1957-1981 Runners Up
I went through a lot of films to make the list. Here's the others I considered.
Ray Harryhausen (20 Million Miles to Earth/Mysterious Island/First men in the Moon/One Million Years, BC/Valley of Gwangi)
Why: Harryhausen is deservedly a legend, but none of these sci-fi flicks can measure up to his fantasy movies like Seventh Voyage of Sinbad or Jason and the Argonauts. I almmost included "one Million," if only for the iconic knockers of Racquel Welch, but frankly, evry time I watch that movie I tune out.
Solaris
Why: Supposed to be a great flick, but I haven't seen it.
Dr. Strangelove
Why: I didn't want to overload on Kubrick, and this has the weakest links to sci-fi of his three movies.
Little Shop of Horrors
If I would've included a Corman pic, this would've been it. It might yet go in a revised list.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Really more gothic and sexual than sci-fi, though it shows how the "Late Night Double features" influenced the subculture.
Scanners
Would've been my "Cronenberge film, but again, I haven't seen it.
The Fly
So iconic...maybe I should've found room for this one.
Close Encounters
A hit and a lauded classic, but mostly it started the '80s trend of light filtered through fog.
Invasion of the Bodysnatchers
The original fell just a year short of qualifying for the list. Without it, the very good remake seem to lose its historic context.
Man Who Fell to Earth
Never saw it. Maybe never will.
Stepford Wives
Too outflanked by films like the original "Body Snatchers" and "Westworld" (which also didn't make the list.)
Mothra
Best Japanese giant monster movie in terms of being a good film. Still not really that great. I went for the goofier but more iconic "King Kong Vs. Godzilla" instead.
Plan Nine From Outer Space
If I'd have put a "bad" film on the list, this would've been it.
Westworld
Andromeda Strain
These two Michael Chrichton movies almost made the cut. If he'd made a third, I probably would've included them as a trilogy.
The rest:
Village of the Damned
The Blob
Altered States
Time after Time
Heavy Metal
Escape From New York
Quest for Fire
Time Bandits
The Brood
Boy and His Dog
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Fahrenheit 451
Barbarella
Flash Gordon (1980)
Logan's Run
Astro Boy
Gigantor
Batman series
Star Blazers
Battle of the Planets
The Six Million Dollar Man
20 Million Miles to Earth
Quatermass films
The Incredible Hulk
The Birds
The Manchurian Candidate
Death Race 2000
Fantastic Planet
Willard
Slaughterhouse Five
Fantastic Voyage
Abominable Dr. Phibes
