 January 28, 2009 - 10:14pm | I'm gearing up for a new SF campaign (dusting the old books off after 20+ years), and I've been compiling a list of movies that help set the tone for SF. Some have definitely influenced SF as they have all of sci-fi: Star Wars and Star Trek. Although the SF setting is different from both, there are elements of both that are clear inspiration for SF. Others range from the bad (Metalstorm: the Destruction of Jared-Syn) to the great (Serenity/Firefly and Farscape). Here follows a list of movies and TV shows that I feel help influence SF specifically (at least in some small fashion): Star Wars (all) Star Trek (all) Alien (all) Dune Battle Beyond the Stars Forbidden World Forbidden Planet Ice Pirates Enemy Mine Moon 44 Soldier Starship Troopers Fifth Element Babylon 5 Farscape Firefly & Serenity Pitch Black Outland Space 1999 Total Recall Bladerunner I avoided anything that dealt with attacks on Earth or Earthmen from the 20th century in space, or that has too much of a magic/fantasy aspect. Anything I may have missed? Any comments? Long live the Frontier! |
 May 9, 2009 - 1:55pm | The miniseries V was awesome! The series... uuuuggghhhhh... |
 May 12, 2009 - 5:08am | +1 for the miniseries V! (wasn't there a second mini series as well?) Michael Ironside, Robert Englund, and whoever that chick was that portrayed Diana (hubba, Hubba, HUBBA!!!) --- what's not to like? IIRC, Sarah Douglas (Ursa from Superman 2) had a cameo somewhere along the line too. |
 May 12, 2009 - 2:53pm | Diana=Jane Badler. She played her in both the miniseries and the series. I believe most of the actors in the miniseries reprised their roles for the series as well. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 May 16, 2009 - 3:04pm | "A Can of Paint" is a neat little movie, only 24 minutes long, about an interstellar junk dealer/treasure hunter and the perfect paint made of 80% liquid light. I had to order my DVD on amazon.com, since you probably couldn't find it in a store. A.E. Van Vogt wrote the original short story. I think it has a star frontiers feel to it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425804/ Van Vogt is one of the authors listed inside the back cover of the AD rules. He also wrote the War Against the Rull. The Rull remind me of sathar with holoscreens. @"A Can of Paint" (movie). I found a cheap copy on Amazon.com. It was waiting in the mail for me when I came home from the hospital yesterday. So I watched it. About 24 minutes long. I found it very well done and it held my attension for the whole time. The Extras are interesting too. Music-Only soundtrack, deleted scenes, storyboards, etc. I recommend it. A day or two before I read the A. E. Van Vogt story it was based on. The movie is much better. @"War Against the Rull" by A. E. Van Vogt (book). This is a collection of stories that were written individually, over a long period of time, for various SF Magazines, and put together later in book form. The blurb on the back of the copy I looked at was vague and unimpressive. The review it got on Wikipedia was only "so-so". I did not buy it. Does anybody recommend it? |
May 16, 2009 - 4:19pm | Uhhh, no. I'd much rather read Piper's "Space Viking." "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 June 13, 2009 - 5:07pm | I actually remember seeing 2 episodes of this very short lived show: it was called Salvage 1 http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/9782/salvage1.html it might have been a little camp but it sure screems SF low tech setting  I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 13, 2009 - 8:05pm | Sci-Fi Channel just showed a movie tonight called "Star Runners", with Conner Trinneer ("Trip" Tucker - Enterprise) and James Kyson Lee (Lei Chen - Heroes). The movie was pretty well done for a Sci-Fi Channel production. It's about smugglers carrying U.P. (United Planetary) cargo (turns out to be a woman with no "ident chip" and untold mental powers [Mentalist devotee x10]) who performed a risk jump to get away from dissidents who are after their cargo, causing them to crash land on a planet full of vicious insects. How much more Star Frontiers could you expect from a movie?  The only things missing was the SF races and beam tech (though there were energy shields) and there was artificial gravity on the ships. It could easily have been set in the Firefly universe, sort of Firefly meets Pitch Black or Starship Troopers minus the tongue in cheek. It was pretty soft sci-fi with the woman, but otherwise it was a good Star Frontiers style adventure. It was cliché through and through, but a decent view.View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 June 13, 2009 - 11:01pm | +1 for the miniseries V! (wasn't there a second mini series as well?) Michael Ironside, Robert Englund, and whoever that chick was that portrayed Diana (hubba, Hubba, HUBBA!!!) --- what's not to like? IIRC, Sarah Douglas (Ursa from Superman 2) had a cameo somewhere along the line too. miniseries, + series. Jane Badler played Diana + reshoot due out in 2010! Morena Baccarin as Diana... |
June 14, 2009 - 5:50am | I'd heard something fo a V remake. Is it going to be another miniseries or a big screen release? (which reminds me, I need to hit Amazon.com's DVD section again...note to self: add V to the list!) I have some V Marvel adaptation comics buried somewhere too... |
June 14, 2009 - 11:39am | (which reminds me, I need to hit Amazon.com's DVD section again...note to self: add V to the list!) I picked up the mini series years ago but without the 2nd mini series it feels unfinished; buy both. DVDs of the tv series you can probably pass on. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 15, 2009 - 8:37pm | Speaking of V Diana made 15 in the top fifty sexiest ladies of Sci Fi. http://www.ugo.com/movies/top-50-hottest-sci-fi-girls/?cur=diana&morepics=33 I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 16, 2009 - 3:47am | Fifteen, shmifteen...I know what I like! (as long as she keeps the human flesh on that is LOL) |
 September 29, 2009 - 6:08pm | Well, one of my developer just handed me the complete set of Firefly and Serenity so now I guess I have to go watch 'em. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
 September 29, 2009 - 6:44pm | Then watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Everyones a hero in their own way Everyone can blaze a heros trail Dont worry if its hard, if youre not a friggin tard you will prevail!!! Gully Wog!  |
 November 14, 2009 - 12:15am | Almost all the weapons design and alot of the art work in the AD/KH box sets are inspired ( and the laser pistols is a dead ringer from the series). by this. my Youth in Arcadia ( capt. Harlock) Crusher Joe Digital Target:Grey Outlanders M.D. Geist Bubble Gum Crisis ( Boomers woop a$$ ) MegaZone 23 Lily Cat ( a very spooky alien hidden among us in deep space take on the alien theme ) Star Chaser: Legend of Orion GunBusters GunHed ( live action was cool ) Venus Wars Five Star Stories Mighty Orbots Cosmo Police Justy Gotchaman Black Magic M-66 Appleseed Project A-ko Dangaioh Madox-01 Cosmo Pink Shock Guyver All have been inspirational to me. yes I am into alot of old school anime. Also did not A.C. Clarke once say " Any Sufficiently advanced Technology is indistinguishable from magic." thus Science fiction and fantasy are hand in hand in that way hehehehehe. Gold is for the mistress-silver for the maid-copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.But Iron-Cold Iron- is master of them all |
November 14, 2009 - 4:29am | Sheesh, ArtMic...how can you list out all that old school anime and leave out Akira? C'mon now, how many SFers would turn down a ride on this ground cycle?  |
November 14, 2009 - 9:55am | Yeah I forgot that one. We always joked it was basically a high tech penis envy story, then marvel started the big hype machine and I kinda never watched it again, and forgot about it hehehehe Gold is for the mistress-silver for the maid-copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.But Iron-Cold Iron- is master of them all |
January 20, 2014 - 5:48pm | This is a long thread and pardon me if this one was mentioned: the 1951 Destination Moon. Hienlien got a writing credit for the screen play and was the technical consult on it. It won an academy award for visual effects. Realistic portrayal of the dangers of interplanetary travel. No aliens. Music score recieved some acclaim. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 26, 2014 - 1:22pm | Have to say, the closest thing I've seen to Star Frontiers since the published game is the Mass Effect video game series which is like an epic movie triology where you get to decide the outcome as you play. |
May 8, 2014 - 8:05pm | Bear Island (1979 film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Island_%28film%29 Saw it on TV in the early 80s but was suddenly reminded of it tonight while watching PBS's Nazi Mega Weapons spoiler on Bear Island - a lost Nazi sub is involved and there was a cargo of gold on it. As i type this I'm vaguely remembering another TV show where a lost U boat had a cargo of nerve gas and this was found and bad guys were prevented from obtaining the nerve gas. In my memory, the young me was gripped with the Bear Island movie. I loved the airboats they used to zip around the island - every bit as good as a hover craft. Lost ship with secret cargo easily ported over to SF but Nazis? Which conflict to use? 1. Sathar vs the UPF is hard to have a character whose father commanded the lost ship if it was a sathar ship. Although it could be that there its a sathar agent wanting to find the ship to protect his identity. or its a UPF ship but that is not so interesting 2. Hatzk Naar and the first common muster, this actually seems pretty interesting to me. a pirate ship would be likely to be carrying treasure worth finding. and you could work in a PC being the son of the captain which might be fun for the player to discover as play progresses. 3. Free World Rebellion? not feeling this option but I mention it in the interest of thoroughness 4. corporate conflict and the most famous corporate war is Laco's War Option 2 is probably the best- pirate ship goes to ground rather than be taken by the Common Muster. The crew evac and scatter but they all remember the treasure locked away in the hold yet no one but the captain actually knew the location and he's dead. Some members of the crew are still out there. The STar Devil is one of them or one of his trusted officers. a drug addicted bum on Dark World station (got to draw the Malthar into this) another is now a Space Fleet Officer of command rank. One PC is the son of the Dead captain and he has a family heir loom that is a clue that will set the path to the lost ship.Perhaps the captian ordered his crew to take to the life boat and he piloted the ship and landed it next to a cryo-volcano on a moon of a gas giant and the ship has become covered in ice I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 March 22, 2016 - 8:55am | The game I'm running right now has been described to me as a cross between Buck Rogers (Gerrard version) and Babylon 5 tone-wise. It is entirely possible the tone will darken if/when I start pulling in more Alien influences. |
May 30, 2017 - 7:25pm | BTW, am I the only one who remembers Starchaser: The Legend of Orin? |
 May 30, 2017 - 7:44pm | I love the mandroids in Starchaser: The Legend of Orin. Great movie. -iggy |
May 30, 2017 - 8:56pm | That movie just oozes Star Frontiers on a visceral level. |
June 5, 2017 - 7:48am | That movie just oozes Star Frontiers on a visceral level.
I do not remember this but if oozes SF on any level let alone the visceral, I should check it out. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 8, 2017 - 7:13pm | I cant believe I missed this one the first time through but how bout the '82 mini series V I loved that one and since buying the DVD a few years ago i love it even more every time I watch it. My favorite part has to be when the grandfather Holocaust survivor catches some some kids defacing some Visitor propaganda posters with spray paint. and says, "No! Like this, I show you." and takes the kid's hand and has him paint the V on a fresh poster then say, "For Victory. Now go tell your friends!" I think the brief TV series suffered from being a regular series and not a full blown movie or mini series. Yes, I liked V too. But, I remember one scene where the aliens were shooting their laser pistos at a van and caused only superficial damage. I guess they must have had their weapons set to 1 SEU only. Joe Cabadas |
June 8, 2017 - 7:19pm | I cant believe I missed this one the first time through but how bout the '82 mini series V I loved that one and since buying the DVD a few years ago i love it even more every time I watch it. My favorite part has to be when the grandfather Holocaust survivor catches some some kids defacing some Visitor propaganda posters with spray paint. and says, "No! Like this, I show you." and takes the kid's hand and has him paint the V on a fresh poster then say, "For Victory. Now go tell your friends!" I think the brief TV series suffered from being a regular series and not a full blown movie or mini series. Yes, I liked V too. But, I remember one scene where the aliens were shooting their laser pistos at a van and caused only superficial damage. I guess they must have had their weapons set to 1 SEU only. LOL, maybe they outsourced their manpower needs and had out of work stromtroopers. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 8, 2017 - 7:24pm | I actually remember seeing 2 episodes of this very short lived show: it was called Salvage 1 http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/9782/salvage1.html it might have been a little camp but it sure screems SF low tech setting Yes, I liked Salvage 1 too. But then, I also liked WKRP too, but that isn't sci fi but it's from roughly the same era. Joe Cabadas |
June 8, 2017 - 7:28pm | WKRP in Cincinnati!!!!! I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 8, 2017 - 7:50pm | How about Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Thing as possible inspirations, especially if they are thrown in the Frontier universe. You could throw in Saturn 3 with the deranged cybot. The Fly for those bap bin malfunctions Blade Runner for those who hunt deranged cybots. Scanners if you want to use mentalism. Predator ... for something nastier than Sathar. Altered States ... for weird science. Tremors... they act like what the land sharks from Volturnus are supposed to do. Day of the Triffids... for those who like the Skree from Star Frontiersman. Joe Cabadas |
