My Sci-Fi Movie Collection... In A Nutshell

Not long ago, I talked a bit about the horror titles in my movie collection. Today I'll take a look at the science fiction films on my shelves. Again, I won't chat about every movie I have, or even list them all, but I'll try to touch on key motion pictures, favourites, oddities, and whatever else seems interesting.

Chicks dig the gills...

Creature From the Black Lagoon

As with the horror, and everything else in my collection, I began buying sci-fi movies back in the mid-to-late 1990's. There are a lot of DVDs on my shelves, and I've been doing my best to add important films in Blu-ray format in recent years, even upgrading some from DVD to Blu. While I feel like I've watched and re-watched the majority of my horrors almost to exhaustion, I think there's still life in my sci-fi home video library. I find myself revisiting both oldies and modern flicks on a somewhat regular basis. Plus I have snapped up super cheap multi-packs (double bills, triple bills, and larger sets) on Amazon now and then. Most of those are old B-movies and cult classics, some good, some not so good (but still entertaining in a way). Others are weird and obscure movies (often bad) that hardly anyone has ever heard of. But they are a nice diversion since I haven't seen most of these weird ones more than once.

In my experience, I've found that low-budget horror flicks can be just as effective, even more effective, than slick big-studio productions. The rough, raw look of cheap-o B-movies can heighten the atmosphere in dark and creepy cinema. Science-fiction, on the other hand, doesn't often work well on a shoestring budget. There is, however, a humorous charm to many of the oldies that are cobbled together with scotch tape and wires. Definitely not high art, but the campiness or unintentional clunkiness can raise such fare to cult status. I grew up on the better sci-fi, both missing and purposefully avoiding the schlock, but in recent years, I've learned to appreciate the silly junk out there. There's something fun and even slightly educational seeing wobbly sets and shadows of the film crew in those flicks from days of yore. A sense of history, as imperfect as it was.

I'll skim through my shelves now, highlighting the odd title to give you a sense of what I have, what I like and value, and what I think is important to the sci-fi genre:

First up are the numerals, which appear before the A's (going alphabetically)... and I see 2001: A Space Odyssey. I could stop there, couldn't I? A timeless classic, exemplary of film-making - period, regardless of genre. 2001 tops most all-time sci-fi movie lists out there. Though it's not my absolute favourite, I recognize its importance and would certainly rank it high. Technically and artistically, it is a masterpiece of cinema, a visual and aural experience that also tampers with yer brain a bit, too. 

Companion to 2001 is of course 2010: The Year We Make Contact, a surprisingly good, thematically linked follow-up (released sixteen years later, mind you). Solid actors and an intelligent and thoughtful story enable 2010 to hold up to the scrutiny. It could never top 2001, but it's a fine picture in its own right.

Sexy sci-fi in a dangerous time... Logan's Run

Next up is the Alien saga. What more can be said about Alien and its successors (including prequels) that hasn't already been said? The greatest extraterrestrial creature in all of film, in my opinion. No, cutesy E.T. is not my choice... the little bugger is cool and funny, but that's it. The xenomorph of the Alien series is the most unique, fascinating, freaky and frightening outer space monster ever. I love the very first two alien movies, each its own special way - the otherworldly horror of the original versus the insane action of Aliens, and would rate them among the best sci-fi of all time. The rest of the films are up and down on the scale. I include Prometheus in this grouping, even though it was not marketed as part of the Alien series. Prometheus is, to me, a magnificent achievement... flawed, perhaps, but on every viewing, I am awed all over again by its scope and concepts. Though the final scene's big reveal is the kicker, the Alien elements throughout the film captivate me... such a rich and fantastic mythology to the xenomorph life-form. Imagination to the max. 

Notable titles on the shelf, without further chit-chat, are The Andromeda Strain, Arrival, and Bladerunner.

Skipping along to Back to the Future now... well, what a fun ride, huh? A Dolorean time machine. Can't beat that. I don't love all three of the movies, but the original is among my fave flicks of all time. Doc and Marty rock!

Then there's A Clockwork Orange (a long-time favourite, again by 2001 genius director Stanley Kubrick), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Creature From the Black Lagoon (an even longer-time fave sci-fi/horror gem... plus its two sequels).

Oh, and that silly fellah I mentioned earlier, E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, something more serious in Ex Machina (a modern fave), The Fly (the 60's classic trilogy and the 80's re-make... though not its sequel), Forbidden Planet, and a handful of the Godzilla movies (the monumental '54 original, some sequels and spin-offs, too numerous to rhyme off here). 

The thought-provoking modern SF film Interstellar is followed by Invaders From Mars (both the 50's and 80's versions), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the 1956 original, its '78 re-make, and the '93 further twisted version), more fun 50's B-movie fare It Came From Outer Space, the box set of the original three Jurassic Park movies (I enjoy all the sequels to some degree, but the very  first remains a hallmark in SF history), and The Last Starfighter (a super fun 80's teen sci-fi flick).

I have always been a fan of the 1976 dystopian future world of Logan's Run - so that adorns my shelf, along with just the first Matrix film (someday I really should get the pretty good sequels), the very freaky Sam Rockwell vehicle, Moon, all the Mad Max movies, all of the original Planet of the Apes films of the 60's and 70's, and all but the recent Predator flicks.

Eerie, understated Brit sci-fi in The Quatermass Experiment

And how about the original three Quatermass movies out of the UK? Pure SF gold done with intelligence and restraint. 

Now on to the two biggest conflicting franchises in the genre, Star Trek and Star Wars. I've long been a fan of both universes, and though I focused on Star Wars ever since it first appeared in '77, I hold Star Trek a bit dearer, I think, because it was my introduction to the whole SF (science fiction) genre as a young lad. My history there is deeper and much more nostalgic, and given the choice, I'd much rather have drinks and chat with Spock than any old Jedi master (mind tricks notwithstanding). In fact, I've lately experienced a bit of a Star Trek renaissance... thanks firstly to the new Star Trek: Discovery TV series, then to The Next Generation after a Netflix marathon. 

So I've got all the original 60's Trek TV shows... they're not movies, I know, but I do own all of the original cast movies that came after. Not all great, but they are fun sort of family reunion stuff... quite cool seeing the older Spock, Kirk, McCoy and crew adventuring away through time and space. 

Then there's Star Wars, which made a huge impression when it first came along. I was totally onboard, buying not just the T-shirt, but books and magazines and posters... and later, the movies themselves on VHS, and so on. Empire and Jedi, the sequels, were just as exciting and are still today among my all-time favourites. But even with the somewhat successful rejuvenation of the original vibe in the newest sequels and prequels, I feel the joy of Star Wars kind of slipping. The fun, vibrant part of the early films is not quite there in these new offerings, which are trying hard... but maybe too hard, and it can look disingenuous and forced. And this doesn't give me much hope for the future of the franchise. Oh, it'll go on forever and make scads of money, thanks to Disney's acquisition of the whole shebang. But that just might be the death of it. For me. Anyway, all that just to say that I've got all the Star Wars motion pictures on my shelves minus Rogue One (don't want it... totally sucked) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (which I enjoyed, but will wait for the price to drop). In fact, besides the motion pictures, I've also got the Clone Wars TV series of shorts by animator Genndy Tartakovsky, plus the somewhat notorious Clone Wars "pilot" for the TV show to follow that was re-packaged as a 2008 theatrical release. Not great, but I enjoyed it. Not sure what I'd think now.

There's also that little old Terminator film series... got 'em all except the last one, then The Thing From Another World (plus its brilliant 80's remake, and the okay modern prequel), and why not try out the little-known but highly entertaining retro-80's-action of Turbo Kid out of Quebec, Canada? I love it and hope for a sequel before too long. 

Wrapping up the alphabet, there's the modern SF gem Under the Skin and the original 1973 Westworld movie (which I far prefer over the new series).

Out of alphabetical order because they're in multi-disc collections, but still worth a mention, are seminal oldies The Deadly Mantis, Tarantula, Them, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Not of This Earth. There are so, so many more great and not-so-great titles in my sci-fi collection, but I will leave it at that today. This is a pretty fair representation of the breadth of my assembly of far-out flicks, old and new. I hope you enjoyed my little run-down!

Musical Mixed Bag: New CCR Record & Crüe on TV

Today, it's a random item post. Normally I try to focus on a particular topic, but there are a couple of unrelated things I want to talk about here. First off, recently I visited a local record shop for the first time in many years. This used to be a pretty much strictly CD store, with maybe a small selection of vinyl for the few collectors in the city. And I mean this was back in the 90's or early 2000's, just so you understand the lack of vinyl at the time. 

But when I toured the small shop this week, I was impressed to see that about half the store - maybe more - was vinyl records. I didn't go through absolutely everything, but I did spend a couple of hours flipping through bins. The "Used" section was at first exciting... I saw some oldies by Saga, FM, Coney Hatch, and others, some with jackets in nice condition. But when I slid the record out for closer inspection, I was face every time with scratches, scuffs, and a thick layer of dust. Nope. These are signs of misuse and lack of care, so there was no way I was going to plunk down my hard earned dollar (more like ten bucks - Canadian - apiece!) for stuff that was fit for the scrap heap.

What I did like about the place were the new records. About two long rows of sealed LPs revealed to me a decent selection of all genres, some reasonably priced between twenty and thirty dollars each, some more. But it'll have to be something very special for me to pay over thirty bucks for a single album... and I wasn't in the market for that.

There were several bins of what I gathered were newer arrivals near the front of the store. These were all priced at twenty each, a fair price for something brand new from the factory floor. There were a lot of re-issues of jazz classics by Brubeck, Coltrane, Miles, Adderley and the like. I peeked through those in search of Dave Brubeck's Time Out, the one jazz album I know I'd listen to often. But I came up empty there.

I did, however, see a re-issue of Cosmo's Factory, the legendary album by Creedence Clearwater Revival. And that was my purchase for the day (or week, or month). I've been avoiding vinyl shopping for a while now, planning and saving for the big semi-annual record show coming up at the end of April. But I felt I could afford a little something like this to get me through. And Cosmo's Factory delivered the goods. My only beef about the album is the super-lean packaging: absolutely no liner notes about the production or the band or lyrics, nothing! Not even on the rear of the record jacket... just the track listing. A bit disappointing, but the record itself was the main reason for my purchase.

It seems to be a quality pressing, though there are unusual light scuff-looking things on this virgin vinyl, which do not affect the playback or sound (yet). I'm not sure how this re-issue compares with earlier pressings, but I'm fine with it. A cool, rockin' album that I know I'll give plenty of spins on the turntable. I've never owned Cosmo's Factory before, so I'll enjoy not only the famous hits (Run Through the Jungle and I Heard It Through the Grapevine, just to name a couple of the many) but also the kick-ass tracks that are new to me, like Ramble Tamble (a 7-minute-plus amazing rocker), Before You Accuse Me, and My Baby Left Me.

On another note, Friday marked the debut of the Netflix original movie, The Dirt, the story of 80's glam-rockers Mötley Crüe. I've never been a big fan of the band, but I have always enjoyed a bunch of their sleaze-metal tunes. The movie is funny, outrageous, and shocking - accurately (I believe from what I've seen and read) portraying the sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll lifestyle of that era. Not for everyone, for sure. But if you like the Crüe, or just 80's raunchy rock and metal, or just completely unhinged bio-pics, then The Dirt is for you. Based on the 2001 tell-all memoir, the movie covers the band's turbulent career of excess, its highs and lows, and everything in between. Critics are unkind to the bio-pic, but apparently the fans love it. I'm a more casual viewer, not a "fan", but definitely a guy who grew up during that crazy 80's metal scene, so I got a lot of entertainment value out of it. Plus The Dirt reminded me of just how good some of their music was... and now I find I'm reaching for my Crüe Greatest Hits CD. Too bad the LP records are so rare and pricey, or I'd pop for at least one of those. But for me, I give The Dirt two thumbs up... or more like \m/ (the devil horns). Definitely more fun and visceral than Bohemian Rhapsody.

Between The Covers - Part VI

As I sat down to write today's instalment of the Between the Covers series, an idea instantly popped into my head. Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown). Now I had for decades thought this song was written by Judas Priest. After all, Priest performed this tune with such authority that it sounded like something only they could conceive.

But not many years ago, I learned that Green Manalishi was originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac... way back in 1970. This was before the better-known line-up with Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham. In '70, the Mac were a British blues band. Not even close to the radio pop-rock superstars of the later 70's and 80's. This version of Green Manalishi is slow-paced and multi-layered for a haunting mood. It is heavy in its own right, but in a menacingly psychedelic way. When I first heard Fleetwood Mac's Manalishi, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was... kind of eerie and almost supernatural in nature.

The original Voivod gang, Quebecois prog thrash metalheads

In comparison, the 1978 Judas Priest rendition of Green Manalishi is charged and aggressive, slabbed with mammoth guitar chords. Blistering trademark twin-guitar attacks on solos stamp "Judas Priest" all over the song. So it was easy to mistake it for a Priest composition. Halford's falsetto vocals hit peaks in all the right spots, and his lower-range slithers through the verses. Priest's studio recording of the song was updated to a sludgy-paced chugging anthem, though the band sped things up in live performances to keep the momentum going... and that's where Priest totally owned the song. A sign of a great cover!

Voivod went totally out of character with their version of the Batman TV show theme. This ditty appeared on (tacked on, really) their sci-fi epic thrash album Dimension Hatross of 1988. Drummer Away's double-bass insanity plus the trashy yet plucky guitars give this a heavy punk feel. Pretty strange, though... kind of a throwaway, if you ask me. The original was lighter and faster in tempo, more conducive to a fun listen. 

You're No Good was originally sung by Dee Dee Warwick way way back in 1963. The song was covered by many artists over the years, including one Betty Everett, who first made the tune a hit on the charts that very same year. The first version, by Warwick, was a brash, fast, and busy production, probably fun for the 60's teenagers to dance along with. I like Everett's rendition much more: her smoother vocals, the easier pace, and slightly jazzy - or maybe Motown-ish - feel all contribute to a very listenable piece. Way to go, Betty!

Let's jump (might as well) from '63 to sixteen years into the future (1979), when Van Halen released their second album... which included a fun, hard rocking take on You're No Good. Van Halen retains the somewhat laid-back tempo, maybe injecting a bump and grind here and there, and popping through the roof with an interstellar, chilling Eddie guitar solo (one of his best). Roth's squeals and the boys' backup vocal harmonies added to the party-time formula that worked so well for the band in their heyday. Love it.

Joe Walsh rocking the mountain way

(Photo credit: Michael Putland)

Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way was a 70's rocker, through and through. The guitar hooks were many, and that honky-tonk piano brought a barroom vibe to the tune. Walsh's thin inebriated hollering played counterpoint to his fat, gritty guitar chords. The bizarre talk box guitar solo is unique, if nothing else. I actually like a lot of Walsh's other songs much more than this one, but hey, this is considered his signature track. 

Now let's look at Canadian rock trio Triumph's attempt at the Walsh classic a few years later ('77). Stripped down to bass, guitar and drums, this leaner version is more spacious, though I'll confess that Moore's kinda limp vocals pale in comparison to ol' Joe's quirky whine. Still, instrumentally, it manages to rock a bit. Ric Emmett's guitar-work is fine, if a bit antiseptic. I used to be a massive Triumph fan when I was a teen, too young to know any better, but nowadays, I can't get very excited over this cover tune. If I had to choose, I'd go with Walsh's ballsier sound.

The Listening Booth and New Used Records

Hot on the heels of my flea market mini-haul a couple of weeks ago, I got a little something in the mail from a Discogs record seller. The focus of my order were two Roxy Music albums, Flesh and Blood, and Manifesto. I had never owned these before, besides dubbed tapes back in the 80's, and I didn't really get very familiar with those at the time. Anyway, these vinyl LPs are very cool... the gently used records themselves are in great condition and the music is exceptional, especially on Flesh and Blood. I had a Roxy "hits" CD for many years, but I'm not sure where that went. Anyway, knowing I enjoyed several of their songs, at least those after their early "jarring" period, I felt it was time to add some proper releases to my collection.

Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit... voices like angels

Flesh and Blood bears some of my favourite Roxy tunes: their airy rendition of the classic In the Midnight Hour, Oh Yeah, Same Old Scene, Flesh and Blood, and Over You. The rest of the album is as good, or nearly as good, as those prominent tracks. Terrific songwriting, vocals by Bryan Ferry, and instrumental playing - the lush arrangements weaving a symphony of horns, synths, and guitars. What impresses me most about the sound of this recording is the thick, popping bass, most noticeable on the title track.

I was less familiar with the Manifesto album, remembering only Angel Eyes and Dance Away from that now-missing hits CD, but it's a solid listen, too. It'll take some time to get into some of the songs, but that's the fun of something new on the turntable. And I think I'll aim to grab a few more Roxy Music albums at some point. Their sound stands the test of time so I know I'll enjoy these for years to come.

The third and final disc in my order was Precious Time by Pat Benatar. This 1981 album rocks hard with Promises in the Dark and Fire & Ice, goes completely mental on the Beatles cover Helter Skelter, and blends rock and pop sensibilities on Precious Time and the remaining songs. Though I have several Benatar albums on CD, this is just my second one on vinyl. I find the sound of these releases benefits from the LP records treatment, at least on these early pressings.

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As for casual listening, I've been trying out this and that, and revisiting some favourites, too. A friend suggested I try Maggie Rogers, an ex-folkie turned pop star, with her song Alaska. Nice voice but the music doesn't blow me away. I was reminded a bit of First Aid Kit, the Swedish female folk duo, who I do like a lot. So after a few "okay" tunes by Rogers on Youtube, I dialed up my fave FAK song, Emmylou, and was immediately transported to my happy place. Oh yeah, they cure what ails ya.

A couple of evenings this week, I was struck by the need for adventurous metal. Some Voivod, of Quebec, Canada did the trick. One night was dedicated to the Killing Technology album: killer riffs and wall of sound metal mayhem accentuated by singer Snake's demented vocals. As strong as the album opens, it is the latter half that goes completely unhinged. Best tracks for me are Ravenous Medicine and Order of the Blackguards. 

Then last night I put on Voivod's sci-fi concept album Dimension Hatross (I believe just about every Voivod album is conceptual), and man, what a trip. Drummer Away's energy and creativity at the kit is unbridled, almost dominating the mix sometimes. Dear Piggy's (RIP) frenetic guitar voicings are like no other; his angular riffing and soloing contrasting yet somehow complementing the powerful crunch chord onslaught. I love this whole album, but Tribal Convictions is definitely a stand-out. These 80's masterpieces were key to developing technical progressive thrash metal. If I could get my hands on these two on vinyl, my life would practically be complete... but sadly, they are rare and expensive, so I'll make do with my very serviceable CD remasters. 

Yesterday at work, on my lunch break, I played the Commodores song Brick House on my personal player. Every time I hear that tune I am floored by the funk overload. It was only in recent years that I learned that Lionel Ritchie was a Commodore for a time. That chukka-chukka guitar, plucky melodic bass, and shake-yer-bootay drum beat are infectious beyond belief. That famous horn section added even more sex appeal. Super fun stuff... and I think at least one Commodores album should find a home in my record collection one of these days. 

My Horror Movie Collection... In A Nutshell

Seen any good horror movies lately? There aren't very many recent releases in that genre that I'd call "good", let alone watchable. 

I finally checked out the most recent - final? - instalment in the Halloween film series. Not bad at all. With Jamie Lee C. back in action, this one worked pretty well, hitting all the right notes to ensure a fun time. But popping back a few years to director Rob Zombie's prequel called Halloween (which I watched for the first time this week), I'd have to say he totally missed the mark there. Strange, since Zombie was effective at instilling an atmosphere of dread and creepiness in his House of 1000 Corpses. Yet his take on Halloween was just so devoid of mood and tension that scares or chills or anything at all were non-existent. Just straight-up bloody kills, with no visible skill or interest in fleshing out characters... or a proper horror film.

Gothic images like this are ingredients in Burn Witch Burn

Anyway, my little foray back into darker cinematic themes got me thinking about the many horror movies I own in physical format. Within my home video collection of probably in excess of one thousand titles, I have about 269 horror films (possibly a few more). Those are just the store-bought DVDs and Blu-rays; there might be another 100 or so movies that were recorded off TV (commercial-free only - thanks TVO and TCM!) or dubbed from another source (like my old VHS tapes). 

As I pored over my horror collection, I had to make hard decisions about what my definition of "horror" was going to be... whether to include stuff like The Thing From Another World, The Fly, or Alien. These are prime examples of classics that blend genres (perfectly, I might add), so that they could be called either sci-fi or horror. But since these are more along the lines of horrific tales in a sci-fi setting, I can in good conscience call them horror - for today's purpose, anyway. If I decide to write a post about my sci-fi movie collection, there is a good chance some of those same hybrid genre films would make that line-up, too. Same with horror-fantasy and horror-comedy.

I don't think it's necessary to list every horror movie on my shelves, but it seems appropriate to point out some key ones... essentials, classics, favourites, and less obvious, lesser-known picks, too.

I might as well do this alphabetically. Here goes, with comments wherever I see fit:

The Abominable Snowman - a fun Hammer film with Peter Cushing on the hunt in the Himalayas
Alien - just the first one... the best; all the sequels and prequels are much more sci-fi and/or action than horror
An American Werewolf in London - every fright film fan must own this one; the first transformation scene alone is worth the price of admission
Burn Witch Burn - a cool early 60's look at a college prof's wife with a knack for black magic
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - the 1919 silent classic that boasted German expressionist visuals
Creature From the Black Lagoon & its sequels - horrific sci-fi, among my fave movie monsters
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - the 1920 silent with John Barrymore... a master class in eerie practical visual effects
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir - beautiful story directed by Wise, with star actors Tierney and Harrison, and music to die for
Hellraiser - Clive Barker's nightmare world and creatures don't exactly scare, but they certainly unsettle one's mind
The Howling - possibly my fave werewolf tale, dark humour and gore in equal measures
King Kong - the original 1933 gem was the template for big monster movies to come; groundbreaking visual effects, too
The Maze - a weird little flick about the secret hidden within a Scottish castle's hedge maze
The Woman in Black - the original from '89 has the most chilling ghostly moments in cinema
The Wolf Man - this 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. classic is my fave of the Universal horrors, and establishes the tropes of the lycanthrope in film
Kiss of the Vampire - 1963 entry in the Hammer horror cycle, this is less monstrous and more seductive and sensual
The Return of the Living Dead - an 80's horror-comedy that is truly funny and horrific; silly and entertaining
Salem's Lot - this '79 vampire fright fest is one of the better Stephen King adaptations, and among my overall faves
Scream of Fear - 1961 psychological thriller that messes with the viewer's mind as the compelling mystery unfolds
The Witch - this 2015 supernatural modern classic is among my faves since the millennium. Superb acting and atmosphere.

What lurks in the shadows in The Howling?