George R.R. Martin, the globally renowned author of the bestselling epic fantasy seriesA Song of Ice and Fire, has redefined the fantasy genre by infusing his stories with gritty realism and moral complexity. He is the creative mind behind HBO’s highest-rated television series,Game of Thrones. But beyond that, Martin is also just a man who harbors a deep passion for thesci-figenre.
True fans of Martin know that when he’s not weavingplots of betrayal and waracross the Seven Kingdoms, he is immersed in the most thought-provoking and iconic sci-fi works. He credits much of his grounded and innovative world-building to the worlds born out of the minds of sci-fi masters like Ridley Scott and John Carpenter.
Before the release ofGame of Throneson HBO back in 2011, George R.R. Martin named some of hisfavorite sci-fi films to The Daily Beast. Martin’s curiosity, which you’ll learn about as you read on, lies in learning more about humanity’s relationship to an ever-changing future, in learning the sociological implications of technology and the tensions that emerge when we imagine what’s to come.
Ranging from dystopian classics to low-budget gems, here are 10 sci-fi movies that intrigued George R.R. Martin the most.
10Forbidden Planet (1956)
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planetis set in the 23rd century. It begins with a rescue ship being sent to investigate the silence from a colony on the distant planet Altair IV 20 years after an expedition was put into action. When the crew lands there, it discovers that an unknown force killed all the colonist and Dr. Morbius and his daughter are the only survivors. Morbius believes that an advanced alien race known as Krell is responsible for the same.
Drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare’sThe Tempest,Forbidden Planetcombined what was a sci-fi spectacle into deep philosophical themes. Its imaginative production design, isolated setting, and emphasis on what could go wrong garnered massive praise.
George R.R. Martin particularly admires the “visuals and special effects,” which “were state of the art in their day, and still hold up pretty well.” He also pointed out thatForbidden Planethad an “amazing and unique” score to complement its “Shakespearean” retro-future lens.
9Aliens (1986)
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor from the original Alien, is awakened after 57 years of drifting through space, her stories disbelieved by Company executives who tell her that the aliens' planet is now inhabited and colonized. When contact is suddenly lost with the colonists, Ripley returns to the planet with a squad of marines, an android (Lance Henriksen), and a Company executive (Paul Reiser) with a mission of his own. Once on the planet, no survivors can be found except for Newt, a little girl who awakens motherly instincts in Ripley just in time for the acid-blooded aliens to attack in what quickly becomes a one-sided battle for sheer survival.
The last surviving member of the crew, Ellen Ripley is rescued after drifting in space for 57 years. She learns that LV-426, the planet from the first Alien movie, where her crew encountered the deadly Xenomorph, is now home to a terraforming colony. But because contact there is lost, Ripley must accompany a squad of marines to investigate the planet. Once there, they encounter the Alien Queen and a hostile environment, which forces her to battle the fierce creatures.
Ratchets Up the Suspense Every Second
Under James Cameron’s visceral direction,Aliensratcheted the tension and claustrophobia to unimaginable heights. The movie transforms the aliens into a relentless hive-minded threat andfurther develops Ripley as a shell-shocked heroinekeeping her cool in the face of danger. Martin admiresAliensas “one of the rare cases of a sequel that was actually better than the original.” Obviously, with its pulse-pounding combat sequence and gritty style, we couldn’t agree more.
8Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner
The original Blade Runner is a sci-fi neo-noir film set in 2019 in a dystopian cyber-punk society. Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard as a Blade Runner for the LAPD, tasked with hunting rogue replicants, genetically engineered humans designed to tackle tasks that human beings cannot. When four replicants go rogue and begin killing humans, Deckard is forced out of retirement to hunt them down and stop them - but the truth isn’t as simple as it seems. Deckard will have to reckon with the philosophical dilemma of what makes someone human.
One of the most celebrated sci-fi adaptations of all time,Blade Runner,is based on Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. It is set in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2019, where ex-cop and former blade runner Rick Deckard is forced to get back into action and do what he does best – hunt bioengineered beings known as replicants after a group of violent androids attempt to return to Earth with the plan of obliterating it.
A Neo-Noir Masterpiece Drenched in Gloom
Ridley Scott infused mystery and noir elements into Dick’s exploration of what makes us human where the futurescape is decaying and morality is lost. As a detective story that unfolds relentlessly,Blade Runnercreates a downpour of gloom like no other. Meanwhile, it is also incredibly stylish in its production design. To quote Martin and his distinct love for the movie’s extended cut.
“This was a gritty, dirty, dark tomorrow where it seemed to rain day and night, brought to vivid life by Ridley Scott’s superb direction… To get the true impact of this one, the director’s cut is the only way to go. I still get a chill listening to Rutger Hauer’s final speech.”
7Alien (1979)
Unsurprisingly, George R.R. Martin has displayed his admiration for more of Ridley Scott’s movies.Alienis a groundbreaking, award-winning sci-fi film that follows the commercial towing spaceship Nostromo and its impending return to Earth when the crew of the spaceship receives a mysterious SOS message from somewhere. Unafraid to investigate, they discover its origin to be a derelict alien spaceship and soon, a strange creature attaches itself to a crew member and kills him.
Ridley Scott Is a Master of Atmospheric Terror
As far as space operas go,Alienhas got to be the scariest of all time. It plays out carefully and menacingly under Scott’s taut direction. Every lean shot, the portrayal of the alien as a covert killing machine, soundscapes and nightmarish makeup makes for the ultimate blueprint of what sci-fi horror is supposed to look like. Martin particularly praises Weaver’s performance by saying,
“From where I sit, Ripley is the defining role of Sigourney Weaver’s career. The fact that she never won an Oscar for Ripley just underlines the sad truth that the Academy does not honor actors for roles in science-fiction or fantasy films, no matter how good they are.”
6Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
InInvasion of the Body Snatchers, Kevin McCarthy plays the role of Dr. Miles Bennell discovers that the citizens of his small town in California, including his colleague and friend Jack, are complaining that their friends, spouses and relatives are turning into distant, emotionless clones. At first he is skeptical, but Bennell soon realizes that an alien invasion is the cause of this strangeness. Believing any person could be next, he races against time to stop the aliens before they take over the whole town.
One of the Best Sci-Fi Adaptations
So far, Jack Finney’s original novel has been adapted four times. But none compare in greatness and nuance to Don Siegel’s version. Leveraging the Red Scare paranoia of post-war America, it tells a tale of aliens, devoid of any soul, replacing community members in an unsettling way.
Siegel’s meticulous direction,minimalist production design, and subtle unraveling of events heighten the atmosphere of psychological horror. For Martin,Invasion of the Body Snatchersis a “classic tale” that “made a whole generation afraid to go to sleep.”
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
The second installment in theMad Maxfranchise,The Road Warriorshowcases the aftermath of a global war. In a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, embittered lone drifter Max Rockatansky continues to evade threats and fend off attacks from tribes. He also reluctantly agrees to help some survivors escape with their gas and fights on their side when they are attacked by a gang of savage marauders led by the maniacal Lord Humungus who is thirsting to take possession of the gas.
Delivers Action and Adventure
Of all the threeMad Maxmovies, George R.R. Martin likesThe Road Warriorbest. He has a controversial take on the original, calling it “utterly forgettable,” and he calls out the final one for recycling the second’s best bits “rather shamelessly.”
George Miller’s grunge-infused masterpiece however thrives because of its offbeat characters and subversive Western elements, which are put together using a ferocious score composed by Brian May. Also worth praising is Mel Gibson’s performance as the reluctant hero, delivering authentic stunts and limitless thrills.
4Dark Star (1974)
John Carpenter’s feature directorial debut,Dark Star, is a science fiction comedy that takes place in the mid-22nd century, where mankind has begun colonizing interstellar space. Lieutenant Doolittle, a former surfer, has taken over the place of a commanding officer and is tasked with detonating “unstable planets” which may threaten the process of colonization. With his crew of three bumbling astronauts, Doolittle gets into the most disastrous situation.
A Hilarious Sci-Fi Comedy
Directed on a shoestring budget, this madcap comedy gives an unexpected twist to existential science fiction. With beach balls serving as aliens and stop motion effects that are utterly believable, the movie mines humor from the boredom, practical jones, and cabin fever of space travel and the loopy atmosphere it creates. The writer givesDark Starcult status and calls it “the funniest science fiction film ever made.”
3The War of the Worlds (1953)
Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, the story ofThe War of the Worldsbegins as a strange meteor lands one night in California. Scientist Clayton Forrester and Sylvia Van Buren are called to investigate. The very next day, people of Earth witness alien war machines emerging out and commencing deadly laser attacks.
The panicked citizens flee in terror and the Marines are unable to hold the aliens off. Forrester manages to injure an alien and obtain his blood sample, hoping it will help them figure out a way to defeat the extraterrestrial.
Definitive 1950s Sci-Fi
While Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake ofThe War of the Worldsis immensely accurate to the source material, it is director Byron Haskin that makes sure his portrayal of alien invasion is the highlight of the film.
According to Martin, the aliens in the movie were “elegant, ominous, and unforgettable.” Haskin takes the plot to dramatic heights by building tension and using ingenious special effects. Gene Barry and Ann Robinson are two compelling leads struggling against a superior force. A true sci-fi landmark of the 1950s.
Related:George R.R. Martin’s Favorite Fantasy Movies, Ranked
2The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
There’s parallels in all of George R.R. Martin’s favorite movies, two major ones being they contain an extraterrestrial presence and they subvert genre expectations. InThe Day the Earth Stood Still, an alien named Klaatu and his giant robot bodyguard Gort arrive on Earth inside a flying saucer. They land in Washington D.C. and try to contact international leaders because they want to deliver an important warning. However, government agents see him as a threat to world security.
A Cautionary Tale Like No Other
Directed by Robert Wise and adapted from the 1940 science fiction short storyFarewell to the Masterwritten by Harry Bates,this Cold War-era classicplays out like a thoughtful and subtle parable about how humanity’s distrust and penchant for conflict can potentially endanger the planet.
Featuring Michael Rennie’s dignified alien and Patricia Neal’s intelligent single mother, the movie urges audiences to open their minds and stay optimistic. The author ofA Song of Ice and Firefinds the remake starring Keanu Reeves to be “relentlessly stupid” and says “the original is intelligent from start to finish.”
1The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
empire strikes back
The second film in the franchise,The Empire Strikes Backis set three years following the events of Star Wars. After the destruction of the Death Star, the Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca are attacked, and they somehow manage to escape, with Luke going in search of Yoda to become a Jedi and Han and Leia board the Millennium Falcon and hide in an asteroid belt. Meanwhile, Darth Vader seeks to capture Skywalker.
Better Than Its Predecessor
By taking a refreshing and unexpected narrative turn, thisStar Warssequel brought darkness, complexity, and emotional stakes to the franchise and became larger in scope than its predecessor. Directed by Irvin Kershner,The Empire Strikes Backdove deeper into its characters’ relationships with each other and gave us more of Han Solo and Darth Vader. While expressing his bias for the sequel, George R.R. Martin notes,
“If you have to have a Star Wars film on the list, this is the one.Empireholds up better [than the originalStar Wars], perhaps because of the Leigh Brackett script. She was the best writer ever to work on the franchise.”
