I, quite simply, CAN NOT BELIEVE that "Silent Running" isn't on that list, nor can I fathom why the second Terminator was judged more significant than the first. The James Cameron/Gale Ann Hurd combo of the original was absolutely incredible (When they were still married), and the fact that it was Cameron's "warm up" for "Aliens" (He used virtually the same crew for both, and wanted to get them working together before they tackled "Aliens")... I am simply stunned (And yes, I'm a hopless sci-fi geekoid).

I own Silent Running. I would say it is significant primarily as an influence on the later-70s SF movies, including of course Star Wars. The sets, models, and drones were the high points of the movie. It hasn't aged well for me, though and I don't really miss it on this list (probably should be in the top 100, not top 50).

I totally agree with you on the absence of Terminator in favor of T2. T2 was decent, but not as groundbreaking as the original.

Nice blog John! Beth here. This old lady would include Altered States, THX1138, Logan's Run, A Boy and His Dog, Andromeda Strain, and cheesy Charleton Heston classics like Planet of the Apes (1968), and Omega Man. Not forgetting Dark City, Gattaca, The Time Machine, and AI: Artificial Intelligence.

Worst List? Waterworld, Contact, Rollerball, Saturn 3 ....

If you want to get a taste of anime past the TV variey you mentioned, I would recommend 'Ghost in the Shell' over 'Akira'. Ghost has a more plausable story line, beautiful animation and music, and strikes me as something that could have been written by Gibson.

I second the recommendation of "Ghost in the Shell" over "Akira." The latter is spectacular toward the end, but the filmmakers tried to cram too much into it and it doesn't make much sense unless you've read the manga it's based on. GitS, on the other hand, is a well-made work of art.

If still interested in anime after that, check out any of Miyazaki's movies through "Spirited Away." "Nausicaa" and perhaps "Castle in the Sky" qualify as science fiction, though they're not my favorites.

Hi Beth. Who you calling old? (That would make me old by association, so stop it!)

Good additions. I would note that some are already on the list, and many are in Scalzi's book - The Rough Guide to Sci Fi Movies. Check out his website (linked in my post) and read some of the comments where he addresses the perceived omissions and slights.

I have to argue about some of your "worst" selections, though. Not Waterworld, but the others. I remember Saturn 3 and have fond memories of Farrah Fawcett and a cool robot, but that's about all. Contact was actually quite good until the, you know, "contact." Then it devolved into a sort of "2001-lite."

I watched Rollerball recently, and quite liked the soundtrack, as well as the prescient bloodsport/reality TV angle on things. Pamela Hensley (aka Princess Ardala) also features prominently in my leniency toward that movie.

Thanks for commenting. You should do it more often!

T and Don,

Thanks for the pointers. I have modified my list accordingly and will check out Ghost first.

Actually, I wouldn't recommend Akira at all to a beginner in the world of anime. Miyazaki is a much better introduction, but what a lot of Americans fail to grasp is that "anime" is only slightly narrower in description than "movie." Seriously, you can find anything you want in anime, some good, some very bizarre, and some pornographic.

Check out Stephen Den Beste's Chizumatic site (http://denbeste.nu/Chizumatic/) for lots of reviews and descriptions of anime. Yes, USS Clueless' Den Beste.

Oh, and Delicatessan is a marvelous flick. Think Terry Gilliam-esque, but in French, with a hero who plays the saw in a post-apocalyptic world.