Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy in Other Media/ Top 5 Wednesday

Favorite Science Fiction & Fantasy in Other Media

Top 5 Wednesday

March 21st, 2018

For the topic this week, we were meant to pick our favorite science fiction and fantasy from media other than books. These are some of my top favorites from movies and a radio show. 

Top 5 Wednesday is a group created by Lainey of Ginger Reads Lainey on Booktube. It is now hosted by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes on Booktube. Here is a link to the group on Goodreads if you are interested in joining.

 

5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Tis but a scratch"
I have loved King Arthur stories since I was a child and this one has been my favorite since around 2009. Monty Python has made some of the best movies of all time and this is one of them. They are some of the best at surrealist humor. This is about King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable who go on an adventure to find the Holy Grail for God and the ridiculousness that ensues. It's a parody of historical events and also fantasy stories. Below, I have placed some of my favorite scenes from the movie. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

4. Hook:

This has always been one of my favorite "Peter Pan" movies. Peter Pan has grown up to be a workaholic man who does not spend much time with his family. When Captain Hook steals his children, Peter has to go back to Neverland and use his youthful spirit to save them. Robin Williams does a perfect job playing both sides of Peter in this movie and is incredible in it. Dustin Hoffman was also a great pick for Captain Hook. He's one of my favorite Hooks. This movie holds just as much of the wonder and magic as the original story of Peter Pan and is a lot of fun. It has been a favorite of mine for years and just thinking about it brings back happy memories.

3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio show:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my top five favorite books (where it is on the list depends on the day). This radio show was actually what started the stories of Arthur Dent and the rest of the gang. It has changed a good amount in many of its formats but the overall story has stayed the same. Douglas Adams had this way of writing that I adore. The dry wit and surrealist humor is a favorite of mine. He's one of the best with British humor.

2. The Lord of the Rings series movies:
This is what I call the quintessential fantasy movies and trilogy. Every single aspect of these movies brings back so many memories for me and I have thought highly of them ever since I first saw them. As a child, I loved these movies but I did not even realize even then how incredible they really were. I have yet to read the books but I plan on rectifying that in the near future. This and my next favorite are two of my top favorite series of movies. Frodo and Sam are two of my favorite characters of all time and their adventure along with everyone else's is one of my favorite stories ever.

Also, when I was younger I could do an almost spot-on impression of Gollum. "My precious." He is great.

1. The Star Wars movies:
These movies along with the Disney movies are the earliest forms of entertainment that I remember consuming. This series is what holds the most memories though for me. My brother and I would always watch them together and we still make sure to go with each other to see the new ones. I remember watching them when I was little and being completely sucked into each of the stories. I fell in love with the characters, who really feel like family to me after all of these years.

My brother now is part of the 501st Legion, an international organization that dresses up as Star Wars villains for charities and events mainly for children (They make their own outfits. He's a  Stormtrooper). I have enjoyed going to these events with him and seeing the joy that Star Wars brings to those kids. It makes me think of my own love of it all and I'd love to join eventually (I would be a Royal Guard or a Praetorian Guard because I love those outfits). There is nothing like standing next to Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers. I still get chills standing beside those characters myself even though I know that they are just volunteers. I can only imagine what the kids think.

Star Wars has been a major part of my life for almost twenty years and I don't see that going away ever. I'm glad that it has continued on for the new generation and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

No movie viewing experience will ever feel as great as seeing a Star Wars movie for the first time. Especially with that opening crawl.