I know this will automatically draw the ire of the “savvier” (aka, really more dependent or addicted) technology users via their standard, unimaginative rebuttal of “get off my lawn,” but the results from this rather crappy poll annoyed me. Yeah, I should just move on, ignore it, etc; yet c’mon…Serenity is a better Sci-Fi movie than The Empire Strikes Back, Blade Runner and The Terminator? There’s democracy and then there’s just outright ignorance and/or idiocracy. Since this was done through the Web, I think the more likely culprits are Whedonnites voting multiple times. Time had the same problem in 1999 when Kemal Ataturk won Person of the Century.
This led me to organize my own poll for only fellow Sci-Fi fans/friends whose opinions I respect. Some of them will go to the mat for Serenity which is fine, I also know they are well-versed in the other films. Does this mean they agree with me? Hell no. I myself have a certain affection toward some films (Strange Days quickly comes to mind) in this genre but there a few I will readily concede to like Blade Runner; it nails many key elements to qualify despite me not be enamored of it.
There was another flaw I removed from io9’s choices, Superhero flicks being in the running. I have nothing against them. Richard Donner’s two Superman movies still hold up and I’m impress with Marvel’s current winning streak since Iron Man. They just aren’t true Sci-Fi, they’re really their own genre because Superheroes are a synthesis of Sci-Fi (Iron Man), Fantasy (Thor) and Action (The Dark Knight); the examples are primarily one with good doses of the others. Space Operas are allowed along with Post-Apocalyptic and Distopians. If the movie leaned more toward Horror or Comedy, I leaned toward its removal.
Here’s the part I think will give the participants more confidence in it. The candidates I have submitted are being reviewed by another judge who I think will strengthen the choices’ integrity. It’s my friend Les. We have disagreed about numerous things, mostly about technology and writing styles. However, there is no one else I can think of who couldn’t bring more legitimacy thanks to his background: a Master’s degree in English/Writing, he has a larger body of published work than I will ever have plus a greater knowledge in the genre. I can only hope he got the list and had time to help me pare it down to 64.
Meanwhile, keep an eye out for my brackets and I will abide by the majority in the results, even if Serenity could win, yeah, fat chance. Who wants to take a shot? Say so we all…in the Comments or an e-mail. (Battlestar Galactica was a TV show, it won’t be a competitor).