Welcome to Sci-Fridays
A list of the top 5 Sci-Fi shows and movies that I consider to be awesome!
When I was a kid, my sister and I couldn’t stand to watch any kind of entertainment that we deemed to be Sci-Fi (this was mainly space themed content). This was probably due to the myriad of cheesy low budget Sci-Fi shows that were on TV at that time.
As I grew older, it would turn out most of my circle of friends were huge Sci-Fi fans. The biggest Sci-Fi fan or “nerd” of them all was my best friend Terry. He would watch anything and everything on the Sci-Fi channel good or bad, sometimes really bad. Some of these shows and movies began to grow on me and as my mind opened to new kinds of entertainment I eventually became a fan.
This list is my top 5 Sci-Fi shows and movies that first captured my attention and the ones that kept me coming back for more. Terry, this one’s for you brother!
Let’s Go!
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek TNG is is set in the 24th century, about 100 years after the original "Star Trek" series. The show follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise-D with Captain Jean Luc Picard at the helm and his crew as they explore new worlds, encounter new species, and navigate various challenges in space.
The USS Enterprise-D, a Galaxy-class starship, The crew's mission is one of exploration, diplomacy, and peaceful coexistence with other civilizations. These principles were set forth in a concept know as the prime directive. The ship is equipped with advanced technology, including faster-than-light warp drive, replicators that can produce almost anything, and a holodeck for virtual reality experiences.
There are many futuristic technologies that were explored in Star Trek TNG that are now a reality or close to becoming a reality although we have not achieved warp speed yet maybe one day we will.
Alien Encounters (TV Series)
Alien Encounters is a science fiction mini series on the Science Channel. The series explores how humanity might react to first-contact with aliens. The fictional series is presented as a documentary intermixed with commentary from scientists and sci-fi writers. The series begins with an alien signal detected by the SETI Institute and follows through alien contact and the creation of hybrids ("Brids") based on alien DNA.
I watched this series right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time it paralleled some of the attitudes and fears that our society was experiencing as we faced a novel virus. This show is very interesting to say the least and is definitely worth the watch.
The Incredible Hulk Returns (1980s Style)
This is how I was introduced to the Incredible Hulk. My mom recorded this movie on VHS for five year old me, and it was fantastic. It was amazing for me to see the mild mannered Dr. David Banner (as he was called in this incarnation) as he changed from a quiet, meek individual into the giant jacked green guy known only as the Incredible Hulk when he was angered.
In The Incredible Hulk Returns, Dr. David Banner, a scientist who transforms into a green-skinned superhuman monster when enraged, believes that he has found a potential cure for his condition, but he is delayed by the inexplicable arrival of the arrogant Viking warrior Thor. Bill Bixby returns as Banner and Lou Ferrigno reprises his role of the Hulk. Eric Kramer makes his first and only appearance as Thor and Steve Levitt stars as Donald Blake. This was also Jack Colvin's last appearance as Jack McGee.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The film, based on Richard Condon's 1959 novel of the same name and a reworking of the previous 1962 film, stars Denzel Washington as Bennett Marco, a tenacious, virtuous soldier, Liev Schreiber as Raymond Shaw, a U.S. Representative from New York, manipulated into becoming a vice-presidential candidate, Jon Voight as U.S. Senator Tom Jordan, a challenger for vice president, and Meryl Streep as Eleanor Prentiss Shaw, also a U.S. Senator and the manipulative, ruthless mother of Raymond Shaw.
This film should make us question reality in more ways than one. I have seen this film countless times and each time I watch it I look at our world from a different perspective. I can’t recommend this one enough, go check it out!
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
I don’t think that I even need to put this one on my list but with all of the recent advancements in AI and automation I have to bring up Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Skynet. I love the whole terminator series but everybody seems to love this one and in my opinion it’s one of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made, it’s a must see.
This is the sequel to The Terminator (1984) and is the second installment in the Terminator franchise. In the film, the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet sends a Terminator—a highly advanced killing machine—back in time to 1995 to kill the future leader of the human resistance John Connor, when he is a child. The resistance sends back a less-advanced, reprogrammed Terminator to protect Connor and ensure the future of humanity.
Very fun! I don't think I could adequately describe how important the Hulk was to me as a kid. I was born in the middle of the 70s, so by the time the Hulk was on TV, I was ALL over it. I drew the Hulk when I was little, and practiced my craft that way. And, of course, I wanted to be a bodybuilder.
T-2 is incredible, and maybe the best sequel ever made. I'm not sure if there are even others in contention.
Great list, man! Never checked out Alien Encounters (I will), but the rest are fantastic!