I could watch Patton Oswalt break down 100 of his top movies. He breaks down the films with such enthusiasm and genuine detailing that never crossed my mind. Can we make this a series!
Yeah he seems cool... I just don't know if he pretends to be an overly socially righteous douche to get ahead in Hollywood or if he actually is that douche in real life. He's tough to pinpoint.
what i love is that in the top 5 he points out some flaws with the movie, and the bottom 5, he points out some redeeming qualities, he is not solely trashing a movie, he gives a good opinion on it
@greglbennett sure, maybe not the most positive thing, but everyone has their own opinion, and thats fine. the 'positive' thing he said was that the failure of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is what prompted them to make Wrath of Khan; granted i dont know how true that is
What’s Truly Mindblowing about HOW WELL MADE Terminator 2 is (and it STILL holds up 31 years later!) is that Cameron managed to make the film under ENORMOUS PRESSURE to get it done (It came out on July 2, 1991 and only STARTED filming in late October of 1990 and was Still filming in Mid-April 1991
I’m glad coherence is getting more attention. It was one of those films I saw where I really did feel like “Huh, you CAN overcome shoddy visuals and low budget with an interesting story.”
I immediately looked up where to stream it haha for the record it says it is free on something called Pluto TV which I've not used but am assuming is similar to Tubi
His introduction is the EXACT reason I don't bash movies either. Even when the film is a pure money grab or just garbage, many people were involved and put in effort. I respect them. That being said, whoever made Dragon Ball Evolution should jump into a pit of lava
Agreed. But I'll also add, if someone gets the urge to make a live action version of ATLA, they should be flogged if they think they know how to pronounce the character's names better than the show's creators...
huh, funny. I thought I was among the few. yeah, I saw Coherence. yes, it was good. Thank you Neil for posting this. I wish there were more people willing to take second looks tat movies like Coherence.
"Phenomenon" was not about how the main character got his powers, but how everyone else around him reacted to those powers. Travolta's character only wanted to use his new-found knowledge and abilities to help people, but he was mostly met with fear, suspicion, and exploitation. It was a critique of humanity itself. Duvall's character summed it up perfectly after he bowled his mug down the bar.
It really was a good examination of human nature. His character was a lifelong contributing loved resident of that town, but shows how easily people turned on him.
To add to that, I don't think the brain tumor spoils it. I think it increases the mystery. Because it's no longer an unexplained macguffin, it now raises questions about the nature of consciousness and what tweaks to it might mean. It adds depth to the movie where previously you'd just have to infer some type of magic is in play.
And it provides a mechanical explanation for how the aliens applied that tweak, I think Patton is misinterpreting it as meaning that the whole alien encounter was a hallucination. I think it wasn't, I think they just messed with his brain and then human medical doctors diagnosed the tweak.
Well it was also about the stress on both himself and those around him. At the beginning, his new abilities are playful, but then he can’t stop, he can’t stop thinking and creating. Of course other people would be suspicious when he can now move things with his mind. It is a let down when they decide that his abilities are because he was sick. You say the film is about how other people view him, but they picked the plot point that made those people the most comfortable with the least drama. He isn’t special, he’s just sick. It wasn’t aliens or a miracle, he’s just happens to be sick. (Spoiler alert) Then he dies and nobody needs to be uncomfortable anymore.
T2 was a massive meteor for me because the action is so absolutely insane and then at the same time the gravitas of the situation and the emotion every character was going through totally gutted me. For me that film is so close to untouchable, the amount of boxes it ticks is like this list that just keeps going and going.
And it keeps giving. It took me years before I realized on a rewatch that Sarah's near breakdown isn't just about murder - it's about _almost becoming a Terminator._ Don't know why it took so long for that shoe to drop, but it dropped heavy when it did.
Re T1000 walking through the bars: the woman if front of my friend and me drops her drink and bursts out with a drawn out "OOOOOOHHHH MY GAAAWWWD!" when that happened. We were like 12 yo, laughing quietly. Summer break, rode our bikes to theater in
It is a very good movie, but I was disappointed that Cameron wanted to pander to a younger generation and the fact the Terminator didn't kill anyone, but hey ho.
One of my favourite things about this is most of his favourites tie into how well they tell the story and how you connect with the characters and I believe that's something every good movie has, regardless of genre. So fun to watch!
Fire in the Sky is the only movie to truly give me nightmares. The hallway with all the discarded human items gave a disturbing perspective that really hit me.
I was a young child when I saw that movie. Cried myself to sleep in terror that night. Still gives me chills even thinking about it. I honestly almost stopped the video at the sheer mention of the movie. I've heard others say similar things about it. There is just something about that movie that just gets at some people.
That scene was created by the screenwriter and does not reflect the alleged experiences of Travis Walton. Walton has gone on record many times saying that. His experiences with the aliens were much more benign, he says.
@@har9020 Such tactics by writers is one reason a friend of mine hates movies that are "based on a true story." I understand such films aren't documentaries. But sometimes it's frustrating to learn a major plot point is fictional.
Oh, the guy's a cinema _fiend._ He wrote an autobiographical book about back when his interest in films was so intense it was consuming his life. It's a pretty decent read, too.
@@DrEnemy Are you seriously suggesting someone shouldn't get bored watching a bunch of atrocious films in a row because he's an experienced film buff? That's like saying a high-class restaurant's sommelier shouldn't find Ripple disgusting because it's wine.
Eh, theres at least a few spots where his knowledge of whats happening in the movie is just flat wrong. Like, his entire complaint about Deep Blue Sea, about the ocean being filled with genius sharks and nobody complaining? No, its a couple sharks which are caged up, and the sharks were genetically modified while breaking the law. Theres literally a few lines in the movie where the hot chick reveals what they did and they get completely chewed out by the other people. A small number of scientists doing illegal things because they can get away with it happens in real life, its not the least bit strange in a movie.
I can watch Patton Oswalt critique anything and be fully entertained. I could watch him critique an antique road show done by the BBC and I would be considerably entertained. I could watch him critique CSPAN and be considerably entertained. More of this please GQ please.
I too rewatched Close Encounters last year, and my thought afterwards was that it really holds up tremendously well after all these years. Just everything about that film is perfect. I also watched Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time in years, and it holds up really well, too. But Close Encounters is one of Spielberg's finest works, in my opinion. Two more low budget science fiction films I highly recommend are 'Moon' (2009), and 'Ex Machina'. Both have stories that are character driven and thought provoking, rather than VFX focused.
IMO, CE3K was an almost perfect success as a "society movie" rather than a sciemce fiction movie. Some of the SF aspects had huge issues (e.g. "Those aliens use _sound_ to communicate" - no Sherlock, just like WE do), but it was a good MOVIE. If you look at the ~2003 WotW remake, that movie tried the same (sci-fi staples but spotlight on society), and fell horribly flat. Because even with the best CGI, you can still make a movie that flat out sucks.
I rewatched Close Encounters a few years ago, and it was the first time I noticed the parenting was terrible. Your toddler can run faster than you through the woods? And when you finally catch up, you let him wander into the middle of the road?
I actually loved Star Trek the motion picture. What I loved about The Wrath of Khan was that on one level, it explored Kirk facing the prospect of getting older, facing mortality, but also discovering that he was a father, which was a brilliant contrast to the younger Kirk of the tv series, jaunting around the galaxy and teaching alien women about the strange Earth custom called love and kissing. William Shatner is a brilliant actor and his performance in WOK was superb. One of my favourite science fiction movies.
I saw Wrath of Kahn as a more unique in the military action scene in the nebula. Where they treat the ships as submarines vs cats or ships. The first time I saw a really good 3 dimensional battle. Putting the altitude into it vs fighting or basically a 2 dimensional flat plane.
@@mabusestestament I agree. I think the motion picture is really fantastic. the special effects look really good still today and the music is really cool (that giant bass chord!). It does a really good job of setting a mood; it’s more of an “experience” than an adventure, which maybe some people don’t like but I think it’s pretty great.
Star Trek 1 is underrated. It's "beige" yeah, on the bridge, but it also has all the shiny new Enterprise stuff and all the v-ger stuff brilliantly designed by Sid Mead, and executed beautifully. It's slow. That never bothers me. We go through this brooding 70s story to EARN and renew the optimistic, exploratory attitude of the ending.
I love the way Fire in the Sky is presented as we don't get to see the actual abduction until a flashback scene late in the movie. I'm glad it is included in this list because I haven't seen it since it was released and I had forgotten about it.
I've never seen the movie in it's entirety, but I remember my parents rented it when it was first released and I wandered into the living room during that sequence. 30 years later, I can still see it vividly.
The single most inaccurate part of the movie. According to Walton, he actually scared the aliens more than they scared him. Recommend reading his recount of it - it's way cooler than the movie imo.
On my own list of the best... I would include "Forbidden Planet" 1956 It is ultimately a psychological thriller with special effects that still hold up today. It has an excellent cast and over all it was years ahead of its time.
I loved how the psychiatrist who committed Linda Hamilton's character to the psych hospital saw the T1000 walk through those bars and ended up surviving
The guys at Corridor Digital had their hand at recreating that shot and it was harder than expected with TODAY’s technology. They ended up having a higher appreciation that it was pulled off in the early 90s.
I agree with most everything Patton said. But about star trek #1 . Star trek 1 was a heartwarming, welcoming, reintroduction to the cast getting back into action. And the story is absolutely what sci-fi is about. ❤️💯
I think it was also an attempt to make more "high minded" sci-fi. And to show that movies didn't need to be all lasers, space combat, and explosions. More 2001: A Space Odyssey than Star Wars.
I had to mature to appreciate Star Trek: The Motion Picture and it keeps getting better with each viewing. The music is beautiful, the acting is wonderful, the cinematography is otherworldly, and the set design is simply amazing. I would love to live in that world.
I remember seeing ONLY the flashback towards the end of Fire in the Sky when I was like 6. I remembered that for years until I watched the movie (Not realizing it was the same movie) and had a little PTSD moment realizing I had seen this before. Left a huge impact on me on how practical effects should be.
I really enjoy Patton Oswalt and the fact that he doesn't discriminate between medium and genre. He's voice acted for Sandman, Pixar, been in big budget films alongside equally big names, done all stories for all ages, appeared in internet sketch comedies, stand-up, and so much more and I never get tired of him.
I agree about ID4, that the line was necessary and ST:TMP: It was actually a slow, plodding movie that was essentially a retelling of the TOS episode "The Changeling." T2 works as well as it does, because it's the movie Cameron ACTUALLY wanted to make, but to be effective, it needed to be the subversion of a trope that didn't quite exist yet, so Cameron first made Terminator, to establish the trope.
I think the reason they cut that line explaining the computer technology in Independence Day was computers and how they worked and how a virus worked was so new to everyone in the mid 90’s. The original plot of The Matrix was the machines using human brains as some kind nodes in computers for their network but the studio thought that was too complicated for audiences in 1999.
It made me think of Men In Black where they did explain that our technological breakthroughs were because of alien tech. I wonder if that scene came about because of its omission in ID4, or whether its because it is actually true in real life 🤔
I saw that movie when it came out and I had never used a computer then. But even I knew the central gimmick made no sense whatsoever. Movies always throw in nonsensical techno-babble to make sense of things - Independence Day couldn't be bothered.
7:03 "There's nothing worse in a movie where it knows how important it is, so the whole underlying attitude is 'you're welcome'." Thank you Patton for putting into words something that's driven me insane for years
Fire in the Sky is the only movie that I've seen that truely disturbed me to the point that I refuse to ever watch it again. I almost forgot about that movie, but the moment he said it, I knew they would show the abduction scene. I looked away the moment it hit the screen and maybe caught a tenth of a second of it. I just don't ever want to see those scenes playing in my head again when I lay down at night.
Patton gives a quick shoutout to The Outer Limits. Short lived but highly underrated sci-fi series. Special effects do not hold up but the writing, characters, stories and acting are great.
@@pkpckls Funny, the exact same episode came to my mind alongside the one where a group of soldiers is caught behind enemy lines and frequently get some kind of drug to be immune against a virus created by the aliens. Not gonna spoil the ending. ;)
I have always held Fire in the Sky in the highest regard. It's such a great film and is the scariest movie I've ever seen. And Rotten Tomatoes just laughs at it. Thank you, Patton.
should check out Mothman Prophecies, its stayed with me far more than something like Antichrist, no gore in it either just very very creepy and psychological
@@wysiwyg2006 Love Mothman Prophecies! There was a great making-of doc they had with interviews with the real people that this happened to. Holy moly, the movie plus that doc... forget about sleep.
My parents watched it with me when I was a kids. All I remember was being scared s**less! I hated the film! Not because it wasn’t brilliant but because it was. It terrified me and I’m a horror person. I love a scare! But that was too much. Huge applause to the makers of Fire in the Sky!
Fire In The Sky is one movie I find so terrifying that I literally cannot watch it again. I'd love to revisit it, because it's been almost 30 years since I saw it... but I don't think I can.
I would say that I'm not a huge fan of Patton Oswald the actor but whenever he pops up on screen or I hear his voice I always smile...so maybe I am. But one thing I am definitely a fan of is Patton Oswald the authoritative nerd. I get the impression I could sit around and talk movies, comics, etc. all day and have a great time. Loved this.
Another plus for Wrath of Khan: one of the first soundtracks ever written by James Horner. This is some of the most gorgeous movie music out there. I strongly recommend looking up the soundtrack and listening to the epilogue music. It'll give you chills.
Did not expect, but was delighted to hear his appreciation for Fire in The Sky. Overall not a great movie, but has some really outstanding Sci fi shots and scenes that definitely make it worth a watch.
@@thirtythreeflavors Then you guys will love a podcast called The Polybius Conspiracy. Give it a listen, it might freak you out just a little. Good for long drives or menial projects.
I honestly can't believe "ALIENS" didn't make your top 5 list. To me, it is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Another although not really a hard sci-fi movie, more of sci-fi horror... the original "The Thing" was and still is a masterpiece.
it's what he likes. I have to do 10 Star Wars, OT, PT, Alien, Aliens The first Thing. first war of the worlds. Noticed you had thing on there I put it too.
The Thing is beyond that. Not a stupid movie with stupid people, like most all movies. did you know that Barnes the Prod on West Bats, VTTBOTS, LOTG, and bunches of shows
It's all opinion and POV. For me, I have to include in my top five The Empire Strikes Back, since it's the only Star Wars where the hero is a massive screw up flailing about and occasionally getting lucky, and everyone, EVERYONE, including the villain, is somehow shredded, defeated, and confused in the end, making more realistic the "war" in Star Wars. I also have to include among my favorites "The Fifth Element", which takes itself only seriously enough to have a plot, then everyone just has fun with it.
@@CaliforniaSurfer-gc2xvI hope realise, the first thing is probably not what you think it is. You mean the 2nd the thing. Or, as 100% of people should say, the thing. We ignore the other two.
What makes _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan_ even more amazing is that for the entire length of the film, neither Ricardo Montalban nor William Shatner were in the same room when they were chewing their respective parts of the scenery.
I am old. I watched Close Encounters in the theater. It was the same year as Star Wars. Of the two, Close Encounters was the movie I loved. My friends DID NOT agree.
Anytime Patton speaks on movies, i sit and listen, because he has so much amazing information to give you that it can change how you see a movie! Thank you Patton!
"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is a vastly misunderstood masterpiece and easily my favorite of the 13 Trek films to date. It is pure cinematic art, something none of the other films can claim.
@@spiritof6663 And as much as I like Patton Oswalt, I don't agree with his assessment here. He criticizes Star Trek 1 as being dour and joyless. The plot involves a huge mysterious mass headed for Earth, and there isn't much time for smiling and joking around.
@@jasonjackson1688 I never thought of the film as joyless. It's serious, but that's different. It's about finding joy in life again, both for Spock and for V'Ger. And there's actually a number of humorous scenes (especially in the expanded editions). You could say any serious film is "joyless"--you might as well say it about The Godfather or Blade Runner.
I suspect the main problem with Trek 1 is that its too long, too ponderous. In terms of visuals I know that Robert Wise had to use sets that couldnt be opened so lighting was an issue so we almost have a washed out colour palette
@@danteshydratshirt2360 If you see the director's cut of the film which came out in the early 00s, which was entirely remastered, the washed-out look is gone--and all of the many colors that were always actually there come out sharp, clear, vibrant, and even psychedelic.
Love Patton and will gleefully watch any of his takes on movies/sci-fi because of his absurdly deep knowledge of it all. That being said, I was shocked that Blade Runner wasn't in his Top 5 considering how much he's talked about it in his stand-up over the years.
I'm so glad (yet also not surprised) that he loves Coherence -I did too; it really is shot amazingly. The chemistry between the group of friends is SO natural and believable that it draws us in and gets us invested in them.
This GQ video really took me back. I took a film history class in college that was so entertaining and helped me to better articulate my opinions about films. It was 5 credits, so for 5 hours a week, we got to watch an iconic film and then spend the rest of class discussing the symbolism, the special effects, and even the corny moments and how they all blended together into either a masterpiece or a burning pile of garbage. BTW: Star Trek: The Motion Picture's biggest liability was that nobody supervised Gene Roddenberry when it came to staying on budget.
Primer and Coherence are two of my favorite barely known Sci Fi movies. Another great one is Time Crimes, it’s In Spanish and along with Primer, one of the few films to actually understand and embrace the weirdness of time travel. Two big budget ones that are in my top 5 are Blade Runner and Total Recall.
I have to emphatically disagree with Deep Blue Sea on the bottom list. The scene where LL Cool J hides in that oven and the shark trying to get at him by turning the oven on is a classic!
I was thinking Patton was referring to the Sam Jackson eaten while monologue-ing scene.... goes to show.... that movie is the best kind of TERRIBLE (and i recommend everyone watch this movie, then listen to the How Did This Get Made podcast episode of Deep Blue Sea, it is truly hilarious)
While I don't disagree with him putting it on the bottom list, he is wrong about one thing: No one was condoning or asking for the experiments. They even put in a line about disregarding the Harvard compact to harvest bigger shark brains to get more serum. That sentence is dumb, but it explains away his biggest complaint.
I actually liked the first Star Trek movie...maybe because I wasn't dipped too deep in Sci Fi at that age, but I liked the Voyager twist. It's slow paced, but I found myself engaged even as a kid.
Yea, patton is plain wrong on that count. Kind of surprising because Patton seems ike a pretty intelligent guy. Star Trek the motion picture is a pretty cerebral movie. I just didn't expect Patton to be so shallow.
He has decent criticisms of it but what really astounds me is that he then went and put Close Encounters in his top 5. I usually find an overlap between fans of those two films.
I knew Star Trek the Motion Picture would be in his bottom five. Yes the uniforms are drab and the plot is thin (and rehashed as he correctly points out), but no movie gave me more of a sense of wonder and anticipation of adventure. It's not a perfect film, but it is my favorite Star Trek movie.
@@sadomars2446 There is a very soothing quality to the uniforms in ST:TMP. Very utopian and non-militaristic, and so more authentically Star Trek in tone than the highly militarized red uniforms of the following films. Plus, anyone who hates a film just because of the color of the outfits really needs to shut their piehole! The first Trek film is extraordinary, the only one with true cinematic ambition. The rest are all merely enjoyable (or not-so-enjoyable) fan-pleasers. At the very least, you can't say ST:TMP is the worst Trek film when there's "The Final Frontier", "Nemesis" and any one of the ghastly JJ Abrams Treks out there!!! C'mon, Patton!!!!
@@spiritof6663 I also enjoy ST TMP. It is slow and thoughtful. It has things that happen in it, a mystery to be solved and understood. Was it perfect, no, was it miles better than the JJ Treks, yes! Much better than Nemesis, better than The Final Frontier (though that one still has moments in it that I think were wonderful, I always felt Shatner got the emotional beats right).
It's so nice to see this sort of analysis done by someone who actually understands what he's talking about in the in-universe elements he's referring to.
Star trek into darkness and nemesis are bottom if the barrel.I can't decide which of the 2 is worse. And the final frontier gets an honorable mention of badness. All far worse than tmp.
I know it's polarizing, people either love it or hate it, but I still love The 5th Element. Not so much for the ideas or plot, both of which are fine just not earth shattering (that joke was for me), but the editing and sfx. The fx held up pretty well for '96ish but I've always enjoyed the editing. It's playful and bouncy... like Leeloo
i'm so glad Patton recognizes how intense that Fire in the Sky sequence is. like the whole movie is okay, but that sequence makes that movie so amazing i've never had that element recognized before!
Close Encounters is Spielberg at his best. Setting a sense of wonder but also complete terror at the same time. It's very difficult, if not impossible, for me to watch a movie in as a man in his 40's and have the same emotions I did as a child but I did when I recently rewatched it.
I absolutely appreciate the fact that Patton didn’t include Star Wars in this. He clearly deeply appreciates the difference between the genres of SciFi and Fantasy.
Great list, and there's a few I've not seen. To this day, I still thing Terminator 2 is one of the most accomplished films ever made. Even the deleted scenes are excellent, thought the cinema cut is probably for the best. My only gripe would be that there's just too many blue lights. Other than that, the fact that it's over 30 years old and most of it still holds up today is a testament to the level of artistry and ability the production had.
One of the reasons why I'm looking forward to the Avatar sequels. I've been watching movies long enough to know that it doesn't pay to bet against James Cameron, even if it seems like the odds are long.
@@peterwinters8587 True, but it sort of makes the grade. Sort of.... And a great concept, magnificently done on every way. One of the few films which just has NO faults
I bought my best friend Dark City for his birthday, this was years ago when it first came out on DVD.. He returned it to Best Buy and exchanged it for Deep Blue Sea because he has a phobia of sharks. About a year or two later out of nowhere he apologizes to me and says I bought the right movie for him, and he regrets having exchanged it. lol He had since then seen Dark City. Since then he has trusted my choice in gifts. He hates to read but I've bought him many books over the years, but I pick ones I know he'll enjoy and a couple of your books were among them.
I would love to just listen to Patton Oswald talk about things he loves or finds disappointing. He explains everything so well and even brings up points he likes about his most disappointing movies. Love him!!!
Primer would have been a great episode for Black Mirror. And btw it falls apart in the fountain scene because the dialogue is very important but you can barely hear it because of the background (foreground?) noise of the fountain. They should have just reshot the scene when they noticed that in post.
Loved this! 100% agree on Independence Day, the computer virus thing was so stupid and always bothered me. I had no idea they actually shot a scene explaining it, that would have changed my whole view of the movie!
I always just accepted it based on the aliens hijacking Earth's systems to coordinate the attack, so it was the invaders syncing up to our system and not the other way round.
They were using our satellites to coordinate their attacks, so clearly their tech was already compatible with ours. David uploaded a virus into the same signal they were using to infiltrate our satellite network. I’ve never really understood this criticism of this plot point
I shrugged the whole "virus" thing off pretty easily, to be honest. Pretty close to everything Hollywood does with "hacking" is so unbearably stupid and I found it easier to swallow than someone "hacking" RSA in three minutes (Swordfish) or a CPU exploding because it was "hacked" (Skyfall). With Independence Day I could at least fill in the gaps to get to something at least plausible.
Saw Star Trek: the motion picture when it first came out in theaters. I was 8 years old, and a fan of the Star Trek television series, so expectations were high. Plus, I was obsessed with the original Star Wars movie, and hence was expecting a comparable cinematic experience. Spoiler alert; it was not a comparable cinematic experience. Instead, my memory of the first Star Trek film is that it's the only movie I ever fell asleep on, in the theater.
It's odd. When I first saw Star Trek TMP as a kid, I liked it. What I liked, specifically, were all the civilizations and images inside V'Ger's 'memories' or 'databanks'. I sketched them out on paper over and over again imagining what they could really be beyond all that lightning and darkness. I didn't even remember too much of the story, just those fantastical scenes of never-before-seen planets and societies. I have a different opinion now, but I actually liked some of it as a kid.
Glad to see Coherence get a mention, it's a fantastic, memorable, and creepy film. I would have Cosmos on my list too. It had an even lower budget (zero!) and almost entirely takes place in and around a Volvo, but it's such a great film.
So why can't we get the same thing with more money? Just a basic medium budget would be great. It's like someone saying "Look at this brilliant musician - he's just using one guitar!" Great, let's give the brilliant person more stuff then!
LOVED this! Especially the bit where he talked about how it’s hard to watch ‘Close Encounters’ being a dad now. I understand. Wishing you all the best, Patton.
The funny part about your 'scratch free linoleum' comparison is that, we actually did that Pat lol. Companies made tons of products that seemed amazing then were like "Ooo but it causes cancer". Dupont did it with non-stick pans and coatings, rain coats, etc... Tons of companies did, and probably still are. Pharmaceutical companies still do haha. Create a drug to cure one thing, but it causes a hundred side-effects and death.
Everything comes with risks. Im fine with that. I just wish we were told what the risks are instead of just lying saying everything is "perfectly safe"
He's not saying it's a bad movie... it's a bad Sci fi movie because they don't trust the audience prioritising the Sci fi storyline as he explained. It's basically any US war invasion/top gun style movie with fanservice for area 51 conspiracy theorists. Not in solid Sci fi category... but not a bad movie.
I Had a Convo with Patton Oswalt and I tell you you'd genuinely feel that he's this serious but entertainingly cool to have a Convo with even he's a busy man! But would love to know his top 12 movies ! I guess those six films showed here makes you want to see those
I loved Patton's comment about the special effects in Close Encounters. I used to teach a film study course that featured 2001: a Space Odyssey. The students were amazed that Kubrick did what he did without CGI, even as they chuckled at how primitive the movie is compared to today's sci-fi epics. Kudos for the Flowers for Algernon comparison as well.
I especially enjoy the pen floating in zero-G simply being a pen glued to a piece of glass. It's such a low-tech solution to something that would cost millions to render today.
I can’t stand when adult critics rip it apart. They’re lying. At that time it was EPIC! I was 13 when it came out and I must have seen it at least 3 times in the theater. It was awesome.
@@Boobalopbop Yes, you were 13 and it was awesome. If you saw if when you were an adult, you might like the action but realize it’s a terrible movie. It’s ok to like things for nostalgia, so more power to you.
@@Ryotsu2112 But not every movie is Schindler’s List. Sometimes, just a fun action movie is just a fun action movie, with lame cutesie moments and fun stereotypes. Even at 13, I didn’t like that the one black woman had to be a stripper, but it is what it is. In retrospect, the way it’s so improbable and hoakie, it almost feels like a play. Let it be.
You're missing the whole point lmao and ya when you we're 13.. watching it as an adult lots of people have their own opinions because there's lots of flaws
@@matthewlambert7501 And all the reviewers trashing it are my age and older and that’s why I think they need to stop. Patton didn’t exactly trash it, like others have… He was honest, and said the truth, it was fun at the time.
I could listen to Patton Oswalt talk about movies all day. Get him back for a big like 1-2hr rundown on his 10 favourite and 10 worst movies of all time
*Just a short list (TV shows excluded* *...they need lists of their own).* *No particular order;* "Fido" (2006) "Day Of The Triffids" (1963) "How To Train Your Dragon" trilogy (2010, 2014, 2019) "The Andromeda Strain" (1971) "Evolution" (2001) "The Blob" (1958) "Lilo And Stitch" (2002) "Little Shop Of Horrors" (1960, or 1986) "Wild Robot" (2024) "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) All of the "Planet Of The Apes" movies, and ALL of the superhero movies.
@@niallreid7664 They are set in space, my bro . The stories aren't sci fi. There's little Sci in the Fi. You could transfer Alien to a remote mining colony and change nothing else. Same story. And Army of the Dead is enough evidence for Aliens. Ash and Bishop live just outside the fence of my "mostly"
Independence Day is one of those movies that I can watch every few years and enjoy, even though it's not great sci-fi. Just enjoyable entertainment. Suspend disbelief, rock on.
True story. It was entertaining! It was fun! It was a comedy... and well played The highlight for me? We were in the theater watching it, and when the First Lady died..... the whole crowd gave a standing ovation! (Clinton was in office at the time)
I remember being a little kid and randomly changing through channels and that scene coming on. It stuck with me to this day and I could not even remember if it was real until I was much older and saw it pop up on videos like this, where people talk about it.
I very much enjoyed this presentation by Mr. Oswalt. I can't say I agreed with all his choices but I appreciate how well he defended them. The most interesting thing about his two lists is that almost nobody else would think of putting most of those movies on their own lists.
I could watch Patton Oswalt break down 100 of his top movies. He breaks down the films with such enthusiasm and genuine detailing that never crossed my mind. Can we make this a series!
He should do at least a top 10. Maybe next time. 😅
Yeah he seems cool... I just don't know if he pretends to be an overly socially righteous douche to get ahead in Hollywood or if he actually is that douche in real life. He's tough to pinpoint.
No.
Definitely need that
I could watch Patton Oswalt narrate paint drying.
“Scenery chewing actors making a buffet” is one of the best lines I’ve ever heard!
Also, so glad Primer was mentioned at the end!
Primer I've watched so many times. It's still so baffling. I've even watched explanatory videos. It's remarkable. What a film.
Wish he would of kept to topics that are funny and entertaining/inconsequential.
I have watched Primer twice and will probably watch it again. With that said, Primer can s4ck a bag of d1cks.
I was so mad when it wasn't mentioned in Avengers. End game.
@@nvson73Gives me hope for my Rabbit hole storytelling tangents,
DeForest Kelley said of _The Wrath of Khan_ "Now _this_ is Star Trek I."
I hated the first one. Those uniforms looked like ugly pajamas.
actually that was a Lincoln quote
what i love is that in the top 5 he points out some flaws with the movie, and the bottom 5, he points out some redeeming qualities, he is not solely trashing a movie, he gives a good opinion on it
@greglbennett sure, maybe not the most positive thing, but everyone has their own opinion, and thats fine. the 'positive' thing he said was that the failure of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is what prompted them to make Wrath of Khan; granted i dont know how true that is
What’s Truly Mindblowing about HOW WELL MADE Terminator 2 is (and it STILL holds up 31 years later!) is that Cameron managed to make the film under ENORMOUS PRESSURE to get it done (It came out on July 2, 1991 and only STARTED filming in late October of 1990 and was Still filming in Mid-April 1991
That's Cameron for you. Watch the abyss again. it's amazing how well it holds up too.
Same with Aliens and even Titanic
ok calm down
Also easily one of the best pinball machines out there!
Ohhhh if only Avatar and Terminator Dark Fate kept with that tradition....
This video absolutely needs a sequel. I could hear him talk about this stuff for ages.
He's very well spoken and uses some great metaphors.
needs to be a youtube channel
Agreed
I’m glad coherence is getting more attention. It was one of those films I saw where I really did feel like “Huh, you CAN overcome shoddy visuals and low budget with an interesting story.”
I immediately looked up where to stream it haha for the record it says it is free on something called Pluto TV which I've not used but am assuming is similar to Tubi
I saw it recently & was disappointed given the reviews. Another Earth & Triangle are better films in the same sphere.
@@saltydog7038 Looks like it's free on Amazon Prime. I'm going to try to watch it in the next few days since I was not aware of it.
ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED MOVIES OF ALL TIME.
@@ddc2957 I remember not being a huge fan of the ending, but up until then I was really enjoying it. Thanks for the other recs!
His introduction is the EXACT reason I don't bash movies either. Even when the film is a pure money grab or just garbage, many people were involved and put in effort. I respect them. That being said, whoever made Dragon Ball Evolution should jump into a pit of lava
I second the motion. Any objections. Nock! Nock! No! Then Let The Motion Pass.
yes, we need anime/cartoon adaptations next!!
Agreed. But I'll also add, if someone gets the urge to make a live action version of ATLA, they should be flogged if they think they know how to pronounce the character's names better than the show's creators...
@@carolinehaf21 Like the terrible Sandman adaptation! Starring this fat waste of space! Oh, wait, wow, we have come full circle.
One thing i say a lot is "it's easy to tear down something that someone else has built".
To me Oswalts most epic moment was his 8 minute, uncut, one take Star Wars/Marvel rant in Parks and Rec
there should be a link in the description.
And what's funny is that some of what he said actually made it into the Boba Fett TV series on Disney+.
I loved him as The Penguin in that one CollegeHumour skit.
He ad-libbed almost all of that too!!
Pretty weak best moment
Patton Oswalt is an absolute beast to include Coherence! Nobody ever talks about this movie, and it has always bugged me
I watched this movie for time yesterday because I read about on Giant Freaking Robot I think. It was amazing.
I haven’t stopped talking about it for years. It’s the first movie I recommend to anyone
huh, funny. I thought I was among the few. yeah, I saw Coherence. yes, it was good. Thank you Neil for posting this. I wish there were more people willing to take second looks tat movies like Coherence.
Coherence... Meh
Never heard about it before buy Im gonna watch it now thanks to him.
"Phenomenon" was not about how the main character got his powers, but how everyone else around him reacted to those powers. Travolta's character only wanted to use his new-found knowledge and abilities to help people, but he was mostly met with fear, suspicion, and exploitation. It was a critique of humanity itself. Duvall's character summed it up perfectly after he bowled his mug down the bar.
It really was a good examination of human nature. His character was a lifelong contributing loved resident of that town, but shows how easily people turned on him.
totally agree with this statement.
To add to that, I don't think the brain tumor spoils it. I think it increases the mystery. Because it's no longer an unexplained macguffin, it now raises questions about the nature of consciousness and what tweaks to it might mean. It adds depth to the movie where previously you'd just have to infer some type of magic is in play.
And it provides a mechanical explanation for how the aliens applied that tweak, I think Patton is misinterpreting it as meaning that the whole alien encounter was a hallucination. I think it wasn't, I think they just messed with his brain and then human medical doctors diagnosed the tweak.
Well it was also about the stress on both himself and those around him. At the beginning, his new abilities are playful, but then he can’t stop, he can’t stop thinking and creating. Of course other people would be suspicious when he can now move things with his mind. It is a let down when they decide that his abilities are because he was sick. You say the film is about how other people view him, but they picked the plot point that made those people the most comfortable with the least drama. He isn’t special, he’s just sick. It wasn’t aliens or a miracle, he’s just happens to be sick. (Spoiler alert) Then he dies and nobody needs to be uncomfortable anymore.
Totally chuffed he mention Threads 😊
Such a chilling and harrowing take on the cold war, it scared the heck outta me 🎉
T2 was a massive meteor for me because the action is so absolutely insane and then at the same time the gravitas of the situation and the emotion every character was going through totally gutted me. For me that film is so close to untouchable, the amount of boxes it ticks is like this list that just keeps going and going.
And it keeps giving. It took me years before I realized on a rewatch that Sarah's near breakdown isn't just about murder - it's about _almost becoming a Terminator._ Don't know why it took so long for that shoe to drop, but it dropped heavy when it did.
T2 Was the only movie in my life that I saw in the theater, and went back to the theater the next day and saw it again. Twice in two days. Only film.
the effect where he walks through the bars was incredible for the time
Re T1000 walking through the bars: the woman if front of my friend and me drops her drink and bursts out with a drawn out "OOOOOOHHHH MY GAAAWWWD!" when that happened. We were like 12 yo, laughing quietly. Summer break, rode our bikes to theater in
It is a very good movie, but I was disappointed that Cameron wanted to pander to a younger generation and the fact the Terminator didn't kill anyone, but hey ho.
One of my favourite things about this is most of his favourites tie into how well they tell the story and how you connect with the characters and I believe that's something every good movie has, regardless of genre. So fun to watch!
YES! The three most important things in a movie are story, story, story. Characters yeah I love that too, but only if they contribute to the story.
Fire in the Sky is the only movie to truly give me nightmares. The hallway with all the discarded human items gave a disturbing perspective that really hit me.
I'm happy he mentioned how great the examination/ probe scene was.
I was a young child when I saw that movie. Cried myself to sleep in terror that night. Still gives me chills even thinking about it. I honestly almost stopped the video at the sheer mention of the movie. I've heard others say similar things about it. There is just something about that movie that just gets at some people.
That scene was created by the screenwriter and does not reflect the alleged experiences of Travis Walton. Walton has gone on record many times saying that. His experiences with the aliens were much more benign, he says.
@@har9020 Such tactics by writers is one reason a friend of mine hates movies that are "based on a true story." I understand such films aren't documentaries. But sometimes it's frustrating to learn a major plot point is fictional.
I saw Fire in the Sky as a kid, and couldn't rewatch it for decades after. Deeply disturbing.
I don't agree with all of his choices, but I gotta respect the man's deep scifi knowledge. This is a man who knows his stuff.
Oh, the guy's a cinema _fiend._ He wrote an autobiographical book about back when his interest in films was so intense it was consuming his life. It's a pretty decent read, too.
I still think Independence Day was an absolute banger. One of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid.
@@DrEnemy Are you seriously suggesting someone shouldn't get bored watching a bunch of atrocious films in a row because he's an experienced film buff? That's like saying a high-class restaurant's sommelier shouldn't find Ripple disgusting because it's wine.
Eh, theres at least a few spots where his knowledge of whats happening in the movie is just flat wrong. Like, his entire complaint about Deep Blue Sea, about the ocean being filled with genius sharks and nobody complaining? No, its a couple sharks which are caged up, and the sharks were genetically modified while breaking the law. Theres literally a few lines in the movie where the hot chick reveals what they did and they get completely chewed out by the other people. A small number of scientists doing illegal things because they can get away with it happens in real life, its not the least bit strange in a movie.
@@jimmybander I mean the plot still doesn't make any sense but that's part of the reason I love it. It's big and dumb and it just doesn't care.
I can watch Patton Oswalt critique anything and be fully entertained. I could watch him critique an antique road show done by the BBC and I would be considerably entertained. I could watch him critique CSPAN and be considerably entertained. More of this please GQ please.
Sweet and very Patton to give a no-budget film like 'Coherence' a leg up here. I'm definitely going to seek it out.
Fun fact: Phenomenon came out the same weekend as Independence Day and both featured Brent Spinner as a whacky scientist.
Where's your Data?
*Spiner
@@MemphiStig whoops!
Still struggle not to cry at the end.
Does he play any other role🤣
I too rewatched Close Encounters last year, and my thought afterwards was that it really holds up tremendously well after all these years. Just everything about that film is perfect. I also watched Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time in years, and it holds up really well, too. But Close Encounters is one of Spielberg's finest works, in my opinion.
Two more low budget science fiction films I highly recommend are 'Moon' (2009), and 'Ex Machina'. Both have stories that are character driven and thought provoking, rather than VFX focused.
IMO, CE3K was an almost perfect success as a "society movie" rather than a sciemce fiction movie. Some of the SF aspects had huge issues (e.g. "Those aliens use _sound_ to communicate" - no Sherlock, just like WE do), but it was a good MOVIE. If you look at the ~2003 WotW remake, that movie tried the same (sci-fi staples but spotlight on society), and fell horribly flat. Because even with the best CGI, you can still make a movie that flat out sucks.
Thumbs up for Moon and Ex Machina dude! Can I recommend "I am Mother" and "Europa Report"?
Knowing that originally George Clinton of Parliament and Funkadelic was tasked with the soundtrack just makes me wonder what could have been...
You do realize that in Raiders of the Lost Ark, if Indy did nothing everything would have turned out exactly the same?
I rewatched Close Encounters a few years ago, and it was the first time I noticed the parenting was terrible. Your toddler can run faster than you through the woods? And when you finally catch up, you let him wander into the middle of the road?
Here’s but one reason I love Patton. Guy knows his stuff. His take on Close Encounters is genius. And all the rest.
I actually loved Star Trek the motion picture. What I loved about The Wrath of Khan was that on one level, it explored Kirk facing the prospect of getting older, facing mortality, but also discovering that he was a father, which was a brilliant contrast to the younger Kirk of the tv series, jaunting around the galaxy and teaching alien women about the strange Earth custom called love and kissing. William Shatner is a brilliant actor and his performance in WOK was superb. One of my favourite science fiction movies.
I saw Wrath of Kahn as a more unique in the military action scene in the nebula. Where they treat the ships as submarines vs cats or ships. The first time I saw a really good 3 dimensional battle. Putting the altitude into it vs fighting or basically a 2 dimensional flat plane.
Both those posts, great encapsulations. Love pretty much all the OG Trek films save maybe Search for Spock, that one I feel is a bit of a disaster.
I know nobody agrees, but imo:
The Motion Picture > Wrath Of Khan
@@mabusestestament I agree. I think the motion picture is really fantastic. the special effects look really good still today and the music is really cool (that giant bass chord!). It does a really good job of setting a mood; it’s more of an “experience” than an adventure, which maybe some people don’t like but I think it’s pretty great.
Star Trek 1 is underrated. It's "beige" yeah, on the bridge, but it also has all the shiny new Enterprise stuff and all the v-ger stuff brilliantly designed by Sid Mead, and executed beautifully. It's slow. That never bothers me. We go through this brooding 70s story to EARN and renew the optimistic, exploratory attitude of the ending.
He is spot on with Fire In The Sky. That abduction sequence is terrifying. I feel like I experienced it myself after watching it! Lasting impressions.
I love the way Fire in the Sky is presented as we don't get to see the actual abduction until a flashback scene late in the movie. I'm glad it is included in this list because I haven't seen it since it was released and I had forgotten about it.
@@meandmyEV at that same time it came out I was reading Communion by Whitley Strieber. I was double freaked out to say the least!
I've never seen the movie in it's entirety, but I remember my parents rented it when it was first released and I wandered into the living room during that sequence. 30 years later, I can still see it vividly.
Agreed. Such an amazing scene. Never forgot it.
The single most inaccurate part of the movie. According to Walton, he actually scared the aliens more than they scared him. Recommend reading his recount of it - it's way cooler than the movie imo.
On my own list of the best... I would include "Forbidden Planet" 1956 It is ultimately a psychological thriller with special effects that still hold up today. It has an excellent cast and over all it was years ahead of its time.
It's also a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest.
I'm kind of amazed that it hasn't been remade.
Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and War of the Worlds. The favorite science fiction movies I grew up with.
I saw that in my thirties and... I'm only 42. Brilliant SFX coupled with a Still unique story.
The shot in T2 where the T-1000 goes through the prison bars still blows my mind.
I loved how the psychiatrist who committed Linda Hamilton's character to the psych hospital saw the T1000 walk through those bars and ended up surviving
The guys at Corridor Digital had their hand at recreating that shot and it was harder than expected with TODAY’s technology. They ended up having a higher appreciation that it was pulled off in the early 90s.
I always liked the small detail that the gun gets stuck for a second.
@@wizardsuth very clever touch
@@wizardsuth I think that single shot makes the whole sequence far more believable. A stroke of genius.
I agree with most everything Patton said. But about star trek #1 . Star trek 1 was a heartwarming, welcoming, reintroduction to the cast getting back into action. And the story is absolutely what sci-fi is about. ❤️💯
It launched the movie franchise.
I think it was also an attempt to make more "high minded" sci-fi. And to show that movies didn't need to be all lasers, space combat, and explosions. More 2001: A Space Odyssey than Star Wars.
I had to mature to appreciate Star Trek: The Motion Picture and it keeps getting better with each viewing.
The music is beautiful, the acting is wonderful, the cinematography is otherworldly, and the set design is simply amazing.
I would love to live in that world.
It was boring.
@DrZook AGREED 👍
Patton Oswalt has always had incredible takes. I'm not surprised, but I am elated to see this. Do more of this
Most of his early standup material was rooted in science fiction, fantasy, and comics because he's a total geek about those things and it's awesome.
I remember seeing ONLY the flashback towards the end of Fire in the Sky when I was like 6. I remembered that for years until I watched the movie (Not realizing it was the same movie) and had a little PTSD moment realizing I had seen this before. Left a huge impact on me on how practical effects should be.
I really enjoy Patton Oswalt and the fact that he doesn't discriminate between medium and genre. He's voice acted for Sandman, Pixar, been in big budget films alongside equally big names, done all stories for all ages, appeared in internet sketch comedies, stand-up, and so much more and I never get tired of him.
He also has a small part in Sorry To Bother You, and it's hilarious.
@@RibusPQR YES went arthouse on us. Last I saw him was in the What We Do in the Shadows seres, playing himself.
I agree about ID4, that the line was necessary and ST:TMP: It was actually a slow, plodding movie that was essentially a retelling of the TOS episode "The Changeling."
T2 works as well as it does, because it's the movie Cameron ACTUALLY wanted to make, but to be effective, it needed to be the subversion of a trope that didn't quite exist yet, so Cameron first made Terminator, to establish the trope.
I think the reason they cut that line explaining the computer technology in Independence Day was computers and how they worked and how a virus worked was so new to everyone in the mid 90’s. The original plot of The Matrix was the machines using human brains as some kind nodes in computers for their network but the studio thought that was too complicated for audiences in 1999.
given conspiracy nuts etc...maybe it was for the best that both those plot lines (matrix and ID) were left out
re: the Matrix, man, that would have been way better lol.
It made me think of Men In Black where they did explain that our technological breakthroughs were because of alien tech. I wonder if that scene came about because of its omission in ID4, or whether its because it is actually true in real life 🤔
The virus is an obvious play on War of the Worlds. Still think they could spent a few more seconds on it.
I saw that movie when it came out and I had never used a computer then. But even I knew the central gimmick made no sense whatsoever. Movies always throw in nonsensical techno-babble to make sense of things - Independence Day couldn't be bothered.
I am glad I went and watched Fire in the Sky before listening to what Oswalt has to say about it. The alien abduction scene is out of this world.
7:03 "There's nothing worse in a movie where it knows how important it is, so the whole underlying attitude is 'you're welcome'."
Thank you Patton for putting into words something that's driven me insane for years
Fire in the Sky is the only movie that I've seen that truely disturbed me to the point that I refuse to ever watch it again. I almost forgot about that movie, but the moment he said it, I knew they would show the abduction scene. I looked away the moment it hit the screen and maybe caught a tenth of a second of it. I just don't ever want to see those scenes playing in my head again when I lay down at night.
Patton gives a quick shoutout to The Outer Limits. Short lived but highly underrated sci-fi series. Special effects do not hold up but the writing, characters, stories and acting are great.
I loved The Outer Limits so much. The one with Wil Wheaton and the planet-killing bomb has stuck in my mind all my life
And mentoned Harlan Ellison, who is a Good Will Hunting of American literature. A rowdy, difficult, entertaining, flawed, bloody genius.
@@pkpckls Funny, the exact same episode came to my mind alongside the one where a group of soldiers is caught behind enemy lines and frequently get some kind of drug to be immune against a virus created by the aliens. Not gonna spoil the ending. ;)
@@pkpckls He's referring to the first OL, which was released in the sixties.
Ryan Reynolds was in a pretty strange episode way back in the day.
Props to Patton for mentioning my favorite serious sci-fi flick ever, Primer! Also, Rich Evans misses you....
Though I may not agree 100% with his top and bottom 5s, I do appreciate how he breaks down his thoughts on why he chose the movies he did.
I have always held Fire in the Sky in the highest regard. It's such a great film and is the scariest movie I've ever seen. And Rotten Tomatoes just laughs at it. Thank you, Patton.
should check out Mothman Prophecies, its stayed with me far more than something like Antichrist, no gore in it either just very very creepy and psychological
@@wysiwyg2006 Love Mothman Prophecies! There was a great making-of doc they had with interviews with the real people that this happened to. Holy moly, the movie plus that doc... forget about sleep.
My parents watched it with me when I was a kids. All I remember was being scared s**less! I hated the film! Not because it wasn’t brilliant but because it was. It terrified me and I’m a horror person. I love a scare! But that was too much. Huge applause to the makers of Fire in the Sky!
I saw the eye scene when I was like 3 on television. Stuck with my for YEARS. it wasn't until I was in my mid 20s when I found out what movie it was.
Fire In The Sky is one movie I find so terrifying that I literally cannot watch it again. I'd love to revisit it, because it's been almost 30 years since I saw it... but I don't think I can.
I would say that I'm not a huge fan of Patton Oswald the actor but whenever he pops up on screen or I hear his voice I always smile...so maybe I am. But one thing I am definitely a fan of is Patton Oswald the authoritative nerd. I get the impression I could sit around and talk movies, comics, etc. all day and have a great time. Loved this.
I wouldn't even need to speak; I'd be content to listen
Another plus for Wrath of Khan: one of the first soundtracks ever written by James Horner. This is some of the most gorgeous movie music out there. I strongly recommend looking up the soundtrack and listening to the epilogue music. It'll give you chills.
There are Star Trek concerts posted on TH-cam and a proper live orchestra playing it is remarkable.
Did not expect, but was delighted to hear his appreciation for Fire in The Sky. Overall not a great movie, but has some really outstanding Sci fi shots and scenes that definitely make it worth a watch.
That movie scared the living crap out of me. I couldn't sleep for a week after watching it.
@@matthewhall6288 same. I keep seeing that kids shoe in the hall.
@@thirtythreeflavors Then you guys will love a podcast called The Polybius Conspiracy. Give it a listen, it might freak you out just a little. Good for long drives or menial projects.
"Brunner", that's a great name in science fiction and your picture has some resemblance...
I honestly can't believe "ALIENS" didn't make your top 5 list. To me, it is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Another although not really a hard sci-fi movie, more of sci-fi horror... the original "The Thing" was and still is a masterpiece.
it's what he likes. I have to do 10 Star Wars, OT, PT, Alien, Aliens The first Thing. first war of the worlds. Noticed you had thing on there I put it too.
The Thing is beyond that. Not a stupid movie with stupid people, like most all movies. did you know that Barnes the Prod on West Bats, VTTBOTS, LOTG, and bunches of shows
Alien, Terminator, The Thing, Robocop, and maybe the Fly? That would be my top 5.
It's all opinion and POV. For me, I have to include in my top five The Empire Strikes Back, since it's the only Star Wars where the hero is a massive screw up flailing about and occasionally getting lucky, and everyone, EVERYONE, including the villain, is somehow shredded, defeated, and confused in the end, making more realistic the "war" in Star Wars. I also have to include among my favorites "The Fifth Element", which takes itself only seriously enough to have a plot, then everyone just has fun with it.
@@CaliforniaSurfer-gc2xvI hope realise, the first thing is probably not what you think it is. You mean the 2nd the thing. Or, as 100% of people should say, the thing. We ignore the other two.
What makes _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan_ even more amazing is that for the entire length of the film, neither Ricardo Montalban nor William Shatner were in the same room when they were chewing their respective parts of the scenery.
If that had happened, no one could've controlled the situation. There would've been bites taken out of film canisters and boom mikes.
I got to see "Close Encounters" in theaters for the 4K release with friends, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had in a theater.
I am old.
I watched Close Encounters in the theater. It was the same year as Star Wars. Of the two, Close Encounters was the movie I loved. My friends DID NOT agree.
Yep. Saw it in cinema too although I think its a little overrated .
Anytime Patton speaks on movies, i sit and listen, because he has so much amazing information to give you that it can change how you see a movie! Thank you Patton!
The video I didn’t know I needed, but now I’m better having seen it. Patton Oswalt is a national treasure
No he's a short pudgy unfunny and untalented little man
Not according to Timothy Olyphant.
He’s ok
you can’t genuinely think he’s a “national treasure” after what he said to 14 year old finn wolfhard
You must have a low standard for a 'national treasure' ...
I still think Star Trek 1 is a great film. Visually stunning, and depicts outer space as scary and mysterious.
"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is a vastly misunderstood masterpiece and easily my favorite of the 13 Trek films to date. It is pure cinematic art, something none of the other films can claim.
@@spiritof6663 And as much as I like Patton Oswalt, I don't agree with his assessment here. He criticizes Star Trek 1 as being dour and joyless. The plot involves a huge mysterious mass headed for Earth, and there isn't much time for smiling and joking around.
@@jasonjackson1688 I never thought of the film as joyless. It's serious, but that's different. It's about finding joy in life again, both for Spock and for V'Ger. And there's actually a number of humorous scenes (especially in the expanded editions). You could say any serious film is "joyless"--you might as well say it about The Godfather or Blade Runner.
I suspect the main problem with Trek 1 is that its too long, too ponderous. In terms of visuals I know that Robert Wise had to use sets that couldnt be opened so lighting was an issue so we almost have a washed out colour palette
@@danteshydratshirt2360 If you see the director's cut of the film which came out in the early 00s, which was entirely remastered, the washed-out look is gone--and all of the many colors that were always actually there come out sharp, clear, vibrant, and even psychedelic.
Love Patton and will gleefully watch any of his takes on movies/sci-fi because of his absurdly deep knowledge of it all. That being said, I was shocked that Blade Runner wasn't in his Top 5 considering how much he's talked about it in his stand-up over the years.
I'm so glad (yet also not surprised) that he loves Coherence -I did too; it really is shot amazingly. The chemistry between the group of friends is SO natural and believable that it draws us in and gets us invested in them.
This GQ video really took me back. I took a film history class in college that was so entertaining and helped me to better articulate my opinions about films. It was 5 credits, so for 5 hours a week, we got to watch an iconic film and then spend the rest of class discussing the symbolism, the special effects, and even the corny moments and how they all blended together into either a masterpiece or a burning pile of garbage.
BTW: Star Trek: The Motion Picture's biggest liability was that nobody supervised Gene Roddenberry when it came to staying on budget.
You're so spot on with the top 5 best films. Great analysis and a lot of fun to watch!
Primer and Coherence are two of my favorite barely known Sci Fi movies. Another great one is Time Crimes, it’s In Spanish and along with Primer, one of the few films to actually understand and embrace the weirdness of time travel. Two big budget ones that are in my top 5 are Blade Runner and Total Recall.
Primer and Time Crimes!!!! Yes!
i'll watch it! really liked primer
Not seen Coherence but I watched Primer once and I think my brain melted.
I did love Time Crimes though.
Time Lapse is also very good. Reminiscent of Time Crimes
And Triangle. Check it out.
The soundtrack for Close Encounters played a huge part in driving the story and engaging the viewer. Get chills just thinking about it.
9:45 Have been watching The Outer Limits, and there are more than a few episodes that were mined for movie ideas...
I have to emphatically disagree with Deep Blue Sea on the bottom list. The scene where LL Cool J hides in that oven and the shark trying to get at him by turning the oven on is a classic!
I was trying to think of what scene he was referring to! Its been such a long time since I watched that
I was thinking Patton was referring to the Sam Jackson eaten while monologue-ing scene.... goes to show.... that movie is the best kind of TERRIBLE (and i recommend everyone watch this movie, then listen to the How Did This Get Made podcast episode of Deep Blue Sea, it is truly hilarious)
I will say that it WAS LL Cool J who convinced me to stop adding milk to my omelettes.
@@guyjperson When I add milk to my omelettes it becomes scrambled eggs.
While I don't disagree with him putting it on the bottom list, he is wrong about one thing: No one was condoning or asking for the experiments. They even put in a line about disregarding the Harvard compact to harvest bigger shark brains to get more serum.
That sentence is dumb, but it explains away his biggest complaint.
I want a Patton Oswalt podcast where he breaks down all his favorite and least favorite genre movies.
… I don’t think that podcast would be as successful …
@@B-Hathaway that's cool. You're wrong.
As always - He crushed it!
I actually liked the first Star Trek movie...maybe because I wasn't dipped too deep in Sci Fi at that age, but I liked the Voyager twist. It's slow paced, but I found myself engaged even as a kid.
Yea, patton is plain wrong on that count. Kind of surprising because Patton seems ike a pretty intelligent guy. Star Trek the motion picture is a pretty cerebral movie. I just didn't expect Patton to be so shallow.
@@karlhungus5436 Stephen Collins has never been in a cerebral movie
He has decent criticisms of it but what really astounds me is that he then went and put Close Encounters in his top 5. I usually find an overlap between fans of those two films.
@@Doomxeen maybe he just hasn’t rewatched motion picture in a while
Yep, I saw it when I was six and I loved it.
I knew Star Trek the Motion Picture would be in his bottom five. Yes the uniforms are drab and the plot is thin (and rehashed as he correctly points out), but no movie gave me more of a sense of wonder and anticipation of adventure. It's not a perfect film, but it is my favorite Star Trek movie.
The uniforms were way better than the British imperial garbage that was Wrath of Khan onwards.
@@sadomars2446 There is a very soothing quality to the uniforms in ST:TMP. Very utopian and non-militaristic, and so more authentically Star Trek in tone than the highly militarized red uniforms of the following films. Plus, anyone who hates a film just because of the color of the outfits really needs to shut their piehole! The first Trek film is extraordinary, the only one with true cinematic ambition. The rest are all merely enjoyable (or not-so-enjoyable) fan-pleasers. At the very least, you can't say ST:TMP is the worst Trek film when there's "The Final Frontier", "Nemesis" and any one of the ghastly JJ Abrams Treks out there!!! C'mon, Patton!!!!
@@spiritof6663 I think I love you.
@@sadomars2446 ☺
@@spiritof6663 I also enjoy ST TMP. It is slow and thoughtful. It has things that happen in it, a mystery to be solved and understood. Was it perfect, no, was it miles better than the JJ Treks, yes! Much better than Nemesis, better than The Final Frontier (though that one still has moments in it that I think were wonderful, I always felt Shatner got the emotional beats right).
It's so nice to see this sort of analysis done by someone who actually understands what he's talking about in the in-universe elements he's referring to.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture isn't even the worst Star Trek film. Independence Day isn't even the worst Independence Day film.
I gotta ask what's a worse Star Trek film? It's easy to explain that a Star Trek film is bad, but i don't know how you'd argue it's worse
@@muskyoxes Star Trek 5 and Star Trek Generations are both significantly worse than TMP.
Star trek into darkness and nemesis are bottom if the barrel.I can't decide which of the 2 is worse. And the final frontier gets an honorable mention of badness. All far worse than tmp.
@@ianharmon8693 No argument on Star Trek 5, but I can defend Star Trek Generations. I loved it when I was a kid.
@@ianharmon8693 Yeah, no.
Coherence and Primer are both amazing movies, and the fact that Patton likes them so much just makes me like him that much more!
I know it's polarizing, people either love it or hate it, but I still love The 5th Element. Not so much for the ideas or plot, both of which are fine just not earth shattering (that joke was for me), but the editing and sfx. The fx held up pretty well for '96ish but I've always enjoyed the editing. It's playful and bouncy... like Leeloo
It's basically live action _Heavy Metal_ , so that's the real appeal for me.
i'm so glad Patton recognizes how intense that Fire in the Sky sequence is. like the whole movie is okay, but that sequence makes that movie so amazing
i've never had that element recognized before!
Close Encounters is Spielberg at his best. Setting a sense of wonder but also complete terror at the same time. It's very difficult, if not impossible, for me to watch a movie in as a man in his 40's and have the same emotions I did as a child but I did when I recently rewatched it.
I absolutely appreciate the fact that Patton didn’t include Star Wars in this. He clearly deeply appreciates the difference between the genres of SciFi and Fantasy.
Also no star wars film is in the top 5 sci fi / fantasy of all time.
Great list, and there's a few I've not seen. To this day, I still thing Terminator 2 is one of the most accomplished films ever made. Even the deleted scenes are excellent, thought the cinema cut is probably for the best. My only gripe would be that there's just too many blue lights. Other than that, the fact that it's over 30 years old and most of it still holds up today is a testament to the level of artistry and ability the production had.
One of the reasons why I'm looking forward to the Avatar sequels. I've been watching movies long enough to know that it doesn't pay to bet against James Cameron, even if it seems like the odds are long.
I would have loved to hear him talk about children of men. That’s one of the best movies ever made imo.
not much sci fi tho
Just watched it in Australia on tv for probably the 20/30th time.
I completely agree.
I've seen a million films and it always makes it into my Top 5
@@peterwinters8587 True, but it sort of makes the grade. Sort of....
And a great concept, magnificently done on every way. One of the few films which just has NO faults
I never really liked children of men, and why so many people rave about it.
@@jakeigoe2578 I'd suggest watching it again. With your eyes open and brain engaged
I absolutely love that he threw primer in there at the end. A very underrated and unsung movie
I bought my best friend Dark City for his birthday, this was years ago when it first came out on DVD.. He returned it to Best Buy and exchanged it for Deep Blue Sea because he has a phobia of sharks. About a year or two later out of nowhere he apologizes to me and says I bought the right movie for him, and he regrets having exchanged it. lol He had since then seen Dark City. Since then he has trusted my choice in gifts. He hates to read but I've bought him many books over the years, but I pick ones I know he'll enjoy and a couple of your books were among them.
Wait, he hates sharks and went to a store to say "get me this one with the shark on the cover"? I'm missing something
@@muskyoxes he doesn't hate them, he's just afraid of them, it's like why you watch any horror movie for a scare.
I would love to just listen to Patton Oswald talk about things he loves or finds disappointing. He explains everything so well and even brings up points he likes about his most disappointing movies. Love him!!!
Primer would have been a great episode for Black Mirror. And btw it falls apart in the fountain scene because the dialogue is very important but you can barely hear it because of the background (foreground?) noise of the fountain. They should have just reshot the scene when they noticed that in post.
I could listen to Patton Oswalt break down every movie he's ever seen.
"more about how it effects human beings" is at the very CORE of good science fiction. How science effects humanity. Well said.
10:50 Preach!
The amount of trailers that's basically showed the entire movie and ruined surprises and twists are infuriating.
I love that his filibuster came true
I agree with most of this, but Deep Blue Sea is a brain damaging masterpiece.
deepest, bluest, my hat is like a shark's fin
I wonder what scene he is talking about though, the Samuel L Jackson one?
@@AlexG1020 me and all my buddies died laughing at that scene. He gives this speech only to be devoured
Bought for a dollar. Best dollar I’ve ever spent
@@AlexG1020 That's what I was wondering too - it's really the only scene that stands out for me in the movie.
Dang Nabit, I missed Primer 2004 & Coherence 2013. I'll have to check those two movies out!
Loved this! 100% agree on Independence Day, the computer virus thing was so stupid and always bothered me. I had no idea they actually shot a scene explaining it, that would have changed my whole view of the movie!
I always just accepted it based on the aliens hijacking Earth's systems to coordinate the attack, so it was the invaders syncing up to our system and not the other way round.
They were using our satellites to coordinate their attacks, so clearly their tech was already compatible with ours. David uploaded a virus into the same signal they were using to infiltrate our satellite network. I’ve never really understood this criticism of this plot point
I shrugged the whole "virus" thing off pretty easily, to be honest. Pretty close to everything Hollywood does with "hacking" is so unbearably stupid and I found it easier to swallow than someone "hacking" RSA in three minutes (Swordfish) or a CPU exploding because it was "hacked" (Skyfall). With Independence Day I could at least fill in the gaps to get to something at least plausible.
I have the deluxe Blu Ray and didn’t even know about it lol…
We had their signal they were using. They created the virus using that.
Saw Star Trek: the motion picture when it first came out in theaters. I was 8 years old, and a fan of the Star Trek television series, so expectations were high. Plus, I was obsessed with the original Star Wars movie, and hence was expecting a comparable cinematic experience. Spoiler alert; it was not a comparable cinematic experience. Instead, my memory of the first Star Trek film is that it's the only movie I ever fell asleep on, in the theater.
McDonald's 🍔 did a huge promotion of Star Trek. They screwed up Star Wars 1977 & tried to glam on 🤑🤑🤑 to Star Trek.
It's odd. When I first saw Star Trek TMP as a kid, I liked it. What I liked, specifically, were all the civilizations and images inside V'Ger's 'memories' or 'databanks'. I sketched them out on paper over and over again imagining what they could really be beyond all that lightning and darkness. I didn't even remember too much of the story, just those fantastical scenes of never-before-seen planets and societies. I have a different opinion now, but I actually liked some of it as a kid.
Star trek 2 and 6 are both apologies for the preceding films.
the ironic part about ST:TMP….Roddenberry was heavily involved, while in Wrath, Paramount removed most of his influence.
Glad to see Coherence get a mention, it's a fantastic, memorable, and creepy film. I would have Cosmos on my list too. It had an even lower budget (zero!) and almost entirely takes place in and around a Volvo, but it's such a great film.
So why can't we get the same thing with more money? Just a basic medium budget would be great. It's like someone saying "Look at this brilliant musician - he's just using one guitar!" Great, let's give the brilliant person more stuff then!
I think he mentioned Coherence because he is shooting something with that director right now. Even though it is good on its own merit
If Coherence is on the list. (Brilliant) then consider Another earth, and Europa report. Just suggestions 😏
@@justhearmeout Yes, both also excellent films too
LOVED this! Especially the bit where he talked about how it’s hard to watch ‘Close Encounters’ being a dad now. I understand.
Wishing you all the best, Patton.
was that independence day dialogue brought back in the extended cut?
The funny part about your 'scratch free linoleum' comparison is that, we actually did that Pat lol. Companies made tons of products that seemed amazing then were like "Ooo but it causes cancer". Dupont did it with non-stick pans and coatings, rain coats, etc... Tons of companies did, and probably still are. Pharmaceutical companies still do haha. Create a drug to cure one thing, but it causes a hundred side-effects and death.
He knows
That's actually a very good point... oopsie daisy!
He's that film found on top of rancid water actually.
Tell me you didn't listen to what Patton said without telling me you didn't listen to what Patton said.
Everything comes with risks. Im fine with that. I just wish we were told what the risks are instead of just lying saying everything is "perfectly safe"
Terminator 2 is one of those instances where a sequel outshines the original. Great review on all of the films, Patton!
Aliens
@@jckmisha Good film, but top 5 all time?
@@BSOBN that’s why I offered up doing ten best and ten worst. Too fun to limit it to just a few!
Would have been watchable without the kid. Furlong killed it for me. Have never finished watching it.
I could listen to Patton talk about films all day!! I would take a college course on Sci Fi if he was the professor for sure
He is brilliant at describing in great detail the pros and cons of these films.
Can't believe Independence Day is on his bottom 5! WHAT!? Please, it's amazing.
IMO it's one of the better popcorn sci-fi movies, but the virus bit he's talking about does let it down a lot
Its top tier trash. I love it!
He's not saying it's a bad movie... it's a bad Sci fi movie because they don't trust the audience prioritising the Sci fi storyline as he explained. It's basically any US war invasion/top gun style movie with fanservice for area 51 conspiracy theorists. Not in solid Sci fi category... but not a bad movie.
Thank you!! You’re the first person (I e seen anyways) adress how tragic it is that the father leaves his family…as a Dad myself its so moving
I Had a Convo with Patton Oswalt and I tell you you'd genuinely feel that he's this serious but entertainingly cool to have a Convo with even he's a busy man! But would love to know his top 12 movies ! I guess those six films showed here makes you want to see those
A "Convo"?
@Levvis Balhare A “conversation” ? 😁😁😁
@@bazzarr Convo sounds cooler hahaha 🤣 lolz
@@karlmeisterfilms9112 No it doesn't, sounds like you think it's "hip", and that's pretty lame.
@@rodneystanger1651 sorry dude! But I like setting up a cool comment here man let others have their moment !
I loved Patton's comment about the special effects in Close Encounters. I used to teach a film study course that featured 2001: a Space Odyssey. The students were amazed that Kubrick did what he did without CGI, even as they chuckled at how primitive the movie is compared to today's sci-fi epics. Kudos for the Flowers for Algernon comparison as well.
I especially enjoy the pen floating in zero-G simply being a pen glued to a piece of glass. It's such a low-tech solution to something that would cost millions to render today.
Primitive?
@@stevennieto9898 Their word, not mine.
Silent Running - best sci fi
Haven’t seen Coherence; glad you mentioned Primer
Independence Day will always be a classic 🙏🏽
I can’t stand when adult critics rip it apart. They’re lying. At that time it was EPIC! I was 13 when it came out and I must have seen it at least 3 times in the theater. It was awesome.
@@Boobalopbop Yes, you were 13 and it was awesome. If you saw if when you were an adult, you might like the action but realize it’s a terrible movie. It’s ok to like things for nostalgia, so more power to you.
@@Ryotsu2112 But not every movie is Schindler’s List. Sometimes, just a fun action movie is just a fun action movie, with lame cutesie moments and fun stereotypes.
Even at 13, I didn’t like that the one black woman had to be a stripper, but it is what it is. In retrospect, the way it’s so improbable and hoakie, it almost feels like a play. Let it be.
You're missing the whole point lmao and ya when you we're 13.. watching it as an adult lots of people have their own opinions because there's lots of flaws
@@matthewlambert7501 And all the reviewers trashing it are my age and older and that’s why I think they need to stop. Patton didn’t exactly trash it, like others have… He was honest, and said the truth, it was fun at the time.
I could listen to Patton Oswalt talk about movies all day. Get him back for a big like 1-2hr rundown on his 10 favourite and 10 worst movies of all time
Ya? You think TH-cam needs more pedos on it? I don't.
@@meuconmyeuc1337 good for you
Agreed!!
*Just a short list (TV shows excluded* *...they need lists of their own).* *No particular order;*
"Fido" (2006)
"Day Of The Triffids" (1963)
"How To Train Your Dragon" trilogy (2010, 2014, 2019)
"The Andromeda Strain" (1971)
"Evolution" (2001)
"The Blob" (1958)
"Lilo And Stitch" (2002)
"Little Shop Of Horrors" (1960, or 1986)
"Wild Robot" (2024)
"Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975)
All of the "Planet Of The Apes" movies, and ALL of the superhero movies.
This is a great format for Patton. I'm surprised that neither Aliens made the list.
I think one's mostly Monster Movie, and one's mostly action. The setting is space-y, but the story is not Sci Fi.
@@guyjperson they are absolutely sci fi my dude. More likely he doesn't feel that strongly about them.
@@niallreid7664 They are set in space, my bro . The stories aren't sci fi. There's little Sci in the Fi. You could transfer Alien to a remote mining colony and change nothing else. Same story. And Army of the Dead is enough evidence for Aliens.
Ash and Bishop live just outside the fence of my "mostly"
Independence Day is one of those movies that I can watch every few years and enjoy, even though it's not great sci-fi. Just enjoyable entertainment. Suspend disbelief, rock on.
And Patton agrees. We all know independence day was bad, but we enjoyed the ride anyway.
@@TheBestAround131 yup! Just saying it's a personal attestation as well
True story. It was entertaining! It was fun! It was a comedy... and well played
The highlight for me? We were in the theater watching it, and when the First Lady died..... the whole crowd gave a standing ovation! (Clinton was in office at the time)
@Deep Cut Reactions Just telling what happened.
I remember being a little kid and randomly changing through channels and that scene coming on. It stuck with me to this day and I could not even remember if it was real until I was much older and saw it pop up on videos like this, where people talk about it.
I very much enjoyed this presentation by Mr. Oswalt. I can't say I agreed with all his choices but I appreciate how well he defended them. The most interesting thing about his two lists is that almost nobody else would think of putting most of those movies on their own lists.