Anyone who has to ask probably needs to see more movies. 1968 was the year of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was not-only technologically ground-breaking, it greatly expanded the narrative possibilities in cinematic science-fiction. And let’s not forget the original Planet of the Apes. In addition to being one of the first sci-fi blockbusters to spawn a franchise (and inspiring enough tie-in products to rival Star Wars), the film’s pessimism was the antithesis of 2001 and sparked a movement of Earthbound sci-fi which depicted the future as something to fear. For better or worse, both of these films changed everything.
These are our picks for the 10 best science-fiction films made before 1968. For the sake of argument, we’ve excluded hybrid films - such as Frankenstein, Them! and The Thing - which placed a greater emphasis on horror. And while giant monsters are awesome and there’s been some great ones, we feel the likes of King Kong and The Lost World fall more within the action-adventure genre.
Prior to 1968, science-fiction was seldom taken too seriously and a risky financial endeavor, meaning studios were rarely willing to do more than pump-out low-budget drive-in fodder aimed at undiscriminating kids. But as the genre increased in popularity - especially during the 1950s - so did the creativity and budgets, resulting in some undisputed classics and underappreciated gems.
These are our picks for the 10 best science-fiction films made before 1968. For the sake of argument, we’ve excluded hybrid films - such as Frankenstein, Them! and The Thing - which placed a greater emphasis on horror. And while giant monsters are awesome and there’s been some great ones, we feel the likes of King Kong and The Lost World fall more within the action-adventure genre.
Text and layout by D.M. ANDERSON
1 comment:
The 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Prior to 1968" provides a captivating retrospective, highlighting timeless classics that shaped the genre's early foundations.
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