We’ve got another Staff Picks Weekend at the Sidewalk Cinema, this time asking for some of our valued employees’ favorite sci-fi movies!
The results bring a little something for everyone from the science fiction nerd to the novice. See what our staff members had to say about their picks:
Arrival (2016)
Humanity’s first contact with aliens gets the full cinematic treatment in Arrival, where Denis Villeneuve’s deliberate pacing and signature visual style transform the story into something both grand and intimate. By dropping us into the research team’s daily mission briefs, the film makes us feel like participants in the painstaking work of discovery, reminding us just how unglamorous and methodical such a job would really be. At its heart, the story brings us to a crossroads: humanity’s ultimate test isn’t firepower, but communication. They say art imitates life, and Arrival plays less like science fiction and more like a training manual for a future that feels not just possible, but inevitable. Preparations begin this Friday at Sidewalk!
– Festival Programming Director Charlie Brown Sanders III
Get tickets for Arrival here.
The Matrix (1999)
The original Matrix was easily one of those oddly defining sci-fi movies for me as a kid. It was the perfect balance of action, grit, and fantasy for a kid who loved computers, video games, and the occasional roundhouse kick. It stood out at the height of the Y2K craze and really pushed filmmaking techniques into seemingly new territory at the time. Most importantly for me, it gave such a memorable (now almost prophetic) take on the ever evolving digital age.
– Festival Shorts Programmer Andrew Williams
What I’ve loved about sci-fi movies is their ability to boldly explore the multitude of possibilities that science has to offer humanity, whether it be good or bad. The Matrix is a special sci-fi achievement not only for its sensational technical adventure, but for its mind-blowing premise challenging us to think about our own reality at times. In the digital era we live in, it’s both fascinating and alarming to see how far technology has come as well as how much it will influence our lives. Science fiction stories are not just places we look for something exciting to explore, but also reminders to tread carefully in these explorations into the unknown. A film like The Matrix pushed the boundaries in spectacular fashion as to what sci-fi will be in a modern world, while still providing us a wildly entertaining story we can’t ever forget.
– Projectionist Nick Ferlisi
Get tickets to The Matrix here.
Men In Black (1997)
Men in Black is such a fun introduction to Sci-Fi films! Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance is jaw dropping. The aliens are iconic. I have fond memories of Happy Meal tie-in toys based on the characters. This film, as goofy as it is, really makes you think about the world around you and the people you interact with everyday.
– Director of Education + Outreach Jessica Chriesman
Get tickets to see Men In Black here.
WALL•E (2008)
Wall•E is such a heartwarming and kind story amongst a dystopian/futuristic/sci-fi background. It’s iconic and a must-see in theaters!
– Youth Board Coordinator + Cinema Events Rental Manager Ramsey Morris
Get tickets to WALL•E here.
Sidewalk’s Sci-Fi Staff Picks Weekend is September 19 – 25, get your tickets now!