Got something a little special for you guys. On the 4th I put up a Guest Blogger application, I wanted to bring you guys new types of content. I love my voice and I love expressing it, but I'm not the only one in the world, and perhaps you'd like to hear about other facets of nerdom, that maybe I personally don't cover! Never fear, new content is here! Today we have the lovely Cassie from Culture Coverage talking about some of her favorite Sci-fi films. Make sure to read all the way to the end for cool stuff and her own bio. and make sure you visit her blog and show her that awesome love you guys show me!
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Of all the movie genres out there, sci-fi is by far the most generous. While cool CGI effects have made the impossible reality for superhero movies such as Iron Man or Deadpool, sci-fi movies have been around doing their own thing for nearly a century now. For those making films in that realm, they’re going to make something great regardless of whether they’ve got an overpaid tech team or a few dozen makeup artists.
Yet that also means the library of sci-fi movies is incredibly vast. Picking a good one from the masses is difficult at best. So we’ve saved you the trouble and picked out a few for a good night marathon! Enjoy these movies at your leisure from the convenience of a streaming service and get some food ready!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
So the first item up on our list comes with one small caveat—you cannot stream it for free (well, legally anyway). It’s available on iTunes, YouTube, and Amazon Video, but all sources charge $3.99 for the stream. And while I’m generally against paying to stream (especially if you’re already paying for something like Netflix or Amazon), I make an exception for this movie.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is simply a great film to watch. Not only does it include an amazing cast of diverse actors and personalities, but it also has musical numbers! The entire plot focuses on transsexual transvestite Transylvania, where Dr. Frank-N-Furter (played by Tim Curry) is a mad scientist bent on creating the perfect man for “his” pleasure.
In spite of that, the film is surprisingly well-mannered and absolutely hilarious. Every member of the cast is memorable (as is the rest of the film) to the point where some of the movie’s fans have gone as far as attending the live theatrical versions just to participate in the plays (which is a traditional thing with this story).
If ever a film was worth three bucks to watch, this is it. It has pretty much everything you could want out of a sci-fi movie.
Ex Machina
The phrase “deus ex machina” is often used in stories to describe a miraculous event that occurs with little more explanation than “because the author said so” and is usually used to resolve the plot. As such, the phrase literally means “god from the machine.” “Ex Machina” plays on that well known literary term by going ultra-literal and focusing on a machine that has been programmed so well that her personality is possibly indistinguishable from that of a human.
The trick, however, is her appearance. Right away, you can tell Ava is a robot. She has a human face, but the rest of her has a “mechanical” appearance. The overall style of the film is that of a psychological thriller, so there are lots of exciting twists and turns to be had throughout the experience.
Being a modern film, the special effects are really good. So good, in fact, that the movie won multiple awards (this is just last year, as the film debuted in 2015), though not all for special effects. You’ll find the movie is a little different from most American films because it is the product of a British-American team. You can expect to find some unique viewpoints as a result.
Unlike “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” you don’t need to pay to watch “Ex Machina” so long as you have an Amazon Prime account. If not, it can be seen for just a few dollars on other services such as Vudu or YouTube (you can still watch it on Amazon for cheap if you don’t have Prime).
Minority Report
While Tom Cruise may have gotten a little “out there” for some people in the past decade or so, the same cannot be said for the movies he’s starred in. “Minority Report” is an excellent sci-fi film where he stars as John Anderton, a captain working for the PreCrime organization.
The film takes place in the slightly futuristic city of Washington, D.C. where crime has been all but eliminated thanks to the efforts of a group of psychics known as the “Precogs” who are able to predict crimes before they happen. Yet are their predictions always accurate?
The story’s concept is incredibly novel and touches on a whole variety of topics from how we view criminal activity to what really constitutes the difference between a utopian and dystopian future. After all, the criminals in the film are all punished without having successfully committed their crime yet. This society is essentially punishing people for thought crimes.
“Minority Report” is available on Netflix for instant streaming, but it comes with a catch. It isn’t normally available to US residents. There is, however, a workaround that will not only allow you to watch “Minority Report,” but any other content on Netflix that’s available outside the USA.
Using a Virtual Private Network (or VPN for short) can fool Netflix and other websites into thinking you’re somewhere else. It works by connecting you to a remote server that processes your requests for you. That server can be located in a variety of different countries, giving you access to content normally regionally locked. It also doubles as a security booster because it encrypts internet traffic. It’s worth checking out if you travel a lot of want a larger selection of films to pick from.
Runner Up
There’s one last film that didn’t quite make the official list for the simple reason that I just couldn’t find anywhere to stream it! It isn’t available on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu or Amazon, so it isn’t something you can stream through the regular channels. If you can find it, you should definitely see “Blade Runner.”
It is one of the single best sci-fi films ever made, with three different versions that alter everything up to the actual ending of the film. Besides starring Harrison Ford, it helped create a huge number of tropes and was an inspiration for countless other sci-fi films. If you can find it, it’s absolutely worth watching.
About the Author: Cassie is a movie buff and internet security specialist. When she isn’t watching her favorite flicks, she’s usually blogging about them or promoting online safety. She hopes that you’ll enjoy at least one of the films listed above!
Think we missed something good? Any thoughts on one of the movies listed above? Feel free to add to this short list by commenting below! Lets talk about some favorite Sci-Fi Films on Twitter!
Until Next Time,
Stay Nerdy,
~Spokhette!~
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