The 2nd Science Fiction Hall of Fame

Liquid Sky (1982) - Like Cosmic, I was googling for obscure and under-seen great sci fis...and Liquid Sky kept coming up. I know Joel said he likes this film and so I'm thrilled to see it nominated. The whole 80s vibe looks cool to me. I've not seen it before.

If there was another film you were considering, you could join late with that one. Or if you want to participate and send a list without adding a new film, that's fine as well.

I definitely like Videodrome way more than either of those.


I had a similar experience. I saw it by myself in theatres, but was really on the fence about it. I thought that my expectations for the film maybe got in the way a little. After some consideration, I went again a week later with one of my friends, and liked it a bit more. My friend absolutely hated it though, and didn't want to watch it a second time. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it now if I had to watch it again.

Ok. I’ll nominate tonight. Just gotta eat dinner first.

I had two candidates for this. The other one was Monsters (2010)...

I just read about that, it sounds interesting. Well maybe next time. I had considered Naked Lunch, but it was tagged as sci-fi It sure seems like sci fi enough to me.

LOOOVE Naked Lunch. Been tempted to nominate it but I never seen much love for it.


And I'll be reading your Seconds review after I watch it.

I saw it a while back and thought it was quite good.

I had considered Naked Lunch, but it wasn't tagged as sci-fi It sure seems like sci fi enough to me.

Liquid Sky (1982) R

What could aliens possibly want if not heroin? Or maybe there's something even better available in the drug and sex driven fashion circles of New York.


This is my third viewing of Liquid Sky and despite of some rather large issues it's still very enjoyable film. It's filled with odd characters, totally insane costumes and it makes the world of fashion look as cold and heartless as it's colorful. It's a bit like sci-fi version of The Neon Demon but better.

For the most part writing is good and stylish. The hunger for fame and addiction to drugs drives its characters to cruelty and being jerks. Some, like Margaret, hide their weakness and vulnerability deep inside. Others, like Adrian, have done that so long that the hard exterior rarely breaks even when alone with her lover. There's very little warmth in this movie and even the revenge (of sorts) leaves a bitter taste.

The most notable things in Liquid Sky are its visual style and ridiculously good soundtrack. Costumes and make-ups are totally insane yet still they somehow work. I remember reading somewhere that the budget for the costumes was only few hundered dollars which makes them even more awesome. And the music fits the film almost perfectly; it's simple, amateurish but so much better than it should be.


Acting is both good and bad. First of all Anne Carlisle does really good job in her double role (so good in fact that I didn't know she was also Jimmy until I Googled about the film after my previous viewing). Other than (and partially including) that the acting is as odd as the rest of the film. I still don't know if some of the actors are just bad or are they doing a Lanthimos thing few decades early.

The biggest issue I have with Liquid Sky is the whole sub-plot about the German scientist. I honestly believe the film would be better if they'd edited that off completely. It doesn't match the mood of the rest of the film and it feels like unneeded explanation to ensure that every viewer gets what's going on. He's also the worst actor in the movie and all his scenes are poorly written.

I'm rounding up my rating (in other words I feel that 3.5 is too little but 4 is maybe a bit too much). Without the scientist stuff above I'd most likely give it .5 more.