The B Monster's unimpeachable coterie of sci fi scholars and film pundits have once more scrupulously compiled their opinions, the better to edify the unenlightened. As in this edition's Horror compendium, some made no bones about their favorites, while others offered qualifications.

Ted Bohus

Editor, publisher SPFX Magazine, director The Deadly Spawn, The Regenerated Man

1. Forbidden Planet
2. The Thing From Another World
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still
4. War of the Worlds
5. The Incredible Shrinking Man
6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
7. Time Machine
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. Alien
10. I Married a Monster From Outer Space
11. When Worlds Collide
12. Them
13. The Deadly Spawn
Damn -- only ten!?

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John Brunas

Co-author, Universal Horrors (McFarland & Co.)

1. King Kong
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
3. Journey to the Center of the Earth
4. Quatermass Xperiment
5. The Fly
6. Man From Planet X
7. The Thing From Another World
8. Not of This Earth
9. The Tingler
10. This Island Earth

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Michael Brunas

Co-author, Universal Horrors (McFarland & Co.)

1. The Thing From Another World
2. Quatermass Xperiment
3. Quatermass Two
4. Village of the Damned
5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
6. Day the Earth Caught Fire
7. Forbidden Planet
8. Journey to the Center of the Earth
9. The Fly
10. Godzilla

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Jim Clatterbaugh
Editor, publisher Monsters From the Vault

1. John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)
2. The Invisible Man (1933)
3. Alien (1979)
4. Terminator 2 (1991)
5. Aliens (1986)
6. Planet of the Apes (1968)
7. Five Million Years to Earth (1967)
8. Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
10. Tarantula (1955)

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Kevin Clement
Editor, Chiller Theatre Magazine and the Jerry Garcia of Monsterdom

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still
2. Metropolis
3. Creature From the Black Lagoon
4. Forbidden Planet
5. Time Machine
6. Alphaville
7. The Blob
8. Not of This Earth (original)
9. Planet of the Apes
10. The Road Warrior

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Leonard Hughes

Washington Post theater critic

1. Back to the Future
2. The Day the Earth Stood Still
3. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
4. Star Wars 1-3
5. Any film featured on the first three seasons of Mystery Science Theater 3000
6. Invasion of the Saucer Men
7. Alien
8. War of the Worlds
9. The Time Machine
10. The Blob

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Tom Johnson

Co-author Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography and Peter Cushing: The Gentle Man of Horror and His 91 Films, author Censored Screams (All from McFarland & Co.)

1. Forbidden Planet
2. Quatermass Xperiment
3. Quatermass and the Pit
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
5. The Time Machine
6. Alien
7. Flash Gordon (any serial)
8. The Thing (Carpenter version)
9. The Day the Earth Stood Still
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey

In chronological order:

1. Metropolis (1926)
2. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
3. The Thing From Another World (1951)
4. Invaders From Mars (1953)
5. Invasion of The Body Snatchers (1956)
6. First Spaceship on Venus (1960)
7. Five Million Years to Earth (1968)
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
9. Solaris (1972)
10. Alien (1979)

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Harris Lentz

Author Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits (2 vols., 2 supplements) complete revised edition coming next year; annual series Obituaries in the Performing Arts, The Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, (All from McFarland & Co.) Monthly obit column Classic Images magazine.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
More than a movie -- a veritable religion.

2. Forbidden Planet (1956)
When you lift a plot from Shakespeare you're stealing from the best.

3. War of the Worlds (1953)
The best of the alien invasion flicks.

4. Children of the Damned (1964)
I wanted to join up! (Village of the Damned is probably a better film, but I saw this one first, and it left a great impact.)

5. Day of the Triffids (1963)
Okay, so I'm a John Wyndham fan -- a flawed flick, but I just happen to like large, man-eating plants -- so sue me.

6. The Power (1968)
One of George Pal's last -- a great cast (Nehemiah Persoff shines) -- one of the few sci-fi whodunits.

7. The Time Machine (1960)
Another film I loved as a child -- drug about every member of my family to it at least twice -- Time After Time narrowly misses the list too.

8. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but -- with Slim Pickens riding a nuclear bomb like a bronco.

9. On the Beach (1959)
A little melodramatic but my favorite of the end of the world genre.

10. Silent Running (1972)
Bruce Dern, a Joan Baez soundtrack and 3 cute little robots -- what more could you want from an ecologically-themed science fiction film (It took me about 10 years and 5-6 viewings before I realized the Dern character was somewhat "disturbed").

1. Back to the Future
2. Charly
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
4. The Day the Earth Stood Still
5. Gattica
6. Journey to the Center of the Earth
7. Metropolis
8. Planet of the Apes
9. This Island Earth
10. The Time Machine

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John Morgan
Film composer, fashion plate, and producer of Marco Polo's Classic Film Music Series.

In no particular order:

1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
2. The Thing From Another World (1951)
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still
4. War of the Worlds
5. Them!
6. The Incredible Shrinking Man
7. Flash Gordon (serial, 1936)
8. This Island Earth
9. Quatermass II (Enemy From Space)
10. Rocketship X-M

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Michael H. Price
Director of the Gourmet Cinema project in Fort Worth's Sundance Square entertainment district and author of quite a few books on our movie heritage. His latest, with frequent collaborator George E. Turner, is a revamped and expanded edition of their pioneering Depression-era history Forgotten Horrors (Midnight Marquee Press).

1. Videodrome (1982)
2. Not of This Earth (1957)
3. Aliens (1986)
4. She Devil (1957)
5. Invaders from Mars (1953)
6. La Jetee (1963)
7. The Quatermass Experiment (1955)
8. Metropolis (1926)
9. I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958)
10. The Seventh Continent (1966)

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Fred Olen Ray
Director, Invisible Mom, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Dinosaur Island, Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold

In no particular order:

1. Beast With a Million Eyes
2. The Green Slime
3. Queen of Blood
4. Day the World Ended
5. Invasion of the Saucer Men
6. 20 Million Miles to Earth
7. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
8. Creature Walks Among Us
9. The Omega Man
10. Night of the Blood Beast

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Gary Don Rhodes

Film historian, documentary filmmaker, adjunct lecturer at the University of Oklahoma. Author of Lugosi (McFarland, 1997) and White Zombie: Anatomy of a Bela Lugosi Horror Film, with a Biography of Director Victor Halperin (McFarland, 1999).

No particular order:

1. Metropolis
2. Solaris
3. Stalker (Tarkovsky)
4. The Day the Earth Stood Still
5. Alien
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. Star Wars
8. Blade Runner
9. Man From Planet X
10. The Thing From Another World

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David J. Schow

Screenwriter of The Crow and a bunch of other movies, Crypt Orchids and a bunch of other books, and just completed (about five minutes ago) a massive new edition of his much-coveted Outer Limits Companion, which you can see by CLICKING HERE

1. Miracle Mile
2. Lifeforce
3. It Conquered the World
4. Planet of the Apes
5. The Thing From Another World (1951)
6. World Without End
7. The Andromeda Strain
8. Accion Mutante
9. Singing in the Rain
10. Videodrome

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Bryan Senn

Bryan Senn is the author of the books Drums of Terror: Voodoo in the Cinema (Midnight Marquee Press), Golden Horror: A Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931-1939 (McFarland & Co.) and co-author of Fantastic Cinema Subject Guide (McFarland & Co.) VISIT BRYAN'S WEB SITE

1. The Thing From Another World (1951)
Top of the list; in my book it's the quintessential alien invader flick AND the best-ever sci fi film.

2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Unique, disturbing, and thought-provoking.

3. Rollerball (1975)
An amazing film that seemingly both celebrates and condemns violence.

4. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Literate and adult, yet still highly entertaining ( a rarity among science fiction movies).

5. Monster That Challenged the World (1957)
I've got a real affection for both the pesky giant sea mollusk AND an overweight Tim Holt. Besides, my three-and-a-half-year-old son loves this film!

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Still the granddaddy of paranoia pictures, and one of the finest directed sci fi features.

7. Aliens (1986)
Yes, I enjoy this heart-pounding, sci fi actioner more than the (admittedly classic) original (which is a thinly-disguised HORROR film, anyway).

8. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's groundbreaking remake still packs a wallop.

9. Island of Terror (1967)
Could it be Peter Cushing's self-deprecating performance or those boffo fried-egg turtle monsters? God knows, but I really LIKE this movie.

10. Mars Attacks (1997)
I don't care what the critics (or audiences) said, this highly amusing and entertaining big-budget B movie can't help but be a favorite of any old-time sci fi fan.

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Gary J. Svehla

Editor, publisher Midnight Marquee Press

1. Alien
2. Aliens
3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel)
4. Enemy from Space/Quatermass II
5. Invaders From Mars
6. Terminator II
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. The Creeping Unknown
9. Forbidden Planet
10. Videodrome

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Tony Timpone
Editor, Fangoria, world's best-selling horror magazine, author Men, Makeup & Monsters (St. Martin's Press)

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
3. Star Wars
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
6. Planet of the Apes
7. Quatermass and the Pit
8. War of the Worlds (1953)
9. Blade Runner
10. The Thing From Another World (1951)

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George E. Turner
Co-author Human Monsters (Kitchen Sink Press), Forgotten Horrors (Midnight Marquee Press)

1. The Invisible Man

2. Metropolis

3. The Empire Strikes Back

4. The Invisible Ray

5. The Thing From Another World (1951)

6. Flash Gordon (1936)

7. Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars

8. The Time Machine

9. Things to Come

10.Star Wars

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Will "The Thrill" Viharo
Midnight Lounge movie host, swingin' scribe, creator of Vic Valentine, Private Eye, contributor Filmfax, Outre magazines. E-MAIL WILL | VISIT WILL'S SITE

Let me give you an honorable mention before I even get started: Mars Attacks! (1996), Tim Burton's greatest contribution to our culture, along with the perfect Ed Wood.

1. Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
I saw this the day after the Big '89 Quake hit the Bay Area. It was a hot, still night, and the calamity had interrupted the local AIP fest. They just let me watch this one again, all alone in the theater. Somehow watching this little beauty soothed my shattered nerves, bringing back memories of my youth, when I was completely entranced by its atmosphere and very cool aliens, Paul Blaisdell's most famous creations and the inspiration for the Martians in Mars Attacks. Plus it had Frank Gorshin, who played my favorite villain of all time (and you know who I'm referring to, please).

2. It Conquered the World (1956)
Roger Corman's finest hour (plus about ten minutes), with yet another beautiful Blaisdell beast, Beaulah, from Venus. Was it really a giant cucumber? No matter. Beverly Garland is a goddess. Lee Van Cleef at his funniest. Peter Graves is, well, pretty grave. Reeks of period xenophobia and paranoia and architectural design.

3. Forbidden Planet (1956)
I hate it that probably everyone else has this one on their list, too, but then no list can do without it. I just can't get over the color scheme and set design. The Future, 50s style, as if grunge never happened. Don't I wish.

4. This Island Earth (1955)
So quintessentially 50s it hurts. Another marvel of Technicolor and monstrous makeup. I only have two complaints with the big-screen Mystery Science Theater 3000 sendup: it was edited and the colors were faded. It looks better on video. I wish I lived on THIS island called "Earth."

5. Tarantula (1955)
Used a lot of the same music cues as This Island Earth (by Henry Mancini). My vote for Best Big Film of All Time. How can I say that? What does it have that Them!, the one generally regarded as champ, doesn't have? Mara Corday, John Agar, weird science, a scarier monster seen more often, and Clint Eastwood to the rescue. I rest my case.

6. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Ray Harryhausen's saucers make it special. They were ripped off outright by Burton for "Mars Attacks!" I consider it an homage. THE movie people think of when you say 50s Flying Saucer Movie (and around my house, it's said often). Washington gets obliterated. I watch that instead of the Starr hearings.

7. Queen of Outer Space (1958)
How could anyone not love this campy fantasy about an interstellar cocktail lounge populated by 50s pin-up dolls? Some of the funniest dialog ever written -- from an idea by Ben Hecht! (Who probably scribbled the premise on a cocktail napkin while bombed, retrieved by the busboy.) Zsa Zsa rules!

8. I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958)
Another classic from the man who gave us I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Gene Fowler, Jr. Once an editor for Fritz Lang, Fowler imbued his B movies with a noirish feel, especially in these two. For once, a movie that not only lives up to its title, but surpasses it. Recently remade as a pointless TV movie. The original will last forever, or as long as there are cool people on this planet.

9. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1959/released 1962)
Sleazy sex-obsessed sci-fi horror classic, incredibly gory and racy for its time. See the unedited version for the full sickening effect. A forerunner of later mad science movies like Re-Animator. I just can't describe it adequately if you've never seen it. Maybe the most UN-P.C. movie of all time.

10. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Two words: Yvette Vickers. Interchangeable here with Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

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Bill Warren

Author of Keep Watching the Skies and accumulator of aloha shirts.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. The Man Who Fell to Earth
3. Forbidden Planet
4. The Star Wars trilogy
5. The Quatermass quartet
6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (both films of that title)
7. The Manchurian Candidate
8. The Thing From Another World
9. The Incredible Shrinking Man
10. War of the Worlds

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Tom Weaver

Co-author Universal Horrors (McFarland & Co.), author Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks (McFarland & Co.), Mutants, Monsters and Heavenly Creatures (Midnight Marquee Press).

Alphabetically:

1. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
2. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
3. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
5. The Invisible Man (1933)
6. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
7. King Kong (1933)
8. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
9. Them! (1954)
10. The Thing from Another World (1951