MovieChat Forums > DEFCON-4 (1985) Discussion > 'The worst sci-fi films ever' TOP TEN L...

'The worst sci-fi films ever' TOP TEN LIST

posted 19 years ago by tomrunelian
68 replies | jump to latest

After discovering that somebody actually liked Def-Con 4 - I just have to make my ultimate *beep* for the sci-fi genre. Now...make no mistake...if you're going to participate in this little experiment of mine...don't put films like "Plan 9 from outer space" on your list...it's crap...I know...but stuff like that is just fun to watch...NO, gentlemen....what I am looking for are the movies that are so *beep* or poorly made that they hurt to watch...

My ultimate *beep*

1. Def-Con 4
2. Project Shadowchaser III
3. Invasion Earth
4. Blue Tornado
5. Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
6. A.P.E.X
7. Zone Troopers
8. Space Truckers
9. Retrograde
10. Nemesis

What Starship Troopers 2 are doing there? I know...it's fairly new...some "big" names in the cast...had a medium budget (not a B-movie)...and the CGI/special effects were top of the line. BUT...you could see that the weapons never actually fire...they had some kind of light bulb stuck down the barrell and added the sound of gunfire in the post-production(very easy to see)....and they blinked and they blinked and they blinked...and after that they blinked som more...and just kept on blinking...and NEVER leaving shells on the ground...it annoyed the crap out of me...and made me squirm in my seat...that's why.

[–] jackson_sutherland 19 years ago

How about "Lifeforce" and "Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone"?

[–] WILLOWSYKES 19 years ago

I thought Lifeforce was alright! It is British remember more story, less production values. Well my worst SCI-FI top ten changes with virtually every movie I see on the on the Sci-Fi channels. As of today in changeable order.

Dark Waters (2003) – Just what was someone thinking … mutant sharks!
Robocop: Prime Directives (2000) – I saw the cut down film version. Nuff said.
Altered States (1980) – Just two hours of pointless dullness.
Battle Beneath the Earth (1967) – I know reds under the bed and all that. Was the US THAT paranoid.
Brainstorm (1983) – Damn shame that this was Natalie Woods last film. Waste.
Cyborg Cop II (1994) – If the first was bad appalling. This was worse.!
Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here (1988) – And they say British SCI-FI is cheap and nasty.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The (2003) – Did the A-List cast need money this badly?
Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II (1994) – See Cyborg Cops remarks.
Turkey Shoot (1982) - Olivia Hussey gets her boobs out. The only reason to watch.

[–] SirPant 19 years ago

Is Def con 4 so bad that it has to be seen?

[–] nick_jenny4976 18 years ago

Hey now, i remember "Def-Con 4" as being one hell of a movie. I rented it from my local video store because i had always noticed that cool videotape box cover (w/ the skeleton in an astronaut suit) and figured i would see what it was all about.
And from what i remembered that was a really good movie.

Of course that was about 12 years ago, and i drank almost a full fifth of scotch while i was watching it. I was also ingesting alot of hallucinagenic drugs at the time. Plus i had suffered a concussion that morning. I also may or may not have soiled myself about one third of the way into the movie.

*But it was a good movie from what i remember

* = all i remember is they're up in space, then they had a crash landing, and someone gets their hand chewed off.

[–] reverendtom 16 years ago

I thought DefCon 4 was surprisingly good. And Lifeforce is a gonzo classic.

[–] Thought_Criminal_J62377 10 years ago

You know it, ReverendTom.

[–] pa28pilot 18 years ago

I'm sorry, but I have to play the Christopher Walken card with regard to Brainstorm. Some of the dialogue is stilted, but the interplay between Walken and Louise Fletcher is excellent. Of course, if you're predisposed to believe that the U.S. Government might lead on researchers while funding their projects, it's all easier to digest. If you need a warmup, go watch "Real Genius" before Brainstorm.

I'm inclined to believe that "The Stuff" may in fact be one of the all-time worst SF movies of all time, from the same era that brought us DEFCON 4 and Warning Sign .

Seriously, if you happened upon white goo erupting from the earth, would you eat it?

[–] Pete-215 18 years ago

Radioactive Dreams

Anyone else remember this one?

[–] tgs333 18 years ago

Here is one a lot of people hate: Miracle Mile

I for one love that movie! Highly recommend.

"I'm a vehemently anti-nuclear, paranoid mess, harbouring a strange obsession with radioactive sheep."

[–] mark6785 11 years ago

Radioactive dreams - boooooo

Miracle Mile - Yayyyyyyy!

[–] bluegreenturtle 18 years ago

I have to say that I thought Brainstorm was pretty touching, actually. The scene where they record themselves for each other to save their marriage is quite nice I thought.

[–] kje-8 15 years ago

The Stuff! lol - classic...

C.H.U.D.
Cannabalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers

[–] british1500 17 years ago

It's funny you mention Turkey Shoot. I just saw it last night(as "escape 2000") and bought it along with Def Con 4. Same distributor!

[–] sionxxii 11 years ago

Altered States don't sit too well with those who don't subscribe to the theory of evolution.

[–] Dark_Star_69 18 years ago

the crapness in Lifeforce is made up by all the nudity.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] sionxxii 11 years ago

Lifeforce straddles the *beep* fine line.

[–] Thought_Criminal_J62377 10 years ago

You guys are ridiculous! Lifeforce is a great movie and Starship Troopers 2 is cheesy in a good way. Defcon 4 is a pretty entertaining low budget movie also.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] rgibson103 18 years ago

[–] tgs333 18 years ago

The Quiet Earth? Huh? That was a great movie/story! With Hollywood remaking movies, The Quiet Earth is long due for a remake!

"I'm a vehemently anti-nuclear, paranoid mess, harbouring a strange obsession with radioactive sheep."

[–] rgibson103 18 years ago

They say tastes change every seven years and it's been longer than that since I've seen it, so who knows ... I'm going by first impressions.

_____
"The wisest man is therefore he who loafs most gracefully." ~ Lin Yutang

[–] Pete-215 18 years ago

I couldnt agree more!
I just saw Quiet Earth after 15+ years 3 weeks ago..

[–] jmbwithcats 11 years ago

I love The Quiet Earth.

Web www.jmberman.com
Fcbk https://www.facebook.com/catnipdream

[–] tgs333 11 years ago

The Quiet Earth is a great movie!

"I'm a vehemently anti-nuclear, paranoid mess, harbouring a strange obsession with radioactive sheep."

[–] smerd_70 17 years ago

The Quiet Earth is excellent. One of the better scifi flicks to come out of the 80's.

I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here.

[–] racroen 14 years ago

The Quiet Earth and Primer were both excellent films, although the latter might not seem so to the mentally challenged.

As for most of the other films that have been discussed here, I have a hard time picking on little low-budget productions made by people with more enthusiasm than talent. They're sort of sweet. Why not pick on big-budget mainstream crap, like the FIRST Starship Troopers or Battlefield Earth or the last three (arguably four) Star Wars films or This Island Earth or Independence Day?

There's seven or eight of your ten right there. Those films had no excuse. Their scripts were crap.

Incidentally, I respect Lifeforce simply for having the balls to feature a character who was almost continually nude. I personally would rather see Heinlein's Glory Road or Stranger in a Strange Land made with that kind of maturity, but I'll take what I can get.

I didn't even find the nudity in Lifeforce particularly titillating. It's more a matter of the way it threw its middle finger at the prudes that I liked.

[–] vegas-sickboy 18 years ago

Zardof is one of the weirdest/worst sci-fi movies next to defcon 4. Zardof is a movie about a futuristic world in which the Intelligent supreme civilization has bubbled themselves off and created a paradise and the rest of the planet are primitive barbarians. Sean Connery who plays a barbarian who exterminates the primitives (and rapes the women in the name of "Zardoff") sneaks into the bubbled paridise aboard a giant floating head and starts reeking havoc amongst the gods and thats when it starts getting even weirder! If you are all fans off bad sci-fi then check out this one.But back to Defcon 4 I think the end was weirdest part of all does anybody have any idea why they ended this way except for maybe lazyness it makes no sense I dont want to give anything away for those who havent seen it.
strange.

[–] sulaco22 18 years ago

Zardof is a great film. If you cannot appreciate that film you simply aren't cultured enough to appreciate cinema as a whole. As for Def-Con 4, I find that the film only gets better with age. It's much like a fine wine, in that regard... :)

[–] dkdid 18 years ago

The Quiet Earth shouldn't be on any of these lists. It's nicely shot and has a strong, lonely atmosphere. There are moments in this movie that should put it high above this other garbage, like the main character shoting a statue of Jesus, playing the sax on an empty street or the speech he gives to those cardboard cut-outs of nixon and hitler. Beautiful ending, too. Highly recomended.

[–] CAM8-1 17 years ago

Are we just going to ignore Battlefield Earth?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] hoosierthunder 17 years ago

Holy crap! What the hell is wrong with you people? Def Com 4 was great. Lifeforce is great. Radioactive dreams is one of my favorite movies. If you guys don't like b movies, why are you watching them? I'd rather watch all of your top ten worst movies than your top ten best. There's more art in crap than you realize.

[–] holt-lover 17 years ago

This movie isn't too bad if you know you're getting a Mad Max rip-off. Its the kind of movie you watch late at night when you're not alert enough for a really good movie but you need something to look at. I was expecting something more serious and thoughtful based on the description and cover art- maybe on the level of "Enemy Mine" or even "A Boy and his Dog" which at least seemed original (dont know too many telepathic dog movies). Unintentially funny in its own way (wimpy bad guys and bad science) once you get past the violence.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ryanryan12 17 years ago

How about "Laserblast"? That was the first movie my family rented for our beta vcr. The movies crapiness prompted me to find a copy on beta a few years back (yes, I have a working beta) and later on dvd. Oh boy, it is just as campy as I remember it being when I was 4 (I'm 30 now).

[–] smerd_70 17 years ago

I have to disagree with Zone Troopers- It's a nice little B-movie that has a great comic book feel.

I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here.

[–] Death_to_Pan_and_Scan 17 years ago

I defend The Quiet Earth, Miracle Mile (even Ebert gave 3 stars) and yes also Lifeforce.

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Why does watching a little Toonami convince some kids that they're anime experts?

[–] tobias666 17 years ago

Miracle Mile is a great movie, but i hardly think it counts as science fiction.

[–] blogster 17 years ago

Hey, we can't foregt Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] projectcyclops 17 years ago

'Robot Jox' anyone? Sixteen Tongues, Fortress, Freejack, Future-Cop, Soler Babies?

So bad they be good (Except maybe Freejack and Fortress).

[–] lonewolf22-1 16 years ago

i have to say. I LOVE "Nemesis"......just had to announce that,lol

[–] tnesler 16 years ago

if defcon 4 is so bad, why is the DVD going for an average of $75 NEW on the net? Obviously, for other reasons as well, the initiator of this list needs to understand even the slightest bit about the continuum of film as a medium of influence and entertainment.

[–] ToadHunter 16 years ago

I'm inclined to believe that "The Stuff" may in fact be one of the all-time worst SF movies of all time, from the same era that brought us DEFCON 4 and Warning Sign .

How can you say that The Stuff is one of the worst movies of all time? That movie was intentionally hilarious and I love absolutely every second of it.

'Robot Jox' anyone? Sixteen Tongues, Fortress, Freejack, Future-Cop, Soler Babies?

Robot Jox rocks! Sure, almost the entire cast (except for Paul Koslo) are incredibly annoying, but I just can't get enough of those robots. Fortress is also a favorite. Christopher Lambert is a great actor, and that movie had some great gore. I've never understood peoples problem with Freejack either. Come on, Mic Jagger as a futuristic bounty hunter, whats not to love? There are far far worse films than these.

[–] projectcyclops 16 years ago

I'm actually with you 100% ToadHunter, I was just being facetious. Robot Jox is a really awesome movie and a worthy addition to the genre of Giant Fighting Stop-Motion Robots, have you seen any of the sequels? I've also got a real soft spot for Freejack, despite Emilio's ability to only act 'bewildered' and Mick's 'walking corpse' bounty hunter.

Fortress? Hmm, not so sure, it did spawn a pretty questionable sequel... I guess it was quite fun.

'Lifeforce' anyone?

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Rachael: Do you mind if I smoke?
Deckard: It won't affect the test.

[–] ToadHunter 16 years ago

If by sequels your talking about Crash and Burn and Robot Wars, then yes, I have. While I found Crash and Burn to be a little boring (Until the end), I still liked them both.

Yeah, Fortress 2 was pretty bleh, a wasted oppurtunity. I liked the cast of the first one, plus it had a good director, but I remeber most of the cast of the sequel being pretty lame and annoying. Come to think about it, most things about Fortress 2 are lame and annoying.

I've come very close to picking up Lifeforce on several occasions, is it worth watching for a good laugh?

[–] projectcyclops 16 years ago

Fortress 2 had Pam Grier in it which always freaks me out a bit. Lifeforce is okay, it's pretty slow moving and some of the acting is rubbish. If you ever saw 'Quattermass' or any of the Doctor Who films then it's a bit like that but more violent and gory. Very British and very silly. Oh and there's a hot naked girl in it, if that's a clincher (presuming you're either a straight man or a lesbian).

I haven't seen the Robot Jox follow-ups, may have to track them down...

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Rachael: Do you mind if I smoke?
Deckard: It won't affect the test.

[–] nosd 16 years ago

I last watched Lifeforce about 15 years ago. All I can say, is that in the late 80's and early 90's, Lifeforce was one of my favourite films of all time.

Obviously, thinking back I realize how bad most of these films look now because of plasticine based 'special effects' rather than CGI and the surprisingly bad editing of most of them, but I don't think that stops them being appreciated as cult classics.

Lifeforce (as I recall) was written by Colin Wilson who had written some 'occult' books that I had enjoyed in the 80's. It's an interesting story. It was darker than I was used to at the time and has an interesting conflict at it's heart. These days those sorts of stories are common, but back then I thought it was very disturbing. Mathilda May, who plays the the main woman, had been a child actress in the 80's appearing in several children's series. Being of the same age as her I always had quite a crush on her and so I was very surprised to see he running around with her kit off in this film. In fact, I thought she was the hottest girl I'd ever laid eyes on.

If you are the sort that can appreciate some of the other films in the previous lists of 'worst' films (I for one think that Quiet Earth is one of the greatest films ever made - a masterpiece even by todays standards) then you'll probably enjoy Lifeforce and should grab it.

Good Luck.

[–] JerryCantrell 14 years ago

Quiet Earth *beep* ruled. 'Nuff said.

[–] bornskeptic 16 years ago

Lifeforce had to have been made with the thought of how many different things they could plug into this movie that would make any teenage boy drool.

Let's see:
Vampires,
Gore,
Spaceships,
Naked women,
Exploding things,
Light filled fx,
Wacky makeup fx,
Zombies,
Naked women (did i say that already?),
Tobe Hooper,
The Apocalypse...

I think they just made this list and said "Lets see how many of these items we can stuff into our alloted 2 hours".
They did it! The whole list!
For that alone: 2 stars.

[–] Aylmer 16 years ago

Why has nobody mentioned the last three STAR WARS movies? The first one bored me to sleep (!), the second one gave me a headache, and the third one just made me so angry I couldn't think straight for days.