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Forum namePass The Popcorn
Topic subjectA Good Sci Fiction Movie with least Special Effects?
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=6&topic_id=612706
612706, A Good Sci Fiction Movie with least Special Effects?
Posted by k_orr, Tue May-29-12 03:00 PM
After sitting through 12 minutes of a god awful cyberpunk short, I'm wondering how do ppl make Science Fiction flicks that don't revolve around cool looking things that are either expensive and time consuming to make or beyond expensive to animate.

Is this possible?

Horror can be done very well with minimal special effects.

Fantasy and Sci Fiction, I'm can't think of a good one.

one
k. orr
612711, Stalker, La jetée, Solaris (1972)
Posted by Ghetto Black, Tue May-29-12 03:09 PM
All three utilize a striking visual style with no special effects.
612761, I came here to say Stalker
Posted by BigWorm, Tue May-29-12 05:23 PM
That might be my favorite science fiction movie.
612774, Huge co-sign on the first two. While not on the same level as those two,
Posted by Sponge, Tue May-29-12 05:54 PM
I recommend looking into:

World on a Wire
Alphaville
Code 46
Phase IV (directed by Saul Bass!)
613507, Came in here to say Stalker/La Jetee
Posted by Madvillain 626, Tue Jun-05-12 03:50 AM
Stalker is a top 10 all time movie for me.
612714, Does Children of Men count?
Posted by Hitokiri, Tue May-29-12 03:15 PM
There are special effects, but they are not the draw of the movie by any means.
612777, Hell yeah, it does!
Posted by spades, Tue May-29-12 06:09 PM
612717, Primer
Posted by buckshot defunct, Tue May-29-12 03:25 PM
612726, ^^^Good one
Posted by BigReg, Tue May-29-12 03:40 PM
612847, loved this one
Posted by Amritsar, Wed May-30-12 09:18 AM
612882, Good call
Posted by Dae021, Wed May-30-12 01:12 PM
612884, stole my shit.
Posted by PlanetInfinite, Wed May-30-12 01:33 PM

i'm out.
_____________________
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613010, THEE BEST. one of the best sci fi flicks ever
Posted by Castro, Thu May-31-12 04:45 PM
613016, yep
Posted by jigga, Thu May-31-12 05:15 PM
612719, Monsters, attack the block and district nine
Posted by IceburgSmurf, Tue May-29-12 03:26 PM
all three have sci fi elements (alien invasions) but do so with low budgets and clever (sometimes) sparse use of CGI or puppetry.
612883, I think District 9 had a decent sized budget
Posted by Dae021, Wed May-30-12 01:13 PM
612885, uh one of the main characters was a CGI character
Posted by PlanetInfinite, Wed May-30-12 01:34 PM

i'm out.
_____________________
"WHOLESALE REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS!!"
@etfp
613036, Yeah, the budget on Monsters is claimed to be only $15,000
Posted by Sponge, Thu May-31-12 10:15 PM
Looks really great for that budget if it's true to be thereabouts.
613037, Here's a 3-minute vid about the making of Monsters
Posted by Sponge, Thu May-31-12 10:17 PM
http://www.slashfilm.com/how-gareth-edwards-shot-monsters-on-an-incredibly-low-budget/
612727, i wanna say that movie 'sunshine'...
Posted by al_sharp, Tue May-29-12 03:44 PM
but i don't remember off-hand whether there were a ton of special effects. i do remember it being mostly character-driven though.

either way...great flick.


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612831, you are sorta correct
Posted by pretentious username, Wed May-30-12 12:23 AM
i was kinda impressed by the effects, but the film was not that expensive compared to others of the past decade, and you're right that it mostly deals with the characters (and the close quarters they're living in).
613499, word i just watched it again...
Posted by al_sharp, Tue Jun-05-12 02:02 AM
and yeah there's def some nice effects. very well done tho where it doesn't come off like it's anything crazy.

good flick.


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612753, Children of men
Posted by JAESCOTT777, Tue May-29-12 04:43 PM
612760, Moon & Man from Earth
Posted by Selah, Tue May-29-12 05:19 PM
.
612802, hell yeah @ moon. that movie rules.
Posted by al_sharp, Tue May-29-12 08:02 PM

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612851, Moon is another good one
Posted by BigReg, Wed May-30-12 09:43 AM
612978, bwaha @ Moon. That movie was fucking awful.
Posted by Orbit_Established, Thu May-31-12 11:11 AM

n/m
613500, foh
Posted by al_sharp, Tue Jun-05-12 02:03 AM

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613267, i still need to see moon
Posted by lfresh, Mon Jun-04-12 06:32 AM

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.
612776, Sleep Dealer
Posted by spades, Tue May-29-12 06:09 PM
612821, maybe it's not a great movie
Posted by forgivenphoenix, Tue May-29-12 10:16 PM
but Gattaca was a sci-fi movie without alot of special effects if I remember right.
612876, Gattaca was dope!
Posted by bski, Wed May-30-12 12:57 PM
http://twitter.com/collazo
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612964, That's the one that came to mind first
Posted by crow, Thu May-31-12 08:01 AM
Good flick, not great, but entertaining
612844, Gattaca
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Wed May-30-12 08:37 AM

**********
"naive as the dry leaves on the ground looking past the trees to the blue sky asking 'why me?'" -Blu
612853, Cube, Clockwork Orange, PI, The Day the Earth Stood Still (OG)
Posted by Benedict the Moor, Wed May-30-12 09:51 AM
613445, Pi is sci-fi?
Posted by astralblak, Mon Jun-04-12 07:13 PM
i thought that to be just a psychological thriller
612854, 12 Monkeys
Posted by calij81, Wed May-30-12 09:59 AM
613447, yes
Posted by astralblak, Mon Jun-04-12 07:15 PM
.
612857, Forgot Eternal Sunshine
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Wed May-30-12 10:20 AM

**********
"naive as the dry leaves on the ground looking past the trees to the blue sky asking 'why me?'" -Blu
613446, yup AND there is NO CGI in that film
Posted by astralblak, Mon Jun-04-12 07:14 PM
.
612892, hmmm:
Posted by SankofaII, Wed May-30-12 02:41 PM
Moon
Primer
Sleep Dealer
Gattaca
Alien (the first one)
The Thing (sci-fi/horror)
Dark City (it's been a while since I've seen this though)
Solaris
Children of Men
Splice (save for Dren the monster, that was it in terms of special effects)
The Fly (save for jeff goldblum turning into a fly, the transporter and what not, it was limited also in special effects)

I can't think of any other ones at the moment...
613027, Dark City still holds up a bit
Posted by JiggysMyDayJob, Thu May-31-12 08:28 PM
It's Noir/Lovecraft vibe is what keeps it together. Damn shame it came out around the same time as the Matrix, it might have been more than just a cult film.
613030, you mean ripped off by the matrix
Posted by GriftyMcgrift, Thu May-31-12 09:05 PM
OHHHHHHH IWENT THERE
613309, RE: you mean ripped off by the matrix
Posted by SankofaII, Mon Jun-04-12 10:07 AM
>OHHHHHHH IWENT THERE

KEEP GOING IN, YO! KEEP GOING IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


GEAUX THE FUCK ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL THE WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY IIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
612961, Time Crimes is shot like daytime TV but I was oddly glued to the screen
Posted by kwez, Thu May-31-12 06:55 AM
I think it counts, no?


************************
612969, Moon
Posted by ZooTown74, Thu May-31-12 10:07 AM
Flick looked like it cost about $1.99 but features a solid performance by Sam Rockwell

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612996, another good one!
Posted by spades, Thu May-31-12 01:24 PM
613003, The Brother From Another Planet
Posted by Amritsar, Thu May-31-12 02:44 PM
613020, lol, actually, yeah.
Posted by spades, Thu May-31-12 06:40 PM
613024, Boomerang
Posted by rdhull, Thu May-31-12 08:03 PM

On the dock of that bay serving a life sentence,even if I’m going to hell I’m gonna make an entrance
613026, Yup. It alludes to Strangé being an alien, but never says it outright.
Posted by BigWorm, Thu May-31-12 08:28 PM
613028, nah..a white critic called it a science fiction movie back then
Posted by rdhull, Thu May-31-12 08:28 PM
>


On the dock of that bay serving a life sentence,even if I’m going to hell I’m gonna make an entrance
613031, Another Earth n/m
Posted by Gemini_Two_One, Thu May-31-12 09:22 PM

-------------------------------------------------------
Keep the crack raps up that shit is double plus what-ever-the-fuck.
Everybody's afraid to say that it just sucks to watch talented motherfuckers pretending they sell drugs - EL-P
613033, Forgot about that one. Good choice. Brit Marling is great in it.
Posted by Sponge, Thu May-31-12 10:06 PM
613043, The Quiet Earth
Posted by Robinson Pearl, Thu May-31-12 11:31 PM
"Good' might be a little strong for this one, but it's definitely interesting.
613487, Love that flick
Posted by denny, Mon Jun-04-12 11:41 PM
613057, Mad Max
Posted by Roadblock, Fri Jun-01-12 09:53 AM
613298, you must work @ a machine shop
Posted by k_orr, Mon Jun-04-12 09:45 AM
613268, double
Posted by lfresh, Mon Jun-04-12 06:40 AM


~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.
613269, Enemy Mine
Posted by lfresh, Mon Jun-04-12 06:40 AM
children of men
hrm the first terminator
12 monkeys

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.
613299, them animatronix weren't cheap in T1
Posted by k_orr, Mon Jun-04-12 09:46 AM
613472, Ugh yeah they weren't
Posted by lfresh, Mon Jun-04-12 09:42 PM
Theyve gotten so much better
I really forgot
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~
You cannot hate people for their own good.
613290, Planet of the Apes (old)
Posted by GdChil1, Mon Jun-04-12 09:38 AM
614158, meteor man
Posted by GriftyMcgrift, Thu Jun-07-12 11:28 PM
614162, Special. whole joint prolly cost $12.47 to make.
Posted by IkeMoses, Fri Jun-08-12 12:29 AM