The Guardian's Top 25 Sci-Fi Films

"I dreamt music."
"That's funny I was dreaming about unicorns."
"Unicorns? Oh, shit."

All this week the Guardian film critics have been compiling their lists of the 25 best art house, comedy, action, sci-fi films etc. I've looked at the other lists and pretty much agree with the critics picks. The number 1 romantic comedy for example is Annie Hall and I'd be hard pressed to argue with that. I certainly haven't seen all the films on the other lists but good geek that I am I have seen everything on the Guardian's sci-fi list and there are a few things on there that bother me. First I'll give you the list and then my complaints.

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) Metropolis
3) Blade Runner
4) Alien
5) The Wizard of Oz
6) Solaris
7) ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
8) Spirited Away
9) Star Wars
10) King Kong
11) Close Encounters of the Third Kind
12) The Terminator/Terminator 2: Judgment Day
13) The Matrix
14) Alphaville
15) Back to the Future
16) Planet of the Apes
17) Brazil
18) The Lord of the Rings trilogy
19) Dark Star
20) The Day the Earth Stood Still
21) Edward Scissorhands
22) Akira
23) The Princess Bride
24) Pan's Labyrinth
25) Starship Troopers


Ok, 2) Metropolis should be number 17) or lower - it's a film for film buffs only, influential certainly but overrated as a film. 5) The Wizard of Oz should not be on the list, it's a musical or a gothic film or something not a sci-fi/fantasy film. At 6) Solaris? Are they kidding? I assume they're talking about the seven hour Russian version in which nothing happens, three or four times, in space, whereas the book is actually pretty fast paced and interesting. Read the book and tell me this film isn't a travesty. Ok, 7) E.T. - I'm sorry but I have always hated that film: is it the score, the crying, the sentiment? I don't know, I hate it. 8) Spirited Away is a cartoon. There should be a separate category for cartoons. I don't dig cartoons. Period.  14) Alphaville is not a good film. Its pretty dull and dull witted. It's only on there because they wanted something French. 21) Edward Scissorhands I've never liked either. In fact the only two Tim Burton movies I've enjoyed are Ed Wood and Mars Attacks. 23) Akira is another friggin cartoon. 24) Pan's Labyrinth is not a cartoon but the villain twiddles his moustache villainously which is pretty cartoon like. Hell Boy was better. 25) Starship Troopers? An allegory about the rise of fascism, or a fascistic film about allegories. Who knows? Who cares? Man I hated this movie. It was just so dumb and lame from start to finish. Here's a good rule of thumb - if Denise Richards is in a movie it's going to be utter rubbish unless Neve Campbell is also in that movie. Stick to that and you'll be fine my son. Ok, so here's my list of the top 10 sci-fi movies:


1) 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) Blade Runner
3) Alien
4) Star Wars
5) Planet of the Apes

6) Terminator 2: Judgment Day

7) Back to the Future

8) Silent Running

9) The Matrix

10) Brazil

And here's sci fi lists Top 100 sci-fi movies. I completely forgot about 12 Monkeys.