Best sci-fi movie that was NOT a franchise

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by KevinP, Nov 23, 2021.

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  1. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Contact, Children Of Men and Moon, in no particular order...except order of release, I suppose. Each have things to say about the human condition that cannot be said except in speculative fiction narrative.

    Runner-up: Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley's Never Let Me Go from 2010.
     
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  2. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Can't say anything about the book, haven't read it, but the movie is pretty amazing. One of Fassbinder's best, and that's saying something.
     
  3. rich100

    rich100 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Middle of England
    Inception
    Blade Runner (I argue this is a film in it's own right, it was based on a book and the sequel, as much as I enjoyed it, came long after and has zero impact on the original and was not based on any work of the original author - except what it expanded on from the original story of course)
    The Prestige
    Minority Report
    AI
     
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  4. Rich-n-Roll

    Rich-n-Roll Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington State
    :biglaugh: Yeah pretty much I have always liked it
     
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  5. altaeria

    altaeria Forum Resident


    Just wondering if TOTAL RECALL qualifies.

    Yes, there was a remake.

    And, yes, there was also a barely-noticed short-lived television series that essentially only resembled it in name.
     
  6. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    "I came in pieces.."...:-plnktn-:
    Yeah.. Thanksgiving holidays and time to do some recordings and watching movies tonight. Another sci-fi you guys wanna watch that's really-really good.. Seriously!
    Knowing - Nicolas Cage
    Signs - Mel Gibson
    Time Machine (old and new version) I love the original with Rod Taylor but I love Guy Pierce too. I think this is the best Guy Pierce movie ever played.
     
  7. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I think so....
     
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  8. darkmass

    darkmass Forum Resident

    Hands down, my choice could only be "Forbidden Planet". That's already been mentioned so let me throw out a few that so far haven't appeared here. I think they all meet the OP's desires. Some in the list may be only slightly marginally science fiction, but that depends on your viewpoint I guess.

    I have a true fondness for each of these:

    Dark City
    The City of Lost Children
    Melancholia
    Serenity
    Midnight Special
    Safety Not Guaranteed
    Another Earth
    The Great Wall
     
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  9. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Interstellar...fantastic movie in every sense
     
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  10. thestereofan

    thestereofan Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose
  11. Slackhurst Broadcasting

    Slackhurst Broadcasting Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    2001. The production of a dud sequel long afterwards and with no involvement by Kubrick didn't turn it into a "franchise."
     
  12. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    There was also a Marvel Comics tie-in so sorry, it is disqualified on two counts based on the OP.
     
  13. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    I kind of like the dud sequel. Nowhere a classic like the original of course.
     
  14. Bhob

    Bhob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta Ga
    Alien
    Aliens
     
  15. unclefred

    unclefred Coastie with the Moastie

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    That's right, I've made it a point to avoid it.
     
  16. Ignatius

    Ignatius Forum Resident

    Agree on Dark City
     
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  17. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Two that I liked when I was a kid, neither one spectacular, but great when your 14:

    Journey to the Far Side of the Sun
    Robinson Crusoe on Mars
     
  18. planetexpress

    planetexpress Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.

    Location:
    Chicago
    Some great films already mentioned but I think Brazil qualifies as a standalone work of science fiction so I'm going to have to go with that...
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2021
  19. parkgrover

    parkgrover Forum Resident

    I forgot another fave: The Man Who Fell to Earth
     
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  20. rich100

    rich100 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Middle of England
    I quite liked 2010, a bit more accesible than 2001. Whilst not Kubrick, it is based on the sequel by the original author of 2001. It does have a very different feel to 2001 of course so I get why people don't like both.
     
  21. That's Mr. Foghat

    That's Mr. Foghat Forum Resident

    Location:
    exit 7a, NJ
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  22. JFS3

    JFS3 Senior Member

    Location:
    Hooterville
    I see that, once again, in the great tradition of the SHtv forums, half the posters aren't paying any attention to the OP's instructions (in this case, the admonishment as to no sequels/prequels).
     
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  23. KevinP

    KevinP Forum introvert Thread Starter

    Location:
    Daejeon
    Sorry, what?
     
  24. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2021
  25. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Beat me to it. However the MST3K treatment took off a little shine.
     
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