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There’s no shortage of science fiction that predicts a future far too unknown and unexplored to the common man, and usually those kinds of work are initially dismissed, only to become cult classics, no matter what medium they are told in. We’ve compiled a list of ten sci-fi movies that were ahead of their time in almost every aspect.

10: Gattaca (1997, IMDB link)

One of the finest “thinking-man” sci-fi of the last few decades, Gattaca features a vision of a society dominated by genetics. Andrew Niccol’s semi-dystopian story introduces a society where genes are not as means of eradicating deceases, but as way of classifying a human being from the day they’re born, in other words; genetic racism.

9: A Clockwork Orange (1971, IMDB link)

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, an adaption of the novel by Anthony Burgess, showcases a thought provoking aspects of a dystopian society where youth gangs ruled, where violence and rape were the everyday norm. The relentless in portrayal of violence and psychological disorder has secured the film the title as one of the most sinister and dark science fiction films ever made.

8: Dark City (1998, IMDB link)

A somewhat sleeper hit of the late 1990s, ofter referred to as “the best film of 1998″ by Roger Ebert, Dark City is a neo-noir dystopian story about a man discovering he lives in a world controlled by beings with telekinetic powers. The movie loosely inspired works such as The Matrix, both in visual style and storytelling.

7: The Terminator (1984, IMDB link)

James Cameron’s first movie (unless you count “Piranha 2″), was an instant hit in 1984, raking in almost $80 million on a $4 million budget, and forever establishing Arnold Schwarzenegger as an action star. The Terminator popularized the aspect of “time travel”, and ever since then, if a movie included time travel, comparisons were always made to The Terminator.

6: Solyaris/Solaris (1972, IMDB link)

Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the most celebrated Russian filmmakers, made his breakthrough on the international scene with Solyaris, better known as Solaris outside of Russia. The movie centers around the planet Solaris, where a team of scientists have discovered an intelligent life form that begins to mess with their psychological state. The movie was remade in 2002, and was met with a lackluster reception.

5: Blade Runner (1982, IMDB link)

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi noir was a flop when it was initially released, shrugged by both audience and critics. But since then, its reputation as one of the finest sci-fi films ever made only increases year by year, as it’s constantly found on the best selling DVD lists around the world.

4: The Matrix (1999, IMDB link)

Undoubtedly one of the most stylistic and original films of the 1990s, The Wachowski brothers’ The Matrix not only had a story and concept unlike most sci-i films of its era, but featured visual effects that spawned a whole new categories, from “bullet time”, to its use of martial arts, The Matrix remains at the top of the list of any die hard sci-fi fan.

3: Star Wars (1977, IMDB link)

George Lucas space adventure was unlike anything anyone had seen, the movie took audiences by storm, instantly spawning rip-offs around the world, trying to cash in on the hysteria. It was so new that most studios in Hollywood initially passed on the idea, Star Wars has since spawned a whole universe, spanning everything from films, to books, games, and of course, merchandise of every kind.

2: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, IMDB link)

Widely considered as the greatest science fiction film ever made, A Space Odyssey was not only one of the most complex and interpreted films of its time (and still is), it also featured visual effects never before seen, the renderings of space ships were on par with Star Wars, which was released a good ten years later.

1: Metropolis (1927, IMDB link)

Fritz Lang’s dystopian sci-fi epic Metropolis was not only the most expensive film made at its time, but also the first ever true science fiction feature film. The art deco style and visual effects were so ahead of their time, there wasn’t anything like it for the next two decades. Despite its visuals, the movie wasn’t well received, and Fritz Land himself wasn’t satisfied with it, and it took a while — decades, really — before it was established as a cult classic, and one of the films that was far ahead if its time.

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Disney is forever synonymous with cartoons and animation, and while the recent Pixar films (Pixar is owned by Disney) have gathered critical acclaim, they’re still a far cry from some of the best Anime movies ever made. During the late 80s and the 90s, Anime went from a niche viewership that was rarely available in the Western world, to almost mainstream it is today, mainly because of a few films that changed the way the Western audience looked at animes. Here are ten anime movies that surpass virtually anything Disney has made, including the Pixar films.

10: 5CM Per Second (2007, IMDB link)

Probably one of the most visually stunning animated movies (not just animes) to be released this decade, 5CM Per Second is comprised of three stories, which deal with love between people with a great distance between them. It’s not for everyone, especially young kids who won’t understand much of it, but the sheer beauty of the animation of Makoto Shinkai is some of the most artful visions you’ll ever see — both in animation and live action movies. Just search the title on Google Images and indulge yourself in a few frames.
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All the time, we see horrible movies that never should have been made.  Some of them are video game conversions, or lousy comic book conversions, or even worse, books made into movies.  Well, I started to think about what books would really do well as movies, assuming they weren’t bungled or handed over to Michael Bay.  Although those two really are the same thing, only just more so.  So anyway, without further introduction, the Top Ten Sci-Fi novels that should be movies.

10. Top Dog / Dog Eat Dog

The two-novel series (that I know of so far) from Jerry Jay Carroll about Bogie Ingersoll, a reviled corporate raider turned into a dog for his refusal to aid a takeover plot by the devil himself.  This would be fantastic for its great action sequences and rich plot and characterization.

9. The Gnomewrench in the Dwarfworks

Back in World War 2, a 4-F fellow still working as a sales rep for a machine shop discovers the eternally feuding world of dwarves and gnomes.  Think about The Hobbit crossed with Pearl Harbor and you’ll understand why I want to see this one on screen.

8. The Wild Cards series

Going back to the eighties, this one assumes that ordinary people get incredible powers when an alien virus reaches earth–or become horribly disfigured. Spanning multiple novels, think of it as Watchmen, only a whole lot more so.

7. Ruled Brittania

An alternate history novel from Harry Turtledove, the king of alternate history, this puts a conquered Britain under the control of the Spanish Armada.  At least, until disaffected elements of the British nobility convince playwright William Shakespeare to write his greatest play–and stir the masses to revolution.  It’s a thrilling novel that would make a thrilling movie!

6. Headcrash

One of my favorite novels, this tale of the not-too-distant future puts a dis gruntled computer nerd up against a massive megacorporation.  Packed with laughs and thrills, you’d have to love this one as a movie.

5. Ender’s Game

We’ve been hearing about this one off and on and off again for years upon, and I for one would love to finally see them actually pull it off this incredible Lord of the Flies meets Battlestar Galactica sort of setup.

4. The Deathstalker Saga

If Twilight can get a saga, then why not Simon Green’s Deathstalker saga, a huge, universe spanning tale of space-based ship battles, swordplay and killer robots?  This practically has nine-picture deal written all over it.

3. California Voodoo Game

I personally can’t believe this one hasn’t been picked up already.  Pitting several teams against each other in an incredible arena of buildings with virtual reality overlays, the game is about to get played…in every possible direction.

2. The Six Families

A three book series that basically boils down to “mobsters on the moon get attacked by aliens repeatedly”, The Six Families does a great job of recasting the Godfather epics to a science fiction field.

1. Star Risk

This just may be one of the greatest series of novels ever.  Focusing on a small troubleshooting corporation, Star Risk, as it goes out on a series of jobs and discovers mayhem, intrigue and opportunities to make money everywhere they go.  This kind of adventure is fantastic for the movies.

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Iconic sci-fi movies stay iconic only until they’re remade, and since the remakes are usually far inferior, the new movie going audience (which in many cases wasn’t born when the original movies were released), will only remember the remake. Which are, in most cases; mediocre movies that do the original more harm than good. Here are ten sci-fi movies that should never, under any circumstance, be remade. They’re called “classics” for a reason.

Note: The list does not include films have have already been remade, are in the process of being remade, sequels or films part of a trilogy.

10: Minority Report (2002, IMDB link)

Based on a Philip K. Dick short story (like many other memorable sci-fi films), the movie isn’t the usual mindless action movie, in Minority Report, clever plot twists and intelligent storytelling constantly keep the audience on its toes — one of Spielberg’s trademarks. The bleached, over exposed look of the film (bleach bypass) contributed to the portrayal of a futuristic society dominated by technology in every aspect of life, and while the film has several differences to the Philip K. Dick story, the main themes — predicting the future and the existence of free will — are still explored to their fullest potentials.

9: Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977, IMDB link)

Almost 25 years before he made Minority Report, Spielberg made Close Encounters of The Third Kind, one of the most compelling stories involving UFOs and extra terrestrials. It was Spielberg’s first science fiction movie, and also one of his best and most critically acclaimed (and was nominated for 9 Oscars). The movie received a special edition released in 1980 with a few minutes of extra footage, and once again with another special edition on DVD and video in 1998.
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While great sci-fi movies have made their presence and influenced movies of all genres to this day, a lot of science fiction films over the years have gone quite unnoticed, even by today’s standards, with the Internet making it possible to spread word about independent “thinking man’s sci-fi” like Moon, Primer and, to some extent, Sunshine. Here are ten movies that are virtually not present in any “top 10 sci-fi ________ list” (fill in the blank).

Note: we intentionally did not include sequels, remakes nor animated features. And by “forgotten” and “underrated”, we mean amongst the general audience. Not necessarily movie buffs like us and the ones who frequently roam the Internets.

10: Code 46 (2004, IMDB link)
Code 46, the British sci-fi film set in the not too distant future where the population is divided between the wealthy ones staying in the cities, and the not so fortunate ones who have been delegated and separated outside. An insurance fraud investigator, played by Tim Robbins, is visiting Shanghai, where his investigation leads him to meeting a woman and… you’ll have to see the rest for yourself. There’s not much action or drama in the film — it’s rather slow and the pacing and story carefully unfold during the movie. It’s by no means a perfect film, but definitely worth seeing, if only for it’s beautiful photography.

9: Enemy Mine (1985, IMDB link)
In the distant future, mankind is fiercely fighting an alien civilization, and when a pilot from each side of the battling worlds crash land on a planet, they’re forced to work together in order to survive. It’s the sci-fi version of the buddy movie, yet very intelligent and, at times, emotional, offering an excellent comment on society, where “working together usually benefits both parties”. It was Wolfgang Petersen’s first success in North America after “Das Boot”, but sadly, one of his most forgotten ones.

8: Equilibrium (2002, IMDB link)
Christian Bale’s first real action movie, as a law enforcer in a dystopian future where human emotions and art are strictly forbidden in order to eradicate violence and war. So they are told. People are controlled with a daily intake of “equilibrium”. Bale’s character forgets to take the “medication”, and subsequently begins to “feel”, giving him a new perspective on the situation. While the movie wasn’t a commercial nor artistic hit, it offered an original view of a dystopian world, interesting action set pieces, and the introduction of the “gun kata”, a martial arts style which includes gun-fighting.
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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs beat Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at the box office this week! Next in line is Public Enemies with The Proposal still in the top four! With The Proposal holding strong at the box office may be the reason for Ryan Reynolds, who stars in the romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock, has been cast as the ‘Green Lantern.’

Results:

1. Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs
$67,030,210 $92,072,696

2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
$63,972,917 $315,007,925

3. Public Enemies
$37,557,465 $52,426,870

4. Proposal, The
$21,779,563 $103,257,192

5. Hangover, The
$18,741,848 $212,511,668

6. My Sister’s Keeper
$10,891,145 $31,621,400

7. Up
$10,823,710 $269,119,015

8. Year One
$4,211,351 $40,191,900

9. Taking Of Pelham 123
$3,920,597 $59,894,439

10. Night At The Museum: Battle Smithsonian
$3,368,851 $169,032,522

Classic Sinatra II showcases a selection of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ most loved recordings from his Capitol concept albums, including “Moonlight In Vermont,” “Pennies From Heaven,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” and “All Of Me.”  In addition, the set features four 1950s singles: “Love And Marriage,” “(Love Is) The Tender Trap,” “Learnin’ The Blues,” and “High Hopes.”  Plus a 1956 recording of “Memories Of You” and a previously unreleased recording, “This Can’t Be Love.”

Sinatra has sold more than more than 150 million albums around the world, and racked up 31 gold and nine platinum albums (including three that went multi-platinum), one gold single, and two gold and platinum videos in the United States alone. He is the only artist to chart in Billboard’s Top Ten for seven consecutive decades.

Screenhead has available Classic Sinatra II for giveaway . Post your name and we will pick the winner Monday, June 29, 2009.

Burn After Reading kept the lead for the box office score.  This weekend should change a little with a few more comedies coming to the movie theaters.

Weekly Box Office

September 12, 2008 - September 18, 2008(*millions)

Weekend Estimate at the box office offers kudos to Coen brothers’ Burn After Reading. Bangkok Dangerous, which held first place last week, took a dangerous drop to number eight. The Women came in fourth.

September 12, 2008 - September 14, 2008 (*millions)

Bangkok Dangerous ended up as number one for the week in the box office standings. Trades are saying it was a slow week. I guess, with schools opened and more adult-type films kids can’t flock to the movie theaters.

September 5, 2008 - September 11, 2008(*millions)