Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Greg]

Given the brief flurry of activity with the thread on genre TV series (which will hopefully resume when more people visit this forum when the series 3 is on TV), I thought an equivalent thread with less obvious outcome might be interesting.

The rules are as before: list up to 10 horror, fantasy or science fiction movies (that is, the movie must contain some element that fits those criteria). For each valid movie you nominate, it will receive one point. No more than 10 nominations from each poster (although, theoretically, you could post five now and five later). I'll edit this post to include the running totals.

If you are so inclined, tell us a bit about why you've nominated each movie.

Yet again, I'm starting this thread before thinking of my own choices. I'll list mine later today.

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The results are:

=1 Eraserhead [3 pts]
=2 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back [2 pts]
=2 2001: A Space Odyssey [2 pts]
=2 The Wizard of Oz [2 pts]
=3 The Birds [1 pt]
=3 Bladerunner [1 pt]
=3 Braindead [1 pt]
=3 Brazil [1 pt]
=3 Christine [1 pt]
=3 City of Lost Children [1 pt]
=3 A Clockwork Orange [1 pt]
=3 Dune (David Lynch) [1 pt]
=3 The Elephant Man [1 pt]
=3 The Exorcist [1 pt]
=3 Friday the 13th [1 pt]
=3 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [1 pt]
=3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [1 pt]
=3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [1 pt]
=3 The Hills Have Eyes (original) [1 pt]
=3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [1 pt]
=3 Krull
=3 The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [1 pt]
=3 Licence to Kill [1 pt]
=3 Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [1pt]
=3 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [1 pt]
=3 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers [1 pt]
=3 Naked Lunch [1 pt]
=3 The Omen (original) [1 pt]
=3 Ravenous [1 pt]
=3 The Ring (original Japanese) [1 pt]
=3 Saw [1 pt]
=3 The Seven Faces of Dr Lao [1 pt]
=3 Spaceballs [1 pt]
=3 Spirited Away [1 pt]
=3 Steppenwolf [1 pt]
=3 Terminator 2: Judgment Day [1 pt]
=3 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original) [1 pt]
=3 28 Days Later [1 pt]
=3 Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among Bees [1 pt]

Votes from: Greg, meglos, montypython, seeklocatedestroy, SharazJek, Sulp Niar

[Greg]

After much gnashing of teeth and regretful deletions from a list of 20, I came up with the following (alphabetically sorted...):

Brazil - Probably Terry Gilliam's best movie, black comedy, dystopia and bureaucracy combine in a movie that is effectively 1984 done with Monty Python Nazis. Like a few movies on my list, fantasy and reality are intermingled and you can't always be sure which is which for a time. And just when you think it's all safe and over, it neatly turns a happy song into something chilling.

City of Lost Children - Something like a French farce based on a Douglas Adams script, this is a comedy science fiction story of high adventure. It may be a little too arch and self-aware for some viewrs, but it is wonderfully inventive and ultimately fulfilling.

Eraserhead - David Lynch's first major film, I can watch this movie a lot simply because you can't be sure what is going on. A nightmare? A weird reality? It's unsettling and at time upsetting, and becomes almost hypnotic. Certainly not a movie for everyone - a comment that applies to several movies on my list!

The Exorcist - Some movies do live up to their hype. Still scary over 30 years later, primarily because much of the horror is lurking just below the surface (thanks to great acting and directing), it's the knid of movie that stays with you after whatever recent special effects drive gore fest is long forgotten.

Naked Lunch - David Cronenburg partly adapts William Burroughs novel, partly makes a Burroughs biography movie, and partly creates something new. Crazy and crazed, given a surprisingly realistic feel thanks to the dry performances of the cast that only highlight the bizarreness of the situations the characters find themselves in.

The Seven Faces of Dr Lao - Dr Lao is a travelling Chinese entertainer who arrive in town and sets up his circus tent... and somehow the visitors meet figures from myth and history, uncovering their hidden dreams and desires. A sophisticated story with something for people of most ages. If nothing else, watch it to see Tony Curtis in nine different roles...

Steppenwolf - Herman Hesse's Jungian novel comes to life in the glorious extremely-70s adaptation - colour negatives, craptastic animated sequences and all. A writer, having lost his muse, is led astray in an attempt to recover his talent. His destination: the Magic Theatre, with its slogan 'Not for everyone - for madmen only'. Another film where reality and fantasy intermingle - has Harry truly found the magical place, or is he going mad?

2001: A Space Odyssey - The most epic movie on my list, this traces man's devolpment (under the influence of aliens) over, well, the history of mankind. It's a movie of many moods - the dialogueless Stone Age sequences, the calm and controlled trip to the moon, the increasing claustrophobia and paranoia in the long space flight, and finally the cosmic ending which lets each viewer draw their own conclusions. Some people find it extremely boring, but I think they are missing out.

Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among Bees - Chances are, you've never heard of this movie. Chances also are you'll never see it. This is the strangest and hence most thought-provoking movie on my list. It's got bees, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, ancient Babylon, Project Trinity and Operati0n Desert Storm, all tied together in an inexplicable way that also manages to tell a story... more or less. If any other movie on my list was one you found a bit hard going, this one isn't for you. In any case, as far as I'm aware it only had limited cinematic release and a small run of VHS tapes created - no DVD. I've only seen it one. I want to see it again.

The Wizard of Oz - The first movie I remember watching, and still a personal favourite. The 'was it all a dream or not' aspect when Dorothy gets back to Kansas would lift this out of the standard kiddy's movies it is usually categorised with even if it wasn't so well made. Not shy about putting the scares in when it is needed, it will also turn around and poke fun at itself, its one of those movies that I think will never be forgotten.

[montypython]

I love Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Does that count as just "Harry Potter"? I didn't really think much of the others. I'll also put a word in for The Wizard of Oz, coz it's so colourful and it's got memorable songs, memorable characters and memorable scenes.

The Omen: This is a great movie. The horror isn't enough to have you hiding behind the sofa (but then again I don't see what's so scary and Daleks or Cybermen), but there are some definite jolts of fear and some awesome death sequences. I'm talking about the original here, but the modern version's pretty much the same. The second didn't do much for me, it was too quick and too many people died.[/b]

[Sulp Niar]

2001: A Space Odyssey: Rewatched this recently in Film Music at Uni and was reminded of how brilliant it is. Psychadelica! The fact that you can spend the whole movie thinking or simply enjoying! The music! A pox on 2010, the sequel. Boy that was crap.

The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse: Ha. Is this cheating, voting them in both TV and Movie? Well, I don't care. I vote them in. Great movie, great acting, great... well, everything.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: I am not a Star Wars fan. But even I can't deny how good lots of the Original Trilogy was. Other than Mark Hamill. There's a reason why his last name has the word "ham" in it.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The black-horse of the trilogy and consequently my favourite. Maybe I'm just a sucker for darkness and black comedy. Who knows.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: I only put this in because the others were mentioned. To my mind this is easily the best of the films so far and actually a good film by rights! The acting from the regulars is finally top-notch, the direction is superb, and everything gels together really well this time. Forget the book fans complaining about aspects missed out - that's what the books are for isn't it?

Ravenous: I'm not sure why I like this movie so much. I'll admit it doesn't pick up at all until Ives starts killing everyone at the cave. But there's something about this movie that just reminds me of the Hammer Horror days - in a good way. Maybe it's because I adore Robert Carlyle - easily my favourite actor ever, and he's superb as ever in this - and because I adore the soundtrack. It's in time to his breathing! It plays this weird organ arrangement! This is the kind of horror that for some reason I like.

Spirited Away: I know it's the most mainstream perhaps of Japanese films. I know also though that it's one of the best Japanese films, so how can I pass up on it? Ridiculously imaginative and enjoyable. Boy, the stagnating West fantasy at the moment (where every movie, such as Eragon, seems to be based on The Lord of the Rings) should really follow the Japanese example.

Licence to Kill: Are Bond films allowed under the "fantasy" category? If so, this is JUST my favourite by a small margin. Dalton's my favourite Bond, for some reason I can't quite fathom (although I like all of them), so that helps. Sanchez is a great villain. Overall the plot and villain's plot (which is simply to sell drugs) are refreshingly realistic and intense. Compare this to Moonraker (which I also like cos it's hilarious) and note the difference. This narrowly beat You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, The World is Not Enough and Casino Royale. Which is a lot of entries. Unless I can vote for all of them?

I was going to vote one of the Doctor Who movies but, erm, you know. Not that great.

So it seems that again I'm not much of a sci-fi, fantasy or horror fan. Boy. I really don't like much at all, do I?

[SharazJek]

Bladerunner - I didn't like the film until I read some of PKD's books. He gets into your head. Rutger Hauer is brilliant as the baddie Roy.

Dune (David Lynch Version) - There is something hypnotic about Lynch's interpretation of the book. It seems slow and labourious but it sweeps you away ith it's epic scale and Brian Eno's music is fantastic!

Eraserhead - Another disturbing Lynch film, perhaps the most disturbing film ever made. It frightens the crap out of me!! Don't worry about your own nightmares, this one takes care of that for you.

The Elephant Man - Yet another David Lynch film, probably borderline horror because of the way it's directed rather than the story itself. Lynch captures the darkness of the Victorian age with almost subliminal industrial noises a constant throughout the film.

Terminator 2 - Judgment Day - The best of the 3 films so far. (can there be another sequel?) Non-stop action from start to finish that actually has a point to it.

[meglos]

1. Eraserhead
2. Braindead
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(Original)
4. Christine
5. Friday The 13th
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. Saw
8. 28 Days Later
9. The Hills Have Eyes(Original)
10. Spaceballs

[seeklocatedestroy]

1. The Lord of the Rings (Aragorn, swords, Aragorn, wizards, Aragorn- what more can a girl want?)
2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Long live Darth Vader! Does anyone remember eating those Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars iceblocks?).
3. Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds' (This is scary!)
4. The Ring (original Japanese)
5. Krull

I love Harry Potter, but I don't really like the movies.