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Battlestar Galactica

Yes, this is the sole television entry this time around (no offense to Star Trek fans, of course), but a show like Battlestar Galactica is proof positive that science fiction doesn't have to be filled with completely outlandish and unbelievable plots to be compelling and entertaining. Suicide bombers, abortion, genocide, revolution, terrorism; sounds like something out of a truly dark season of 24, but all can be found in the recently finished Sci Fi (no, I will not be using the new name for that channel) TV program that lasted 4 seasons and 73 episodes. Though it was a remake of a late-1970s show that was more of a Star Wars rip-off than anything else, the new version of Battlestar Galactica captured the brain more than the heart. After the Cylons, a group of menacing humanoid robots, rebel against their creators (yes, it's a familiar idea) and destroy the majority of humanity, the survivors stay on the remaining battlestar spaceships and begin the fight to live. The only cast members who are widely known in the States are Edward James Olmos, playing the commander of the title ship, and Mary McDonnell, the ex-teacher who becomes President of the human race after the Cylon attack. That, and the stigma of being a science-fiction show, may surprise you, when you consider how powerful the performances are, how shocking the twists are, and how close to home many of the plots hit. If you're like me and missed Battlestar Galactica when it originally aired, find it on DVD, and find it right now. Despite its finale, which was satisfying but had some question marks, this show wasn't just great science-fiction entertainment, but one of the best TV shows in the past decade.

Brazil

Who's up for a road trip? Kidding, of course, but if you haven't seen Brazil, the 1985 Terry Gilliam film, don't expect to see any on-location settings from the title country. Named after the old song, Brazil owes a big debt to George Orwell and his book 1984. Set in an oppressive, futuristic society where the government controls everyone's movements, thoughts, and actions, the movie focuses on one of the cogs in that system, an average guy named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce). Sam works for the government, in a drab job that promises no upward mobility. The only satisfaction he gets from his life is the many daydreams he has of flying through the skies with a beautiful blond angel of a woman. When, one day, he sees the woman of his dreams (Kim Greist), he tries to make those dreams come true. However, that same woman may be a terrorist accomplice (although the definition of the word "terrorist" in this society is slightly different in this movie), and is being hunted by the government. Sam, of course, lets love conquer his entire being, which sets him free...and doesn't. If you haven't seen Brazil, and you probably haven't, I won't ruin the film for you, but there are many surprises, and the ending doesn't shy away from leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth. Pryce is agreeably meek as Lowry, but the best performances come from Michael Palin (a member of Monty Python, just like Gilliam), Bob Hoskins, and Robert De Niro (as the terrorist the dream woman's helping out). Like Blade Runner, Brazil was beset with problems during and after production; Gilliam had to take out a full-page ad in Variety Magazine to let the film get released to anyone, at one point. Just like Blade Runner, there are many cuts, and just like that film, Brazil is a cult classic, one well worth your time.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

OK, so this movie is a little more of an action movie than anything else, but don't forget: Terminator 2: Judgment Day is about two robots duking it out over the existence of the human race. If that same movie happens to have wall-to-wall action, so what? All the more for the viewer. Even though the Terminator series, which gets a new entry in May, hasn't really gotten any better than the second film, released in 1991, that doesn't mean people aren't going to stop trying to make lightning strike twice. As I mentioned above, the story's pretty easy: a troublemaking teenager is the key to the survival of humanity (another repeat offender on this list); two robots have been sent from the future, one to protect the kid, and one to kill him. That's about it. James Cameron has made more movies, more successful ones, but it's hard to deny how awesome Terminator 2: Judgment Day is, from the early fight scene between the evil T-1000 (Robert Patrick) and the Terminator himself (Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course) in the middle of Los Angeles freeways, to the final nighttime battle. Watching the shocking special effects as the T-1000 changes bodies and shapes only adds to how incredibly cool this movie is. Of the five on this list, you're probably likely to have seen this one, so you should either just watch it again or, if you're one of the uninitiated, rent the movie immediately. You will not be sorry, believe me.

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