American Film Institute’s Top 10 Science Fiction Films: A Cultural Failure?

June 17th, 2008

There’s a TV special on tonight with AFI’s 10 Top 10 films, covering ten genres.   I’ll skip ahead to give and discuss just the science fiction:

Science Fiction

Rank    â†“ Film    â†“ Year    â†“
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
2. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
4. A Clockwork Orange 1971
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951
6. Blade Runner 1982
7. Alien 1979
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956
10. Back to the Future 1985

OK, I’ve seen them all, and agree with a lot of the choices.   Even most of the ones that I disagree with, I have to admit that there’s a case to be made.

I’d toss Back to the Future, Invasion of the Body Snatchers,   and replace Star Wars with The Empire Strikes Back.   I’d add Aliens and Contact, and do some reordering, potentially moving a few more onto the list.   Maybe Gattaca, the Terminator, the Matrix

You know something sad, though?   With the exceptions of 2001, A Clockwork Orange, and perhaps Blade Runner, I don’t know that I can say these movies compete with most of the others on the other top 10 lists (except for the animation category, which also seems weak).   Now, Alien and T2 are fine movies, but they’re not moving or classics at quite the level of so many other categories.    I mean, here are the number 10 movies in the other categories: Finding Nemo, Big, Jerry McGuire, Cat Ballou, Scarface, The Usual Suspects, Sleepless in Seattle, Judgment at Nuremburg, and the Ten Commandments.    Compare those with Back to the Future with its theme park rides, Huey Lewis soundtrack, and Michael J. Fox’s less than Oscar-winning performance.

I guess I’m griping that there aren’t more great science fiction films.   So many seem so small, so focused on the special effects, on a snappy plot over deeper meaning.   I suspect that many movie makers   just try to make a “sci-fi flick” rather a great movie.

Well, suppose I’m just griping.   I love science fiction.   I love movies.   Too few science fiction movies seem to hit the mark of greatness.   I mean, really, Back to the Future is a fun movie but is it really one of the ten best of the genre ever made?!   If it is, there’s been a massive cultural failure.

Looking at AFI’s top 100 list issued in 1998,   we have Star Wars at 15, 2001 at 22, ET at 25, Dr. Strangelove at 26, A Clockwork Orange at 46, Close Encounters of the Third Kind at 64, and Frankenstein at 87.   There are a number of fantasy films I haven’t listed, but I wouldn’t call Star Wars at 15 a top showing.

Now, lists like these are subjective by nature, but there’s been nothing close to The Godfather of science fiction, and I don’t see any reason why there couldn’t be except that perhaps no one is even trying.

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