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Every film I see them show, either has Natural disasters, Sharks, Prehistoric monsters or something of the 2 to 3 combined. Also their SFX is just laughably bad.

Mega shark vs. Giant octupus that was indescribably horrible.

Ian The Magic-Ian wrote::lol: Mega shark vs. Giant octupus that was indescribably horrible.

Yes, but it did everything it said on the tin.

I fully expected dross, and I got exactly what I wanted.

True, it's poorly made as well as cheaply made (there's no excuse for the former), but it's still essential drunken lad's viewing!

It has pride of place in my DVD collection!

Pete

i thought that was the whole point of sci fi channel. Pays homage to some of the earlier sci fi films. When i was a kid the dodgy sfx were main point of watching the film! Not as bad as sci fi horror though, they are rip offs of other films. Death race(terrible) was on when death race 2000 was on, transmorphers (even more terrible) was on when transformers was on sky premiere, and last night saw advertised i am omega with mark dacoscos. Didn't have to read the synopsis before i knew it'd be i am legend/omega man based.

Interesting thing about sci fi is that it nearly always represents the feelings of the time.

By that I mean after Hiroshima Japanese sci fi dealt a lot with either aliens or nuclear monsters destroying Japan (Gozilla, men from Pluto etc) in the 50s in America when the space race had begun and everyone was fearing Russian invasion or nuclear attack there where many 'attack of the saucers' types of film, (invasion of the body snatchers is a good example of communist fear) and in cosmic trigger Robert Anston Wilson talked about how star treck was a representation of the drug culture (each character representing a different mind set of a different type of drug although I can't remember the details)

Now we have snakes on a plane (perhaps 9/11) 'the day after tomorrow' and 'mega shark giant octopus' (global warming). And there's a movie that's coming out (I can't remember what it's called) in which aliens are living on earth in a type of ghetto that draws parallel with Guantanamo bay and immagration.

Jungians would describe this as 'projection of the shadow' in which people take negative aspects of themselves or their society and project it onto an easy to hate enemy (mostly political enemy's).

From his book 'Man and his Symbols' he has a quote by Adolf Hitler talking about Churchil, remember the man saying this is Adolf
Hitler.

'For over five years this man has been chasing around Europe like a madman in search of something he could set on fire. Unfortunately he again and again finds hirelings who open the gates of their country to this international incendiary'

The new film with guantanemo comparisons is district 9. The aliens aren't tryin to take over the world or cause any trouble, they just want to get home after their spaceship broke down, ET style. They are quarentined then in district 9. It's a very good point bout the world event/movie similarities, never thought of it that way.

Interestingly enough, there is a very strong correlation between the reportings of UFO & alien sightings and the appearance of aliens in current movies and on tv. When the original 'Day the Earth Stood Still' came out abductees started reporting that the had been taken by robots from outer space. When 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' was in the cinemas, the 'grey' alien started becoming more fashionable as the abductees kidnapper of choice.

Reportings of UFOs also increase when alien movies are popular and their was a massive increase in the reportings of alien abductions shortly after the X-files started.

It could be said that as much as Sci-fi represents the feelings and fears of the time, it also has it's on effect on the popular conciousness too- aliens are on tv and then more people see aliens in the sky.

True bit don't forget long before movies and the concept if aliens people were kidnapped by 'fairies'. Including the Will 'O' the wisp which lured travelers into the Forrest with strange glowing lights.

In fact crop circles where originally a fairy phenomenon.

So while 'Aliens' is a fairly modern concept. The idea of unearthly creatures kidnapping people and mutilating cattle has gone on for centuries.

I like the sci-fi channel movies on the whole.

Okay so the SFX are horrendous, the acting awful and the plot predictable... wait did I say I liked them..? Yes.. wait there is a reason and that reason is the concepts behind them. I quite like some of the ideas, however poorly transpired, as they are often very unique.

Although the films may occasionally be trading off a blockbusters title they are generally made years before and is probably where they got the original idea but as many of us have said time and time again it's all about presentation.

Just look at the Lion King!