I would rate Invasion of the Body Snatchers as the best, with Forbidden Planet as #2.
I would rate Invasion of the Body Snatchers as the best, with Forbidden Planet as #2. It is up there with the best, but not in my top five. It is probably the most remade modern movie in SF history, though. The 1956 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", based on a short story by Jack Finney, has been remade at least five times, the latest a movie called "The Invasion" in which Dr. Bunnell has been rewritten as a female psychiatrist who starts noticing changes in her patients and their families after the deliberate crash of a space shuttle. It has no pods, no exchange of human bodies for artificial replacements, but the basics are all there and it has a lot of reference scenes to the original movie.
It was, however, the only movie from that age that instilled a continuing scare into me for months following after I saw it at age seven in a theater, causing me to check under the bed, in closets, in drawers, for any strange, large pods. LOL!
My list of SF movies:
- "Earth v. The Flying Saucers"— This movies has the best of era stop-action animation special effects. It was remade as a hilarious homage film by Tim Burton in 1996 as "Mars Attacks" in which the sound weapon of the original movie was replaced by the signature yodeling of Slim Whitman which caused the Martians' heads to explode!
- "Forbidden Planet"— With the great Krell power grid backdrop paintings and special effects, with the Monsters from the ID. . . and, of course, Ann Francis and Robby the Robot still one of the best.
- "Destination Moon"— Robert Heinlein was technical advisor and also writer on this SF movie keeping it fairly well on the tech side. Great special effects and a good story line about lightening up the ship for take off.
- "War of the Worlds"— Another often remade SF movie, George Pal's effort is still hard to beat for special effects and story line.
- "The Day the Earth Stood Still"— A cerebral SF in an era (1951) when Gee Whiz was the rule. Far better than that abhorrent Keanu Reeves 2008 eco-panic, anti-humanity remake.
- "When Worlds Collide"— The apocalypse to end all end of the world movies. Great disaster movies before disaster movies were popular.
- "This Island Earth"— The Interociter puzzle which leads to Exeter, and a race that needs help, but fails to get it. Great movie and sets.
- "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"— Captain Nemo, the Nautilus, Disney, Kirk Douglas, James Mason, still the best version in my opinion.
- "Invaders from Mars"— The ultimate is a dream movie that evokes the fears of a child about losing his parents in a nightmare. . . chases are great. Plotting is fantastic and great special effects.
- "From the Earth to the Moon"— The Jules Verne story of a giant cannon shooting men to the moon. Joseph Cotton using Gun Cotton.
As you might tell, I was not into the monster of the month SF type, although I did have a soft place in my heart for"The Blob" and "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" but the don't make my top ten, much less my top five.