I’ve
been having difficulties with writing lately. I just can’t get my thoughts to
coalesce, let alone get them on paper. With that in mind, today’s post will be
another list! You all like the lists, right? In light of President Obama
releasing his favourite science fiction movies, I will be doing something
similar! If you’re going to copy someone, why not Obama (a sentiment sadly not
shared by many)? A slight twist, I will be listing my favourite genre films and
television series! I’m saying genre so I can list some fantasy and stuff
instead of just science fiction. As
usual, this list will be in no particular order, and for a change the list will
counting up from one! WHAT?! Okay, it’s not that exciting. I just—never mind,
on with the list!
1. Star Trek: First Contact
The first of a “few” Star Trek entries that
will be on this list; First Contact has long been my favourite Star Trek film.
When I was younger I appreciated it for the action scenes and space combat, but
as I aged I began to appreciate and understand the moral complexities that were
at the heart of it. From Picard coming to accept and overcome his unrelenting
hate of the Borg, to Data accepting that he didn’t need to become human to be
perfect. The film is possibly the darkest Star Trek film, reaching Deep Space
Nine levels of moral questions and ambiguity. And the acting! Patrick Stewart
was in top form playing the emotionally haunted and damaged Jean-Luc, with
Alfre Woodard playing the perfect foil and moral centre. Plus the film was the
debut of the Enterprise-E, one of the most gorgeous ships in Star Trek history.
2. Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron is an amazing filmmaker. His
films are filled with beautiful visuals, and amazing talent. Children of Men is
no exception. The film features a dystopian future where the youngest person on
the planet is celebrating his 18th birthday—in case that went over
your heard, no one has been born for 18 years. The tension is tight, and the
film does not let you go. If you’re looking for a smart sci-fi that makes you
question basically everything, give this a watch. I honestly don’t want to go
into the plot so I don’t ruin anything. Clive Owen shines in his role, and
Michael Caine plays a cynical hippie, what more do you need?
3. Captain America: Winter Soldier:
I’m picking this Marvel movie over some others
simply because its themes are the most relevant and plausible in today’s world.
A shadowy government agency that is spying on everyone and recording their
every move? An agency that is judging people’s future actions based off an
algorithm? The lines between fiction and real-life got real blurry in this
movie. When the real-life actions of the NSA, CIA, CSIS, C-SEC, and other
agencies are being used as the inspiration for an illegal and immoral group, you
know things have gotten bad. Plus that fight scene in the elevator. It was
beautiful.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy:
Marvel’s beautiful space opera, and most
blatant sci-fi film is easily one of my favourite movies of all time. I watched
it five times in theatres. I never watch movies more than once in a theatre,
but I couldn’t stop watching Guardians. The film had me, and most of the
audience, in tears within the first couple minutes, and then a few other times
throughout the film. I still tear up at “We are Groot”, and I can basically
recite the film. The CGI is beautiful. The aliens look amazing. The action is
phenomenal. Chris Pratt takes his shirt off. The bad guy is defeated by the
power of friendship and a dance-off! Seriously, this is the greatest movie of
all time. It’s the G-MOAT. I’m so gonna watch it this weekend now. Not only is
the film outstanding, the soundtrack is out of this world (I had to. I had to
say it.).
5. Orphan Black
Remember, I said films and TV shows! The first
thing you need to know about Orphan Black is this: Tatiana Maslany is the most
talented person to ever grace a television series. And that’s not just my opinion;
it’s the opinion of everyone who knows anything about the industry. The series
follows Sarah as she discovers she is part of a large conspiracy involving
clones. Which she plays all of. There are episodes where she plays 6+ vastly
different characters. Characters with different accents, mannerisms, ways of
speaking, gaits, languages, EVERYTHING. Outside of Tatiana’s stellar acting is
the story. The story is deep and complex, and leaves the watchers asking
questions.
6. Battlestar Galactica (2004):
A lot of people were confused when, then, SciFi
decided to reboot the gloriously goofy 70s sci-fi series. It was an odd choice.
Sure, it had grown to have a large cult fanbase, but it didn’t seem like a good
fit for a reboot. Well it was. During its four seasons it was consistently
considered by critics to be the best written show on television. The series
explored morality, ethics, robotics, genocide, warfare, PTSD, slave labour, and
survival. The show was constantly asking its viewers how far the human race
would go for survival—and the answer was usually something we didn’t want to
admit. To this day, Battlestar Galactica stands out as an example of what a
well executed television series can do. Even if the finale left a bad taste in
some people’s mouths.
7. Firefly/Serenity:
I can’t have a list like this and not mention
Firefly and Serenity, it’s just too shiny. Plus, one of my all time favourite
quotes comes from it: “When you can't run, you crawl, and when you can't crawl
- when you can't do that... You find someone to carry you.”
8. Star Trek Deep Space Nine:
“And if I had to do it all over again - I
would. Garak was right about one thing: a guilty conscience is a small price to
pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant.” DS9 did something that no other Trek
had done: it went dark. It explored the grey areas of the human psyche, it
explored the affects an occupation had on a people, and it explored racism in a
way that was, at times, uncomfortably real. It wasn’t the shiny future of The
Original Series or The Next Generation; it was a Star Trek that was real and
grounded. It portrayed a humanity that had fixed everything on Earth by
projecting all of the bad into space. It was groundbreaking for its time. The
themes that it explored were ones that most shows wouldn’t begin to explore
until a decade after DS9 was off the air. Its portrayals of PTSD are some of
the best that have ever been put on film.
“What I want to know is, out of all the stories
you told me which ones were true and which ones weren't?”
“My dear doctor...they're all true.”
“Even the lies?”
“Especially the lies.”
9. Arrow
Arrow kicked off the golden age of superhero
television. Smallville was over and all but forgotten, and the crime procedural
was king. The only genre shows were on cable. Then along came Arrow. Arrow
proved that superheroes being superheroes could work and thrive on television.
Not only that, Arrow sparked a whole universe of spin-offs: The Flash, Legends
of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. Even NBC’s short-lived Constantine was brought into
the fold with crossovers and mentions.
10. Star Trek (2009)
The introduction of the Kelvin Timeline
revitalized the franchise, and brought Star Trek back into the public eye. The
recasting of the iconic Original Series characters was pitch perfect, and
helped ease a lot of worried fans. For many (me) seeing the Enterprise up on
the big screen again was a religious experience. One that sent chills down my
spine and stayed with me for weeks afterwards. The Kelvin timeline has had a
couple missteps, but it has allowed Star Trek to come back to life in a huge
way.
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