| With Star Wars, science fiction movies began to | | | | Saucers (1956), and 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957). |
| move onto a whole different level of action and | | | | Flying saucers and space voyage were common |
| entertainment. Though Star Wars was the most | | | | themes in the movies of the 50s. This is quite |
| fantastic science fiction movie of the 70s, there | | | | evident in movies like The Terror from Beyond |
| were many remarkable movies released before it. | | | | Space (1958), First Man into Space (1959), and |
| However, these earlier movies did not have the | | | | Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. |
| kind of cinematic settings and the grandiose that | | | | The 60s did not see a plethora of science fiction |
| Star Wars showcased. | | | | films, but some of the most important movies in |
| Looking back at the 50s, this was the time when | | | | this genre were released at this time. 2001: A |
| sci-fi movies came out on their own as a | | | | Space Odyssey was one very memorable movie, |
| separate genre. Developments in science such as | | | | as was Planet of the Apes (1968) and Fahrenheit |
| the Atom Bomb, the Cold War and a plethora of | | | | 451. One of the most interesting scripts to come |
| science fiction stories fueled the upcoming of sci-fi | | | | out was Satyajit Ray's The Alien, which never |
| movies. | | | | really turned into a movie. The script was spread |
| The most noted among the lot were The Beast | | | | across America and may have been an inspiration |
| From 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Earth vs. the Flying | | | | for Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. |