Top ten Sci-Fi films

When I was asked to comprise a list of the top ten sci-fi films of all time, I almost baulked at the challenge! Not because it was difficult, the sci-fi genre has held me enthralled since childhood, but a 'top ten anything' is ephemeral, changing day-to-day (sometimes hourly), subjective and open to lively debate. Not everyone likes 2001: A Space Odyssey...

So, with the above in mind, what follows isn't a definitive top ten:

1). Star Wars
An early childhood fascination with pursuing a career in media production began when my parents took me to see Star Wars in 1977. Shortly afterwards I was bought an Hitachi portable tape recorder as a Christmas gift. I started recording off television, my favourite shows, and listening to the sounds back without the picture (mentally envisaging a different version). I would narrate stories and record conversations and sounds. It became a form of education via entertainment. Basically, after seeing Star Wars I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life…

2). Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
This is without doubt my favourite film of all time (although Star Wars pips it to the post for being life-changing)! The second act is where it all goes to Hell and Empire epitomises that more than most! A sequel that surpasses the original. From the offset the sense of threat is palpable and the good guys are soundly defeated. The revelation of Darth Vader's true identity shocked a generation long before there was any talk of prequels and an internet on which to post spoilers!

3). The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic role as the titular character needs no introduction and his immortal phrase "I'll be back" has entered into the lexicon of everyday speech. James Cameron's guerilla filmmaking, which the director laments leaving behind in the wake of subsequent commercial success, imbues The Terminator with a raw documentary style. Incidentally, as a Media Studies student, at Exeter College, I made an unlicensed teaser for a Terminator television series (years before the official spin-off), which I intend to post on YouTube.

4). Alien
Take John Carpenter's Dark Star, remove the humour and add a heavy dose of Swiss surrealism! Ridley Scott went on to direct the visionary Blade Runner, but Alien was his first foray into the sci-fi genre, and transposed the 'used technology look' popularised in Star Wars and retooled it into something stark and disturbing.

5). E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
A simple tale of a boy and an alien, which was conceived as a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Steven Spielberg's life-affirming opus - centred around a fear of abandonment; a reoccurring theme in the director's oeuvre - hasn't lost any of its emotional impact.

6). Aliens
Handheld video cameras, motion trackers and a special edition that ramps up the tension to the nth degree: Sentry Guns for the win! Incidentally, it was such a profound influence on me, that my first ever video production was an homage to the Colonial Marines.

7). John Carpenter's The Thing
Remakes rarely surpass the source material. However, John Carpenter's The Thing (and David Cronenberg's The Fly) is an exception to the rule. Based on The Thing from Another World, Carpenter's film is elevated above its B movie origin and is a masterclass in storytelling, and special effects, that audaciously has no resolution. There is talk of a prequel.

8). Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The second film I saw at the cinema after Star Wars. Harking back to the silent movie era. We get to meet benevolent aliens through the prism of director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. A profound childhood experience.

9). Avatar
In essence this is a James Cameron greatest hits package wrapped around the director's obsession with romantic themes set against a technological canvas. More than just a film, it's a sociological event and coined the phrase 'Avatar blues'.

10). WALL-E
Woody Allen neurosis collides with the iPod generation. The first 20 minutes presents some of most startling imagery in mainstream cinema of the past two decades. Charming, witty and poignant in equal measure. Western cinema regained its sense of wonder in the summer of 2008.

Haven't seen any of these films? They're all worth a LOVEFiLM rental.

You can read a compendium of my previously published film and television reviews, which have appeared in SFX, Starburst and Dreamwatch magazines and online.

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