100 Top Sci-Fi Flicks

Science fiction movies run the gamut from cerebral to "joyful space opera." The writers at Total Sci-Fi run down the 100 best; here's the top 10:

Blade Runner: This "masterpiece," with standout performances from Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer, is "backed up by a real sense of sadness, fear, and longing."
2001: "The film is as enigmatic as the universe itself," and unlike newer fare, "there is a real depth behind the groundbreaking special effects."
Star Wars: "If you haven't seen Star Wars, then, well, you're probably not interested in reading a list about SF movies."
Alien: "Much analyzed by theorists for its portrayal of femininity;" also, "incredibly frightening."
Metropolis: "Fritz Lang creates a dazzling (and much-aped) vision of an industrial dystopia."
The Day the Earth Stood Still: "The definitive 1950s SF flick."
Terminator: The "tantalizing glimpses of the future war are more frightening" than in the remakes, and Schwarzenegger is actually suited to his role.
Planet of the Apes: The ending of this "intelligent allegory" is "one of the most iconic moments in cinema."
E.T.: "Warm-hearted without descending into mawkishness."
Solaris: The "Russian 2001" is "much more than that. It's a hypnotic, minimalist masterpiece."