Geek Wars Weekly Wrap Up #2

O.k. business first...

The voting has opened for all of the remaining first half of Geek Action Films polls (#1/#16, #8/#9, #5/#12, and #4/13). This will conclude the first half of the first round of voting. It will be followed by an approximately two week hiatus. The first new Geek Film voting will continue on March 31st when I return from the Fishin' Hole!

So, here's the recap...

First Half of Classic Sci Fi Films:

Winners:
#1 Star Wars
#8 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
#5 Blade Runner
#4 E.T.

First Half of Fantasy Films:
#1 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
#9 Time Bandits
#5 Wizard of OZ
#13 7th Voyage of Sinbad

First Half of Current Sci Fi Films:
#1 Matrix
#9 Contact
#12 Total Recall
#4 Armageddon

Currently Voting Through Monday:
Geek Action Films

#1 Ben Hur
vs
#16 Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#8 Mad Max
vs
#9 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

#5 Children of Men
vs.
#12 Conan the Barbarian

#4 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
vs
#13 Die Hard

Commentary:
Okay, the last groupings were kind of a dud. Honestly, I don't care how much money the films made, Matrix and Armageddon and Total Recall, etc... These films just don't light a candle in comparison to the creativity and imagination of the old school sci-fi and fantasy movies. But now that we're in the Action Film section, we suddenly see this cross-blend of old and new films that are all classics in their own right, and it becomes nearly impossible to pick. Making the list was hard enough. This category could have filled an entire tournament by itself.

So, #1 is Ben Hur. Why? Because until Titanic and Return of the King, it was THE ACADEMY AWARDS CHAMPION. Until Titanic and ROTK tied it, BEN HUR had more awards than any other movie ever made. With classic action sequences like the naval ship battle and the always thrilling Chariot Race mixed with serious sequences of the story of Jesus Christ, this film has held its sway over me since I saw it for the first time. Look at the list of Action Films found here and see just how many films were up for Best Picture, let alone won? This is #1 on the list for the same reason Return of The King is on the list.

#16 POTC (the first movie) made the list on the sheer brilliance of its first script and the lunacy of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack. But the action sequences were pretty cool as well - especially some of the intricate sword fights.

#8 Mad Max - the original thunder from down under, Mel Gibson really dominated this movie about an honest cop in a not quite apocalyptic future looking for revenge. But this film really is all about the car.

#9 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Clint Eastwood. Spaghetti Western. Classic movie anti-heroes, villains, and a race for gold. "Dig!" What more is there to say? If you haven't seen this film, you're just not a man.

#5 Children of Men - This film was also nominated for Best Picture and mixes a sci-fi story with some incredible special effects and the always kick-a$$ Clive Owen to make a pretty intense action film. The ending of this movie, especially, will keep you on the edge of your seat.

#12 Conan the Barbarian - Arnold in all his glory. He may have been better in Terminator, but he was never more Arnoldy as he was in this film.

#4 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - This is the film that gave Matrix its head-start. Without the absolutely insane fight sequences in this modern re-imagining of the classic Chinese Sword film, Matrix would probably have never worked. This is the only sub-titled film to make the top 64 Geek Films.

#13 Die Hard - Yippie Ki Yay! Die Hard was the original and the best and has been the father of many, many, deformed bastard children. Michael Bay, Quentin Tarantino, and a whole slew of other directors and action filmmakers owe their existence to this little film. Plot be damned, give me a building, a terrorist, and a cop with a chip on his shoulder and I'll make you one hell of an action film.

So, good luck... the voting only gets harder from here on out.

(For a preview, your very first vote when I come back from my fishing trip? Empire Strikes Back vs. Return of the Jedi - let the Ewok bashing begin!)