The Science Fiction Primer, Episode III -- The best Sci-Fi movies of all time.

Yes, you read correctly...the top 39 :P

In my last exciting episode, I did an unfair thing and spat a long, unsorted, list at you, but I did promise to return shorty and refine the list, and the cull begins now. Now I'm going to do another unfair thing and use the number 39 :P

Please take a quick peek at the previous list -- as always, please comment if there's a film you think is missing. You'll notice I didn't include A Clockwork Orange, and maybe an other film or two you expected to see...Well, comment! I'll be happy to explain why I excluded certain films, and if you name one I should have included, be prepared for me to say "Thank You", and credit you personally with its inclusion.

However, I admit freely I'm taking the "high road" approach -- Popular films Sci-fi films I considered garbage will get a hub all of their own :P

I'll refine this list again in my next post, but with confidence, I think all of these films stand on their own, both simply as movies, but also as superlative examples of great Science Fiction :

1. Alien, 1979

2. Aliens, 1986

3. Tron, 1982

4. Blade Runner, 1982

5. The Road Warrior, 1981

6. Mad Max, 1979

7. Repo Man, 1984

8. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968

9. Avatar, 2009

10. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, 1984

11. Enemy Mine, 1985

12. Predator, 1987

13. Robocop, 1987

14. Westworld, 1973

15. Escape From New York, 1981

16. The Running Man, 1987

17. 12 monkeys, 1995

18. Delicatessen, 1991

19. The Terminator, 1984

20. Gattaca, 1997

21. The Manchurian Candidate, 1962

22. THX 1138,

23. Dark Star, 1974

24. The Secret of Nimh , 1982

25. Iceman, 1984

26. Dreamscape, 1984

27. The Matrix, 1999

28. Superman, 1978

29. The Quest for Fire, 1981

30. Altered States, 1980

31. Time Bandits, 1981

32. Flash Gordon; 1980

33. Dune, 1984

34. War Games, 1983

35. Wizards, 1977

36. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986

37. Rollerball, 1975

38. Dark City, 1998

39. Close Encounters of The Third Kind, 1977

Whew. Boy, does the list need to be sorted...But of the 110 films I listed, I'd definitely call this list "the cream" that rises to the top.

With the long list reduced to 39, It seems logical to me that 3 tiers of 13 movies will work.

This is a tougher step than the first and the last steps I took...As I said, none of the films on this short list are bad, but I've decided on the criteria I'll use to make my groups ;

The top 13 movies from this list will be selected based on what I consider the highest aesthetic principles--just as, for example, you may not be a fan of the artist Michelangelo, or the music of Beethoven, you'd have to be a special kind of jerk to deny that the two of them are considered masters in their art forms, even if high art isn't your thing.

Likewise, selections #1 through #13, first and foremost, will be the best "Films" of the short list. Movie critics, Scholars, average joes, even your mother, would recognize that they were looking at a piece of art; They may not like the art, the subject, or the artist, but they'd recognize, at least, why other people thought so highly of the work.

#14 through #26 will have just missed that rigorous standard; they might be a little stranger...maybe a just little more "sciencey"/overtly sci-fi, or, they may simply be less universal in their appeal than 1-13; You might like films from 14-26 more than you like teir one films, but you'll have less of a hard time understanding why other people might not.

#27-39 Will show the widest range. Some of them might even be films your average joe, or critic, didn't like...These films, again, might be analogous to the artwork of Salvidor Dali--deeply loved by many, but too odd, grotesque, or daring for many. You'll have zero question in your mind why your mom might not like 27-39, even if you think the films are sheer and utter genius.

My next hub will be this 3 tiered division, along with some--I stress, some--short comments on why certain films belong in each hub

So stay tuned for our next exciting installment :)