Science Fiction Films - The Best - Part Four

6. Dune (1984)

Now, I know this ended up on a few worst of lists, and was considered a monumental failure at the time, and though I was not entirely won over on the first viewing, the second time it caught me. I think part of the poor response was that the high status accorded the book handicapped any film trying to tell the story.

What wins the day are the inimitable Lynchian images combined with the stellar cast. As the still below shows, we have Kyle with the future Captain Picard, the former commander of Das Boot, and the Bergman regular. You also have Jack Nance, the star of Eraserhead, a film that is still one of a kind, and Sting, Brad Dourif, the bizarre Dean Stockwell, Alicia Witt, the new face on Law and Order, and so many more. But its more the steampunk feel to the film. Not the desert expanses which could have been done better but the interiors, the entrance of the pilot in what looks like a locomotive in a drawing room. Or the extreme violence in the pulling of the heartplugs.

But on release this was seen as the science fiction equivalent of Heaven’s Gate. I’ve seen it about three times, the last time at least five years ago.

7. Starman (1984)

Now this is quite unlike Dune, and I saw this a couple of times but a long time ago so I’m not sure if this would hold up but I kind of liked Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of the noble and kind of dumb but powerful alien. Jesus Christ really. It was a little like David Lynch or maybe Jonathan Demme though in that there were these wonderfully unique interactions with people that showed how bizarre earthlings were.

The one thing I did hate about this film though was the conceit that shows up in a lot of older science fiction; the alien saying something along the lines of “you are a unique people and capable of great things”. The old and awful chosen people delusion raises its hoary head.

The director, John Carpenter, already had a few cult favourites under his belt; Dark Star (with O’Bannon who went on to Alien) Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, and The Thing, (and I am deliberately leaving out the overrated Escape from New York (or bantam rooster as action hero); this was kind of Carpenter’s golden age where he put a heavy mark in a number of genres.

8. The Hidden (1987)

This was a strange one. Kyle MacLachlan is back in this film which was never much of a hit and sank with little notice soon after. Again, how this would hold up I’m not sure. Kyle played kind of Starman, a soft alien who thought earthlings were interesting, and the film also had these same warm but curious interactions.

Kyle plays an interstellar cop chasing a criminal who can move from body to body so you never quite know where he is. The alien seems to like fast cars and metal music and junk food, and there is a great scene where he’s taken over the body of a middle aged man and he’s sitting at a booth, a ghetto blaster at full volume, and then he’s off in the car.

I don’t remember too much else about it but it was a hoot. The personnel at the helm didn’t really distinguish themselves after this, the writer rose to the National Treasure films, and the director retreated to television for the most part.