Introduction
- [last updated: 8/14/2021]
- Due to physical distancing considerations (and theater closings),
group outings are currently suspended until further notice. - Many upcoming movies will have delayed releases due to production disruptions,
e.g., Even More Movies Shuffle Their Release Dates for the Coronavirus Pandemic Giz; 6/16/2020 - Even after theaters reopen -- even though SF movies have tended to have sparser audiences,
we still may not want to sit together (or share popcorn). until there's a vaccine. - Ideas for older films/shows to watch by yourself: listed below.
- Would someone like to organize virtual viewing and/or discussions? (contact Steve)
- Group-stream films/TV shows via Zoom (or Airtime, Netflix Party, Vemos)
-- or watch separately, but discuss via Zoom?
- Interested in watching recent Science Fiction movies, e.g., Upcoming (below), with other OLLI members?
- Typically, we carpool to a Monday or Tuesday discount matinee at Cinemark Tinseltown in Medford (big screens, stadium-style, lounger seats), or Ashland Street Cinema; optional: enjoy lunch / coffee / beer to discuss film and plan next outing
- Feel free to contact others on the email list if you'd like to propose an outing.
- Contact Steve to let him know of your interest / suggestions / preferred sub-genres, e.g., Action; Adventure; Alien; Classic; Cult; Drama; Foreign; Thrillers; Documentaries related to technology, space-age, etc. (I'm generally less interested in (and generally don't bother listing): Animated; Comic-book; Demon; Fantasy; Horror; Magic; Supernatural; Superhero; Vampire; Wizard films -- but I'm open to adding specific films to list if there's interest)
- If there's enough interest -- and a suitable OLLI classroom available (preferably Room A or B) -- we might show and discuss a 'classic' Sci-Fi movie (or TV series) -- for ideas, see References below. We could also attend Sci-Fi events, e.g., Hamazons: Sci-Fi: The B films! (2018, plus 2020 wildfire fund raiser for Unete): "a performance where comedy improv collides with the Science Fiction genre of the 1950s. Inspired by such movies as It Came From Outer Space, The Blob, and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Hamazons will deliver a full-length improvised story filled with extraterrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, spacecraft and robots. . Watch them grapple with the unknown as they travel into the future of the past!". Who knows, maybe someday OSF will offer Alien? A High School in New Jersey Turned Alien Into a Gigerific Stage Play
- OLLI Shared Interest Groups page
- Custom pulp magazine cover (our group's 'logo' -- above, on right) created with Pulp-o-mizer
Upcoming (by last known release date)
- Not exhaustive, at least for some sub-genres...
- IMDb: Coming Soon all;
Find: Sci-Fi
- Moviefone: Coming Soon SF
- Dune (opens: 10/22/2021)
- Finch (opens: 11/5/2021)
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife (opens: 11/11/2021);
A new generation ain’t afraid of no ghosts in Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer Ars; 12/9/2019;
The original Ghostbusters franchise is getting a new film (in same fictional universe as the 1984 original) - The Matrix 4 (opens: 12/22/2021);
The Matrix's Stars Are Excited to Pick Back Up With Neo and TrinityMatrix 4 Filming Was So Heated it Damaged City (SF) Property;
The Matrix 4 is officially happening with Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss - Mission Impossible 7 (opens: 5/27/2022)
- Jurassic World: Dominion (opens: 6/10/2022);
Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill Are Returning to Jurassic Park - Black Panther 2 (opens: 7/8/2022);
Black Panther 2 won't reproduce Chadwick Boseman digitally: 'Our king has died';
Black Panther 2 is coming out in 2022 - Avatar 2 (opens: 12/16/2022);
A Brief History of the Not-So-Brief Wait for Avatar 2;
io9: Why It's Taken So Long to Make the Avatar Sequels, According to James Cameron;
Avatar sequels: Release dates, plot, casting and everything we know so far - Crimes of the Future (opens: ??)
David Cronenberg's New Sci-Fi Film Casts Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and More - Live Die Repeat and Repeat (opens: ??); Edge of Tomorrow sequel;
Emily Blunt Says Edge of Tomorrow 2 Is Too Expensive to Film
Doug Liman has a familiar title for Edge of Tomorrow 2
The Edge of Tomorrow Sequel Is Finally, Officially Moving Forward (Again) - Ares (opens: ??)
Robert Zemeckis Might Direct a New Sci-Fi Thriller for Warner Bros. - Metro 2033 (opens: ??);
Russian Sci-Fi Thriller Novel-Turned-Video Game Metro 2033 Is Becoming a Movie - Star Trek (untitled) (opens: 6/9/2023);
The Next Star Trek Movie Has a Stardate in 2023 - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (opens: 12/22/2023)
- Avatar 3 (opens: 12/20/2024)
- Star Wars (untitled) (opens: 12/19/2025)
- Avatar 4 (opens: 12/18/2026)
- Star Wars (untitled) (opens: 12/17/2027)
- Avatar 5 (opens: 12/22/2028)
Viewed (by date)
- Terminator 6: Dark Fate 11/12/19;
Review: Terminator: Dark Fate provides a fitting coda to first two films;
XKCD: Terminator comic;
‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Review: It’s Hasta la Vista All Over Again;
Everything You Need to Know About the Terminator Universe Before Dark Fate;
Terminator: Dark Fate's 'New Sarah Connor' Is Ready to Lead;
Terminator: Dark Fate's Post-Judgment Day Future Is Female, and We're Here for It;
The New Terminator: Dark Fate Trailer Is All About Family;
Locked and loaded: Terminator: Dark Fate trailer gives us even more Ah-nold;
How Terminator: Dark Fate Is Different From the Other Sequels, According to the Director - Ad Astra 9/24/2019;
What 'Ad Astra' and Brad Pitt get wrong about space travel, science and life in the cosmos;
A journey upriver to meet your demons, internal and otherwise;
NYT: Brad Pitt Orbits the Powers of Darkness;
Ad Astra Is One of the Best Space Movies in Years;
The gloriously surreal space epic Ad Astra is half a great movie (and the other half is a turgid, generic father / son drama);
The New Ad Astra Trailer Amps Up Brad Pitt's Space Angst;
Ad Astra's Second Trailer Teases a Haunting, Operatic Space Thriller;
Brad Pitt heads into space with mega daddy issues in first Ad Astra trailer;
Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Pitt Are Teaming Up For a Space-Set, Pseudo-Apocalypse Now - Apollo 11 3/25/19;
NYT: 'Apollo 11' Review: The 1969 Moon Mission Still Has the Power to Thrill - First Man 10/29/2018
- Ready Player One 4/10/18;
NYT: In 'Ready Player One,' Spielberg Plays the Nostalgia Game;
Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One improves immensely on the book (Ernest Cline's fast-moving novel was a treasure trove for pop-culture junkies, but the endless references work better on the screen);
Ready Player One's film adaptation isn't even good enough as a kids movie (everything here -- character development, CGI, geek-cred references -- disappoints) - Black Panther 2/26/18;
NYT: 'Black Panther' Shakes Up the Marvel Universe - Blade Runner 2049 10/9/17;
NYT: 'Blade Runner 2049' Tries to Honor the Original and to Slip Free of It - Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 8/8/2017;
Besson Tests the Outer Limits With Sci-Fi Epic Valerian;
This Valerian Clip Shows What's Possible When 3000 Alien Species Live Together;
Explore the World of Valerian With Gorgeous Concept Art and 360-Degree Imagery;
NYT: 'Valerian' Is a Rave in Space (but Not Much Fun) - Passengers 12/27/16
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 12/25/16
- Arrival 11/22/16;
Arrival Movie Review;
Movie Arrival Explained - Star Trek Beyond 8/16/16
- Independence Day: Resurgence 6/27/16
References
- This Chart Will Tell You What Kind Of Space-Based Sci-Fi You're About To Watch Just By Looking At The Main Ship 3/10/2020
- How the Fake but Really Cool Computers in Movies Get Made Whether it's a DNA database in 'Blade Runner 2049' or the heads up display in Iron Man's suit, real world user interface designers are hard at work making sure characters have a way to operate their fictional tech; 1/31/2018
- Star Wars Spoiler Generator XKCD comic
- Science Fiction Plot Generator Madlib-style
- Heading to the Movies? Prep With Our Sci-Fi Plot Generator
- Amer. Film Inst.: Top 10 by Genre; see Sci-Fi #1 2001: A Space Odyssey; #2 Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope; #3 E.T. -- The Extra Terrestrial; #4 A Clockwork Orange; #5 The Day The Earth Stood Still; #6 Blade Runner; #7 Alien; #8 Terminator 2: Judgment Day; #9 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers; #10 Back To The Future
- The Ars Technica science fiction bucket list? 42 movies every geek must see ... and nine bonus stinkers from which you should run away screaming; 11/3/2016
- Christian Sci. Monitor: The 25 best science fiction movies of all time 7/30/2014
- The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (SFE) e.g., media, film
- FilmSite.org: The Greatest Science Fiction Films
- Forbes: The 5 Best Science Fiction Movies Of 2018 Ready Player One; Black Panther; A Quiet Place; Sorry to Bother You; Annihilation; 12/3/2018
- HuffPo: 15 Real-Life Scientists Share Their Favorite Science Fiction Books, Movies 8/14/2014
- IGN: Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time 9/14/2010
- IMDb.com: Most Popular Sci-Fi Feature Films
- io9.com: The Best Sci-Fi Binges You Can Watch in a Single Day (or Weekend);
10 Great Sci-Fi Tropes
First Contact
Time Travel
Parallel Worlds
Interspecies Romance
Sound in Space
Sci-Fi Western
Food Replicators
Technobabble
Countdown to Destruction
"Soylet Green is People" (exposing a terrible truth)
(and 5 That Should Be Shot Into Space)
Oppressed Robots
Aliens Built Earth
Teenager Saves the Universe
Alien Pregnancy
Dances With Aliens
Giz; 11/12/2020;
20 Sci-Fi Directorial Debuts That Became Genre Classics;
The 10 Best Science Fiction Presidents; 10 Worst Science Fiction Presidents;
10 Great Sci-Fi Movies to Watch When You're Sick;
io9's Essential Guide to 2020's Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Superhero TV;
io9's Guide to All the Movies You Should Give a Damn About in 2020;
10 Cult Sci-Fi Movies About Environmental Revenge 10. Day of the Animals; 9. Phase IV; 8. The Happening; 7. The Food of the Gods; 6. Godzilla vs. Hedorah; 5. Prophecy; 4. The Bay; 3. Long Weekend; 2. Alligator; 1. The Last Winter; io9; 3/6/2019;
Guide to All the Movies You Should Give a Damn About in 2019;
Guide to All the Movies You Should Give a Damn About in 2018;
12 Unforgettable Sci-Fi Movies About Memory;
The 10 Best (and Five Worst) Movies of 2017;
14 Recent Scifi Films That Didn't Need Big Budgets To Be Amazing 14. Another Earth (2011); 13. John Dies at the End (2012); 12. Computer Chess (2013); 11. The American Astronaut (2001); 10. Monsters (2010); 9. Robot & Frank (2012); 8. Sleep Dealer (2008); 7. Moon (2009); 6. The Signal (2014); 5. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012); 4. The One I Love (2014); 3. Take Shelter (2011); 2. Primer (2004); 1. Coherence (2013);
The 10 Best Foreign-Language Scifi Movies of the Last 10 Years 10) The Incident (2014); 9) Extraterrestrial (2011); 8) Enthiran ['Robot'] (2010); 7) Renaissance (2006); 6) The Clone Returns Home (2008); 5) Big Man Japan (2007); 4) Cargo (2009); 3) The Host (2006); 2) Timecrimes (2007); 1) Trollhunter (2010); 12/8/2016;
50 Brilliant Science Fiction Movies That Everyone Should See At Least Once;
13 Terrifically Terrible Sci-Fi Movies to Watch on a Stressful Weekend 1) Starship Troopers (1997); 2) The Fifth Element (1997); 3) Event Horizon (1997); 4) Hollow Man (2000); 5) A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); 6) Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999); 7) Judge Dredd (1995); 8) Mission to Mars (2000); 9) Bicentennial Man (1999); 10) Demolition Man (1993); 11) Source Code (2011); 12) Lucy (2014); 13) Blade Runner (1982) [not!];
Great Scifi Movies You May Have Missed in 2016 (But Shouldn't Have) Synchronicity; Lazer Team; Southbound; The Witch; 10 Cloverfield Lane; Midnight Special; The Lobster; Hardcore Henry; Elstree 1976; High-Rise; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows; Swiss Army Man; Kubo and the Two Strings; 11/25/2016;
The 15 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Noir Films 15) The Thirteenth Floor (1999); 14) Kiss Me Deadly (1955); 13) Cat People (1942); 12) Strange Days (1995); 11) Dark City (1998); 10) The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972); 9) Decoy (1946); 8) Angel Heart (1987); 7) The City of Lost Children (1995); 6) Minority Report (2002); 5) Brazil (1985); 4) Gattaca (1997); 3) Alphaville (1965); 2) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988); 1) Blade Runner (1982);
10 Scifi Curse Words for All Occasions frak; petaQ; grozit; frell; cruk; shazbot; sithspit; kriff; gorram; smeg;
The Best Scifi Movies to Watch When You're Seriously Stoned - MentalFloss: The 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix Right Now 1. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018); 2. Ex Machina (2015); 3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016); 4. District 9 (2009); 5. Her (2013); 6. Moon (2009); 7. Anon (2018); 8. King Kong (2005); 9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017); 10. Stardust (2007); MF; 2/8/2019
- MTV.com: The Top 50 Sci-Fi Films of All Time 6/7/2012
- Netflix: Sci-Fi & Fantasy: DVD, Streaming (by rating); Every Netflix TV Series Sorted by IMDB Ranking Refine List > Genres & Sci-Fi; 11/14/2015
- NewAtlas: The best future-focused sci-fi film and TV coming in 2019 film: Gemini Man; Ad Astra; Chaos Walking; Captive State;
TV: Star Wars: The Mandalorian; Cosmos: Possible Worlds; Star Trek: Picard; Foundation; The Twilight Zone; Good Omens; Alita: Battle Angel; 12/26/2018 - NYT: Find Free (Old) Feature Films Online like books that have lost copyright protection, thousands of movies are in the public domain -- to watch on your computer or mobile device, or through a set-top TV box; wikipedia; youtube; publicdomainflix; publicdomainmovies; archive.org: feature films, short films, NASA, Prelinger; 6/26/2018
- Playlist: The 50 Best Sci-Fi Films Of The 21st Century So Far 7/19/2016
- Popular Mechanics: The 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time 4/1/2015
- President Obama's Essential Sci-Fi TV and Films 10/13/2016
- The Ringer: The 25 Best Space Movies 9/11/2017
- Rolling Stone: The Top 20 Sci-Fi Films of the 21st Century 5/15/2014
- Rotten Tomatoes: Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Movies
- ScreenCrush: The 25 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 25 Years 2/2/2015
- SF-Lovers: oldest mailing list on the Internet first digest issue in 1979; complete archive;
The Man Behind SF-LOVERS Science Fiction Discussion List 10/1993 - Timeout.com: The 100 best sci-fi movies 10/12/2015
- Wikipedia: Science Fiction; Science fiction film; Lists of science fiction films by decade, by genre
- Wired: Loose Ends: A Literary Supercut of Sci-Fi Last Sentences;
A Story About the Upside of Failure, e.g., The Radioactive Cockroach Hiccuped, and Grinned;
Six-Word Sci-Fi: Imagine an Apocalypse With a Happy Ending, e.g., The Aliens Were Allergic To Cats;
other story topics: Tech-Centric Religion; WFH Office Scandal; Future American President; Gargantuan Space Creature;
Next Big Security Leak; a World Without Paper; Upside of Failure; Love in the Time of Coronavirus; Digital-Age Autocrats;
Saving the Planet Next Great Crowdsourced Project; Rebooting Democracy; Rosy Future for Facial Recognition;
Old Sci-Fi Movies Probably Aren't as Good as You Remember 9/14/2019;
The 11 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Can Stream Right Now, From 2001 to Ex Machina Amazon, Hulu;
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977); Alien (1979);
Star Wars V: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981);
Escape from New York (1981); Back to the Future (1985); RoboCop (1987);
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); The Matrix (1999); Ex Machina (2015); 3/21/2017