# Must Own DVD Movies That Define The Fantasy & SciFi Genres?



## Angel Tarragon (Sep 30, 2008)

I'm looking to expand my DVD collection and add *quality* movies and tv series that are turning-point or definitive towards defining the fantasy and scifi genres.

List dvd releases that you believe add to quality of a DVD library and the reason why it is definitive.

I'm looking for Top 10's of both genres. If thats too constraining, the Top 25.

*Movies Mentioned That I Own*
Beastmaster
Blade Runner
Conan
Dragonslayer
Fantasia
Fantasia 2000
Highlander
The Incredibles
The Little Mermaid
The Matrix
Night of the Living Dead (Original Romero version)
The Princess Bride
Star Wars Anthology (All 6)
Terminator
Tron
Wizard of Oz


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## Mallus (Sep 30, 2008)

I don't have time for a Top 10 right now, but here's one essential: _Forbidden Planet_ (the new-ish widescreen edition).


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## Shade (Sep 30, 2008)

A few obvious ones...

For fantasy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy (go for the extended versions..worth the money).  Why?  Shows what money and passion can do with a fantasy property.

For Sci-Fi:
The original Star Wars trilogy.  Why?  Pretty much responsible for the greenlighting of everything sci-fi related that followed.

A few less obvious choices:

Brotherhood of the Wolf - Genre-bending and damned entertaining.
The 13th Warrior - A better Sword & Sorcery film than both Conans.


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## Asmo (Sep 30, 2008)

When it comes to sci-fi, _Twelve Monkeys _ is a must have.

Asmo


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## Relique du Madde (Oct 1, 2008)

Blade Runner... special anniversary box set edition if you can find it (I'm, still annoyed that I got the directors cut before the special anniversary box set was announced).


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## Klaus (Oct 1, 2008)

Fantasy:
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Dragonslayer
Legend
13th Warrior
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Reign of Fire
Hellboy II (when it comes out)

Sci-Fi:
Blade Runner
Star Wars Trilogy
Terminator
Alien/Aliens
Iron Man


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## Angel Tarragon (Oct 1, 2008)

Relique du Madde said:


> Blade Runner... special anniversary box set edition if you can find it (I'm, still annoyed that I got the directors cut before the special anniversary box set was announced).




I own the 5 disc HD-DVD set. I plan on replacing it with the Blu-ray set sometime next year.


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## Mouseferatu (Oct 1, 2008)

Funny thing is, there are some fantasy movies that are "must haves" that may not match your definition of "quality."

No fantasy collection is complete without _Krull_, _Dragonslayer_, _Clash of the Titans_, _Conan_ (the first one), and _Beastmaster_ (also the first one), but I wouldn't claim that all of those are necessarily "quality" movies.


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## Angel Tarragon (Oct 1, 2008)

Mouseferatu said:


> Funny thing is, there are some fantasy movies that are "must haves" that may not match your definition of "quality."
> 
> No fantasy collection is complete without _Krull_, _Dragonslayer_, _Clash of the Titans_, _Conan_ (the first one), and _Beastmaster_ (also the first one), but I wouldn't claim that all of those are necessarily "quality" movies.




I do agree with you Mouse. As a matter of fact I do own Beastmaster, Conan and Dragonlayer. Now I'm looking to fill in the gaps with quality.


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## Krug (Oct 1, 2008)

Klaus said:


> Fantasy:
> Lord of the Rings Trilogy
> Dragonslayer
> Legend
> ...



The Dark Crystal
The Princess Bride
Labyrinth

Non-English:
Princess Mononoke (Miyazaki)
Nausicaa (Miyazaki)



> Sci-Fi:
> Blade Runner
> Star Wars Trilogy
> Terminator
> ...



2001: A Space Odyssey
The Iron Giant
Wall-E (When it comes out  )

Non English: 
Solaris (Tarkovsky)
Stalker (Tarkovsky)
Akira (Oshii)


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## DreadPirateMurphy (Oct 1, 2008)

Alien & Aliens:  These two films are probably the best example of how to take the same theme and deal with them in entirely different genres.  Ridley Scott made a horror/haunted house movie, while Cameron made an action flick.  Both films have basically the same premise.

Spirited Away:  This movie is amazing for being remarkably accessible, even to non-genre fans.  It is also notable for isolating fears to which both children and adults can relate.  While Mononoke is good, I think this is the better film.

Lord of the Rings and Star Wars trilogies are no-brainers.

Metropolis:  If you're looking for landmark pictures, this vision of a dystopian future by Fritz Lang is a must-have.  It is in black-and-white and is silent, so don't expect sensational effects.

Akira:  This anime film is for many people THE film that introduced Japanese animation to a western audience.  It showed what the Japanese were doing when American cartoons (outside of Disney) was largely cheap and targeted at children.

Speaking of Disney, The Little Mermaid was the film that got Disney animation back on track, so it is something of a landmark.  Aladdin was more entertaining, and one of the first non-European themed films done by the studio.  Fantasia is a classic of artistic vision, if lacking in plot.  Any of those three would be worthwhile.

Pixar has done so much good work it is hard to single out any one film.  Wall-E is probably has the best combination of artistic vision and emotional impact.  The Incredibles is one of the best superhero movies out there.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are both better than the old 80s series of Batman films, and actually are probably the best superhero series in total made to date.

It is worth getting something by Harryhausen, like Clash of the Titans, since stop-motion was the only way to get HUGE special effects before CGI.

Speaking of CGI, Jurrasic Park is an enjoyable flick that was the very first film to demonstrate what CGI would be capable of doing.  Nowadays, folks don't pay it much attention, but at the time it was visually stunning.

The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet are both absolute must-have films from the Red Scare period of American film-making.

Blade Runner is a classic -- I'm more of a fan of the Director's Cut version.  It is a far superior film to much that has come out in recent years.

The original King Kong is also a good film -- it is subtler than any of the later films, including Peter Jackson's effort.

The original 1954 Godzilla was a parable about the nuclear threat from the only country ever to directly suffer from an atom bomb.  It is hard to argue that it isn't a classic, despite the rubber suit.

1953's version of the War of the Worlds is also an enjoyable flick, and is arguably one of the best film adaptations of any of H.G. Well's works.  I like it better than the more recent version with Tom Cruise.

The Princess Bride is hands-down one of the funniest, quotable movies you will find.  I consider it a must-have.

Horror flicks aren't really my thing, but there are several films that suggest themselves from the genre.  At a minimum, Night of the Living Dead and The Birds can be considered sci-fi/fantasy.

A lot of people will disagree, but I really liked The Fifth Element.  Ignore the absurdities of the plot and just absorb the stylistic vision of the film.  If you can revel in the camp, then it is a great movie.

In contrast, I've always thought of 2001 as somewhat slow -- Solaris is a more mind-bending flick if you have the patience to sit through it.  Both are worthwhile films to own, though.

Well, I guess that's more than 10...sorry.


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## Jeremy757 (Oct 1, 2008)

Well if you are into time travel and alternate realities and how they affect people and their memories then you need to add Slaughter House 5, Donnie Darko (the director's cut), and 13 Monkeys, and maybe Butterfly Effect.


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## Brown Jenkin (Oct 1, 2008)

Since you are going for Quality I will leave out many, many films. These are the ones that stand out artisticly way above the rest. If you want the best special effects instead that is an entirely different list.

Sci-Fi:
1. Star Wars: Original Trilogy (Preferably the DVD version taken from the Laser Discs where Han shoots first)
2. 2001: A Space Oddyssy 
3. Blade Runner: Director's Cut
4. Alien & Aliens
5. A Clockwork Orange
6. The Day the Earth Stood Still
7. The Terminator
8. Forbidden Planet
9. Akira
10. Metropolis

Fantasy:
1. Lord of the Rings trilogy
2. Wizard of Oz
3. The Princess Bride
4. Conan the Barbarian
5. Princess Mononoke
6. Beuaty and the Beast (Disney)
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
8. Stardust
9. Fantasia
10. Highlander


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## mmadsen (Oct 1, 2008)

DreadPirateMurphy said:


> At a minimum, Night of the Living Dead and The Birds can be considered sci-fi/fantasy.



And they're oddly similar.


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## Calico_Jack73 (Oct 1, 2008)

I think pretty much everyone has listed the same movies that I would with one exception.  I really liked the David Lynch's Dune.  Yes... I know it wasn't as good as the book, truth be told most movies aren't.  I thought Dune had a look and feel all it's own.

Edit: Oh yeah... I forgot to add The Black Hole.  I think Tron deserves a mention for the movie that really launched CGI into the public eye.

I liked Minority Report and Paycheck for the same reason.  Probably helped that they were written by the same author (who also wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep aka Blade Runner).  I liked Minority Report because ultimately it was a story about fighting against fate.  Tom Cruise knew at the beginning that he would murder someone in the future but couldn't for the life of him figure out why until the event came to pass.  Kinda like a reverse mystery.  The same goes for Paycheck.

To the OP... sorry but this discussion has turned to a list of movies we like and why we like them.  My pick for the two defining movies would be Star Wars EP IV because it redifined the genre and Tron for the first real introduction to CGI.  The book I am Legend defined the survival horror genre but I'd have to go with the Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth for that one (though I think The Omega Man is more watchable) rather than the Will Smith movie.


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## Mean Eyed Cat (Oct 1, 2008)

What no Terry Gilliam?  I'd have to include Time Bandits or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.  Maybe even Brazil.


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## EricNoah (Oct 1, 2008)

I think the original Matrix ranks right up there for sci fi.  I still find it immensely entertaining.


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## Thanee (Oct 2, 2008)

Movies...

Gattaca
Serenity

And let me second (third, or whatever) Clash of the Titans. Awesome movie!

For TV series...

Well, Star Trek, obviously
Babylon 5
Firefly
Battlestar Galactica

Not sure, if there even is anything fantasy worth mentioning... 

Bye
Thanee


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## Calico_Jack73 (Oct 2, 2008)

Look at the OP's question



> I'm looking to expand my DVD collection and add quality movies and tv series that are turning-point or definitive towards defining the fantasy and scifi genres.




I think we keep listing our favorite movies but are they actually turning point or definitive in the fantasy/scifi genre?  

For Example: While some comics are more popular and sell more issues I would say that DC's launch of the Vertigo line represented a turning point.  Mainstream comics suddenly found that it was "okay" to present stories with adult themes.

It is like the difference between the Oscars and the People's Choice awards.

Has anyone mentioned Close Encounters of the Third Kind yet?  Absolutely incredible movie!

For TV Series I'd have to go with Starblazers or Robotech for introducing to many people the idea that an animated series can actually have a multi-season storyline with all of the plot and drama that you'd expect from a live action series.  Before those two pretty much all animated shows were just a bunch of stand alone episodes that had nothing to do with each other.  I remember running home from school and skipping my homework because the previous episode of Starblazers had left off with a cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  Good times!


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## Brown Jenkin (Oct 2, 2008)

Calico_Jack73 said:


> Look at the OP's question
> 
> 
> 
> I think we keep listing our favorite movies but are they actually turning point or definitive in the fantasy/scifi genre?




I tried to provide such a list instead of favorite movies.


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## RangerWickett (Oct 2, 2008)

Predator.


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## Cthulhudrew (Oct 3, 2008)

Outland


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## Aus_Snow (Oct 3, 2008)

DreadPirateMurphy said:


> Metropolis:  If you're looking for landmark pictures, this vision of a dystopian future by Fritz Lang is a must-have.  It is in black-and-white and is silent, so don't expect sensational effects.



I still have a soft spot for the recoloured version with (now) retro soundtrack. . .  It was the first I saw, so. Well, anyway. . . it's a 'must see' movie, whichever you see first, assuming you see both.

I'd also (following in the vein of retro, if not much else) suggest checking out Blake's 7. It's terribly dated of course, and was poorly funded, even for those times. And there are numerous other niggles and such, but still, it has some good things going for it, in my opinion. Even now.

Can't think of much else that other people haven't already mentioned. Many of them, I would second, third and so on. But I suspect you'll get around to them without me doing so.


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## mmadsen (Oct 3, 2008)

Calico_Jack73 said:


> Has anyone mentioned Close Encounters of the Third Kind yet?  Absolutely incredible movie!



Meh.


Calico_Jack73 said:


> For TV Series I'd have to go with Starblazers or Robotech for introducing to many people the idea that an animated series can actually have a multi-season storyline with all of the plot and drama that you'd expect from a live action series.  Before those two pretty much all animated shows were just a bunch of stand alone episodes that had nothing to do with each other.  I remember running home from school and skipping my homework because the previous episode of Starblazers had left off with a cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.  Good times!



They showed the episodes out of order on our local station -- which was pretty funny, if also disappointing.  "Wait, they have 100 days left to save Earth?  But they only had a few weeks left yesterday?"


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## frankthedm (Oct 3, 2008)

Not one mention of Pan's Labyrinth?

while I would not buy it, I think Logan's Run has some of the qualities the OP is  seeking.


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## Holy Bovine (Oct 3, 2008)

Mallus said:


> I don't have time for a Top 10 right now, but here's one essential: _Forbidden Planet_ (the new-ish widescreen edition).




What?  They have a widescreen version of this now?  Loved this the first time I saw it - loved it more the 33rd time.


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## Holy Bovine (Oct 3, 2008)

Mouseferatu said:


> Funny thing is, there are some fantasy movies that are "must haves" that may not match your definition of "quality."
> 
> No fantasy collection is complete without _Krull_, _Dragonslayer_, _Clash of the Titans_, _Conan_ (the first one), and _Beastmaster_ (also the first one), but I wouldn't claim that all of those are necessarily "quality" movies.




Absolutely.  These are all fantastic 'popcorn' movies where you can turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride.

I'll add Jason and the Argonauts.  Ray Harryhausen is a certified legend.  You really can't be a fan of sword n' sorcery action until you have seen the skeleton fight in JatA.


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## Asmo (Oct 3, 2008)

_Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 _






Nah, just kiddin´ 

Asmo


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## Holy Bovine (Oct 3, 2008)

Asmo said:


> _Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 _
> 
> 
> 
> ...




And here I went and pulled out my stabbin' knife.

Oh well Mabel, you'll just have to wait.


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## Mallus (Oct 3, 2008)

Holy Bovine said:


> What?  They have a widescreen version of this now?



This is set my wife gave me for Christmas last year. It looks (and sounds) amazing. 

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Planet-Ultimate-Collectors-Pidgeon/dp/B000HEWEEY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1223060827&sr=8-3]Forbidden Planet at Amazon[/ame]


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## Ed_Laprade (Oct 3, 2008)

Did anyone mention Things to Come? As for landmarks, no one has mentioned the first (and only?) science fiction musical: Just Imagine! (Oh wait, the OP wanted quality too.)


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## Rackhir (Oct 3, 2008)

Aus_Snow said:


> I still have a soft spot for the recoloured version with (now) retro soundtrack. . .  It was the first I saw, so. Well, anyway. . . it's a 'must see' movie, whichever you see first, assuming you see both.




They have recently found all of the original footage for Metropolis. The version most people have seen is one that was severely re-edited and dispensed with large chunks of the plot. The most recent restoration attempt, from a few years back, put in still frames and descriptive cards to attempt to fill in some of the gaps, but a few months ago they found a complete copy of the original some place in South America IIRC. The footage was in very poor condition though, so it's currently being restored and there should be a true "Original" version of Metropolis due out sometime next year, including I believe a Blu-Ray version.


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## Larcen (Oct 4, 2008)

Sword and the Sorcerer.   Really.  We used to quote that movie all the time!


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## Angel Tarragon (Oct 4, 2008)

Please don't forget that I am looking for explanantions of why the movie/tv series is definitive or turning-point.


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## Remus Lupin (Oct 4, 2008)

Mean Eyed Cat said:


> What no Terry Gilliam?  I'd have to include Time Bandits or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.  Maybe even Brazil.




Well, 12 Monkeys is Gilliam


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## Angrydad (Oct 4, 2008)

I'd have to recommend John Carpenter's "The Thing". The film's definitive in the world of special effects and creepy as all get out. Playing the PS2/Xbox game, which is a sort of sequel to the movie probably helped the movie seem creepier, but I'd still recommend it as a good sci-fi horror flick. Beware the blood and guts in this one.


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## Aus_Snow (Oct 5, 2008)

Rackhir said:


> They have recently found all of the original footage for Metropolis. The version most people have seen is one that was severely re-edited and dispensed with large chunks of the plot. The most recent restoration attempt, from a few years back, put in still frames and descriptive cards to attempt to fill in some of the gaps, but a few months ago they found a complete copy of the original some place in South America IIRC. The footage was in very poor condition though, so it's currently being restored and there should be a true "Original" version of Metropolis due out sometime next year, including I believe a Blu-Ray version.



Yeah, I'd gathered something along these lines, well the fact that some content was missing anyway. Didn't know that the movie in its entirety could be on the cards though - wow!

Thanks for the heads up.


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## Holy Bovine (Oct 5, 2008)

Reveille said:


> Please don't forget that I am looking for explanantions of why the movie/tv series is definitive or turning-point.




Jason & the Argonauts is definitive (to me) for the simple fact that it shows how amazing stop motion effects can look with someone talented handling them.  Some of the best CGI in the world today still doesn't look as good as Harryhausen's skeletons or Talos (the Iron Golem).


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## Mistwell (Oct 6, 2008)

Sci-Fi:
Clockwork Orange
Terminator 2
Aliens
Back to the Future
Close Encounters
E.T.
Star Trek 2: The Wraith of Khan
2001
Soylent Green
Logan's Run
Men in Black
The Road Warrior
Tron


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