I was reading this list of the 50 greatest sci-fi movies of the last 50 years, and it was all fairly predictable. There’s only a couple that I’d disagree with, but there were a few that would have made the list in place of them if I were compiling it myself, and I realised my additions were less mainstream or less critically acclaimed than were on there.
What guilty-pleasure sci-fi movies would you recommend?
For starters, ones I’ve watched a bunch of times would be:
Dredd (2012)
Pandorum (2009)
Lockout (2012)
Monsters (2010)
In no particular order…
Hulk (2003)
Dark City (1998) (Pro tip: Start the movie, but mute it until Kiefer Sutherland comes in and looks at his watch, just a minute or so into the film).
Armitage III: Poly-Matrix (1995)
Virtuosity (1995)
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
These are ones that I have true fondness for, but if I had to really get down to it, I would have to admit are kind of terrible.
I could list a handful of others like Transformers: The Movie, Heavy Metal, Willow, or Highlander that I would mark down as “Pulpy, arguably even a bit trashy, but absolutely fantastic and not at all guilty pleasures.”
Dark City is a great shout. The director’s cut loses the voiceover at the start, and is definitely the version to watch.
Excellent mention of the og Mario brothers. Dark city too. Well done!