Updated October 28, 2022 65.1K votes 8.1K voters 229.0K views
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Vote up the "masterpieces" you've lied about seeing.
Every movie buff lies, at least a little, about the films they've seen. Who has time to see everyclassic film? Perhaps no one is more guilty of this unsubstantiated cinema cred than science fiction fans. With so many sci-fi movies considered all-time classics, people are too embarrassed to say they haven't seen them.
When people lie about the films they've seen, they're often referring to some of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. Most of them are terrific, but some have have not aged well. Others are just plain hard to find even in today's streaming world and some you just can't quite make it through to the end, no matter how hard you try.
Terry Gilliam, once of Monty Python, made a couple of visually stunning films with a satirical-but-intellectual edge. His films are also quite baffling to watch, and 12 Monkeys is one of his stranger works. Critically-acclaimed upon its release, it's one of those films that seems important but few actually watch.
The film was actually co-written by David Peoples, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the original Blade Runner. The film's nihilistic future seems reason enough for modern audiences to skip it.
Fantastic Planet is a movie that's still confounding. The animated feature was directed by Rene Lafoux, and he used cut-out and hinged paper to stage his narrative, rather than relying on the usual techniques (drawing on acetate). The film is an LCD trip that includes allusions to key issues like slavery and animal rights.
Even though it's considered a classic, and is frequently mentioned as one of the most important animated works of all time, it's still difficult to sit through this fever dream of a film.
Most sci-fi fans would agree that Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey set the standard for realistic special effects in 1968 and ushered in a new era for cinematic storytelling. Unfortunately, few people have the patience to make it through the entire film, with its long, nearly-silent sequences and enigmatic ending.
It's hard, however, to call someone a true sci-fi fan if they haven't seen 2001, so most people find themselves making a few remarks about HAL and hoping the subject changes back to Star Wars.
Why lie about seeing the original sci-fi film? Georges Melies classic A Trip to the Moon is only 12 minutes long, and anyone can see it for free all over the internet. Despite this, fans continue to say they've seen it without investing the small amount of time it would take to actually sit down and watch it.
It's potentially a rough 12 minutes for a modern viewer, those trained to be on the lookout for only the most up-to-date visual effects might be let down, but it's still a short watch.
The original Planet of the Apes should belong to a category all its own. The visuals in the film are so pervasive in the pop-culture landscape that viewers believe they've seen it, even if they haven't. The liberty torch emerging from the beach is such an enduring image that fans think they musthave seen the movie. But if they can't quote Dr. Zaius, they're lying.
When Fritz Lang made Metropolis in 1925, he probably considered it more of an expressionist film than sci-fi, with its commentary on modern society. But all the science fiction elements are there in this dystopian fable, and most fans will claim to have seen it. Don't believe them. Silent movies have been tough to get through since 1927, and few movie buffs have actually sat down and experienced this classic.
