Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge (Official, January 2020)

[shugs]

Goal
Watch as many movies as you can that fit into the Sci-Fi and/or Fantasy genre. If you are in doubt whether a movie counts or not, just ask.

Rules
- A feature film (anything over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- A total of 60 minutes of short films counts as one entry.
- For Mini-Series/TV series (40 minute episodes or longer) each episode counts as an entry.
- For Mini-Series/TV series with shorter episodes, the 60 minute rule applies.
- Rewatches are allowed.

Official Lists
IMDb's Sci-fi Top 50
IMDb's Fantasy Top 50
The 100 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies
100 Science Fiction Films (BFI Screen Guide)
Fantasy Cinema: Impossible Worlds on Screen

Unofficial Lists

Unofficial Lists

iCM Forum's Favorite Sci-fi Movies
Time Out London's The 100 Best Sci-fi Movies
DigitalDreamDoor's 200 Greatest Sci-fi Movies
AFI's Top 10 Sci-Fi: The Nominations
OFCS Top 100: Top 100 Sci-Fi Films
Total Film's 50 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Ever
Fantastic Cinema (Peter Nicholls) 700 fantasy/horror/sci-fi films
The 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time (Popular Mechanics)
Darkweb Online's Top 100 Sci-fi Movies of All Time
Science Fiction/Fantasy sublist from 501 Must See Movies
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ten Neglected Science Fiction Movies
Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film
List of Science Fiction Films
Weinberg's Top 100 Science Fiction Films of All Time
The Top 20 Horror Science-Fiction Films of All Time!
AFI's Top 10 Fantasy: The Nominations
Fantasy 100 TV Shows
Fantasy 100 Movies
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ten Overlooked Fantasy Films on DVD (and 2 that should be!)
Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film
Haapsalu Horror & Fantasy Film Festival: 2010-2013
Top 100 Fantasy Movies Gary Gerani
DigitalDreamDoor 100 Greatest Fantasy Movies
Rolling Stone Top 50 Science Fiction Films of the 1970s

Participants

Ranking	Participant	Score
1	psychotronicbeatnik	211
2	flavo5000	201
3	albajos	100
4	AB537	91
5	jdidaco	90
6	vortexsurfer	66
7	sol	62
8	sebby	61
9	Lonewolf2003	58
10	Mate_cosido	55
11	hurluberlu	46
11	peeptoad	46
13	OldAle1	40
14	blueboybob	37
15	VincentPrice	36
16	shugs	35
17	sheikofhyrule	31
18	mightysparks	30
19	cinephage	29
20	India Instanbul	28
21	maxwelldeux	26
22	ororama	25
23	RogerTheMovieManiac88	24
24	jeroeno	23
25	zzzorf	22
26	allisoncm	21
26	frbrown	21
28	ChrisReynolds	20
28	nimimerkillinen	20
30	klaus78	18
31	Daviddoes	17
32	Coryn	13
33	72aicm	11
34	Obgeoff	8
35	Knaldskalle	7
35	Mochard	7
35	Teproc	7
38	DareDaniel	6
39	blocho	5
39	morrison-dylan-fan	5
41	Cinepolis	2
41	connordenney	2

[shugs]

Description and lists shamelessly stolen from last this year's challenge, thanks max. As always, if there are any lists you think should be mentioned, let me know and I'll update the OP.

[Coryn]

My main challenge for January, hope to get around 40 watches in. Will be watching the star wars movies I haven't seen yet and re-watch lord of the rings. Next to that also some I think are interesting from 1000<400 and to top it off a lot of movies with a lot of checks I haven't seen yet that fall in this category e.g. The Fifth Element and Twelve Monkeys

[peeptoad]

love this challenge

[VincentPrice]

In

[nimimerkillinen]

in! hopefully for 30
maybe the complete icm forums scifi list could be added? https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/icm+ ... /joachimt/ dunno if this is the newest one

[allisoncm]

I'm in. I have a couple of films lined up.

[psychotronicbeatnik]

I'd buy that for a dollar!

[flavo5000]

I'm definitely in. I always dig some scifi and fantasy business.

[maxwelldeux]

Here's the best list of Sci-Fi/Fantasy films from the Balkans I can generate: https://trakt.tv/search/movies/?genres= ... k,ro,rs,si

[VincentPrice]

1. Saturn 3-1980: 7/10

[sol]

1. One Point O (2004)



This film begins on a somewhat Kafkaeque note as our protagonist keeps finding mysterious empty packages in his locked and secured apartment. Things only become weirder as he begins to investigate his neighbours... and to reveal much more would give away key points. Suffice it to say that the film really gets inside its protagonist's fragile mind and the film is fantastically visualised with foreboding darkened corridors and unusual colours.

[sebby]

01 Marjorie Prime 2017 4/10

I remember when I halfway trusted Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores.

[Coryn]

1. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

[nimimerkillinen]

1. Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
2. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970)

[Mate_cosido]

I'm already halfway through in watching all Godzilla movies, so i'm in

1. Gojira - The Return of Godzilla (1984, Koji Hashimoto)

[maxwelldeux]

My goal this month is to work on the BFI 100 Sci-Fi list (aiming for 25, would be happy with 15), so to start...

1. Silent Running (1972)
The underlying message to this is nice, being pro-environment and biodiversity. But I found the film to be boring and a mess, not quite syncing up with the message or doing anything particularly interesting. The opening shot of the plants was gorgeous, but it went downhill from there. Did think it was cool and somewhat prescient to show a robot performing surgery.

[Lakigigar]

Feeling difficult about this. I have a lot of sci-fi / fantasy films to watch, and i might not be able to participate next year in challenges of january and june (exams), and possibly december and may. But i also want to watch a lot of movies before the 2020 top 1000 list, so have a hard time deciding where i should go for.

[Mochard]

1. Kaitei daisensô (1966) - 4.5/10

While covering a test of guided torpedoes, two reporters believe they saw what appeared to be a strange-looking swimming creature. They investigate the matter further and discover that there is a race of fish-men living under the sea.

In space 1 person can hear you scream!

1. Kaitei daisensô (1966) - 4.5/10

[VincentPrice]

2. Watchmen-"It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice"-2019: 10/10

Spoiler

1. Saturn 3-1980: 7/10

[albajos]

01. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) USA | UK 1 official list 274 checks
Fantasy.
02. Good Omens m01 In The Beginning (2019) UK | USA 26 checks
03. Good Omens m02 The Book (2019) UK | USA 24 checks
Fantasy.

!seen 3

[peeptoad]

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 8*

*rewatch

[ChrisReynolds]

1. Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (Abrams, 2019)
The wheels have completely come off this new Star Wars trilogy. Part retcon of the previous film, part exposition-stuffed quest narrative, and it's filled with plot-holes and events that make no sense all edited at an exhuasting pace. Two bright spots are Adam Driver who continues to give a nuanced performance that lifts the material, and Ian McDiarmid, who gets to chew the scenery and cackle.
3/10



2. Aladdin (Ritchie, 2019)
Colourful but a typically uninspired Disney live-action remake. Casting of the actors was very good and there's a goodbut Guy Ritchie was a bizarre choice to direct this; he doesn't seem to have any idea how to shoot and edit dance numbers.
4/10

[blueboybob]

1. The Lighthouse (2019)

Do the following count?
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Jojo Rabbit (2019)

[Knaldskalle]

In. Will probably not make much of a splash.

[ChrisReynolds]

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Jojo Rabbit (2019)

I generally think of zombies and other undead monsters as clear sci-fi/fantasy concepts. Jojo Rabbit I wouldn't count unless the imaginary Hitler actually has a supernatural influence on the real world (I haven't seen it but I think he's entirely explained as a product of the little boy's imagination), otherwise a case could be made for A Beautiful Mind being a fantasy too.

[Mochard]

2. Vynález zkázy (1958) - 7/10

An evil millionaire named Artigas plans to use a super-explosive device to conquer the world from his headquarters inside an enormous volcano.

In space 2 people can hear you scream!

1. Kaitei daisensô (1966) - 4.5/10
2. Vynález zkázy (1958) - 7/10

[AB537]

1. Conan the Barbarian (John Milius, 1982) 6.5/10
2. THX 1138 (George Lucas, 1971) 7/10

[maxwelldeux]

The earth is flat

1. Silent Running (1972)

2. Transfomers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Last day of vacation, I wanted mindless action, and I got it (who better than Michael Bay?). Flashy things. Explosions. Cool CGI. Fun entertainment for 2.5 hours, nothing more. Exactly what I wanted.

3. Downsizing (2017)
This... was interesting. Scientists invent a process to make people small - ~5 inches (~12.5cm), and seek to transform society into a small one in order to solve global warming. Clearly an allegory of society, just didn't seem super well thought out. Really interesting points brought up, really weird and fairly fun story line. Good, not great.

[VincentPrice]

3. Midnight Special-2016: 8/10

Spoiler

1. Saturn 3-1980: 7/10
2. Watchmen-"It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice"-2019: 10/10

[allisoncm]

1. Spies in Disguise (2019) 5/10 sci-fi (Will Smith turns into a pigeon)
2. Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) 4/10 100 Science Fiction Films (BFI Screen Guide)

[jeroeno]

01. Schalcken the Painter (1979)

[shugs]

1. The Lighthouse (2019)

Do the following count?
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Jojo Rabbit (2019)

I haven't seen either. I'd say Zombieland 2 counts (the first one has the Sci-Fi genre tag on IMDb). As for Jojo Rabbit I've seen a few articles calling it a fantasy, but I don't really know much about it, so you be the judge.

[albajos]

Imaginary friends are not fantasy unless they are visible to others as well.

[Coryn]

2-4 Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended versions (2001. 2002. 2003.) (Rewatch)

[zzzorf]

1. The Hunger Games (2012) - 9/10 (rewatch)

[sol]

Spoiler

1. One Point O (2004)

2. It Chapter Two (2019)



This horror sequel sits in the shadow of the first entry, but it is not all that bad. The over-the-top, CGI-heavy final battle runs too long and the characters are certainly more interesting to follow around as children rather than adults. The middle stretch here is actually solid though as it mostly dials down the CGI effects and instead focuses on atmosphere as the characters return to Derry with some remarkable reality/flashback/illusion blurs.

[flavo5000]

Imaginary friends are not fantasy unless they are visible to others as well.

Eh, I've never found the need to adhere so rigidly in the realm of fantasy. By your definition, a movie that's about someone traveling through a portal into another world with magical creatures and wizards would not be fantasy if the person woke up in the bed at the end of the movie, realizing it was all a dream. So the movie would be what? a drama since the only element of the film that mattered is a kid sleeping then waking up?

[peeptoad]

2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) 6
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) 7

3 zombie lab mice...

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 8*

*rewatch

[flavo5000]

1. Zítra vstanu a oparím se cajem a.k.a. Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977)


2. Himiko (1974)


3. American Playhouse: Into the Woods (1991)


4. Wonder Woman (1974)


5a. Amazing Nuts! (2006)


5b. The Door in the Wall (1956)

Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...

1. Zítra vstanu a oparím se cajem a.k.a. Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977)
2. Himiko (1974)
3. American Playhouse: Into the Woods (1991)
4. Wonder Woman (1974)
5a. Amazing Nuts! (2006)
5b. The Door in the Wall (1956)