February 16 2008
Serenity Snubbed in AFI List.
But Sci/Fi Wire gives us a chance to redeem ourselves. Within the Article, they give you an address to write with your choices for "The Most Under-appreciated" Sci/Fi Films.
© 2002 - 2017 - WHEDONesque.com
(e-mail)
Individual posts are copyright their respective authors
This is a non-profit, unofficial website, not affiliated with Mutant Enemy, Inc., 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers or UPN.

Individual posts are copyright their respective authors
This is a non-profit, unofficial website, not affiliated with Mutant Enemy, Inc., 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers or UPN.

delirium_haze | February 16, 15:10 CET
You could argue that they view Serenity as a movie set in the future but not about the future and think it's just a mindless shoot em up action movie. I can see how they could have missed the whole Pax/population control aspect, which clearly meets their definition.
zz9 | February 16, 15:20 CET
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner | February 16, 15:29 CET
SoddingNancyTribe | February 16, 16:34 CET
Ghost Spike | February 16, 17:08 CET
I always get the distinct impression that SciFi is kind of faking their scifi love. This sort of reads like a list really casual scifi fans would make plus some stuff they pulled off of IMDB for scifi cred. No Return of the Jedi, but Independence Day? Wow.
Sunfire | February 16, 17:16 CET
Not really. It didn't make much of an impression at the box office and it's not exactly captured the zeitgeist the way other sci films have. At the moment the public probably see it in the same light as Aeon Flux or Ultraviolet. Give Serenity another ten or twenty years and it'll be a different story. But right now Serenity is Battle Beyond the Stars. When Whedonesque 7.0 rolls around it'll be Star Wars.
Simon | February 16, 17:18 CET
Melisande | February 16, 17:49 CET
azhippieinoz | February 16, 18:48 CET
jperiodrperiod | February 16, 18:57 CET
Oh, true. Hmm, that's kind of weird then.
Sunfire | February 16, 19:03 CET
While the scifi.com article doesn't mention it, I think the AFI usually only picks American films for its lists (it is the American Film Institute, after all). None of those films are American. For that matter, neither is The Road Warrior. (I guess Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was financed by American money... it can be hard determining what is or isn't an American movie sometimes.)
Anyway, I'm not too suprised Serenity wasn't included on the list; they all look like big blockbuster movies, or movies that got a lot of critical raves, or older movies that are still well remembered. Maybe someday Serenity will fall into one of those categories; after all Blade Runner was a flop on release and wasn't that well reviewed at the time either.
Mad Axe | February 16, 20:18 CET
But, my favorite of all time is on the list ("Eternal Sunshine"), and the two movies I watched most growing up ("Star Wars" and "Star Trek II"), so I know what I'll be rooting for.
KingofCretins | February 16, 20:23 CET
noandwhere | February 16, 20:25 CET
"AFI asks jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process . . .
AMERICAN FILM
English-language film with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States. Additionally, only films released before January 1, 2008 will be considered."
Just grating that the list inevitably is trumpeted as "The Best SF Films," rather than the best American SF films.
SoddingNancyTribe | February 16, 20:47 CET
Meltha | February 16, 23:18 CET
I feel less bad for not noticing Metropolis' omission since it doesn't qualify.
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner | February 17, 00:31 CET
dreamlogic | February 17, 02:22 CET
Alien strikes me as being at least half-British too (Ridley Scott, John Hurt, Ian Holm, shot at Shepperton studios with largely British crew) - it just has that low-budget UK feel (although I suppose Dan O' Bannon's Dark Star also had a homemade vibe, in a slightly different way).
SoddingNancyTribe | February 17, 02:43 CET
Serenity, Children of Men, Enemy Mine, Alien, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Matrix, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Contact, Back to the Future, War Games
Honestly, most of the films on the list, I haven't yet seen. I know, I'm horrible...
MorningGloryBlu | February 17, 02:59 CET
The most glaring omission to me based on the U.S. films rule is Brazil.
And even among certifiably American productions .... no 12 Monkeys?? My vote for most glaring omission, along with Serenity. (I hated Independence Day with a passion, just had to throw that in). But I adore Will Smith and the rest of the cast.
And call me really weird but I loved the American Solaris.
Shey | February 17, 03:34 CET
1) Serenity
2) The Day The Earth Stood Still
3) 2001: A Space Oddysey
4) Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers
5) Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope
6) Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back
7) Planet of The Apes
8) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
9) Close Encounters of The Third Kind
10) 1984 (the 1984 version)
TDBrown | February 17, 09:18 CET
Chelleatrix | February 17, 10:10 CET
Ignoring the AFI's opinion that there's no sci-fi worth bothering about outside of the US, I'll go for the first Mad Max rather then Thunderdome plus Akira and Ghost in the Shell (and is there enough sci-fi in Battle Royale for it to qualify?).
Don't see why sci-fi comedy shouldn't be included too, so Ghostbusters and probably Galaxy Quest would make my top 50.
Of course, I'd have Serenity in there and also Cypher. ;)
Chelleatrix - only Sci-fi Wire is doing a list for under-appreciated films. The AFI's list is simply the best (American) sci-fi films. Hmmmm actually, I think I misunderstood what you meant. It is a bit confusing, because if Sci-fi Wire are going to count anything not on the AFI's list as under-appreciated, then their list could have Empire Strikes Back as the number one most under-appreciated sci-fi film. Which would be a tad silly.
[ edited by cypher on 2008-02-17 16:35 ]
NotaViking | February 17, 10:18 CET
Apollo Gilgamesh | February 17, 11:11 CET
[ edited by TDBrown on 2008-02-17 17:31 ]
TDBrown | February 17, 11:27 CET
Yeah Apollo Gilgamesh, it follows that its lists would be about American films, it doesn't follow, however, that as SNT says, the article (and presumably AFI list) talks about "a list of 50 SF films that it deems among the best ever" (i.e. not 50 American SF films).
It's kind of like calling a sporting competition that only has North American entrants the "World Series" (and yes, i'm aware of the historical roots of the name, still tickles me though ;).
(and there're some very odd choices on there and even odder omissions - I mean, 'Total Recall' but no 'Solaris', even the US one ? To be honest, the list sounds more like the "50 Best American SF Films that the Mainstream American Public are Likely to Have Heard of" to me and so has even less merit than these lists usually do)
[ edited by Saje on 2008-02-17 17:31 ]
Saje | February 17, 11:30 CET
Tonya J | February 17, 11:31 CET
Btw, Saje, I'm pretty sure that the World Series thing in baseball actually is as bad as it sounds. That it had something to do with sponsorship is a myth (though I believed it until it came up on QI). Wikipedia has the right story, as far as I know.
NotaViking | February 17, 12:42 CET
They probably considered "Serenity" to be television, not film.
htom | February 17, 13:10 CET
True but the Baftas have been so desperate for Hollywood recognition in recent years that it's been embarrassing.
Simon | February 17, 13:19 CET
Tonya J | February 17, 16:31 CET
To be honest, the list sounds more like the "50 Best American SF Films that the Mainstream American Public are Likely to Have Heard of"
Saje | February 17, 17:30 CET
I totally agree, on both counts. We in the U.S., in the throes of the decline of our "empire", are as bad as the former British or Roman empires at their peak.
All too often in popular culture, we forget that just because we've become the biggest bullies on the block, doesn't make us "the only kids on the block".
Shey | February 17, 18:29 CET
I totally agree, on both counts. We in the U.S., in the throes of the decline of our "empire", are as bad as the former British or Roman empires at their peak.
The term "world series" dates to the 1880s. Whether or not you think it appropriate, it's hardly a symptom of "the decline of our empire".
Mad Axe | February 17, 21:47 CET
MindEclipse | February 17, 23:12 CET
Tonya J | February 17, 23:43 CET
Ah, that's what I get for missing the odd episode of 'QI' cypher, cheers for the info. From reading Wikipedia though, you can still sort of understand it since back when it started no-one else played baseball (even if it's probably evidence of a mind-set that persists up to the present - with I should stress, in my experience at least, only a small minority of Americans). Guess we were guilty of it too, back when we mattered ;-).
Saje | February 18, 05:43 CET
I second the WTF for Westworld. A movie totally without redeeming social value, not to mention any semblance of a plot.
And "Planet of the Apes". I agree that it has been influential and it's fun in a truly cheesy B-movie way, but it is, let's be honest a cheesy B-movie.
I don't know if Serenity is one of the all-time greatest sci-fi movies (defined as those made in the U.S.). I'm of the opinion that it wasn't nearly as good as the series. However, it certainly beats the crap out of some of the ones on the list.
barboo | February 18, 11:24 CET
This thread has been closed for new comments.
You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.