Episode 74: Planet 8’s Top Ten Sci Fi Films of All Time!

Welcome all to Planet 8's third anniversary episode! Yes, we have been doing this insanity for three years now. We thought the best way to celebrate would be to tackle the biggest question we could think of: what are the ten best science fiction films of all time?

Through an arcane process which we describe in the episode, we devised a list of ten great science fiction films. Now these are not necessarily our favorite films, but the films which we think are the most influential, most impactful, unique, and had artistic and/or technical achievements which set them apart.

It was surprising to us which films we agreed upon, and which ones only one of us selected. But there were just so many great films to choose from. It was very difficult to cut some films, or choose between certain films in a series.

We also noted that all of our selections fell between the 1950s and 1980s. Maybe it has to do with giving a film time to build a legacy. Or it could be we're just old farts who prefer older films!

If you want to be surprised by what films we chose, then skip over the section below. Otherwise, proceed!

Planet 8's Top Ten Science Fiction Films of All Time

10. Robocop

9. Tie - Predator and Empire Strikes Back

8. War of the Worlds (1953)

7. 2001: A Space Odyssey

6. Forbidden Planet

5. The Thing (1982)

4. Alien

3. Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

2. Planet of the Apes (1968)

1. Star Wars

We're sure this list may inspire some debate -we know it did with us! While these are all fine films, you can make an argument for where they should be positioned in the list, or if other films should take their place in the top ten. For some more insight into our thought processes, here are our individual lists.

Bob's List

Forbidden Planet
War of the Worlds (1953)
Alien
Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Star Wars
Planet of the Apes
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Thing (1982)
Blade Runner
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Karen's List

2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Planet of the Apes
Alien
The Thing (1982)
The Matrix
The Thing (1951)
Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Quatermass and the Pit

Larry's list

Star Wars
Planet of the Apes
Predator
Robocop
Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The Thing (1982)
Blade Runner
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Forbidden Planet

What about the films we left off? Hard choices had to be made. Of course, we love Logan's Run but had to admit it was not top ten material. And no Star Trek films on the list? Sadly, it's true.

We would really like to hear from you about what you would put on your top ten - again, not your favorites, but what are the best? Send us your thoughts and we will follow up on them in a future episode.

We've covered a number of these films we're talking about. If you'd like to go back and listen to those episodes, check these out:

War of the Worlds

Alien

2001: A Space Odyssey

Planet of the Apes

The Thing

This makes us realize that there are many more films that we need to cover! No danger of running out of material here on Planet 8.

Seeing as it is our third anniversary, we want to send out a special thanks to all of you who have been following the show. We didn't know we were going to be doing this for three years, but they have just flown by! We're still having a blast, and most of that is due to you listening and contacting us. So we hope you'll stick with us and continue on along the journey!

You also have one week until Bay Area Film Event's Godzilla's Monster Bash at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco. On May 14-16 they will show ten classic Godzilla films, and there will be vendors and guests! It should be a great event, so if you're in the area, be sure to come out. You can get more info and tickets at http://bayareafilmevents.com/godzillafest

This wraps up our episode. Let us know what you thought. Leave a comment on the site, or you can contact us at:

Episode 74: Planet 8’s Top Ten Sci Fi Films of All Time!

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