The Movie Nerd Bible: Part II

[Fox242]

Great list. But he missed WarGames. That movie was just amazing. It was the perfect mesh of the Cold War atmosphere, the early days of computer hacking, and simple teenage fun. It also had, in my mind, one of the greatest villains ever to hit the screen: the WOPR (or Joshua as it is also known). This is a master computer that has simulated World War III many, many times but doesn't understand that you cannot win a nuclear war. So when NORAD decides to hook up the entire American nuclear arsenal up to Joshua so that it can make decisions promptly, it sets up a terrifying scenario. When Matther Broderick hacks into the war games simulator on Joshua, the computer thinks that it is playing a game even it really holds the greatest nuclear arsenal in the world at its will. The HAL 9000 only wanted to kill the space crew of 2001. Joshua nearly destroyed civilization and mankind itself! I hope that I have made a good point here.

 

[camazotz]

Yeah, I'd add The Thing to this list. And Return of the Living Dead (but mostly just because I love that one).

The only movies on both lists I've never seen: Metropolis (how I have never seen it is beyond me) and Labyrinth (which I have no good excuse for since my wife has it on DVD and swears by it). I've seen all the rest and own most of them!

 

[Gindil]

Would you believe that I actually have seen the ultra obscure "Big Trouble in Little China", but somehow have NEVER seen the Star Wars trilogy?

Well, actually, I saw them when I was 6-8, but it's hard to appreciate a movie at that age. So, basically, I've never seen them.

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.

I'm with you all the way until the Netflix queue. I just... never got into Star Wars as others did.

 

[ImpostorZim]

I would've put Terminator, Robocop and Predator on this list, but oh well.

 

[Elesar]

So I was gonna go through the entire thing and check off all the ones that I've seen (both of them) but I think this would be more efficient:
About all those movies, in both articles? Seen it.

 

[wonkify]

Hearty applause, Bob! For both parts 1&2. Everyone will have their own additions/subtractions but I think you did a good job putting together a very good group representation from a very tough group of choices available.

Definite kudos on Big Trouble and Logan's Run.

I'll never forget the magic of being a 6th grader watching The 7th Voyage of Sinbad in the family car at the last drive-in on Oahu. With Hawaii's stars overhead, glorious.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Fifth Element is required. I love that movie.

I don't set much store by these lists (or at least I tell myself that because I've only seen a few of these), but you have at least persuaded me to rent Blade Runner again to see if I like it better this time.

Watch the Director's Cut, it's much better.

 

[hyperdrachen]

Alot of favorites on there, but the mention of The Goonies made me raise a fist in celebration. I don't know If i even knew what a sense of adventure was before that movie.

 

[MB202]

Funny how you said Batman looks messier and more dated each day, while other people, like James Rolfe for example, claims it gets better with each viewing.

Ah well, unlike the last list, I HAVE seen most of these movies, but not nearly enough of them.

 

[Nyrad01]

Glad to see that the Evil Dead Trilogy made the cut, their some of my favourite movies and I don't think the list would be the same without it. On the new Star Trek movie, I've been thinking for quite some time for why it wasn't as good as the originals (I actually enjoyed the movie) and I figured it out. There were two problems with the movies which were:
1 - The new Star Trek didn't have the deep philosophical meaning that the other movies had (i.e. Wrath of Khan had revenge etc). 2 - The cast, no matter how well they got on, were not the original Kirk, Spock, Mccoy. By this I mean they haven't had the years to for a strong relation ship as the original cast had, that would shine through on the movies. Rant over

 

[johnmurdochyes]

After I read this list, I was offended because some of my favorite movies of all time wasn't there; but, then I read the description (it hadn't occurred to me that movie nerds were fans of nerd movies)<--(duh.) Although the exclusion of princess bride, willow, dark city, akira and terminator (the first two, anyways) is inexcusable (unless there is a part 3 to address this mistake.

 

[PlasticTree]

Cut the elitist crap that the new Star Trek movie is so horrible. Same goed for the Star Wars sequels. No, they don't even come close to the classics, but they definitely do serve the purpose of getting people interested in the franchise, without scaring them off with a flood of nerdstuff. The old films and episodes are just not easy to get into, when watched by a young person who is only familiar with today's blockbusters.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

Wow i've seen all of these (part II)

 

[thejboy88]

So glad Conan was on this list. One of my favourites Good choice Bob.

 

[Mr0llivand3r]

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Harry Potter series (just because even after 6 movies and with 2 more on the way, it's still on an upward climb)

Rocky

12 Angry Men (the play si better, but the movie is a great supplement)

The Godfather Parts 1 and 2

Good Will hunting

Moulin Rouge!

What Dreams May Come

 

[tjs282]

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.

That would be 'Explorers' (1985) starring a very young River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke. I have not seen this movie--I stumbled on its Wikipedia entry via Hawke's filmography, having just watched Gattacca (excellent sci-fi BTW--and not a bad movie). But I think I would like to.

I remember seeing the TV trailers for Big Trouble in Little China when it came out, but I was too young to go and see it at the time. Thankfully I caught up with it later, after discovering the awesomeness of Kurt Russell via Escape from New York. I agree that The Thing is a great movie--and I'm not usually that keen on horror--but apart from the SFX it wasn't exactly groundbreaking, was it? Ditto Terminator--Frankenstein myth, anyone?

And I would definitely pick The Dark Crystal over Labyrinth. Although Labyrinth had some amazing visuals (the Goblin King's palace is an Escher painting!), it also had, um, some excruciatingly cringe-worthy musical numbers--even worse than Tin Machine--which Bowie can only have done for the money. Or had you all forgotten that?

Also, am I the only one who remembers The Last Starfighter?

 

[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.

That would be 'Explorers' (1985) starring a very young River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke. I have not seen this movie--I stumbled on its Wikipedia entry via Hawke's filmography, having just watched Gattacca (excellent sci-fi BTW--and not a bad movie). But I think I would like to.

I remember seeing the TV trailers for Big Trouble in Little China when it came out, but I was too young to go and see it at the time. Thankfully I caught up with it later, after discovering the awesomeness of Kurt Russell via Escape from New York. I agree that The Thing is a great movie--and I'm not usually that keen on horror--but apart from the SFX it wasn't exactly groundbreaking, was it? Ditto Terminator--Frankenstein myth, anyone?

And I would definitely pick The Dark Crystal over Labyrinth. Although Labyrinth had some amazing visuals (the Goblin King's palace is an Escher painting!), it also had, um, some excruciatingly cringe-worthy musical numbers--even worse than Tin Machine--which Bowie can only have done for the money. Or had you all forgotten that?

Also, am I the only one who remembers The Last Starfighter?

ah yes, last starfighter was a good movie as well. i just always remember how seeing the explorers really put me on the path im on now.

 

[SanguineSymphony]

Labyrinth (1986)

One of the scandalously few geek classics that approaches the "fear of growing up" fantasy/allegory subgenre from the female side. After accidentally wishing away her baby brother, Jennifer Connelly must navigate a monster-infested maze to save him from goblin king Jareth - aka David Bowie. Everything from the recurrent themes of maternal obligation to the implicit sexualization of the heroine/villain dynamic is wholly unique in the genre, and it's both amazing and depressing that there hasn't really been a film since to so well explore what it is to be both a nerd and a young woman.

I think The Company of Wolves and Lemora might fit the bill on that.