20 70s Sci-Fi Movies That Aren’t Star Wars

There’s no question that Star Wars changed cinema forever. From the moment moviegoers read the words “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” their imaginations have been ablaze with images of Jedi knights and Imperial stormtroopers.

But even though Star Wars made science fiction into one of Hollywood's most important genres, it was hardly the first to bring robots and spaceships to the silver screen. Early movies such as Georges Méliès’s A Trip to the Moon (1902) used the newfound medium to show the wonders and dangers of science. Even in the 1970s, the decade that gave us Star Wars, moviegoers regularly watched varied visions of the future.

Here are twenty of the best sci-fi movies from that decade, for those who want more from the genre than the saga of the Skywalker clan.

Beneath The Planet of The Apes (1970)

Before George Lucas changed everything, primates ruled the theaters. Launched with 1968’s Planet of the Apes, the franchise based on French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel set the standard for effects-driven spectacle and relevant social commentary. While most consider Beneath the Planet of the Apes to be a step down from the original — thanks to its repetitive plot and the less-charismatic James Franciscus replacing Charlton Heston in the lead — the movie’s climax may outdo its predecessor.

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

We cannot talk about modern sci-fi without talking about the late Michael Crichton. Long before he wrote the book that inspired the Steven Spielberg classic Jurassic Park, Crichton spun thrilling cautionary tales about technology gone awry, including 1969’s The Andromeda Strain. For the 1971 film adaptation, veteran director Robert Wise assembled a cast of character actors such as James Olson and Arthur Hill to play scientists desperately seeking a cure for an alien organism unleashed on a small town by a satellite crash.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The legendary Stanley Kubrick first changed sci-fi forever with 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969), and again two years later with A Clockwork Orange. Based on the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, leader of a street gang called the Droogs, who wreak havoc on innocent Londoners. While most people best know of A Clockwork Orange for its depiction of meaningless violence, those who watch the movie will be struck by its grappling with themes of law and order.

The Omega Man (1971)

Written by Richard Matheson, I Am Legend remains one of the most important pieces of 1950s genre literature, the story of a sole human trying to survive in a world filled with post-apocalyptic monsters. The 1971 adaptation The Omega Man stars Charlton Heston at his most bombastic, which is certainly saying something. Few actors can outdo Heston when it comes to commanding the screen, and the veteran movie star takes advantage of his character’s largely solitary existence. But when sharing scenes

with Anthony Zerbe as leader of the mutant family terrified by Heston’s Robert Neville, the dueling scenery-chewers have an acting battle that remains legendary to this day.

THX 1138 (1971)

Oh, did you think that George Lucas wouldn’t make this list at all? Not so! While most people know the 1950s nostalgia piece American Graffiti (1973) as his post-Star Wars movie, Lucas debuted with the dour THX 1138. Set in a sterile dystopia controlled by a totalitarian government, THX 1138 features Robert Duvall as a man given the titular designation. When THX 1138 demands his right to love and to think freely, he must face off against an all-powerful government. Although some may find THX 1138 stale and plodding, it remains a fascinating look inside the imagination of the man who would reshape science fiction.

Silent Running (1972)

Before stepping into the director’s chair for Silent Running, Douglas Trumbull served as visual effects supervisor on 2001: A Space Odyssey, and later filled the same role on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner. For his directorial debut, Trumbull created a fantastic space-bound arboretum where Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) and his robotic companions spend their days cultivating the last remaining specimens of Earth foliage. Even if you don’t find the environmentalist message compelling, you’ll at least enjoy seeing the inspiration for Joel Hodgson and the ‘Bots on the cult tv show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Solaris (1972)

Regarding high-concept science fiction, no one does it better than Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky closes the decade with his apocalyptic road trip/philosophical discussion movie Stalker (1977), and he begins it with the existential Solaris. When psychologist Kris Kelvin (portrayed by Donatas Banionis and voiced by Zamansky) arrives to inspect the decrepit Solaris Station, he begins seeing visions of his long-dead wife Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk), causing him to question his own sanity. While other directors would turn that premise into a tense thriller, Tarkovsky slows things to a crawl, using the events to explore the vicissitudes of identity and knowledge. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but there’s no denying that Solaris uses the genre to push the boundaries of cinema.

The Thing With Two Heads (1972)

Who said science fiction needs to be boring to be smart? While Tarkovsky and Trumbull were making grand statements about ecology and identity, exploitation director Lee Frost saw sci-fi as a way to talk about American race relations in the goofiest way possible in The Thing With Two Heads. Racist mad scientist Dr. Maxwell Kirshner (Ray Malland) has an outrageous plan to remove his head from his wheelchair-bound body and place it onto another. But when it goes awry, he discovers that it has been grafted onto the body of Black death row convict Jack Moss (Rosie Grier), who still has — and very much intends to keep — his head where it is. What follows makes a point about American racism, but not at the expense of whacky set pieces, in which the two bickering heads flee from all manner of enemies.

Fantastic Planet (1973)

In many ways, animation is the ideal medium for science fiction. Where directors of live-action movies must work around the limitations of budgets and technology, filmmakers can truly realize their dreams in cartoons. That’s the case for the French/Czech offering Fantastic Planet, directed by René Laloux. Not unlike Planet of the Apes, Fantastic Planet flips the script on humans by putting them in the position of animals, this time under the control of giant blue aliens called Traags on the planet Ygam. Rendered with smooth animation and unforgettable images, Fantastic Planet is science fiction at its most audacious.

Soylent Green (1973)

Even if you’ve never seen a 70s science fiction movie, you probably know what Soylent Green is: people. Less well-known is that the film Soylent Green is an exciting conspiracy flick, operating much like the paranoid thrillers of the day. Even with prior knowledge about the eventual twist, audiences will love watching NYPD detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) as he rummages through the overpopulated cities of the year 2022 to learn the truth about a murdered executive in the Soylent Corporation. With a fantastic supporting performance by Edward G. Robinson in his final film role, Soylent Green remains a cracking adventure, despite its pop culture omnipresence.

Westworld (1973) 

Long before it became a prestige drama on HBO, Westworld was yet another blockbuster from Michael Crichton. But instead of selling the adaptation rights to one of his novels, Crichton took the reigns, directing his own screenplay. 1973’s Westworld takes place in a high-tech theme park, where wealthy patrons can live out their fantasies in robot-populated worlds based on the Old West, Medieval Europe, and other destinations. But when a series of system breakdowns give a measure of autonomy to the black-clad gunslinger (Yul Brynner), the customers become victims. Although Crichton gestures at ideas about sentience and artificial intelligence that Jonathan Nolan will embrace on the HBO series, he’s more interested in giving audiences a thrill, crafting an exciting adventure out of a technological peril.

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

The atomic anxieties of the 1950s may have given birth to Godzilla, but the desire for fantastic adventures sustained him. Thus, the 1970s saw regular entries in the franchise that pit the kaiju against all sorts of strange baddies, but none captured the spirit of the age better than 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. The picture features the established monster Anguirus and newcomer King Caesar, but also the titular giant robot Mechagodzilla. While there certainly is a plot to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the movie only exists to bring the alien mecha into Godzilla’s stomping ground, leading to one of the oddest fights in the impressive career of the King of the Monsters..

Zardoz (1974) 

As we’ve already seen, plenty of 70s sci-fi films made compelling observations about modern society, using the genre to say what a more realistic film could not. But sometimes, moviemakers fell far short of their goals, resulting in pretentious but undeniably enjoyable fiascos. Case in point: Zardoz, the brainchild of provocateur John Boorman. It’s impossible to summarize the plot of Zardoz. Instead, I recommend that people look up the costume sported by Sean Connery, which can only be described as red suspenders and a leather diaper. If that amuses you, then you’ll likely love this weird Wizard of Oz-inspired movie.

Logan’s Run (1976)

Despite coming midway through the 70s, Logan’s Run concerns itself with the counter-culture of the 1960s. Set in a world in which citizens must be put to death when they turn 30, the film pushes its portrayal of a society driven by sex and youth into the realm of pure camp. Surprisingly conservative in its values, Logan’s Run feels like an old person’s idea of what will happen if “kids these days” are in charge. That description may seem to promise a stodgy time at the cinemas, but Logan’s Run is too silly to be dull, made all the more enjoyable for its unlikely vision of the future.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

David Bowie always felt like a visitor from another dimension, so it was only a matter of time before he played one on tv. Like Klaatu from The Day the Earth Stood Still before him or Jeff Bridges’s Starman after, Bowie plays Thomas Jerome Newton as a curious, non-judgmental alien lost on Earth. Director Nicolas Roeg, adapting the 1963 novel by Walter Tevis, downplays the plot about Newton searching for relief for his drought-ravaged home planet. Instead, he gives Bowie plenty of room to play oddball outsider, drawing attention to the strange habits we humans consider “normal.”

Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977)

Science fiction has always been near and dear to the heart of Steven Spielberg, perhaps our greatest living filmmaker. With all due respect to E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind remains the director’s most emotional and beguiling entry in the genre. Spielberg grounds his tale of humanity’s first contact with alien visitors in the experiences of two regular Americans, Indiana lineman Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) and grieving mother Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon). Even when the movie veers toward the terrifying (see: the abduction of Jillian’s son) and the philosophical, this blue-collar perspective helps viewers relate and empathize with the characters.

Invasion of The Body Snatchers (1978)

The original Invasion of the Body Snatchers from 1956 is a classic piece of Cold War paranoia. For his remake, director Philip Kaufman relocates the story to San Fransisco of the 70s, a place where self-realization is the watchword of the day. But when Health Department employee Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) notices her boyfriend’s strangely subdued behavior, she enlists the help of her co-worker Matthew (Donald Sutherland at his most gawky) and married counter-culture refugees Jack and Nancy (Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright) to investigate. What follows is a positively terrifying update on the original, complete with Leonard Nimoy as an upbeat pop psychologist, leading to one of the most frightening endings in cinema history.

Alien (1979)

Among the many achievements credited to Star Wars is the reclamation of “a dirty future,” which gave us beat-up spaceships and malfunctioning robots. Ridley Scott continued that trend with the near-perfect Alien. When a group of space truckers answer a distress call from a nearby planet, they inadvertently play host to the deadly xenomorph, which reproduces by planting embryos in a human body. Propelled by a star-making turn by Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, Alien takes a decidedly blue-collar look at intergalactic peril, forcing a group of laborers to fight for their lives against a perfect predatory organism.

Moonraker (1979)

So great was the power of Star Wars that not even tried and true franchises could remain unaffected. Even though James Bond producer Cubby Broccoli originally intended For Your Eyes Only to be the fourth adventure with Roger Moore as 007, Star Wars’s success convinced him to change course and green light Moonraker. Considered a low point even by Moore’s standards, Moonraker has garnered its fans, thanks in part to a climactic battle in a glorious space station designed by Ken Adam and Michael Lonsdale’s performance as Hugo Drax, a billionaire who wants to create the perfect society among the stars.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

By the end of the 1970s, science fiction has come full circle with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In the years since the cancellation of Star Trek after its third season in 1969, fans continued to petition for more adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the USS Enterprise. They finally got their wish when Paramount saw the box office receipts earned by Star Wars, abandoning a long-in-development sequel series and rushing into production a feature film with the original cast. But at the behest of series creator Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Motion Picture eschewed the space battles and sword fights of Star Wars for a more contemplative film about exploration, launching a rivalry between the two franchises that continues to this day.