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forgoton classics - Sci Fi movies

Alferd_Packer

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Alferd_Packer
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What are your favorite sci-fi / fantasy movies that are neglected, forgotten classics? These are movies that are just not seen any more on cable or broadcast TV.

three of mine:

1) The Illustrated Man. Rod Steiger is great in the excellent adaption of Ray Bradbury's book.

2) Dark Star. You really have to be stoned to appreciate this movie.

3) Silent Running. Probably one of Bruce Dern's better movies.



ETA that's forgotten classics
 
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Colossus: The Forbin Project (just watched it via Netflix and I still love it)
 
Its funny. I just finished watching Illustrated Man before I clicked on this thread. Rod Steiger, all I could see was Napoleon......

But to the list

Godzilla - 1954 Japanese version

Monolith Monsters 1957

Day The Earth Caught Fire 1961

5 Million Years to Earth 1967

Invaders From Mars 1953
 
Alferd_Packer said:
Ooh, good one. I saw that one on a cub scout camp out 30 years ago it scared the **** out of me.
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I always thought it was dying for a remake, great science fiction, great spook story, and horribly logical in its plot
 
One film I have never been able to cross paths with is Island Of Dr Moreau, the 1996 version. Has Val Kilmer and Brando in it, so not a bad cast
 
Alferd_Packer said:
What are your favorite sci-fi / fantasy movies that are neglected, forgotten classics? These are movies that are just not seen any more on cable or broadcast TV.

three of mine:

1) The Illustrated Man. Rod Steiger is great in the excellent adaption of Ray Bradbury's book.

2) Dark Star. You really have to be stoned to appreciate this movie.

3) Silent Running. Probably one of Bruce Dern's better movies.



ETA that's forgotten classics
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I'm not sure you can call them forgotten.

I've seen all 3 on tv, and Silent Running is tied to Star Wars with the droid rip-off 'controversy'.


Some great movies being listed.
 
MG1962 said:
One film I have never been able to cross paths with is Island Of Dr Moreau, the 1996 version. Has Val Kilmer and Brando in it, so not a bad cast
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I find the York and Lancaster version to be far superior, but if Mu-Mu's are you thing, you should be able to pick the newer version up dirt cheap.

Has anyone seen any of the even earlier versions? I'd be interested in seeing those.
 
Jekyll's Guest said:
I find the York and Lancaster version to be far superior, but if Mu-Mu's are you thing, you should be able to pick the newer version up dirt cheap.

Has anyone seen any of the even earlier versions? I'd be interested in seeing those.
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I saw the 33' version back when I was a kid and had no patience for black and white scary stories.............Never seen it since :o

Actually a hard film to source from that era is "Just Imagine" All singing all dancing science fiction light comedy. If you pay more than $2 for a copy of this you have been ripped off
 
MG1962 said:
5 Million Years to Earth 1967
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Seconded (thirded? fourthed?)

and I'd like to add:
Journey to the Center of Time (1967)

Good old SF that aren't forgotten:

Them (1954) - much better than I expected!

War of the Worlds (1953) (but I liked the 2005 remake, too)

Things To Come (1936)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

ETA: I'm no longer sure that "Journey to the Center of Time" is the movie I had in mind. More to follow.
 
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I'm more of a classic horror and fantasy buff than sci-fi, but one of my favorite "forgoton" ;) old sci-fi flicks is The Twonky (1953), a comedic sf film from the director/writer of Five (the first post-apocalyptic survival movie) among other gems.

The Twonky is weird and obscure and delightful. It's about a TV set that is actually a robot from the future! It's a servant robot that goes to extreme and amusing lengths to please its "master", a typical suburban male, by lighting his cigarettes with a laser beam, turning money into more money so he can pay people off, and zapping the vice squad (don't ask) with a memory ray. The man tries to destroy the Twonky, but to no avail; it keeps coming back to "help" him some more, and ends in a very Twilight Zonesque way. Very amusing, different, and little known low budget sf "classic".

BTW, this site is a treasure trove of classic sci-fi movie reviews, described in amusing detail, with pics, through the sf releases of the 50s and 60s. The Twonky is listed and reviewed under the 1953 heading.
 
Nice link Vortigern, thanks.

And I'll toss my vote in for 'Quartermass and the Pit' , 'Darkstar' and (ashamed to admit) 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars'
 
http://search.crackle.com/v/30073946/earth-vs-the-flying-saucers.htm

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers!!!

This is the one that did it to me. When I saw it as a kid I **** myself. That movie launched a lifetime interest in sci fi and UFO stuff.

The Flying Saucers are great and what's cool now, that I blanked out of my mind as a child, is how the saucers will sometimes wobble a little bit. Great stuff!

Highly recommended
 
I would never call it a classic, but I enjoyed the heck out of the animated movie Wizards back in the 1970s. It doesn't hold up that well, I'll admit, but it was one of the very first real "fantasy" movies.

Somewhat more for the kiddies but with some real charm as well was The Phantom Tollbooth, which starred the kid from the Munsters.
 
jakesteele said:
http://search.crackle.com/v/30073946/earth-vs-the-flying-saucers.htm

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers!!!

This is the one that did it to me. When I saw it as a kid I **** myself. That movie launched a lifetime interest in sci fi and UFO stuff.

The Flying Saucers are great and what's cool now, that I blanked out of my mind as a child, is how the saucers will sometimes wobble a little bit. Great stuff!

Highly recommended
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I liked that too when I was a kid. Not bad special effects for that era either. You can watch it on youtube.
 
Jekyll's Guest said:
It is indeed!

He won a joint best actor Oscar for the role, the first ever for a horror movie.
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And stil the only non technical award won by either science fiction or horror.

The transformation scene is uniqiue in that it was filmed in one shot. They put UV sensitive makeup on him, then increased the lighting in the studio to activate compounds in the makeup, and presto - monster on the prowl
 
Brainster said:
I would never call it a classic, but I enjoyed the heck out of the animated movie Wizards back in the 1970s. It doesn't hold up that well, I'll admit, but it was one of the very first real "fantasy" movies.
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It was funny the whole film is this epic fantasy of world shattering events. The final scene, the good brother pulls out a colt 45 and caps the bad brother lol
 
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