"Best Decade for Science Fiction Films" Topic

I can't say exactly why, but I have a feeling that the 1970s was the best decade for Science Fiction films.

There was Rollerball, Logan's Run, Alien, Westworld, Dark Star, Silent Running, Colossus, The Andromeda Strain, The Omega Man, Phase IV, Stepford Wives, Boys from Brazil, Mad Max, and, of course, Star Wars and Star Trek the Motion Picture. (And Zardoz)

Yes there are great SF films from other decades; Metropolis (20s), Things to Come (30s), The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Forbidden Planet (50s), Planet of the Apes, and The Time Machine (60s), Blade Runner (80s).

But the 70s had the most and the best. Right?

Hmmm…

I think it's a close run between the 70's and 80's for me:

Wiki listing for 70's:

link

Wiki listing for 80's:

link

80's, Akria, Altered States, Aliens, Alien Nation, Bill and Ted, Blade Runner, Brazil, Buckaroo Banzai, Big Trouble in Little China, Dune, E.T., Enemy Mine, Escape from New York Empire Strikes Back, Flash Gordan, Heavy Metal, The Last Starfighter, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Star Trek: Wrath of Kahn, The Thing, Outland…

I have recently fallen in love with the movie theater serials of the 30s (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Rocketman, Captain America, Superman, etc).

I don't know about best, but they are certainly very cool.

"2001", 1960s. If you have not seen it on the big screen, you have not really watched it. Hmmm, guess that shows my age. But without 2001 you would not have any of the other films. 2001 made scifi respectable. Made it something other then B movies to be seen at the drive in. Also one of the first and only movies to have no sound when outside the ship in space.

'60s.

2001, Barbarella, Gorgo, Dr. Who & Daleks, The Green Slime, Land of the Lost, Planet of the Apes, Quartermass and the Pit, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Toho studios in full swing -- Matango is just brilliantly creepy, the best 2 Showa Godzilla films were in the 50's, but the 60's get points for quantity; plus assorted others like Atragon, Dogora, and a host of other gems.

I have a substantial collection of 1950s sci-fi films – some dreadful, some spectacularly innovative. Amongst my favourites are these:

Destination Moon
Forbidden Planet
Invaders from Mars
Them
Earth vs the Flying Saucers
This Island Earth
War of the Worlds

They all reflect the changing culture of the times – the 'Can Do' attitude of the post-war era being edged out by the paranoia and mistrust of the McCarthy years. A fascination for all things to do with space, mixed with a growing mistrust of scientists and the military. In the early 50s, the army was seen as the saviour of our society – they blast the aliens and mutant bugs away with tanks and flamethrowers. But later films often depict them as ineffectual and sucessful resolution of the storyline requires the acts of individuals instead.

have a look at Iron Sky before you decide. :-)

70's. Star wards on its own makes it for me.

Jaz
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I'd have to go with the 80s. Lots of good cheesey sci-fi and fantasy. John Carpenter was on a roll in the 80s.

Oh, and my VHS/DVD collection would be about half its size without 60's sci-fi

Ray harryhausen during the 50's >
Them! beast of 20000 fathoms
Earth vs flying saucers
60's had >
Forbidden planet

Another fans of the 50's. Forget not the original "Godzilla" as well as the others mentioned.

I would go with the 70's as well for good screen plays. For special effects nothing beats what they are doing today. Now, if they could just get them together.

Yep, the 80's.

Now because I can watch all the old stuff as well as all the current stuff.

Somewhat flippant answer I know, but for me TV series need to be included, and since nearly everything is available on some cable channel or via DVD release or web streaming, and that's true for movies as well, the wealth is undeniable.

Wish they had something like the original Outer Limits again.

Have to go with the 80's

The 80's.

What CeruLucifus said – but if I had to pick, I'd probably pick the '70s. Nice that something good came from the '70s.

Doug

80's with the 70's coming in a very close second

I agree there were some good films from the 50s, 60s, and 80s, but I'm hard-pressed to think of more than, say, 3 or 4 from each of those decades. Whereas the 70s just had them in spades.

I'm going to confess that I'm not so keen on Godzilla films – they're entertaining as comedy, but not very cerebral, I find.

In agreement with the comment about the old Flash Gordon. For a while, on TV, you could see the old (very old – 1936) Flash Gordon series. (Perhaps it was all the matinees made into a series?) It was pretty good, as I recall. Lame special effects, but pretty good stuff otherwise.