Comics overwhelm me these days! There are so many on the walls of your local comic shop, where do you even start? Well, I want to help you as much as I can here today! In the past I wrote about comics I think everyone should read... now I think its important to share some comics that are on the shelves and releasing monthly for the most part! So I have a list of Seven comics you should pick up now!!!

1.) Black Science : My pal/enemy/manager Jon recommended I pick up the first issue in reprint awhile back and I decided I would listen!( He said he'd stab me if I didn't) I am happy I did because this comic is great! I had heard great things about it from a few different comic friends, but sometimes you hear something is good and it just sucks when you read it! This comic met my expectations and exceeded them, largely because I didn't know what to expect. I have to warn you that first issue is good, but is somewhat heavy on content and information, at times it is a lot to take in. (it also sort of jumps around) If you pick it up I advise you to keep reading until about the 3rd issue because it starts to take some really interesting turns and the stakes seem to keep getting higher! The main premise of the this book centers around a Scientist who has developed inter-dimensional jumping technology, but that isn't really the main story. See, he has lost his family it seems and made mistakes that we haven't learned about completely... he's not father of the year either. The tone has sort of a Aliens meets Star Trek meets Indiana Jones sort of feel to me, which is probably why I enjoyed the first 6 issues so much. I also enjoy anything that explores Parallel realities and different dimensions. It touches on the theory of "everything" which is super interesting and means different things to different people. Anyway, if you are interested in science fiction that seems to become more factual and possible everyday, you should read this comic! 

2.) Chew : I avoided this book for awhile because sometimes I get tired of hearing how good something is all the time... I feel like when I hear somethings great over and over I may not like it just because my expectations will be so high... Well, in this case I was dead wrong... I am only on the 3rd issue and I can see why everyone likes this book! It is dark, weird and whimsical enough to work really well. Tony Chu is a cibopath, which is the ability to feel and see the life of everything he eats. He uses this ability to solve crimes... dark crimes. (You do the math) But the tone of this book doesn't feel dark or dirty... the style of art is cartoony and the dialogue is quite humorous, smart and conversational. It has a Tarantino kind of feel, in that it deals w/ the underbelly of life in a light-hearted, humorous and imaginative kind of way. Its really quite brilliant. Give it a try... both Black science and Chew and published by image comics and their first trade volumes are only 10 bucks! So if for some reason you don't like them at least it wasn't the normal 15 dollars. Come on take a chance!

3.) Jupiter's Legacy: This is another Image Comic, written by Mark Millar and drawn by Frank Quietly. Its a really cool story about Golden age heroes that grow old enough to live in a world that doesn't seem to need them anymore... At least not in the classical sense of the word "superhero." Their kids are young selfish socialites full of anger and resentment towards their world worshiped parents. This again has a kind of Indiana Jones 1940's serials sort feel, w/ a splash of generations x, Millennials and "Z." I haven't been able to find issue 5, I believe and it's been awhile I am not sure what the deal has been? It's possible I missed it? Anyway, this is worth your time... Mark Millar normally writes cool stuff and this is some of his best to date in my opinion. READ IT...  I-DARE-YOU!

4.) Tranformers vs GI JOE: This is only on issue 1 and it is already one of the coolest comics I have ever read! I love Jack Kirby and the artist/ writer on this book is a gentleman named Thomas Scioli and he has a Kirby-ish feel, but it is not Kirby... He has a very unique style that captures vintage nostalgia in a timeless tone. John Barber also co-writes this book! I feel like they are sort of recreating the Joes and Transformers respective universes, while still keeping many elements in tact. Every page is stuffed full of action and 80's style one liners. I have never been a Transformers guy, but he draws them so cool and interesting that it's hard not to enjoy them on par w/ my beloved GI Joes! The universe just feels huge to me, every page looks better than the last and above all else it's fun! I feel like a kid when I read it, but that isn't to say that it's a kids comic because it isn't... It's waaaay too bad ass for that!

5.) Invincible: I've talked about this comic before and I have said it before... This is the only superhero comics you will ever need! It sees it on the damn book! The great thing about this series right now is that it's a good time to jump in! After issue 110 they started a new arc and it is madness! Dogs and cats living together and all that! There is a major power struggle w/ in that universe right now and a lot of bad stuff has happened to Mark Grayson aka: Invincible! but the real beauty of this book is that every single character is interesting... sometimes Invincible is in the book very little and you don't even notice because the issue centers around Robot who is equally as interesting as the main hero! I have to say this!!! I was really pissed off when issue 110 came out because at this point I have been reading invincible for like 7 years! I got a late start on this book, but I caught up on all the reading and went back and got a bunch of the early issues I missed thanks to my wonderful girlfriend! So word got out about 110's content and all these people who never even read the book went and bought all the copies off the shelves! It made me mad because I read the book every month and enjoy it and didn't know anything about that specific issue because I just love the book! PERIOD! Anyway, It was bitter sweet, at the same time, because I thought maybe people would start to pick the book and support it, but now I see all the following issues sitting on the shelves because all the poor store owners, assumed that the book was going to be super popular after 110, but instead it just sort of went back to normal! But this one of the best story arcs of the book and there have been a lot of great ones! So people are doing themselves a disservice by not reading this comic regularly! (sorry for the rant)

6.) The Accelerators : This comic is through a comic company called Blue Juice and I have heard that it was created by the producers of Comic Book Men. Anyway, this is a very cool series drawn by a fellow Indianapolis artist Gavin Smith who's work I enjoy! Anyway, this is a time travel sci-fi story about three people who get lost in time and end up in the future, where they have these crazy historical gladiator fights. If you have ever seen the Deadliest Warrior it's kind of like that, but w/ time travel and so on. The comic has a tone that's similar to a film you might have seen in the 80's, which I like a lot. It's also cool because the characters make stops in different time periods and it brings a nice feel of nostalgia! It is a smaller comic, but it is worth a read because its good and I think Blue Juice could be a cool new comic publisher! 

7.) Sidekick: This is another Image title because they just have all around great stuff being released these days... And they have something for everyone! Anyway,  J. Michael Straczynski created this comic series and it is an interesting read. As the comic title suggests it is written through the perspective of a former Sidekick called Fly-boy. It's a great and simple twist on what happens when a hero loses his partner, only this isn't Batman sad about Robin it's the other way around. It amazes me that this concept hasn't already been done in some way? Maybe it has, but I have never read it. Anyway, we follow Fly-boy as he slips into madness until, of course, something unexpected happens. It's definitely worth reading if you are looking for something different!

8.) Warlords of Wor: This comic is surprise Number 8 because it's great! These comics are inspired from the Warlord of Wor toy line by Man or Monster ? Studios. (and The old Masters of the Universe toys line and cartoon) I was super fortunate to come across these at IndianaCon during the kickstarter, and I am super happy to have gotten the first few issues! It is definitely a nostalgia trip, but it is all very fresh and smartly done. If you like 80's toy lines, cartoons and comics you will love this book it is what the word epic really means! (like huge and bad ass in Matt terms:) You can find them at www.manormonsterstudios.com

That's it for this list... If you aren't reading these you should give them a try these are all great comics and they truly have something for everyone! If you have any suggestions to add to this list feel free to share in the comments or on my Facebook page! As always thanks for reading!

The news of Robin Williams death last week has hit everyone quite hard. He was a great talent and I have never read anything negative about the man. He was indeed a kind soul! He gave people joy and touched our hearts w/ many of the characters he has played on screen! So it only seems right to share a story of how he touched my life personally w/ out ever meeting him, and end w/ a top ten from his film catalog. 

As a kid I was sick all the time. I had chronic lung problems that made things like going outside to play difficult, and would normally lay me up for a week or longer. I had been diagnosed w/ asthma, which isn't anything uncommon for kids then or now. In fact, I was told I had a mild case, and that it could be managed. The problem was that over the years it just seemed to keep getting worse. It was nothing for me to miss 60 days of school per year. Finally, It got so bad that I had reached the end of the medications I could take to get better. There was no other recommendation the doctor could make but for me to have lung surgery. My parents and I were told that from years of having chronic infection, the middle part of my right lung had to removed. The alternative was living in the hospital for a week every time I got sick, so we went w/ the the surgery.

The day of surgery came and went, and I was nervous about it... after it was over, it was the worst pain I have ever experienced. The first week was really difficult because my body felt completely different inside and out and it hurt on top of everything else... It literally felt as if someone reached inside me and ripped part of my lung out, but in an extremely violent horror film type of way! Anyway, I was told to do all these exercises to avoid "frozen shoulder," which happened by not using your muscles properly after a major surgery like to one I went through. I had been home for maybe a week in a half or or two weeks healing at my grandma's house, and for some reason I had made plans to go visit my uncle Steve up in West Lafayette, IN. I don't know how or why I did it, but my brother and I went and stayed w/ him for the weekend, and I was not feeling well at all. My side hurt so bad.

To this day I credit Robin Williams and my uncle Steve for getting me back to were I was at least speed walking on the road to recovery. One of the main things I remember is Steve taking us see Mrs. Doubtfire, and all I remember is laughing hysterically the whole film... And I mean hard... I was in tears from the pain in my side, but mostly from how funny Robin Williams was in the film... It hurt so bad, but It felt so good to laugh after all the stress I had felt in the months leading up to surgery and the years of always being sick. I was seriously laughing so hard I was afraid I was going to rip my stitches!!! The next day, my side felt a little better, and I was still thinking about the line "it was a drive by fruiting" and laughing all the way to the gym. That's right, my uncle took me to shoot baskets at the "corec" which was a big work out facility for the Purdue students to use. I squared up for a 20 footer for my first shot, despite my uncle encouraging me to move in a little closer... I ignored his advise politely and proceeded to shoot the greatest airball in the history of basketball in front of all these hot college chicks. Steve made fun of me quite about that and we laugh to this day about it! BUT I eventually made a few shots and the next day my side felt way better... It was loosened up and didn't hurt hardly at all! 

Anyway, between Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire and My uncle I don't know if I would have started to feel better nearly as fast as I did. I had a long way to go, but they both had a major hand in me getting closer to normal! To this day whenever I see Mrs. Doubtfire I think of that night in the theater and the next day at the corec! 

Robin Williams: Top Ten
Normally, I would comment as to why I am choosing these films... I think these go w/out saying! They are in no order.

1.) Aladdin 
2.) What Dreams May Come
3.) Goodwill Hunting
4.) Awakenings
5.) Mrs. Doubtfire
6.) Good Morning Vietnam
7.) Dead Poets Society
8.) Patch Adams
9.) Best of Times
10.) Hook
11.) Worlds Greatest Dad
12.) Death to Smoochy (One more than 11)

These are just some of his great films and some of my personal favorites! Thanks for making me laugh, feel and heal, Robin! 

Recently I have had the chance to make a lot of new friends and clients, who to put it mildly, have been both gracious and kind. AND I started to think about how drawing and comics has always been such and huge part my life, and how it has helped me make friends and connections over the years. I began to run through friends that I spent time with and learned from growing up and the impact that time had on me. There was one dude who kept popping into my head, who will always have a special place in the creative confines of my heart.

I had just started the sixth grade and, man, I was super nervous about the whole thing! I had heard stories about sixth grade Friday, which was where all the older kids would beat up on the younger sixth graders. I mean don't get me wrong in those days I thought I was pretty tough, but I wasn't an idiot... The older kids were bigger than I was!!! Anyway... The one thing I always had to break the ice that other kids didn't, was drawing. 

I was making a lot of new friends that year and many times it was from drawing in class, while I was supposed to be taking notes or studying. The other kids would see me drawing Spider-Man and they'd ask me to draw other stuff and it seemed to make them happy if I did. BUT that year there was one thing I couldn't get away from... a name that was mentioned anytime I was drawing any type of comic book character... that name was Dan Thompson! 

That year, the name Dan Thompson, was like a figure of legend I would hear "drawing tales" about from the other kids, in the hallways and class rooms of Belzer Middle School... He was like the Keyser Soze of junor high artists, a ghost story! See in the sixth grade we were divided into "teams" each w/ different teachers and classes in opposite ends of the hallways and in different parts of the school... Dan and I were on different teams, at different ends of the building so we didn't know each other... All I did know is sometimes I got tired of hearing his name... I mean I was a pretty competitive little punk kid and it drove me crazy when kids would say "Oh man, you can draw dude... but do you know Dan Thompson? That dude can draw real good too!" It was like they were implying he was just a little better than I was, and it drove me crazy! He was like the yin to my yang, the Alpha to my Omega and we didn't even know each other! We were into a bunch of the same stuff... Dan even liked Metallica!!! I knew, because the other kids would tell me, while I was drawing them pictures!!!(not bitter or anything) "Oh you like Metallica... Dan does too and he plays the drums!"(sigh... like I said not bitter:) ) I was going to freak out man! This dudes names was following me around and for all I knew the kids just made him up to mess w/ my life!

One morning I was riding the bus to school like usual... I was super tired... In those days I had a lot of trouble sleeping and had these irrational fears about people breaking into our house... I felt this need to sleep on our living room couch and make sure no one was trying to get in! (I was a sensitive little guy) Anyway, I was riding the bus and I feel this vibration of the back on my seat and then I hear this loud "boombastic" drummer-like sound right by my head... and not just any drumming, these were super fast Keith Moon-esque sixteenth notes, and they were digging into my brain! Now, like I said before I was tired and I also had the delusion I was some sort of bad ass at 75 pound soaking wet... so I turned around and told this kid to shut up! ( I used much stronger sixth grade expletives which you only really said on the bus at that age)  And I will never forget the look on this dudes face! He made the funniest face like "I'm a dick, but you're a bigger dick and you're crazy, dude" and then proceeded to drum on his own head in embarrassment. I was angry, but his face was so funny that I kept seeing it in my head and I sort of started laughing to myself about it. I mean who the hell was this kid anyway? 

I started to feel guilty about the way I treated this kid. He had to be a pretty nice guy to not to tell me "what I could do with myself" after I said, what I said. I thought about it all day and when I got on the bus to go home there was an open seat next to the funny-faced kid, and I had already made up my mind I was going to apologize for how I had treated him, and I did... and we started talking... Quickly, we noticed that we both were into comics and we started talking about them... He loved the Xmen mostly because he loved the art of Jim Lee who is now a comic book legend! I loved Spider-man, mostly because I loved the way Todd Mcfarlane was drawing him, who is also a legend in comics today! We heard Metallica come on the radio and realized we were both enjoyed of their more recent Black album, which we both had on tape. ( I have explained tapes before kids) He loved Lars their drummer too! This dude was even super close to his grandma (like me) who he lived with... Then we even found out we both liked to draw comic characters and loved drawing in general. It was crazy the common ground we found! By that time we had reached his stop, we hadn't even introduced ourselves... So as I let him up to leave I said" I'm Matt Skillern" and he said " Dan Thompson." We both sort of looked at each other strangely and then Dan got off the bus.

After that Dan and I became great friends...We talked about how we heard about each other all the time from the other kids and so on and laughed ... We had been sitting 10 feet away from each other on the bus everyday, for the first few months of the school year, and never even knew it. We thought it was pretty funny. Dan was one of the first "real" friends I ever had. We had a lot in common and we actually conversed about big life questions and talked on the phone all the time... In fact, we would even talk late at night when I was guarding the house. We were both night owls, and we was like the only person I knew then who could get calls that late. We would discuss music, movies, comics, life in general and drawing... and of course do Bevis and Butthead impressions every few minutes. He was a good dude and a great friend.

Sadly, Dan and I ended up kind of drifting a part... It happens a lot when you're a kid... You make new friends, your classes are too far a part or one of you moves. These things happen. But we did sort of see each other and we did hang out here and there when we got to high school, which was a super weird time for both of us. The cool part of this story is that years later we both ended up in art school at the same time and at the same school!... I was a year or so behind from taking off school and working for awhile after my first year of college. BUT we got to know each other again and got to be pretty good friends too. He was super talented, as always, and in college his work was constantly inspiring me and intimidating me!  I was pretty depressed and lazy too, after a difficult break up, so I was constantly making bad art! Dan was always encouraging and we would go grabs beers from time to time and have great conversations about art and life! It was a cool and very messed up time in my life. But It was pretty cool he and I had taken similar paths and that he constantly inspired me in one way or another! He always treated me with respect no matter where we were in life. 

So as usual, this Blog has gotten away from me... but it's my blog and I'll write how I want too! If you take anything away from this post... Understand that "Dan is the man" and he is an extremely important part of my development as an artist. And as a human being! Our talks about art as kids and later in college constantly challenged me to think, and his work although intimidating at times, helped inspire me to grow and just draw the way I draw. To this day he is one of the greatest artist I have ever met and is truly gifted! I have been lucky enough to reconnect with him recently through social media and it is good to see his work and his intelligent thoughts about things in general! So Dan thanks for your inspiration, the laughs and always the memories!!!

So if I didn't at least mention how bad ass Guardians of the Galaxy is, I would simply be a jerk-wad. It was incredible and one of the best Sci-Fi adventure movies I have seen in years! And that got me thinking... I haven't done a Top Ten for Sci-Fi films yet. So I think I need to remedy that! As always I will not be putting these in order!

1.) The original Star Wars Trilogy: (Okay so maybe this would be Number one if this list were in order?) This Sci-Fi western family fun franchise deserves to be in one spot all by themselves! They changed movies forever! There is a Star Wars day... I live much of my life by what Ben,Han, Luke or Chewy would do "in this situation."(yes I have contemplated ripping peoples arms out of their sockets when I lose.) I think the Visual Effects in Star Wars hold up to this day! The films were so rich w/ beautiful environments in a future that looks vintage! Put that together w/ a cast that fully committed to their characters enough to sell movies, that at the time, were not in fashion and you have the greatest Sci-Fi series ever made!!! Plus, these movies gave us the force, light sabers and Darth (greatest villain ever) Vader!!! Nuff Said! 

2.) Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn: This film gave Star Trek a new beginning after Star Trek: The Motion Picture(dumbest title ever) almost killed the franchise. This movie has some cool effects as well... They are a bit dated at times, but I love practical effects and even early cgi... AND they are trying secure a weapon that gives life!!! Very Cool concept! I have said it before in my Best Sequels List( Leslie, my brothers wife, tells me she hates sequels like everyday... yawn) but Kirk to me becomes more of a human being to me... Before "Wrath" he was this incredible captain that always made the right calls and had more guts than brains sometimes... But in this story he finds out he has been an unwitting "dead beat dad," his best friends dies and then gets all the credit for saving the day! Throw in the fact that Kahn is one of the best villains ever and you have one of the best Sci-Fi films ever!!! In fact, it was so good that JJ Abrams decided to make the movie over again w/ a different twist and in a different time and it was still bad ass if you ask me!!! 

3.) Terminator/T2: Both of these films are awesome and reinvented the Sci-Fi film in my humble opinion. I will start w/ Terminator... It is a cool idea plan and simple... Dude goes back in time to save the mother of the unborn savior of the human race, while being chased by the most ruthless, cold and unfeeling assassin he could ever face... Appropriately called... The Terminator!!! "Come w/ me if you want to live" is a Jewel of a line said FIRST by the very solid and not nearly used enough in Hollywood Michael Biehn! The first film set the stage for a bigger and more dangerous world in the Terminator universe! Great effects for the time that still look cool! T2 is so cool and bad ass that it was called T2 by everyone! I mean there are other movies that start w/ "T" in the world, but T2 is so cool it took "T" by the balls! It picks up year after the first film and Sarah Connor has become a huge bad ass and gone a little crazy too! The T-800 becomes good and protects John Connor and his mother in this film. Great simple change!!! I love stories about time because they always keep your brain sharp and engaged, while you are watching the film! By the time the T2 ends you are on the edge of tears while the lovable T-800 is lowered into the liquid metal in order to ensure the future! What a great contrast to the first film where all you wanted was for that damn machine to die already!!! Anyway, awesome villain as well! An ungraded T-1000! Old against new! Love it! What more do you need in a Sci-Fi film!!!

4.) Avengers: Yeah that's right it's a Sci-Fi movie and it is an incredible film too! Sure, call me a nerd boy or geek nose... loser bate or lame wad... BUT the bottom line is that The Avengers fight and stop a bunch of aliens that are trying to take over the world, man! If that isn't a classic Sci-Fi story I don't know what the hell you want? Plus, you have Loki a "god" who is really basically an alien, as an incredibly diverse and capable villain! He is charming and likable which makes him that much more of a perfect foil for the Avengers who don't even really like each other! The coolest part of this film is that it all happens right here on earth, but these alien are coming though this crazy wormhole/trans-dimensional portal that opens up right over New York! (my palms er sweating just thinking about it) It did like 3 billion bucks at the box office! It is and instant classic! It's a hero film in a Sci-Fi story! And the Avengers kick everyone's ass too! AAAMEN everyone!

5.) The Matrix: This is a completely unique film that takes a little from here and there to become one of the greatest Sci-Fi stories ever told! It starts w/ a normal guy w/ a job he hates like any other dude! but it takes this crazy turn and he waked up in a crazy H.G. Giger looking world where like in The Terminator machines are running things and we are there freaking energy supply! But it doesn't end there, man... we also find out that the characters in the film are just plugged into the something called the Matrix, which is the reality they "live" in... And it's a computer program, man! (now read everything I just said back but w/ Dennis Hoppers voice in your head)  I think it's important to give a plot synopsis because it is such a wild concept for a film and it takes concepts we have seen in films like Star Wars, Terminator,  and even Blade Runner to an extent w/ the agents effectively playing the roll of the Blade Runners! Neo is a reluctant hero like so many other great films and stories and he is called the "one" and becomes a Christ-like figure! So many great story elements and Sci-Fi concepts explored make this one of the game changing Sci- Fi films! People have tried to capture what the Matrix did, but always fall short and that even includes its sequels! It is somethings we will unlikely see again, Like the original Star Wars films or Blade Runner it is just in a class of its own! (not the sequels)

6.) Back to the Future: You knew this would be on this list so just smile and go with it! I love this film for so many reasons(See my Karate Brothers from the Future blog from a while back) BUT the bottom line is that it is just a great fun for all ages Sci-Fi film! There are no huge laser fights or sons and fathers at odds! It is about a kid who goes back in time on accident, gets stranded, messes stuff up and has to fix it, in order to exist! This is another great "take" on time travel and "what would happen if" and so on! There are little nods to other Sci-Fi films like Star Wars and Star Trek, which I always enjoy! The only real Sci-Fi element in this film is the "time traveling car," which as far as time machines go is one of the slickest if not the coolest ever on film! And that alone makes it one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies around! 

7.)Blade Runner: What an awesome movie!!! This future is a place I personally wouldn't want to live... It looks too crowded and overly commercialized and there are these messed Replicants running around all over the place. And they all have these specialized skills they use to kill you. But even cooler is that there is a conflict w/ in Deckard the Blade Runner and Replicants he is hunting. I mean, from the Replicants point of view they got screwed.... their life spans are super short and they are created to do mans dirty work off world or "pleasure them".... But they have had incredible experiences that man could only dream of, and now they are being hunted by some human for wanting to kill there "creator?" I have to empathize with them on this one. And by the end it becomes clear that our "hero" Blade Runner doesn't have the passion or conviction he once did about his job! The film is dark and gritty and it marries Sci- Fi elements with film Noir! To me it takes what Star Wars did in there future a step further w/ the the vintage look. Everything looks new and futuristic, but run down and dirty. Nothing feels clean in this future and neither does the work that Rick Deckard is doing!

8.) Close Encounters of the Third Kind: There is one thing that hopefully we can all agree on and that is, Spielberg can make a movie about aliens! What I love so much about this film is that there are people who believe in this stuff ( maybe I am one of them... maybe I'm not) and that something similar may have really happened on "'merican soil." It sounds fantastical to think about some aliens coming down and playing music and whatnot, but is it anymore crazy than praying and talking to an entity that lives on a clouds in a place called heaven and rarely talks to you back? I am not here to answer these questions, unfortunately, but I can tell you w/ confidence that Close Encounters Is one of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever... It shines light on the Idea of alien abduction and visitation, which is something that many people have experiences in one way or another for years! The effects aren't great all the time in this film... It is clear that when we meet the aliens they are little people dressed up in alien outfits. And the stop motion/ puppets aren't that great either. But keep in mind that this film was really kind of a passion project for Spielberg so I am sure he was just trying to get the story out there more than anything else! Plus, the space ships are cool and it is damn awesome they use music to communicate! This truly is one of the great Sci-Fi films!

9.) The Day the Earth Stood Still(original): Okay this is a very cool film from a long time ago. It was recently remade not that long ago... I didn't see it but I heard it wasn't very good. I love the idea of this film... The fact that there are billions of stars out there makes it very likely that someday an alien will land on our planet, if that haven't already? So the idea of this happening is cool both now and when it was made. Klaatu is an alien and he comes to earth to tell 'us" to live in peace or be destroyed. This is still relevant today, man! he has this big robot that can lay waist to whatever it chooses and a cool space craft too. But the best Sci-Fi stroies to me are the ones that we can relate to the world we live in, and that's what you get w/ this film and it's timeless! And that is why this is one of the best ever! 

10.) The Planet of the Apes (original): This is yet another great concept for a film... In fact Hollywood is rebooting it all again now! The idea is still fresh because any day we may destroy ourselves or invent somethings that will! I mean we are supposed to be the smartest beings on this planet, but we aren't the most physically gifted or the strongest! If damn near any Animal species "got organized" we would be in trouble! The film is muli-layered as well... Humans become slaves much like humans have made other humans and animals their slaves in the past and TODAY if you can believe it still happens. The idea of what it means to be human is an interesting element to the this story too. The Apes basically live the way we humans do... AS ANIMALS!! Different apes have different jobs, much like our society, and they have trouble getting along and will probably destroy themselves too by making all the same stupid mistakes we make!!! (brain melting too much think think) Classic Sci-Fi that deserves respect!

11.) Guardians of the Galaxy: If I ever have a need inside my soul to rewatch any film over and over again then it is an incredible and timeless film!!! So the fact that I am planning time in my schedule, which is growing increasingly more busy everyday to see this film AGAIN in theaters, means that this is very special film! I couldn't even believe how great it is, seriously... it is funny, well paced, has a great story and the cherry on time of the Sunday is that it has an 80's film feel, which I love so much! There are nods to when I was growing up all of the film. ( Which just means I am also getting old, but I'm fine w/ that) I think everyone in the world has pretty much seen this movie, but I don't want to give away the plot... All I can say is that it has cool tech, great effects and awesome environments that have a Star Wars type of feel... In fact I read a review that said "Guardians of the Galaxy is like a Star Wars movie with all Han Solos." Star Lord was flying around looking like Boba Fett, man... Rockett Raccoon translates his "tall tree" best friend! They took some of the best elements of Star Wars and updated them and in some ways even reinventing them. If you haven't seen this film it is incredible and has many surprises, twists and turns! 

The key in my opinion to a great Sci-Fi film like any other film, is that is has to have an incredible story that anyone can relate to! I know that sounds like an obvious thing to say... But some films of this genre fail to deliver this element.  I could name a few, but this is long enough and I have to do Honorable mentions at the bottom. All of the films you have read through share one element great stories that all can relate to!!!

Honorable Mentions: Some of these almost made this list!
Dark Star (This film definitely inspired some of Star Wars)
12 Monkeys
Jurassic Park
Aliens
Predator
Minority Report
Moon
Gravity
Her
Donnie Darko
E.T.
Wall-E
Cloverfield
Road Warrior
Total Recall 
Enemy Mine
2001: Space Odessey (only mentioning it out of respect... I feel about this film similar to how I feel about Watchmen)
The recent Star Trek Films By JJ Abrams