Cinema and Science fiction cinema in particular changed on May 25 1977, the day Star Wars hit movie screens for the first time. But Star Wars changed Sci-Fi movies, it didn’t invent them. Here is a guide to my favourite pre Star Wars Sci-Fi movies:
Metropolis (1927): Set in a dystopian future it is one of the most influential films of all time still looks impressive more than eighty years later. Directed by Fritz Lang it is an example of German expressionist cinema it is essential viewing for any cinema fan. There were other examples of the genre in the years that followed but none that really stand out to me. I could have included Frankenstein (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) both directed by James Whale but they belong more to the horror genre so we fast forward to the 1950’s where alien invasion and cold war paranoia became staples of the genre.
The Thing from Another World (1951): The inhabitants of a remote arctic outpost fend off a killer alien organism. The John Carpenter remake from 1982 is more widely known but this original version is also worth seeing. From the same year The Day the Earth Stood Still: Like many great early Sci-Fi this film has been remade but this original is far superior. With post war America overrun with cold war paranoia the film has a none to subtle message warning against the dangers of the cold war and the nuclear arms race that it was fuelling. War of the Worlds (1953) Based on a HG Wells story, by the time this original film version of War of the Worlds made it to film it had become another cautionary tale about the cold war. It was preceded by Orson Welles infamous radio play and followed by an epic album and a Spielberg remake. Invasion of the 
Body Snatchers (1956) Like most great early Sci-Fi this film has been remade. Post war America was overrun with cold war paranoia. Is this sounding familiar? Again the message isn’t subtle but it’s a great film. 
Forbidden Planet (1956) If you are going to steal an idea you may as well steal a good one and that’s what Forbidden Planet does, taking its basic story from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The special effects were state of the art and that really is Leslie “Don’t call me Shirley” Nielsen. Take a look at the cast list Robby the Robot is credited as playing “Himself”.
60’s and 70’s Sci-Fi reintroduced us to dystopian futures and cautionary tales. Fahrenheit 451 (1966): Francois Truffaut’s brilliant adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel about a book-burning dystopian future. Don’t be put of by the mixed reviews and criticism by fans of the original novel, it is a great movie. Quatermass and the Pit (1967) perfectly blending horror and Sci-Fi, known as Five Million Years to Earth in America was it was the final and best (but least financially successful) of the three movies to feature the Quatermass character. The story is largely the same as the original TV series it is based on: workmen extending a London Underground station make a frightening discovery. Don’t expect the special effects to hold up to modern standards but it is still a great movie that has a lot to offer the horror and Sci-Fi genres.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) less a film and more a giant metaphor exploring the meaning of life from the origins of humanity to the present day and beyond. Absolutely compelling viewing but anyone who tells you they fully understand what is going on is a geniuses or a liar. It is also a rarity in the list a film that has not been remade, who would dare? Barbarella (1968): 
A commercial and critical failure the film has since become a cult classic. Based on a French comic strip, Barbarella gave Jane Fonda one of her most iconic parts, unlike many early sci-fi movies (and movies in general) of the time it really doesn’t take itself seriously resulting in a really fun movie. One remake or another is always about to happen but fortunately hasn’t happened yet, leave it alone! Planet of the Apes (1968) Guess what this one was remade too! An astronaut is stranded on a planet ruled by intelligent apes and humans are little more than slaves. The screenplay was co-written by Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame and ends with what is possible the genres greatest twist. Forget “No [Luke] I am your farther” this is the big one!
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Another dystopian near future or just an alternative 1970s Britain? Based on an Anthony Burgess novel it could be a satire on the culture of the day or a grim vision of the near future, I would rather believe it is a testament to the human spirit. The Andromeda Strain (1971): based on a Michael Crichton novel and directed by Robert Wise (who also directed Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). The fight to prevent a deadly alien virus from spreading creates an interesting concept, the brilliant thing about it is the way it is captivating and tense without a villain or visible antagonist. THX 1138 (1971)George Lucas’ first attempt 
at Sci-Fi was far less successful than Star Wars but has gained a cult following. Starring Robert Duvall it depicts a yet another dystopian future, in this one drugs that suppress emotion are mandatory and sexual intercourse is outlawed. This is enforced by an android police force. The Omega Man (1971) The first of two movies on the list to star Charlton Heston. The second and probably the best adaptation of Richard Matheson’s 1954 I Am Legend telling the story of the last man on earth following biological warfare between the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union.
Solyaris (1972) The story of a space mission that may just have
found intelligent life. The 2002 Steven Soderberg remake was a little tedious but the original still makes for compelling viewing. Silent Running (1972) The story of a spaceship containing the earths last forests until they are one day able to return to earth. 
Another cautionary tale. Soylent Green (1973) When I compiled a similar list a few years ago I missed this movie off the list, after my error was pointed out by Heather from Movie Mobsters I watched it again. I had forgotten just how good it was. Set in a polluted and overpopulated future, Charlton Heston plays a New York police detective targeted by government agents as he gets too close to a secret everyone wants to keep, namely where soylent green, a revolutionary new food comes from.
Death Race 2000 (1975) I saw this movie when I was very young, too young! I loved it at the time but didn’t really get it. Following a financial crisis and a military coup United States has become a fascist police state. The most popular sport is the Annual Transcontinental Road Race, a race where drivers score points for killing pedestrians as they race from coast to coast. The acting is terrible and the production cheep, but it has aged surprisingly thanks to a simple subtext that makes it an effective political satire. Released the same year, Rollerball (1975) received a more positive critical response but actually isn’t any better than Death Race 2000. The movie also revolves around a violent sport, this one resembling Roller Derby. The film now looks strangle prophetic as it depicts the world as a global corporate state. Also worth a look from the same year, A Boy and his Dog (1975) is a post-apocalyptic story about a boy (Don Johnson) communicates with his dog telepathically Logan’s Run (1976) is an 
interesting film to finish on. Released less than a year before Star Wars, it is a good solid and fun movie in its own right but in comparison to Star Wars looks extremely dated, it appears to belong to a different era, it this was it does work well as a reminder of how the genre and cinema in general changer forever just a year later.
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Watched Fahrenheit 451 last year and didn’t care for it very much. Personally, I don’t think Truffaut, who is a great director, was the best pick for the film. It feels like he got lost in the sci/fi-ness of it all. The end was brilliant, though.
That’s what I love about it, it’s a very different movie to what any other director would have made.
top quality article. it covered quite a lot of films i’ve been meaning to see or didn’t have time/space to write about in the sci-fi chapter of my blahblahblahdvd guide. and most shockingly some i hadn’t even heard of!
i’m totally undecided on seeing fahrenheit 451 though. i think i should read the novel first or i’ll never read it if i’ve seen the film. have you done both?
I will check out sci fi dvd guide.
No haven’t read the book. The film is worth seeing.
@toby I’ve only watched the movie, but plan on reading the book as well if that’s any help. 🙂
It’s time for me to see “Soylent Green” again. I saw it once in high school, and all I remember about it was that people had to ride bikes to get electricity and, of course, “Soylent Green is people!”
It holds up pretty well, watch it again.