I love science fiction and fantasy. Always have, always will. Ever since I was a very young child and was so scared while watching a sci-fi tv program, I had to hide behind the couch. (I was about 3 years old at the time)

It was a tv series I think, being shown on the BBC (probably around 1957) and this particular episode involved a spaceship which had landed on Venus and the crew was trapped inside while these giant tentacles enveloped the ship from underneath the ground. At least that's how I remember it.

It was very scary, yet somehow fascinating to me.

Having also been brought up on a diet of exciting episodes of Stingray, Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, I was totally hooked on the genre. My appetite was continually fed with the likes of Star Trek, Space 1999 and UFO. The latter two series were produced by the same makers of the supermarionation puppet programmes like Thunderbirds etc. Only this time they involved real 'live' actors!

Fast forward to 1968 and a visit to the cinema strengthened and renewed my interest in sci-fi/fantasy. I watched the original 'Planet of the Apes' starring Charlton Heston (a great actor in my opinion) in a well produced film with some great scenes and one-liners. But it was the story that really blew me away. Particularly the ending which totally surprised me. I was 14 then, and in the same year 2001:A Space Odyssey was released, which again, thrilled my senses and got me desperately wanting more of the same. Unfortunately, it wasn't until Star Wars came along that sci-fi and fantasy films really took off in a big way. Star Wars seemed to capture everyone's imagination.

Star Wars was one of the few films that got me going back to watching movies on the big screen again. In the years leading up to this groundbreaking film, cinemas in the UK had been having a lean time with attracting audiences. Mainly due to the improvements in TV programming and the introduction of the home video recorder. Yes, there had been a few exceptions of films that made it worthwhile to make the trip to the cinema. Saturday Night Fever and Grease had attracted huge audiences, including me, but it wasn't until Star Wars came along that I found myself wanting to regularly visit the cinema again.

Recently though, I have finally got around to treating myself with a big 50" plasma screen TV. And I find myself wanting to watch some of my old favourite movies again.

With this in mind I have drawn up a shortlist of 15 science fiction and fantasy films I intend to watch in the near future, and the reasons why I want to watch them again.

Some of these films may not be to your taste, but they have proved popular with audiences of the genre. If you have any other ones you want to comment on then by all means do so.

Anyway, here are my all time favourites (in alphabetical order)

Alien

I never managed to get to the cinema to see this one on the big screen. And I regret not doing so. But even when I watched it for the first time on VHS tape I was on the edge of my seat. I loved every minute of this film. The suspense build up was just brilliant. The atmosphere created of being alone in space with no contact with anyone but their own dwindling crew members was just spine tingling. And it was a stroke of genius to only show the alien creature in brief close-ups and the occasional hint that the creature was waiting nearby ready to pounce. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the engineer Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) met his gruesome fate while searching for his cat in the bowels of the spaceship. Overall, I rate this film 10/10

(I also loved the sequel 'Aliens' for different reasons and I intend to watch this again too. But I won't go into my reasons for wanting to watch it again here. I think that's pretty obvious any way it was one of the best sequels ever made, in one of the best movie series ever made. Actually, I think I'll watch all of the 'Alien' related films again just for the heck of it)

Armageddon

Hard to swallow as a piece of serious storytelling, but great fun. Like many films starring Bruce Willis it provides plenty of action but not much sense. Still I like it as one of those films where you just switch off your brain and go along for the ride.

Bicentennial Man

I almost didn't include this one. It has it's faults, but as a story which has a message to tell, it's an interesting film and a heart-warming one too. Call me a softy if you wish, but if you haven't seen it yet I would definitely recommend watching it and you can make your own mind up. (Let me know what you think of it)

Blade Runner

One of my top 3 all time favourite films. Everything about it is great. The story, the acting, the music, the cinematography, and in particular the special effects, which for the time, were pretty amazing. However, unlike most fans of the film, I think I actually prefer the original film ending rather than the director's cut.

Forbidden Planet

I've included this film because it was my preferred choice out of all the other science fiction films that were released in the 50's and early sixties. i.e. When Worlds Collide, This Island Earth, Invaders from Mars etc. It was a film I remember being re-released at the cinema when I was about 9 or 10 years old and I desperately wanted to see it. Unfortunately, through circumstances at the time I never got to see it. But I do remember looking at the film stills outside the cinema and trying to imagine what it was going to be like. Years later when I seen it on TV it was still exciting to watch, but maybe not as great as my expectations. Still, an enjoyable film, and quite advanced for it's time.

Galaxy Quest

Some of you may be wondering if I've lost my marbles including this one in my list. But the main reason I did so is because I think it's one of the funniest sci-fi fantasy films ever made. (Men in Black being a close second) So for that reason only I'm prepared to watch it again.

Jurassic Park

One of Spielberg's most entertaining films in my opinion. Though some may disagree and wonder why I included it in a list of films of this genre. Well, it does have elements of science and fantasy in the film, and for that reason it stays. Along with....

King Kong

Even better than Jurassic Park! Don't think so? Well I think it definetely comes close. I've always loved the original King Kong movie, but the simple fact that it looks so dated now is the only reason I think the remake is better. A little drawn out perhaps, but exceptionally well done with it's incredible special effects that truly elevate the story to a new level. Don't get me wrong, I think the original screenplay still has the edge, but this latest version is a visual feast for the eyes. And that is one of the main reasons that I watch films instead of just reading books.

Lord of the Rings

Probably the best pure fantasy film ever! Another great production from the director Peter Jackson who also directed the previous film in my list, King Kong. Lord of the Rings was his first major success. Along with the two sequels, the Lord of the Rings trilogy has got to be one of the best series of films of all time. I've only seen them once, apart from the first film which I've seen twice. But they left such a great impression that I eagerly look forward to watching them again.

Minority Report

Ok, maybe not one of Steven Spielberg's best films, but not too shabby either. I remember going to see this one at the cinema. I've only seen it once, so my recollection of the whole thing is now a little hazy. But I do remember it was fairly entertaining with an interesting storyline. Definetely need to watch this again before I make my mind up about this one.

Starship Troopers

Some of you dedicated sci-fi addicts may think this one is a turkey. But I loved it! It's so 'over-the-top' but great fun and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
I'm also looking forward to watching Starship Troopers 3: Marauders. I've had a glimpse of parts of it and it's got to be better than than the follow-up Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation which really was a bit of a turkey.

Star Wars

Well what can I say....? More than any other film in my life, Star Wars had the greatest impact. As someone who always had a hankering to be a film maker, George Lucas brought all my dreams to life. And then some! I unfortunately, have to relate my passionate interest in science fiction and fantasy in other ways. (I'm a keen artist and love to produce digital sf artwork in my spare time... you might have seen some of it at Spacejetters.co.uk )

But Star Wars for me was a true eye-opener. I remember reading about it's imminent release in one of the UK national newspapers. It didn't give too much away, but it was enough to get really excited about. I couldn't wait to see it so I went out and bought the book first. (Not something I normally do). And although some parts of the book were missed out from the film, it didn't detract from the overall result. Like many other converted fans I was totally in awe.

The sequels didn't disapoint either. In fact they only seemed to get better. But there can only be one film that started it all, so Star Wars: A New Hope is the one I'm going to include here. (I'm going to watch them all again anyway)

The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow was released at a time when the public's perception of the effects of global warming on Earth was at it's peak. A timely reminder of what might be yet to come. As a piece of film-making It was marginally better than many other disaster movies that preceded it. Perhaps not a film classic but entertaining enough to give it a second look. Again, I think the special effects deserve a mention and probably saved the film from being mediocre.

The Day the World Stood Still

The best classic sci-fi film I can think of. I haven't seen the remake yet so I can't comment on how it compares. So I guess that should be on my list too. However, the original is a great piece of classic cinema and deserves to be listed here. Whether it has the same impact on a HD widescreen plasma screen I've yet too discover.

War of the Worlds

Not a popular choice for some people I think, but I found the film to be an enjoyable experience on the whole. I believe that the original setting of the story being set in Victorian England would have retained it's fascination more, of ill equipped humankind battling against an advanced race. And like 'The Time Machine' I think it would have been more authentic. I really wish film makers would try to stick closer to the original stories of these masters of science fiction. 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' being another case in point. I first heard this story on BBC Radio 4 when I was about 12 years old and it really captured my imagination. It was in weekly instalments and I recorded it on to tape so that I could rewrite it as a film script. (Even then I dreamed of becoming a film maker) However, life doesn't always turn out the way you would like. But till this day, I have never seen a film version of the Jules Verne classic that's excited me so much as the radio version, which unlike the films, adhered strictly to the original story.

And so.... that concludes my list of movies that I'll be happy to watch again.

As the title of this piece suggests, these films, along with a few authors and artists, have influenced me considerably in the artwork I like to produce, which is one of my hobbies that I participate in when I have the time.

I've always been a film fan. Not just of science-fiction or fantasy, but many other categories too. But sci-fi has always been my first love. And certainly, the genre has provided some of the best films that have ever been made.

For a more comprehensive list of science fiction and fantasy films that have been released over the years, from classics to the present day, take a look at the Spacejetters list of 'Top Science Fiction Movies on DVD'