists unknowingly bring back a strange green substance that soon mutates into a monster.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Robert Horton, Luciana Paluzzi, Richard Jaeckel, Bud Widom
Votes: 3,929
A group of astronauts destroy a dangerous asteroid, but bring back some kind of goo that turns into a tentacled monster. Japanese director and effects.
80. Fantastic Voyage (1968–1969)
30 min | Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi
The government employs a team of experts who are shrunken to microscopic size to infiltrate and combat otherwise impenetrable threats.
Stars: Marvin Miller, Ted Knight, Jane Webb
Votes: 236
Taking its cue from the movie, this Filmation cartoon series featured a team of adventurers who would be shrunk down for their missions. Lots of repeated footage (a staple of Filmation) but it was imaginative.
81. Barbarella (1968)
Approved | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
In the 41st century, an astronaut partakes in sexy misadventures while seeking to stop an evil scientist who threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy.
Director: Roger Vadim | Stars: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Milo O'Shea
Votes: 37,706
Fairly campy adaptation of the comics by Jean-Claude Forest, about an intergalactic agent and her misadventures. Jane Fonda stars in this space romp, with plenty of sex and silliness to keep your interest, but it starts dragging before we get to the end. The designs are wild, but the effects seem rather primative today.
82. Joe 90 (1968–1969)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of nine-year-old Joe McClaine, who can have the expert skills, knowledge, and experiences of top experts downloaded into his brain by his scientist father, enabling him to become a secret agent code-named "Joe 90".
Stars: Keith Alexander, Sylvia Anderson, Rupert Davies, Len Jones
Votes: 665
Sci-fi mixed with spy-fi; as young Joe 90 can be programmed with various information. It proved a bit of a disappointment, ratings wise, but has its share of fans.
83. Land of the Giants (1968–1970)
TV-G | 60 min | Sci-Fi
A spaceship from Earth crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on which everything, including the human-like inhabitants, is twelve times the size of its counterpart on Earth.
Stars: Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Stefan Arngrim, Don Marshall
Votes: 2,858
Irwin Allen show, where a group of travellers find themselves on a planet filled with giants. Really just a ripoff of Richard Matheson's The Incredible Shrinking Man, though with a likeable cast.
84. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
G | 149 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Votes: 719,179 | Gross: $56.95M
Stanly Kubrick's visual masterpiece, based on a short work by Arthur C Clarke (The Sentinel). The film is a triumph of ideas and visuals, but is a bit light on the human element. It is fairly astute on technical details, but got video phones and the future of Pan Am wrong.
85. Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969)
G | 105 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
When Captain Nemo saves the passengers of a sinking ship and takes them to his Utopian underwater city he discovers that not all of his guests agree to remain there forever.
Director: James Hill | Stars: Robert Ryan, Chuck Connors, Nanette Newman, Luciana Paluzzi
Votes: 1,806
Lesser film with Captain Nemo (Robert Ryan) who has an underwater city from which to operate. Definitely not in the same "league" as the Disney film, but it has a bit of visual wonder itself.
86. Marooned (1969)
G | 134 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Three American astronauts are stranded in space when their retros won't fire. Can they be rescued before their oxygen runs out?
Director: John Sturges | Stars: Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, David Janssen, James Franciscus
Votes: 5,827 | Gross: $8.94M
Film about an accident in space, which parallels Apollo 13. Jim and Marilynn Lovell didn't think much of it; but, it does have Gene Hackman and Gregory Peck.
87. Moon Zero Two (1969)
G | 100 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
A space salvage expert and his partner become involved with a group of criminals intent on hijacking a small asteroid made of sapphire and crashing it into the moon.
Director: Roy Ward Baker | Stars: James Olson, Catherine Schell, Warren Mitchell, Adrienne Corri
Votes: 1,788
Lightweight British sci-fi film about miners on the moon. This was the "Swinging London" era and the film reflects it. There's not much going on for the brain, which is probably why MST3K took it on.
88. Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969)
G | 101 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
The European Space Exploration Council sends two astronauts to explore a planet similar to the Earth but located on the opposite side of the sun.
Director: Robert Parrish | Stars: Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Patrick Wymark, Lynn Loring
Votes: 4,042 | Gross: $0.33M
Roy Thinnes stars in this live action film, from Gerry Anderson. Thinnes is an astronaut who ends up on an alternate earth, orbiting the sun 180 degrees opposite of his world. He soon learns that things work differently on this world, such as reversed writing. He tries to return home, but soon finds that its not as easy as he thinks. The film has some great ideas, but they don't all gel. It succeeds in the end, but it's a shaky ride.
89. Latitude Zero (1969)
G | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A journalist is saved by a giant submarine captained by a 200-year-old man who takes him to an underwater paradise city where no one ages. That's when monsters and mutants sent by the captain's rival, a 200-year-old scientist, attack.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Takarada, Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero, Richard Jaeckel
Votes: 1,034
Toho film about another sub and a mad scientist who has bred monsters. Features Cesar Romero as the villain.
90. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
M | 100 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
Thinking this will prevent war, the US government gives an impenetrable supercomputer total control over launching nuclear missiles. But what the computer does with the power is unimaginable to its creators.
Director: Joseph Sargent | Stars: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark, Gordon Pinsent, William Schallert
Votes: 10,145
Eric Braden stars as a briliant scientist who develops a super computer that is tasked to run the US defense systems. It becomes self aware and discovers a Soviet counterpart. It begins dictating to the humans the changes it wants to bring man in line with its thinking, whether they like it or not. Braden and his team must work to try to stop the computer. James Cameron stole the Skynet idea from here.
91. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
G | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The sole survivor of an interplanetary rescue mission searches for the only survivor of the previous expedition. He discovers a planet ruled by apes and an underground city run by telepathic humans.
Director: Ted Post | Stars: James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison
Votes: 51,306 | Gross: $19.00M
A new astronaut lands on the planet, looking for Charlton Heston. He discovers the truth about the world when he ventures underground, in the Forbidden Zone, where he finds mutants and A-Bombs. The apes aren't far behind. This one is a bit too uneven for me, though it has some great moments.
92. UFO (1970–1971)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Sci-Fi
The missions of the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organization (SHADO), which defends Earth from extra-terrestrial threats.
Stars: Ed Bishop, Dolores Mantez, Michael Billington, Ayshea Brough
Votes: 4,128
Gerry Anderson's first venture into live action sci-fi, with a paranoid tale of alien invaders and the secret organization who battles them. If they spent half as much time on the characters as they did the models and effects, it could have been remembered in the same breath as Star Trek.
93. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
G | 98 min | Action, Sci-Fi
The world is shocked by the appearance of three talking chimpanzees, who arrived mysteriously in a U.S. spacecraft. They become the toast of society, but one man believes them to be a threat to the human race.
Director: Don Taylor | Stars: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy
Votes: 39,136 | Gross: $12.30M
The formula is reversed, as Cornelius and Zira travel in Taylor's ship, arriving on Earth, in the 60s. There, they are the oddity that threatens society. Eric Braden stars as the scientist who learns the horrible fate of humanity and decides to do something about it, for good or ill.
94. THX 1138 (1971)
R | 86 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly controlled society.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie
Votes: 54,603 | Gross: $2.44M
George Lucas' first sci-fi film, which is an expansion of one of his student films. Robert Duval stars as a man in a controlled society, where everyone is kept under sedation to maintain a proper emotional state. The people fulfill a drone existence, where their leisure time is spent purchasing pointless consumer items. THX stops taking his medicine and starts questioning things. Very much influenced by the French New Wave, featuring 3 escapes, of both physical and metaphorical nature. Lucas actually is trying to convey something more than shoot-em-up entertainment, but he can't quite get the point across. This is his one film that benefitted from his later tinkering, as he was able to give the underground city a greater scope, on the dvd release.
95. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
G | 131 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what killed the citizens of a small town and how the deadly contagion can be stopped.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid
Votes: 40,427 | Gross: $3.42M
Scientists at a top secret underground lab try to figure out how to stop a deadly alien virus, while the clock s ticking. The premise is based around concerns related to the first moon landings, that alien virus could be brought back, for which we would have no immunity (in the reverse of War of the Worlds). The producers were smart enough to use good character actors, rather than stars, so the story is at the forefront. It does drag in a couple of spots, but the whole is fascinating.
96. City Beneath the Sea (1971 TV Movie)
G | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A group of 21st-century colonists inhabit the underwater city called Pacifica. They find they must defend the city against hostile alien forces.
Director: Irwin Allen | Stars: Stuart Whitman, Rosemary Forsyth, Robert Colbert, Burr DeBenning
Votes: 756
Stewart Whitman stars in this pilot for an aborted Irwin Allen series. An advanced underwater city is being sabotaged and the hero is brought out of retirement to investigate. It has moments but is rather uneven.
97. Earth II (1971 TV Movie)
G | 100 min | Sci-Fi
When Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.
Director: Tom Gries | Stars: Gary Lockwood, Scott Hylands, Hari Rhodes, Anthony Franciosa
Votes: 388
Gary Lockwood starred in this tv movie, about an independent space station, orbiting the Earth. No weapons are allowed on board the station, but they soon find themselves facing a trio of nuclear missles, which they must defuse. It's an interesting idea, with an idealistic slant, somewhat reflective of the peace movement of the time.
98. The Omega Man (1971)
PG | 98 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Dr Robert Neville has developed an experimental vaccine which makes him the only immune survivor of a biological catastrophe. A gang of homicidal mutants blame science for their condition and attempt to kill him.
Director: Boris Sagal | Stars: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo
Votes: 34,055 | Gross: $8.72M
Charlton heston is the last man alive, after a plague wipes out most of humanity, leaving only Heston and vampiric mutants. It's and odd one, to say the least; based on the novel I Am Legend, by the late Richard Matheson. The book also inspired The Last Man on Earth, with Vincent Price, and the film of the same title, with Will Smith.
99. Solaris (1972)
PG | 167 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
Votes: 98,211
Epic Russian sci-fi film, based on the novel by Stanislau Lem. A crew orbiting a planet start experiencing strange phenomena. Very groundbreaking and later remade by Stephen Soderbergh.
100. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
PG | 88 min | Action, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, Caesar, the son of the late simians Cornelius and Zira, surfaces after almost twenty years of hiding out from the authorities, and prepares for a slave revolt against humanity.
Director: J. Lee Thompson | Stars: Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban, Natalie Trundy
Votes: 35,866 | Gross: $9.81M
The series is floundering under thinner budgets, but tries to make use of a good idea and the Century City locale. It doesn't look very futuristic today, but it features a fine allegory, that is somewhat lost in lesser performance.
Tell Your Friends