I'll get the popcorn, this could be an interesting thread.  



www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=571900§ion=news

Scientists vote "Blade Runner" best ever sci-fi film

Thu 26 August, 2004 11:00

LONDON (Reuters) - "Blade Runner", a bleak vision of the future set in Los Angeles, has been voted best sci-film of all time by a group of international scientists, according to a poll published by the Guardian newspaper on Thursday.

Stanley Kubrick's classic "2001: A Space Odyssey" was voted second, while Luke Skywalker's moral journey through "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" -- the first films in the Star Wars trilogy -- helped secure third equal spot.

"Blade Runner is the best film ever made," Dr. Stephen Minger, a stem cell biologist at King's College London, told the newspaper.

"It was so far ahead of it time and the whole premise of the story -- what is it to be human and who are we, where we come from? It's the age-old questions," he said.

The newspaper interviewed 56 eminent international scientists for the poll from fields as diverse as quantum physics and zoology.

In fourth position was "Alien", directed by Ridley Scott, in which a bloody creature bursting out of John Hurt's chest has become one of the most enduring images of modern cinema.

"Solaris", directed by Andrei Tarkovksy secured fifth position.

"The 1972 Solaris is perhaps the only film to address the limits of science set by our constrained human perceptions, categories and tendency to anthropomorphise," said physics professor Gregory Benford, from the University of California.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had his day made, finding himself in sixth position with "Terminator", released in 1984, and "T2:Judgement Day", released in 1991.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still", the tale of an alien landing in Washington to tell earthlings to live peacefully, secured seventh position while HG Wells' "War of the Worlds" came in at eighth.

"The Matrix", starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, a computer hacker who discovers the world he lives in might be artificially constructed, was voted ninth best sci-fi film.

In tenth position was Stephen Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", an ultimately positive reflection of what it will be like when aliens get here.

The poll also found that Isaac Asimov was the scientists' favourite author, followed by British writers John Wyndham and Fred Hoyle.

Also, if Rutger Hauer would have died after making this film and The Hitcher, he'd of been considered the greatest actor of our time.

(Of course, and this goes without saying - with the exception of Emilio Estevez if he would’ve died after appearing in The Outsiders and Repo Man)

I don't know about the best-although the premise for picking it is sound-but it's a GREAT movie.

One of these days I'm gonna remember to pick up a DVD copy when I'm in the store. I have a VHS copy and it's about worn out.

It's certainly my favorite.

I'm surprised Dune isnt on the list. (the original one)

Darryl Hannah, Sean Young!   It gets #1 off the casting alone!

It's definately the best Sci-Fi Noir film out there.  It's second to Casablanca for the best film of all time in my book.

Quoted: I'm surprised Dune isnt on the list. (the original one)

Yes definitly missing. It should be in the top 5.

I think Star Wars is a little overated. Top 10 Yes, Top 5 No.

I'd be tempted to stick Vanilla Sky in the list as well.

No "Godzilla"?!!!
No "Attack of the two headed man"?!!

what do those scientists know

Obviously, none of them have seen Aliens. At least they gave Alien #4.

Quoted: [.. I think Star Wars is a little overated. ...

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!

[jmt]you will belive that Star Wars is the best sci fi movie ever[/jmt]

Quoted: In tenth position was Stephen Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", an ultimately positive reflection of what it will be like when aliens get here.

Was it really positive?  I have always wondered why those "advanced" aliens brought all of those people out of their own times into our day.  

Just feels sinister to me....

Quoted: I'd be tempted to stick Vanilla Sky in the list as well.

Vanilla sky! Thats a good one too. Probably the only movie I've ever seen that made say WTF...

Penelope Cruz

ya know what else is odd?  No "The Fly"...

I'm comiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing............................

Quoted: BITE YOUR TONGUE!! [jmt]you will belive that Star Wars is the best sci fi movie ever[/jmt]

Your...   parlor tricks...   won't work...   on me....


Eat Phaser Jedi Boy!

Bladerunner was good, but Empire Stikes Back rocked.

you know what a turtle is, Leon?  Same thing

The sound track made Blade Runner the success that it has been. Vangelis is AWESOME.

Quoted: Bladerunner was good, but Empire Stikes Back rocked.

"Yoda, you seek Yoda.  take you to him I will."

and Yoda is a Jedi master, not this ninja flipping green monkey boy looking piece of sht%$#&....
YOU HEAR ME STEVE!  YOU OWE ME A MOVIE!

Quoted: Quoted: Bladerunner was good, but Empire Stikes Back rocked. "Yoda, you seek Yoda.  take you to him I will." and Yoda is a Jedi master, not this ninja flipping green monkey boy looking piece of sht%$#&.... YOU HEAR ME STEVE!  YOU OWE ME A MOVIE!

<----Has never seen Blade Runner.

"....the star that burns twice as bright, burns half as long......"

Of course it's the best Sci-Fi movie. It never really impressed me.

I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time.


And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make.

NONE of the Star Wars movie storylines was even remotely interesting, enlightening or thought-provoking. Pure bubble-gum.

Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined!

Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. NONE of the Star Wars movie storylines was even remotely interesting, enlightening or thought-provoking. Pure bubble-gum. Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined!

SHUT THE HELL UP!!!

edit to add - Troll.

Quoted: Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. NONE of the Star Wars movie storylines was even remotely interesting, enlightening or thought-provoking. Pure bubble-gum. Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined! SHUT THE HELL UP!!!

Quoted: the fact that solaris even placed on that list discredits it.

They are talking about this Solaris.

Not any Clooney POS.

Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. NONE of the Star Wars movie storylines was even remotely interesting, enlightening or thought-provoking. Pure bubble-gum. Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined!

And yet you speak like Yoda...  I think you have a secret Star Wars fetish...


edit to add -
IT’S A TRAP!!!

Quoted: Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. And yet you speak like Yoda...  I think you have a secret Star Wars fetish...

Sarcasm ain't just a river in... no wait, irony is a bitch... no that's not it either.

Um, just gimme a couple parsecs and I'll get right back to ya'.

Quoted: Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. NONE of the Star Wars movie storylines was even remotely interesting, enlightening or thought-provoking. Pure bubble-gum. Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined! SHUT THE HELL UP!!! edit to add - Troll.

Sorry for yelling... I just feel very strongly about it.

The Empire Strikes Back is the King of Sci-Fi movies

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I could go with either Bladerunner or 2001 as the best of all time. And there should be NO Star Wars movies in that list. Special effects and muppets a great sci-fi movie do not make. And yet you speak like Yoda...  I think you have a secret Star Wars fetish... Sarcasm ain't just a river in... no wait, irony is a bitch... no that's not it either. Um, just gimme a couple parsecs and I'll get right back to ya'.

You are a closet Star Wars fan with talk like that.

Quoted: The Empire Strikes Back is the King of Sci-Fi movies

I don't know who you are... but I love you.

Wooo Hoooo. Blade Runner getting the credit it deserves.  

While Star Wars IV-VI were great, they lacked the depth of plot that Blade Runner has.

"It's too bad she won't live! But then again, who does?"

Quoted: Hell, any average Star Trek (original series) episode has more intellectual depth than all the Star Wars crapola flicks combined!

Agreed. You certainly didn't watch Star Trek for the acting or set designs. William Shatner has got to be the most over the top actor in history. Still better than Mark Hamil, though.

2001 gets my vote for #1.

I agree that Blade Runner should be #1, just ahead of 2001, Empire Strikes Back and Alien.

The reason I think Blade Runner is so important is that it has been an incredibly influential film, and it also created an atmosphere of a world that was both familiar and yet fundamentally different.  

Harrison Ford also gave a great performance.  There's a moment in his apartment after he's survived an attack by one of the replicants, and is talking to Rachel where I thought "Bogart", because Ford really had that everyman quality that makes you associate yourself with the action and puts you in the world being depicted (something Bogart did so well in Key Largo, Casablanca and the African Queen, etc.).

Lots of strange odds and ends surround Blade Runner; the deadpan voiceovers that Harrison ford deliberately did poorly because he thought they were a bad idea (later removed in the Director's Cut); the voice and lip movements not matching on the scene with the snake seller; Harrison Ford's dislike of the film, particularly the difficult time he had shooting it;  film critic's unease with the scene in which Roy Batty sadistically breaks deckard's fingers, the unaccounted-for replicant, etc.

For Blade Runner junkies like me, here's the Blade Runner transcript (you might have to "re-fresh" once or twice to have it appear):

sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=blade_runner_ts



Is this testing whether I'm a replicant or a lesbian, Mr. Deckard?



Have a better one!

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. C-beams glittering in the dark by the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

Roy Batty - Blade Runner.

Blade Runner Directors Cut without the Harrison Ford voice over is a good one.

Sean Young is sooooooooo fuc...errr hitable!

LOL!  My mom is scared to death of Rutger Hauer because of The Hitcher and Blade runner, so I used to e-mail her pics of Roy Batty.  Gave her the willies.  I found one great one of him gazing in through the boards at Deckard in the finale.

"You'd better get it up!  Or I'm gonna have to kill ya!"

Ah, my favorite SciFi flick!

My favorite sci-fi flick was Cocoon.

Carry on.

"Wake up.  It's time to die."

Quoted: Blade Runner Directors Cut without the Harrison Ford voice over is a good one. Sean Young is sooooooooo fuc...errr hitable! www.brmovie.com/Images/Characters/Rachael/BR_Rachael_Owl.jpg www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,141675,00.jpg

Oh yeah. My father and his girlfriend's son didn't understand why I thought she was hotter than Darrel Hannah.

Hey, guys, don't forget Zhora, the snake lady.  "Beauty and the Beast...she's both"

What makes Bladerunner so good, is the DEPTH of the world they created.  
All other SF movies look like false-front buildings.....They look OK at first glance, but they're obviously fake.

Somebody once said the Robert Heinlein's books created worlds so real "You can hear the toilets flush, and the water running through the pipes".  
Bladerunner has the feel of something strangely familiar, but still very real.

Bladerunner created a world in which a huge city was built to service and house a massive influx of people, not from South America, but from the Pacific Rim.

New "mega" office buildings, and luxury apartments are built to house them, but older buildings are still there, just like any modern city.
Most SF movies have massive block-line building and unlikely towering spires, all sparkling new and clean.
Bladerunner's LA still has slums, old buildings, and dirty windows.

However, everybody suddenly moved "off world".  What's left are the very poor, the old, the timid, and the super rich.

There aren't enough people left to maintain the infrastructure.  Luxury apartment buildings have flooded lobbies and leaking roofs. The trash doesn't get collected.  Streets are potholed and dirty.

There's still a crowded rush our downtown, but once people get home, we find them living in deserted neighborhoods, in once luxury apartments buildings in which they may be the only occupant.

There are flying cars, but sensibly, these are only for police and emergency vehicles.  No civilian fliers allowed in crowded city airspace, just like today.

With other SF movies you clearly feel that you can see past the facade to the movie set surrounding it.
With Bladerunner you feel as though you could walk down an alley or through a doorway and find it leads more of a real world.

In 2001, the special effects WERE the movie, and the story didn't make a whole lot of sense.
In Close Encounters, the story made NO sense whatsoever.

In Bladerunner, the special effects didn't intrude on the movie, and the story was everything.

Above all, Bladerunner was a REASONABLE, world.

In most SF cities, you have the main actors and the supporting players.  There's no feel of a real city composed of real people.
In Bladerunner you feel as though these people are just faces in a crowd in a huge, real city full of people.

Yeah, I agree that "Blade Runner" deserves #1.

+1 on Dune (original) deserving a place in the top 5.

I can't really agree with 2001 getting #2 though. I do appreciate the deeper messages in the movie, but I'm sorry, some of the scenes were just TOO long and slow to call the movie "great" overall.