What?! No Spaceballs! For shame.

meloukhia | July 20, 21:32 CET

Good list.

Did Michael Collins get to stand on the moon on a later mission, or was he like Moses?

janef | July 20, 22:51 CET

Wow, what a weird list. I've only seen about half of these. Gotta give them props for including Dark Star, but overall--it doesn't look like "#6" means anything--the list isn't ordered if ESB is #15. :-)

jclemens | July 20, 22:51 CET

Yeah that's a pretty odd list, I agree. There's the usual suspects and then stuff like 'The Black Hole' and 'Total Recall' (which I like BTW but greatest of all time ? Maybe not).

Also, on this day especially, any space related movie list that doesn't have "The Right Stuff" on it ? Epic fail. Maybe it doesn't strictly qualify but it's "The Right Stuff" FFS, you find a way to bend the rules.

(and nope, Michael Collins never stood on the moon and seemingly never missed it either, he'd actually left NASA before the Apollo programme ended. He seems to have really dealt with it better than most, seen it as an amazing experience and then got on with his life, got a lot of time for him)

Saje | July 21, 00:30 CET

Since they're defining it so narrowly, I'd put Serenity a lot higher on the list. And I'd take out a couple of the really cheesy ones and add Event Horizon.

Interesting list. Looking forward to Moonshot, later this evening(in my time zone).

Shey | July 21, 00:43 CET

I think Total Recall got on there as a mix of the movie it was and how it could mess with your head if you really thought about it. Not sure I'd have it as a top 15 either, but that was always a fun one to go, "and what exactly did we just see?"

I don't think this was ordered either. Or if it was, I just couldn't understand it.

azzers | July 21, 01:59 CET

The problem with Total Recall is that it wasn't much of a space movie as such--sure, the second half happened on Mars, but spaceships didn't play any role whatsoever. It's really a lot like calling The Matrix a post-nuclear holocaust movie.

Still, there are a few movies on there that everyone will agree on--Alien, 2001, ESB, and ST:TWoK are going to be on almost anyone's list.

jclemens | July 21, 02:45 CET

Sunshine... bothers me. I would cheerfully vote for the first two-thirds, but the conclusion... no.

And yeah, a space movie list without the Right Stuff? F*** no.

But yeah, Serenity, ESB, Apollo 13, Wrath of Khan, all good stuff. And I'd like to see In the Shadow of the Moon someday soon.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | July 21, 06:54 CET

I was glad to see 'Sunshine' on there cos I think it's a bit underrated personally but I agree about the last third, just not necessary, it's almost like the creators lost faith in their own film. That said, if I squint a bit through the slasher nonsense it brings it back right at the end for me (and either way, it's a lovely film to look at).

And yep, from Trek it's either got to be 'Wrath of Khan' or 'Undiscovered Country' IMO, i'd be fine with either.

Saje | July 21, 07:19 CET

KKKKKKHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(sorry I couldn't help myself)

Quite the mish-mash list - but nice to see Serenity be recognized.

Rogue Demon Hunter | July 21, 11:50 CET

Rewatching Sunshine the last third isn't nearly as jarring.
It's set up well without being too obvious about it. And Pinbacker is only in like 10 minutes of the movie tops. The effect they chose for him may have been off putting, well not the effect but maybe the make-up underneath it.
Sorry, but I get defensive over the movie because I felt that way about the final third of the film the first time I saw it, but I rewatched the bluray recently and I was just knocked out by how good the film really is and how all the pieces build to something.

theMidnighter | July 21, 17:17 CET

On balance I still really like the film theMidnighter but I saw it at the cinema and now have the DVD (i.e. i've watched it several times, listened to both commentaries etc.) and the Pinbacker thread still doesn't really work for me. I think I see what they're doing with the character, I just also think they could've done the same thing and explored the same territory without him and had a more even, more coherent and generally stronger film.

But as I say, I like it a great deal, to the extent that I don't feel as if the last third totally spoils the film (partly because the last five minutes give me exactly that feeling of delivering what the film's been building towards that you describe), it just makes it excellent but flawed for me. In fact I might watch it again now, talking about it's put me in the mood ;).

Saje | July 21, 20:21 CET