Today we shine the Instant Video spotlight on some of the all-time greats in Science Fiction. These are some of the movies from the 1970’s golden era of Science Fiction films, when character and plot mattered more than special effects. So while some of the effects may seem quaint by today’s sophisticated, multi-million dollar standards, these are the films that stand the test of time because they can still speak to viewers in a way many of today’s CGI extravanganzas can’t. It’s also interesting to note that all of these films are family-friendly: all have a rating of G or PG.
2001: A Space Odyssey (rated G, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy) – The sci-fi masterpiece from acclaimed producer Stanley Kubrick about a space voyage to Jupiter that turns chaotic when a computer enhanced with artificial intelligence takes over.
Logan’s Run (rated PG, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy, currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – This futuristic thriller stars Michael York as Logan, a policeman seeking to escape the confines of a hedonistic and domed society with a secret. The youthful populace have been told that when they turn 30 they will be reborn in a public spectacle known as Carousel, but Logan has learned the truth: those who go to Carousel are simply being exterminated. Logan’s Run is the story of Logan’s quest to reveal the truth and set his city free.
Soylent Green (rated PG, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy, currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – This is the year 2022. Overcrowding, pollution, and resource depletion have reduced society’s leaders to finding food for the teeming masses. The answer is Soylent Green. Stars Charlton Heston as a man who’s begun to connect the dots between his society’s food supply and its handling of the deceased.
Planet of the Apes (rated G, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy) – A U.S. spacecraft lands on a desolate looking planet where the astronauts discover a world dominated by apes, and humans are considered savage animals.
This is the 1968 film that stars Roddy McDowall and Charlton Heston, not the more recent remake.
Capricorn One (rated PG, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $4.99 to buy) – In order to protect the reputation of the American space program, a team of scientists stages a phony Mars landing. Willingly participating in the deception are a trio of well-meaning astronauts, who become liabilities when their space capsule is reported lost on re-entry. Now, with the help of a crusading … reporter, they must battle a sinister conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep the truth a secret.
Westworld (rated PG, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy, currently FREE for Amazon Prime members to view) – For $1,000 a day, vacationers can indulge whims at the theme park called Westworld. They can bust up a bar or bust out of jail, drop in on a brothel or get the drop on a gunslinger. It’s all safe: the park’s lifelike androids are programmed never to harm the customers. But not all droids are getting with the program. Yul Brynner stars as an android with a mind of its own.
Fun factoid: this film was directed by Michael Crichton, based on his novel of the same name.