io9 
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San Francisco, 12:41 PM
Mon Dec 21
19 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/18/09
But for the last time, "Donnie Darko" is not well-constructed. It is in fact very badly constructed. WHERE DOES THE JET ENGINE COME FROM? I know it falls through a rip in space and time to land on Donnie's house where it doesn't kill him, but when he closes the rip, how does it fall on his house and kill him for real? Isn't the tangent universe closed? Drives me nuts. Worse than the "Ocean's 11" heist scene (how do they get the money out of the bank vault, guys? Really watch it next time).
12/16/09
Glad to see Primer on there. That was a movie I rented based on the cover and I loved how such a low-budget looking movie could be so convincingly good. I forgot what it was called, it's been a few years since I've seen it. I'd like to see that one again.
Can't wait for Moon to be on DVD so I can see what the fuss was all about.
And although technically it's fantasy, I think a prequel could have been put up there. Let's say ROTS, for being the most OT like SW prequel and having some legitimate drama, compared to the first two.
And I don't care what the haters say, Transformers 2 belongs up there, and in the years to come, will be seen as the subversive mind fuck it really was, not the movie that was mistakenly taken at face value by so many elitists.
I saw someone mention Children of Men... not sure what I think about that one. Dystopia doesn't sell me the way it used to. Still, it's a hard movie to not think about, and the subtle updating of tech was impressive, as it wasn't marketed as a film with many special effects, but they were there, in a real-world "this is exactly what it would like" type of way.
And, Spielberg deserves a mention. Minority Report is a movie I watch maybe once a year, holds up quite well.
I'm sure I'll think of way more movies that could have been added soon.
12/16/09
12/16/09
A.I. (probably my favorite sci-fi of the decade)
Watchmen
Unbreakable
Matrix
12/17/09
12/17/09
I may be regretting asking this, but how can you say Rise of the Fallen was subversive when it was created by and for the elites that watered down Transformers to a shell of its source material. They replace sparks with an never-ending explosion and cliches.
12/17/09
12/17/09
I remember liking MASK more.
12/17/09
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12/15/09
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12/15/09
Children of Men, like everyone has said, is easily one of the top films of the decade. How no one at io9 thought it worthy of inclusion here is a bit maddening.
Also, I don't agree that Donnie Darko has aged well. Maybe it's because the Director's Cut ruins the film for me. I'd toss out Time Crimes as a better alternative.
12/15/09
12/16/09
Of course, Batman Begins had supernatural elements so could be considered sci-fi.
Wonder if Nolan will bring those elements back next time around.
12/15/09
12/15/09
I'm with you on 28 WEEKS to an extent. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a better movie than 28 DAYS, but it's certainly more intense.
12/15/09
[www.netflix.com]
That link should make it nice and easy for anyone to add these titles to their Netflix queue. As I mentioned below, some are even IW, which makes catching up even easier.
Hope it helps!
12/15/09
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12/15/09
Also, the Incredibles is parody, not a ripoff. The whole movie is based on generic superhero prototypes and how that works as a family dynamic. It wasn't a film about powers, it was a film about how an otherwise normal family deals with powers. Not to mention the fact that the film was funny and regularly made jokes about the superhero genre. It was very self aware.
If you wanna call "ripoff" please direct your anger at Heroes instead. That show uses every basic storyline from X-men poorly, while the creator practically boasts about his lack of comic book knowledge.
12/15/09
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12/15/09
I'd also give honorable mention to Children of Men, Time Crimes, Revenger's Tragedy, Special and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which was quite good, just not as good as every version that came before)
12/15/09
12/15/09
Children of Men however WAS a perfect film. Can't believe Avatar (which hasn't even been released yet) has been inducted, and this Cuaron gem gets pushed aside.
12/15/09
12/15/09
I'm an old school physics geek, who used to hang out with people like Aaron and Abe. (actually, one of them's over at the LHC right now)
The fact that most people only understand a fraction of their technical jargon should in no way hamper their enjoyment of this film, but then again, I happen to like stories that see people thrust into a completely unknown situation, who must then try to figure out what the hell's going on, rather than just blowing shit up.
12/16/09
this -- "stories that see people thrust into a completely unknown situation, who must then try to figure out what the hell's going on" -- is also why i have a fond place in my heart for Primer, and also how i experienced the first Matrix. i cannot understand those who willingly abandon such wonder.
clearly, i'm a "no spoilers" kind of gal. i've been pretty lucky to have friends who try to respect that.
the guys in Primer could be using Trek-speak, "put this tech in the tech," for all i care (though i do appreciate even the veneer of credibility, and i was pleased to recognize a bit of the argot); it's a tersely-paced movie, in the vein of the best noir. some people don't like being forced to wait, and listen, and frankly, think. it is a very quiet movie; it's also very philosophical.
plus, i have mondo respect for the production aspect of it -- $7k, trained himself, got his family and friends to do tech stuff and act, his mom catered (how cute is that!?)
12/16/09
That's why I happen to love the old Quatermass movies, shows like The Outer Limits and Twilight Zone, and more recently, the Steven Moffat's episodes of Doctor Who.
A big bug-eyed monster jumping out of the closet is scary... once.
But learning that there's something dangerous lurking in the shadows... You can't see it, you can't stop it, and it has just become aware of you... that's the kind of nightmare fodder that just keeps on giving.