The Movie Nerd Bible: Part II

[Ian S]

Very good list, Bob, but some titles could have been swapped-out...

The Terminator- Casting another vote for this one. As others have said, it pretty much defined the robot/apocalyptic Sci-Fi movie for decades to come.

Altered States- Presaged the paranoid/conspiracy sci-fi stories as evidenced by shows like The X-Files and more recently Fringe, as well as video games like Deus Ex.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind- More significant I think than E.T., which was really more of a thematic extension of CE3K when you think about it.

The Thing (1982)- Another vote for this John Carpenter classic.

Akira- Along with Robotech, it pretty much opened the floodgates for the popularity of Anime in the U.S. That alone makes it worth a mention.

The Dark Crystal- My girlfriend suggested this one, and I agree she has a point. It was a pretty big gamble for Jim Henson; none of the characters were really like the cute and cuddly Muppets he had been associated with, there were no human leads for the audience to relate to, and the whole setting was as weird and alien and original as anything seen on the screen at that time. Yet somehow it connected with those who saw it, which is why it's so fondly remembered today.

As for Part I, I was disappointed that George Pal's The War of the Worlds didn't get a mention, as it pretty much set the template for every other alien invasion blockbuster made since...including Steven Spielberg's and Tom Cruise's lame remake.

 

[Bruce Edwards]

I'm Surprised that I have actually seen most of these movies.
I LOVE Patrick Stewart but...
I liked the Scifi Channel's Dune Saga better Okay!?
*flame shield activated*

I will now rectify all of these things by filling my Netflix queue for the next few months with all of the movies in your 2 part series.

Me to.
And If you're doing a part 3 Bob, might I recommend The Color of Magic directed Vadim Jean. I seriously think EVERYONE should see that movie. It's my Second Hand Lions of Scifi fantasy

I also preferred the SciFi dune saga. Possibly because, despite the obvious lack of cash involved, the narrative hewed reasonably closely to the books. I found the original film unwatchable. I would have put Highlander in this list in it's place, but then again Dune is referenced fairly often as a famous example of 'what not to do'.

 

[ANImaniac89]

I have seen a lot more of these then I thought

 

[teknoarcanist]

I still say Tim Curry's 'Lord of Darkness' in "Legend" is the best on-screen rendering of the Judeo-Christian idea of Satan ever put to film.

 

[Adventurer2626]

I Approve!!! Good picks Movie Bob. And I've always wanted to see the movie Dune, so maybe now's a good time...

 

[NaramSuen]

I've seen every single film you listed; most of them multiple times. I don't know what that says about me or you.

 

[the December King]

There exists an episode where Cthulhu attacks earth, that should be enough for all of you.

If it isn't, let me add: he's ultimately defeated by a zombie punching him in the brain.

Well, I actually think that's ridiculous, myself- cosmic horror should not be mixed with metahuman hero action, in my opinion- but when you're misquoted, I suppose one should roll with it.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

Hehe, Oh Bob... You little nostalgia junkie.

It doesn't really surprise me the list doesn't go beyond 1992 (YOU may talk about the 2009 Indiana movie, but I sure as heck won't, the thing just doesn't exist). I mean, in your other show - the Game Overthinker, was it? - you pretty much admitted that you're a Nintendo fanboy solely because of the nostalgic fix it provides.

Probably like every 20+ still enjoying Nintendo, you've got to admit: apart from milking the cow, those guys sure know marketing. (that's a compliment, so no flaming)

Anyway, I would have put an anime or two in there, maybe some Asiamania stuff and some of the more recent Hollywood sci-fi flicks. Maybe Dark City, eXistenZ and/or Avalon; if you're looking for more 'influential' material.

But all an' all, a VERY interesting read, like always.

 

[Snake Plissken]

I find it interesting that he chose "Big Trouble in Little China", "Escape from New York" (both John Carpenter films and both starring the most awesome human being in existence), but left "The Thing" off of his list. Perhaps it's just because not everyone can get behind the film since it doesn't really appeal to EVERYBODY, but there is a solid reason it should have been on the list...it's the most important and impressive film in regards to how real pre-CGI can actually be. Sure, other films have used puppeteer work and the like with great success (the Alien series comes to mind, especially the end of Aliens) but there is always something about them that negates the effort. Lighting in Aliens is terrible (not the use of lighting, that's fine) so you can't SEE anything. In "The Thing", every aspect of the effects are right up front against a MOSTLY WHITE backdrop, and there is usually fire to illuminate EVERYTHING. No lighting tricks, no camera tricks, nothing blocked by set-pieces...it's just in-your-face, "look at how goddamned real and cool this looks".

I haven't read the rest of the posts in this forum, but surely SOMEONE else agrees...?

 

[Snake Plissken]

I Approve!!! Good picks Movie Bob. And I've always wanted to see the movie Dune, so maybe now's a good time...

It's NEVER a good time to see Dune. NEVER. Unless you're reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally keen on seeing Sting in a banana-hammock.

 

[Snake Plissken]

That's a total of 78 movies mentioned there. Out of those, the ones I've seen at an age that I could remember them are...Tron. So, which of the other 77 should I start with?

You should skip all of them and start with "Cannibal Holocaust".

 

[Mushushu]

i forget the name of the movie but its was insurmountable in supercharging my imagination.

it was about 3 boys who built a small craft that was held inside a small bubble that was created from a computer program that was transmitted from space. they then were brought to the space ship and explored it, only to find out the same aliens they were scared of were also terrified of them. its very reminiscent of 'the abyss' and for the life of me i cant remember which came first.

 

[WaderiAAA]

I guess I can't really be called a movie nerd myself. Heck, I've only seen two of those (ET and Superman).

 

[theSovietConnection]

I have to say, lists like this, to me, are just the critic/authour/whoever ramming their tastes down the throats of the reader. There isn't any real need to see any of these and lose your movie nerd cred if you haven't, because in the end, as long as you know more about your favourite movies then the average Joe would, chances are you're already a movie nerd.

In short

I take this as a list of movies that Bob liked. Cool story bro.