15 Great Sci-Fi Movies (Nobody Ever Talks About)

The earliest feature film effort from future The Thing helmer John Carpenter, this 1974 flick could not conceivably be further from his next flick, the hard-edged action thriller Assault on Precinct 13.

This one is a shaggy 2001 spoof filled with trippy conversations about metaphysics, sight gags, and eventual surfing in space—an image which should give you an idea of how surreally silly this one is. And how well worth a watch, especially after the more thorny, complex flicks listed here.

There are early signs of the filmmaker’s promise in here, but it’s mostly worth watching as a charming parody flick and an irreverent riposte to the slow, thoughtful, meditative and, let’s face it, somewhat pretentious sci-fi fare of the era.