Best movie of the 21st Century. by chrisisall

So far...Serenity, hands down for me.

Anyone got a better one?

Fantyisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:49 AM

JOSSISAGOD

Nope, that about sums it up.

Fe'nos Tol
JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

Self appointed Forsaken! Been on the list for a while now!

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature.
"Look at me, I'm STUPID!" The Doctor.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:16 AM

JAYNEZTOWN

Yeah I will probably get flamed for this but I think Serenity is a little over-rated, I loved seeing the Firefly characters again I loved the humor by Joss. The movie has some great moments, Whedon certainly has the talent and imagination but it was not nearly as good as I expected like our great Firefly series. Characters like Kaylee behaved out of context, and Mal threatening to kill his crew was silly. The deaths of Wash and Book were just shock jockery and unnecessary

IMHO there are at least 15 movies this century which are better than the Firefly movie

21st cent Movies which are better than Serenity
IMO are:

Hotel Rwanda
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Tideland
Brotherhood aka Taegukgi
Ridley Scott's Gladiator
Wong Kar-Wai's in the mood for love
Martin Scorsese's the Aviator
Downfall
Spirited Away
Memento
V for Vendetta
Oldboy
Amélie Poulain
Zhang Yimou's House of Flying Daggers
Lord of the Rings part 1

21st century film which are almost as good as Serenity, they come close but get beat are
Movies like :
Transformers
Sin City
Crouching Tiger
Bourne Ulitmatum.
Sunshine
300
Secuestro Express
Black Hawk Down
Volver
Spidermans
Children of Men
2046
Batman Begins
Frida
Walk the Line
Collateral
Kung Fu Hustle
the rest of the LOTR movies
Monsoon Wedding
Dancer in the Dark
Letters from Iwo Jima...
they all come close to Serenity but Serenity is probably better

The Serenity movie was dumbed down for mass public consumption

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:27 AM

CITIZEN

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
So far...Serenity, hands down for me.

Anyone got a better one?

'Serenity, Kaylee's nude adventure' in 2012.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:00 AM

CANTTAKESKY

Serenity, for me, was like eating at Chili's after a season of fine dining at a 5 star gourmet restaurant. It isn't bad, but....it ain't Firefly.

My favorites are Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo, Cars, the Incredibles, and Meet the Robinsons. Yeah, I know they are all Disney movies. I got kids.

And God, lest I forget, Constantine. (Looking at Keanu does it for me, ok?)

Can't Take My Gorram Sky

Aude sapere (Dare to know). -- Samuel Hahnemann, M.D., founder of homeopathy

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:06 AM

I hope you're a fireman....

Quote:
Originally posted by JaynezTown:

The Serenity movie was dumbed down for mass public consumption

None, NONE of the films you listed (and you listed some damn good ones)had the heart or the message power of Serenity. What more important statement can be made (especially in these times)other than that evil is actually a personal misconception, and not solely the thing of inhuman 'monsters', and that the hero is possible in all of us?

Take this, Jayne!

Course, it's friendly fire

Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by canttakesky:
Serenity, for me, was like eating at Chili's after a season of fine dining at a 5 star gourmet restaurant.

For me, it was like eating at a NYC pizza place after a season of fine dining at a 5 star gourmet restaurant; God I love pizza!

Sicilian Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:38 AM

JAYNEZTOWN

A lot of people here think Joss is some kind of spielberg or hitchcock, unfortunately he is not

He make great tv shows but when it comes to movie making he is often below par.

Firefly IS the best tv show out there, I loved every episodes, every plot, every character and I believe it will continue to be the best for a long time to come

but the Browncoat fanbase are very active like Starwars fans - perhaps overly active
Just look at Serenity's inflated rank on the websites, the Browncoat support has elevated Serenity to sit on some sort of divine Throne where the greatest film of all time sits
a Throne IMHO which it should not be sitting on

If Serenity was to stand on its own feet, without the support of the extremely active Firefly fans, the movie would be ranked a lot lower IMHO

Like I was saying Whedon makes great televsion but I just don't think he has what it takes to be ranked above some the greatest film makers of our time
Joss produced magic in the Firefly tv series but he has also helped make some very average stuff like Alien 4 Resurrection, episodes of Roseanne and Atlantis:Lost Empire

I didn't like they way Joss just killed of Wash and Book for shock jockery, and River/Summer suddenly started doing an impression of Buffy the Reaver slayer. Serenity wasn't really unique or ground breaking, if you look back through history of scifi films you will find there are many movies superior to this Serenity movie and Serenity was definitely below average when you compare it to Firefly

I also feel movies like Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down which covers oppression extremism and dropping U.S. soldiers into war on foregin lands or movies like Tsotsi which deals with Johannesburg gangs and abandoned AIDS orphans have far more relevance in today's society. I don't necessarily think all these types of movies are more entertaining, its just they are more thought provoking and relevant to our lives today.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:42 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

3:10 to Yuma

and

Across the Universe

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:54 AM

FOLLOWMAL

Not surprisingly, I'm with Chris on this one.
And not because I'm a Joss Whedon fan but despite the fact that I'm a Joss Whedon fan.

Being a fan of Firefly and Serenity and Joss and even Nathan doesn't cloud my judgment about what is good and what is not.

Serenity tells a tale of heroism and redemption and friendship and family that is rare these days and tells it with bravery. No sugar coating, no flinching from what is real. I don't like the deaths of Book and Wash any better than the next person here, but good storytelling, the kind that grabs you by the throat and becomes classic is usually brutally honest.

Browncoats aren't the only ones who have a great appreciation for Serenity. It won a Hugo award and the actors, both Nathan and Summer were up for numerous awards. At the time it was released critics, not genre fans were pleased with it. To the tune of more rave reviews than not.

It's not a film for only us... it's a film for all time.

Oh and Chris... thick crust Veggie... better than caviar anyday!

Sureofmypositionisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:56 AM

Quote:

If Serenity was to stand on its own feet, without the support of the extremely active Firefly fans, the movie would be ranked a lot lower IMHO

Forgive me if I don't give a rat's behind about 'ranking'. I am a fan of Blade Runner from the first day I saw it in the theatre in '82- it was instantly my favourite film of all time while critics were bashing it for "too much rain, Ford getting beat up constantly, too convoluted..." blah blah. I never though a film would take it place, but along came Serenity, and the changeover took. The other films you list directly above explore real-world events, and as such are in a completely different category IMO, great as they are; reality-based fiction always gets a more serious look from peeps in general. Messages in sci-fi work best for me personally, because they are timeless (if done correctly) and can apply to many things as they come up.

Now I must destroy you....

Just kidding with that last one Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by FollowMal:

Oh and Chris... thick crust Veggie... better than caviar anyday!

Absolutely!

munch munch Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 10:39 AM

Well I'm with you Chris.

SERENITY it is.

JaynezTown. Not picking a fight or nuttin, but I'd like to discuss a few of your thoughts on Joss.

Quote:
A lot of people here think Joss is some kind of spielberg or hitchcock, unfortunately he is not

He make great tv shows but when it comes to movie making he is often below par.

Ok now that's a little unfair to compare him to Spielberg or Hitchcock. I can see why you've done it but it's a tad premature. Given that Joss' cinema career is really only just starting (or so I hope)

Joss' TV work (Rosanne, Buffy, Angel, Firefly) is far better and vastly more significant than Spielbergs TV work (Night Gallery, Marcus Welby MD, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Amazing Stories), but that aside Spielberg (whom I like btw) has several more years under his belt than Joss does as director and by virtue one would expect him to have amassed a number of 'good' films. However Spielberg has had his fair share of poor films too. 1941, Amistad, Hook The Terminal, Empire of the Sun.
In terms of Hitchcock I think it's just such an unfair comparison. Hitchcock made little else other than suspense films. He had his whole working career to refine his craft. A career that lasted what 4-5 decades? It's no wonder he made some classics in that time. I'm sure that if Joss or any other director were given this kind of backing for that many years he too would invariably churn out a collection of classics.

Quote:
Like I was saying Whedon makes great televsion but I just don't think he has what it takes to be ranked above some the greatest film makers of our time
Joss produced magic in the Firefly tv series but he has also helped make some very average stuff like Alien 4 Resurrection, episodes of Roseanne and Atlantis:Lost Empire

Well this happens to all the greats. You have to fall down. There is liberty in failure and if you look at all the great directors they do have their moments where they fail. Every single one: Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, Curtiz, Hitchock, Ford, Wells, Hawks, De Mille... They all have had their failures. It goes with the territory.

Quote:
I didn't like they way Joss just killed of Wash and Book for shock jockery, and River/Summer suddenly started doing an impression of Buffy the Reaver slayer. Serenity wasn't really unique or ground breaking, if you look back through history of scifi films you will find there are many movies superior to this Serenity movie and Serenity was definitely below average when you compare it to Firefly

All worthy points but I'm not sure a 'great' film need necessarily be 'ground-breaking' but I take your point. The only really ground breaking film in terms of sci-fi i'd say was Star Wars. It was like nothing ever seen before and it not only turned up the visuals, and special effects, but it also noted that sound was just as significant an element to cinema as anything else. Look how sound changed after Star Wars. It totally went on to dominate the 'home' cinema experience. And I believe Star Wars was in no small part responsible for that.

Quote:
I also feel movies like Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down which covers oppression extremism and dropping U.S. soldiers into war on foregin lands or movies like Tsotsi which deals with Johannesburg gangs and abandoned AIDS orphans have far more relevance in today's society. I don't necessarily think all these types of movies are more entertaining, its just they are more thought provoking and relevant to our lives today.

Black Hawk down while seemingly faultless in its representation of war, is really nothing more than a technical excersise. I couldn't empathise with a single character. The whole thing passed by as an army recruitment advert. After 20 minutes of the soldiers having dropped into enemy lines I was exhausted, and nothing beyond that point really differed. It was the same execution thereafter. The continuity was all over the place and the 'chaos' while probably very 'realistic' just leaves you disengaged as to its outcome. This for me was the first film I'd seen where the working towards 'realism' in cinema begs the question of; "is it really worth it?" "Can you be too accurate in your protrayal of reality?".

Also a film which hinges itself on the current events of the day, tend to become dated very quickly, because pollitics and sensibilites alter with such frequency.

SERENITY has become one of my favourite films because frankly I was thoroughly entertained all the way through the film. I think in our cynical times it has become very easy to ignore the ability of a director to entertain. Not many can do it. Spielberg can and always did, and he can now make us think...But first and foremost he cut his teeth entertaining audiences with great storytelling which as it happens is a skill that Joss most definately has. Give him time he'll be right up there.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:44 AM

The best movie of the 21st C. is kind of an open question and probably will remain so, since I’m not likely to live to see the end of it. So maybe the best movies from 2000 to 2007.

Serenity was a good movie. I think it deserves to be near the top of any list of great scifi movies, but I’m not ready to say that it’s the best movie since 2000. But in all honesty, you have to really hate a movie to think that it’s not as good as Tideland. That movie was crap squared. There are some really good movies in the last few years. Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Passion of the Christ, Narnia were all better then Serenity. In fact, I would put them like this, until I think about it some more and change it:

10. Constantine
9. Passion of the Christ
8. X-Men
7. The Golden Compass
6. Serenity
5. Bridget to Terabithia
4. The Chronicles of Narnia
3. Gladiator
2. Lord of the Rings (all three)

And the number one best film since 2000:

1. Pan’s Labyrinth

Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JaynezTown:
If Serenity was to stand on its own feet, without the support of the extremely active Firefly fans, the movie would be ranked a lot lower IMHO.

I’m not sure that’s really true. I think the movie stands on its own as a excellent example of science fiction. Now how high up you place this movie on your list of the best movies depends a lot on how you rate those movies. If your criteria is based on the socio-political and psychological or historical relevance, then Serenity is likely to fail and fall well below, but then so would most science fiction. Science fiction, while it can be, is not always very deep in a directly pertinent way to the current sociopolitics; it tends to rely heavily on allegory. So it’s appeal will never necessarily be as broad as movies that relate more directly to people’s lives.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
If your criteria is based on the socio-political and psychological or historical relevance, then Serenity is likely to fail and fall well below, but then so would most science fiction.

I disagree specifically and in general. How many eps of Star Trek were about the Vietnam War?- The Operative in Serenity is clearly meant to represent both our leaders and Terrorists of present day IMO- Matrix is about the false lives we lead due to commercialism- Star Wars is a thinly veiled cautionary tale of creeping fascism...like Fanty & Mingo, I could go on and on....

Reading into Chrisisall

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
If your criteria is based on the socio-political and psychological or historical relevance, then Serenity is likely to fail and fall well below, but then so would most science fiction.
I disagree specifically and in general. How many eps of Star Trek were about the Vietnam War?- The Operative in Serenity is clearly meant to represent both our leaders and Terrorists of present day IMO- Matrix is about the false lives we lead due to commercialism- Star Wars is a thinly veiled cautionary tale of creeping fascism...like Fanty & Mingo, I could go on and on....

I don’t know how you can disagree, because you’re arguing my point. These are all allegorical. A Star Trek episode about two aliens with alternate black and white sides will never speak as directly to racism as a movie about racism between blacks and whites in the current day US.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:26 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

When I originally saw Serenity on May 5, 2005, in a rough cut preview showing, I liked about 95% of what I saw. After nearly twenty further viewings, that percentage is up to approximately 99%. I've seen a few others I would rate close to it (Children of Men, 300, Pan's Labyrinth), but until recently I don't think I've seen another film this decade that I would rate above it.

Then last week I saw No Country for Old Men.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 2:17 PM

KIRKULES

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:

And the number one best film since 2000:

1. Pan’s Labyrinth

I definitely agree on Pan’s Labyrinth.

I don't like to compare space operas with other genres in general. You have to watch so many bad science fiction movies to see one good one, when a good one like Serenity comes along it automatically goes into an elite group.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 3:06 PM

HIXIE129

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Lord of the Rings (all three)
Kung Fu Hustle
Crouching Tiger
Gladiator
Razor
Serenity

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:11 PM

CALHOUN

Serenity for me.

Quote:
Finn mac Cumhal wrote:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:44

Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Passion of the Christ, Narnia were all better then Serenity.

Lord of the Rings was close. Gladiator wasn't terrible, although I despise Crowe. Narnia though? really? I guess that just shows we all have different tastes.

It seems you Finn like the taste of crap!

Just kidding with you. But really, Narnia?

Sorry.. didnt mean to be rude.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
Serenity for me.

Quote:
Finn mac Cumhal wrote:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:44

Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Passion of the Christ, Narnia were all better then Serenity.

Lord of the Rings was close. Gladiator wasn't terrible, although I despise Crowe. Narnia though? really? I guess that just shows we all have different tastes.

It seems you Finn like the taste of crap!

Just kidding with you. But really, Narnia?

Sorry.. didnt mean to be rude.

Yes, Narnia, a non-crap movie. I loved Narnia. It was a great fantasy epic. I won’t say that it was as good as Lord of the Rings, but it was a movie that the whole family can enjoy, which increases its watching value. It told a powerful moving story of redemption through sacrifice, much as the book did, but it added dimension and depth, creating lovable characters with real personalities. It suffered from some of the same faults as Golden Compass with much of the meaning watered down to expand its appeal, but much like Golden Compass, the charm and adventure remains.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 7:45 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

I would agree with:
Gladiator
Galaxy Quest
Constantine
Transformers
300
Sin City
Black Hawk Down
Flags of Our Fathers
Matrix Reloaded
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.
LOTR part 1
Bourne Identity
Lucky Number Slevin
Unbreakable
U-571
The Last Samurai
Da Vinci Code
National Treasure
Cast Away

Although in my favortie Movie Guide book, few of these get the 4 1/2 star rating that Serenity got. I know Gladiator only got 4.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:03 PM

CALHOUN

Quote:
Finn mac Cumhal wrote:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 19:43

Yes, Narnia, a non-crap movie. I loved Narnia.

Really?

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 4:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by jewelstaitefan:
300
Black Hawk Down
Flags of Our Fathers
Unbreakable
The Last Samurai

I could see these on the list of Best Since 2000.

But not Galaxy Quest, it’s a 1999 movie.

The Star Wars movies, while I liked them all, were largely disappointments. They just didn't do it for me the way the first set did, which might have a lot more to do with my age than the movies. They would probably fall somewhere on this list, but I'd have to consider a lot of movies before I got there.

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 6:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
A Star Trek episode about two aliens with alternate black and white sides will never speak as directly to racism as a movie about racism between blacks and whites in the current day US.

Again, I disagree. That episode rises above any particular incident or era, and comments on the overall error of the very idea of racism itself.
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield showed a reason to end racism; Roots showed why we should despise it- that's the difference to me.

Lokaiisall

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 7:09 AM

Has anyone seen PERFUME - The Story of a murderer?

That is a fabulous film. It rivals SERENITY for title of best film of this century, thus far. Certainly has the greatest film score since Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Edward Scissorhands. It's a sublime film that utilises every aspect of cinema to tell it's story, and it's clearly told by someone with a love for the medium.

SERENITY in the long run wins it for me because I can just keep on watching it. Oh and those characters.. They're just so wonderful!

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:36 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
A Star Trek episode about two aliens with alternate black and white sides will never speak as directly to racism as a movie about racism between blacks and whites in the current day US.
Again, I disagree. That episode rises above any particular incident or era, and comments on the overall error of the very idea of racism itself.
Let That Be Your Last Battlefield showed a reason to end racism; Roots showed why we should despise it- that's the difference to me.

I’m not saying that the episode didn’t do these things, but it’s still allegorical. Are you really disagreeing with me? Because I’m not speaking to the ability of sci-fi to tell a story, which seems to be what you are referring to, I’m speaking to how widely that story will be appreciated?

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 12:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
I’m speaking to how widely that story will be appreciated?

Exactly my point- a movie that takes place in a particular time during real events gets appreciated for commenting on the events themselves, and those that are similar; sci-fi tends to comment on the nature of such events usually branching out even farther, extending the strength and appeal of the intended message.

My brain hurts Chrisisall

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:20 PM

REGINAROADIE

Well, here are my #1 movies from 2000 on.

2000-ALMOST FAMOUS
2001-LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
2002-GANGS OF NEW YORK
2003-AMERICAN SPLENDOR
2004-GARDEN STATE*
2005-BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
2006-BABEL
2007-GONE BABY GONE

*GARDEN STATE is actually so far my favorite movie of the decade. It has that ultra-rare quality of being a movie that makes you want to run out of your theater and change your life completely. It's a life-affirming flick, which oddly enough is a really rare quality nowadays.

I dunno. I find as I get older that I'm more drawn to subtle, less flashy movies about real life situations and people I can identify with. More indie stuff, although I do like spectacle for spectacle's sake. But in terms of pure emotion to filmmaking craft, I think the tub scene near the end of the movie is bar none the most powerful scene in a film so far this decade, with "Jack, I swear..." coming in a close second.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 2:42 PM

RALLEM

Even though we all know the 21st Century will end in 2012, don't you think this post is a little early in the making?

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Thursday, December 13, 2007 5:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
I’m speaking to how widely that story will be appreciated?

Exactly my point- a movie that takes place in a particular time during real events gets appreciated for commenting on the events themselves, and those that are similar; sci-fi tends to comment on the nature of such events usually branching out even farther, extending the strength and appeal of the intended message.

It must be very puzzling to you then that sci-fi almost never matches the popularity of other forms of fiction?

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Friday, December 14, 2007 7:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
It must be very puzzling to you then that sci-fi almost never matches the popularity of other forms of fiction?

Star Wars, Terminator 2, Back To The Future, Armageddon, Day After Tomorrow, ET, X-Men, Jurassic Park, Matrix,...These seem to have made some kind of impression....

http://movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=alltime

So there Chrisisall

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Friday, December 14, 2007 7:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Star Wars, Terminator 2, Back To The Future, Armageddon, Day After Tomorrow, ET, X-Men, Jurassic Park, Matrix,...These seem to have made some kind of impression....
http://movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=alltime

Point made. You may be right.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
Point made. You may be right.

Although the argument can be made that these were hits NOT because of the sci-fi element, they are mostly, after all, "BIG EVENT' type movies...
But the sci-fi is what brings me to the party, else I'd be a fan of Pearl Harbor and such (not).
I suspect many would like sci-fi that say they don't, if given the chance to really experience it, and these films allowed that accessibility.

Devil's Adv Chrisisall

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
It must be very puzzling to you then that sci-fi almost never matches the popularity of other forms of fiction?

Uh, Finn, have you looked at the list of highest grossing films? Aside from Titanic, and some Disney, the top 30 or so all all sci-fi or fantasy.

Er... nevermind, Chriss had it covered. Should finish the thread first next time.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
It must be very puzzling to you then that sci-fi almost never matches the popularity of other forms of fiction?
Uh, Finn, have you looked at the list of highest grossing films? Aside from Titanic, and some Disney, the top 30 or so all all sci-fi or fantasy.

If you’re going to participate, try to keep up.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:17 AM

Yeah, I edited my last post once I finished the thread, just before your response.

But overall, I agree with Chriss on this one. The advantage of alegory is that it can address an issue, without being tied to one particular event, or interpretation of said issue.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
Point made. You may be right.

Although the argument can be made that these were hits NOT because of the sci-fi element, they are mostly, after all, "BIG EVENT' type movies...
But the sci-fi is what brings me to the party, else I'd be a fan of Pearl Harbor and such (not).
I suspect many would like sci-fi that say they don't, if given the chance to really experience it, and these films allowed that accessibility.

I just went back and looked at this list of the top grossing films, but this time adjusted for ticket price inflation, and only Star Wars and ET remain in the top ten. The others: Gone With the Wind, Sound of Music, the Ten Commandments, Titanic, Jaws, Doctor Zhivago, the Exorcist and Snow White. Out of the top 30 only about 8-10 are scifi. So the picture looks very different when you look at actual popularity as measure by ticket sales, as opposed to inflation.

However, I still think you may be right because sci-fi as a genre seems to outperform other genres in popularity. But a non-genre fiction movie does seem likely to outperform a scifi genre movie - all else being equal.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:

However, I still think you may be right because sci-fi as a genre seems to outperform other genres in popularity.

And this wasn't always the case; remember the sci-fi dry spell in the seventies?
Aside from Silent Running, Westworld, A Boy And His Dog, and Soylent Green, '72 - '76 was pretty thin, then Logan's Run came in as only a modest hit. It was Star Wars that made it all possible.

Historical Chrisisall

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
But a non-genre fiction movie does seem likely to outperform a scifi genre movie - all else being equal.

It's just that a sci-fi or fantasy movie has (generally speaking) a higher repeat viewing factor, and purchase rate on DVD, IMO. So even if outperformed at the box office, total take can be greater. Although this is no rule.

Analyzing Chrisisall

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:

However, I still think you may be right because sci-fi as a genre seems to outperform other genres in popularity.

And this wasn't always the case; remember the sci-fi dry spell in the seventies?
Aside from Silent Running, Westworld, A Boy And His Dog, and Soylent Green, '72 - '76 was pretty thin, then Logan's Run came in as only a modest hit. It was Star Wars that made it all possible.

Yes. It’s not nearly as straight forward a comparison as I thought. And I’m not really much of an expert on this stuff either.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
But a non-genre fiction movie does seem likely to outperform a scifi genre movie - all else being equal.

It's just that a sci-fi or fantasy movie has (generally speaking) a higher repeat viewing factor, and purchase rate on DVD, IMO. So even if outperformed at the box office, total take can be greater. Although this is no rule.

But this doesn’t really add to the popularity. Like a lot of scifi/fantasy geeks, I tend to watch a scifi/fantasy movies several times. I’ve seen the Golden Compass twice already. If most scifi fans do this, then the real popularity of the movie decreases fast with respect to movies that don’t have repeat viewership but similar gross sales.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 8:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
But this doesn’t really add to the popularity.

I stand corrected. I guess I'm talkin' about fanboy/girl stats then.
Sci-fi/fantasy movies make stronger impressions (albeit in fewer individuals) than other non-genre films.
So actually, you seem to be correct upon examination. I must conclude that the majority of the public has not the intellectual capacity to enjoy what we at FFF.net consume as a matter of course.

Full circle Chrisisall

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Friday, December 14, 2007 9:38 AM

NEEDY

The road to Hel is paved with good intentions

I love movie threads

I gotta say, as much as I love Serenity, its simply not my favourite film (I'm not even sure it'll be in my top ten)
That's not to say its bad, just that I enjoy other films more, and there are many other *great* films that I'd rather watch

Without further ado, here's some of my faves from the 21st century that I can watch no matter what mood I'm in:

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (all-time favourite)
Pieces of April
Spider-man Trilogy
Brick
Phantom of the Opera
Donnie Darko
Garden State
Superman Returns
Daredevil Directors Cut

And in the category of "great" films, albeit ones I probably won't watch as often (Serenity would come under these):

Transformers
Casino Royale
Amelie
Batman Begins
I Robot
The Last Samurai
Gladiator
Zoolander
Anchorman

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Friday, December 14, 2007 9:54 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Finn mac Cumhal:
I just went back and looked at this list of the top grossing films, but this time adjusted for ticket price inflation, and only Star Wars and ET remain in the top ten. The others: Gone With the Wind, Sound of Music, the Ten Commandments, Titanic, Jaws, Doctor Zhivago, the Exorcist and Snow White. Out of the top 30 only about 8-10 are scifi. So the picture looks very different when you look at actual popularity as measure by ticket sales, as opposed to inflation.

However, I still think you may be right because sci-fi as a genre seems to outperform other genres in popularity. But a non-genre fiction movie does seem likely to outperform a scifi genre movie - all else being equal.

I think it's also worth noting that all those non-genre hits were all released before SciFi really broke through to the mainstream, and even more importantly, with the exception of Titanic, most were made before 1975.

So, those numbers seem to speak more to the diminished attendance levels and the impact of TV and home video, than to the popularity of the genre - since, again excepting Titanic, none of the highest ticket selling movies, regardless of genre, are from the last 30 years.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, December 14, 2007 10:11 AM

NEEDY wrote:

Quote:
Donnie Darko
Amelie
I Robot
Anchorman

Good collection of films. I'd forgotten about Donnie Darko - I love this film. Looking forward to seeing Richard Kelly's Southland Tales.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 10:22 AM

STRANGEBIRD

I think it's way to early to be doing this thread. Let's all come back in about ninety years and start a new one ok? I will say that Transformers and Gladiator would never make my list of the top 50 movies of the last 8 years. Gladiator wouldn't break 200.

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Friday, December 14, 2007 10:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

Looking forward to seeing Richard Kelly's Southland Tales.

It's been released, but crashed and burned very quickly. Most reviews, both critical, and from the audience, have been horrid. Which is too bad, I figured a movie by Kelly, with such an eclectic cast (where else ya gonna see Buffy, the Rock, Silent Bob and Connor MacLeod in one movie) would be interseting, at least.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Friday, December 14, 2007 11:11 AM