V is for Vader

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of Darth Vader.

Star Wars: A New Hope was the first science fiction motion picture I remember watching in the theater without parental supervision. I distinctly recall the moment I exited the building. I looked up at the night sky...and I wondered.

Was there a rebellion somewhere amongst those stars? Could there really be some kind of Force? Did a place exist where lightsabers and Tie fighters and X-wings were the tools of war? The universe became alive to me that night.  The thrills of possibilities excited me.

And Vader...what a marvelous villain. Everything about him was cool: his appearance, his voice, his...breathing.

Keep it a secret if you don't appreciate the ultimate villain. He'd find your lack of appreciation...disturbing. And that doesn't work out well for anyone.

Vader, with his bad sci-fi self, is the perhaps the coolest reason why I love science fiction and fantasy.

L is for Lightsabers

I Love Sci-Fi/Fantasy Because...

...of lightsabers.

On rare occasions, a person pulls something from their imagination that fires the imagination of others. George Lucas did exactly that when he created the ultimate weapon for the ultimate warrior.

Science fiction is replete with pulses and beams of light flying across the screen--or page.  Armories 'R Us sells ray guns, blasters, lasers and phasers at deep discounts from their oversized cargo holds every time they dock at a space station.

But lightsabers?  They're the perfect weapon. Reach back in time and grab a hilt from the surest of swords.  Pull from the future a most lethal blade of glowing force to add to it.  Combine that with some cool sound effects and let the dance begin. 

That meter's worth of light attached to a hilt lets your flair for swordplay flare.  It's what the Jedi do.

Lightsabers are definitely a reason I love science fiction and fantasy.

For the civilized warrior

Top Ten Movie Countdown BlogFest

Ninja Captain Alex is hosting the...

And I decided to participate.  A true countdown requires ranking, but I cannot, in all fairness, truly rank these.  The rankings would change with the wind.  These are ten OF my favorites today.  Listed in no particular order, they are...

 Lord of the Rings trilogy (duh!)

The Two Towers was my favorite movie, but the Mines of Moria was my favorite scene.

Star Trek (the entire gambit)

But nobody does bad as good as Ricardo Montalban does.

Star Wars (yeah, all six!)

Let's hear it for the Wookie!!

The Avengers

I don't believe they could have done a better job with this movie.

Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars

I cannot tell you how many times I've watched this. I so miss the series.

Serenity (The Firefly movie)

From a series that died before its time. Not shiny!

Merlin

Several Merlin/Camelot adaptations vied for this slot; Sam Neill's portrayal won.

The Bourne Series (Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum)

Not Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but close enough. My favorite changes with time.

A Knight's Tale

This one starred an actor that died before his time.

The Sixth Sense

The best thing (IMHO) Bruce did after Moonlighting.

I have watched these movies so many times.  I can quote way too much from way too many of them, and there is much within them worth quoting.

Any of these make your Top Ten list?