Top 10 Favorite Alien Movies of All Time

So last night, I went to the movies (by myself, which I often do) to see the movie Dark Skies. If you are unfamiliar with the flick, it is the movie starring Kerri Russell about an alien invasion and takeover. It really wasn't a horrible movie. There were a lot of things that were very cliche about it, but overall it was okay. I thought to myself, "This isn't my favorite alien movie, but it was okay."

That got me thinking. What are my favorite alien movies? There is definitely something about alien movies that I like more than most horror and action movies. Most alien movies deal with some sort of invasion. Then, of course, there are the comedies that either deal with invasion in a funny way or try to personify aliens in some way. A lot of those movies are hit or miss with me, but there have been some pretty funny ones.

Anyway, whether it is a comedy or an action or a horror or a drama, I definitely like alien movies WAAAAAY better than I like vampire movies (which is another thing I realized the other day).

Here are my top 10 favorite alien movies of all time, and some of this list may surprise you:

10.) Alien

I have to be honest, I am not really a huge fan of the Alien franchise. I don't even think that I have seen any of the other movies, but I have seen the first one. I think that the first one of the series was actually a very good horror movie. I think that it had one of the best taglines in all of Hollywood, "In space, no one can hear you scream." I have to give this movie some props. Also, Ellen Ripley is probably the most badass female protagonists in cinematic history, right up there with Sarah Connor.

9.) Predator

Yes! Alien vs. Predator! (of course, I'm referring to the list and not the actual movie itself, because the AvP movie is not that good) It is kind of appropriate that these two movies actually faced off against each other, because that is kind of what it did in my heart when it came to this list. They battled, and Predator won. I love this movie for its awesome movie quotes. It's where we got one of Arnold's greatest lines, "GET TO THE CHOPPAH!!!"

8.) Mars Attacks

I know this may cause the world to possibly explode, but... I do not like Tim Burton. I think that he is weird just to be weird. It worked for him in his early career, but after A Nightmare Before Christmas, his weirdness just got too much for me. BUT (that's a big but), as far as alien movies go, I thought that Mars Attacks was really funny. I think that this spoof on an alien invasion is a movie that everyone should try to see at least once in their life because it is awesome. This star-studded movie is quite enjoyable.

7.) War of the Worlds

Now, I know that this movie was not well received when it first came out. Quite frankly, I'm not really sure why. I have always thought that this movie was fantastic. I really like movies where there is a global phenomenon, and everyone is effected by what was going on in the movie. I hate it when only one person or one family is effected by something that should be payed more attention to. This classic Orson Welles tale of an alien attack is actually really well done. Of course it is. It's Steven Spielberg. If you haven't seen it, you must.

6.) Men In Black

Of course this movie would make my list of top 10 alien movies. Men in Black (the first one) is really funny. This is actually one of Will Smith's first break out rolls. This movie was Will Smith before he became Will Smith. Him and Tommy Lee Jones have a hilarious dynamic in this movie, and the more and more I watch it as I get older, the more and more I grow to love it. What else is interesting about it is that it is based off of a comic book series, which I did not know until I got older. So technically, it is also a comic book movie.

5.) E.T.: The Extraterrestrial

This movie is a Hollywood classic. Everyone fell in love with ET. He is everyone's favorite alien. Everyone immediately wanted to help him when he cried out the famous line, "ET phone home," which is now one of Hollywood's greatest movie quotes of all time. Everyone also fell in love with Drew Barrymore for the first time. This movie launched her career. Steven Spielberg has made his way once again onto my list with this fantastic film. This is actually one of his best films, if you ask me. But, he makes it on the list one more time coming up. You'll see.

4.) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Yet again, Steven Spielberg makes it onto my list. Close Encounters is such a good film. Not only is it a great alien movie, it is also a great movie period. From it's fantastic cast to its unforgettable score, this movie is definitely a must-see. No one will ever forget those unforgettable 5 notes that they play. Those notes have become household. Everyone knows where they come from. I guess Spielberg is good at doing that with his films. 

3.) Cloverfield

I absolutely LOVE this movie! I know a lot of people didn't actually see it, but you really should. It is such a cool concept for a movie, and the movie itself is actually pretty original. Plus, it was also done by the incredible director J.J. Abrams (yes, that's right. the creator of Lost). I love everything that he does. What his plan was with this film was to try and create an American version of Godzilla. I don't think that he successfully did that, but he definitely should've. Just a warning, this film is shot entirely from a first person perspective. If you get dizzy easily, then you shouldn't watch it. I personally love the first person camera angles, but that's just me. 

2.) Signs

For some reason, this movie really creeps me out! Particularly one scene more than others. In the movie, there is a scene where the local news has received coverage sent to them from some family in Mexico, where one of the aliens disrupted their kid's birthday party, and the camera shows the alien quickly walk across the screen. That was one of the creepiest moments in a movie that I have ever seen. It still creeps me out to this day. This is definitely my favorite M. Night Shyamalan movie. It is well acted by everyone in the movie, from Mel Gibson to Joaquin Phoenix. It is also the most creative alien movie that I have ever seen. I especially love how smart the movie actually is. Also, I love a good scare when I see a horror movie, and this movie definitely did that.

1.) Independence Day

If you know me, you had to have known that this was my number one alien movie. I have seen this movie so many times, I can quote it from beginning to end, pretty much. It is one of my favorite movies of all time. You may think I'm weird for loving this movie so much, but you just don't understand. It has everything you need for a movie: action, suspense, love, comedy, politics, worldwide phenomenon, explosions, an all-star cast, a great score, excellent and smart dialogue, great quotes, and incredible special effects. Not only is it the greatest alien movie I have ever seen, it is also in my top 10 favorite movies of all time (if you remember from my previous blog post)! Quite frankly, I don't really care if you think I'm weird for loving this movie so much! It's the best. I mean, where else are you going to see Jeff Goldblum save the world?

Post your favorite alien movies on your own facebook or twitter page, and get your friends to do it too!