Movies to watch before Traveller session

[Baltech Budapest]

In about 2 weeks I will be running one of the double adventures for my kids.
The adventure in question is DA 3: Death Station.

As this adventure takes place on Lab Ship which is not too dissimilar to the orbital station in 2001: A Space Odyssey, I have been watching this movie to help inspire us and to give my kids a sense of what it would be like aboard such a facility.

What movies do other Travellers out there watch before a new adventure?

Does anyone remember running/playing Double Adventure 3: Death Station? If so, have you any memories of it? Did you modify it in any way?

I am using the deck plans, cut out, and taped together to create a simple 3D wheel so the adventurers will have an idea of what they can see in terms of line-of-sight. Also to make it look a bit more interesting to them instead of 'Quadrant A joins to Quadrant B etc).

The deck plans will be for reference only and I don't plan using miniatures.

Any thoughts on inspiring movies, or otherwise inspiring ideas to join into this adventure?

As an aside, after watching 2001, we watched 2010 for the atmosphere and we couldn't help but joke that the mile long Monolith in space looked like a huge T5 Core Book :rofl:

 

[Vladika]

Outland

Silent Running

Alien series (might not be good for kids!)

Total Recall

The Right Stuff

Space Cowboys

Event Horizon (might not be good for kids!)

Apollo 13

Space Truckers

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Outland

Silent Running

Alien series (might not be good for kids!)

Total Recall

The Right Stuff

Space Cowboys

Event Horizon (might not be good for kids!)

Apollo 13

Space Truckers

Excellent. Actually we watched Silent Running a couple of months ago. My 13 year old (who loves Alien and all things 'action') loved it.
It's one of my most memorable SciFi movie experiences from the late '70s when I saw it on TV.

 

[S J Davis]

Battle Beyond the Stars
Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden zone.
Star Crash
Ice Pirates
Flash Gordon (late 70's animated one is great for a world campaign)
Buck Rodgers (70's TV series)
Battlestar Galatica (70's TV is better for younger kids)
Total Recall
Starship Troopers (The Carton series is better than the movies)

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Battle Beyond the Stars
Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden zone.
Star Crash
Ice Pirates
Flash Gordon (late 70's animated one is great for a world campaign)
Buck Rodgers (70's TV series)
Battlestar Galatica (70's TV is better for younger kids)
Total Recall
Starship Troopers (The Carton series is better than the movies)

Great list SJ.

I remember the animated Flash Gordon. Actually I might have a copy on a drive somewhere.
Of course I remember Buck Rodger In The 25th Century and the original Battlestar Galactica. All great childhood memories and I can see why they would be such great inspiration for a Traveller adventure.

Another movie I love, for its 70s inspired approach is 'Moon'. The feeling of isolation during that movie inspires me when it comes to adventuring on a space station or a moon base and I wish I could have shown that to the kids when we played 'Across The Bright Face' about 3 years ago.

Another 'space station'/'moonbase' show is Space:1999 which I grew up watching from about 1977.

Any other movies which have space station or moon base locations?

Excellent suggestions so far, keep them coming

 

[BytePro]

Keeping in mind the audience, I'm hard pressed to recommend appropriate movies outside the obvious.

Kid Friendly Sci-Fi (YMMV):
Blackhole (Disney)
Contact
GalaxyQuest

For 'space marines' (note mature themes):
The Fifth Element (PG-13?)
Soldier (with Kurt Russel). (Its rated R - but that's 80's R).

Never played Death Station, but Solaris might be appropriate - PG-13 though not sure how kid friendly as its sorta a psycho/horror IIRC and don't recall liking the movie overmuch, but the sets were good and it certainly evokes a 'death station' theme (by name only).

For good Traveller free trader, I like Serenity/FireFly. However, the movie and many of the shows have mature themes (modern PG-13)- sex and violence. Perhaps a few of the FireFly episodes might be okay for kids.

TV series of the 70'/80's might be a good fit for Traveller (Space 1999?).

Enjoy!

Edit: see you got Space 1999 already.

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Cheers Bytepro

I'm going to have to check out Solaris, even if just for the sets and setting.

Of course Firefly and Serenity are a family favourite here and we have all watched them all many times. To me, Firefly IS Traveller, but that's another issue altogether

 

[Reban]

My inspiring movies for Traveller. Check the age ratings for your region before viewing In no particular order:

Avatar (for the facepalm cliches)
Forbidden Planet
Aliens
Starship Troopers
Event Horizon
Titan A.E.
Stealth
Appleseed Ex Machina
Independence Day
Judge Dredd
Red Planet
Babylon 5 movies

Putting together that list I realize that a lot of the movies that inspire my Traveller campaigns and settings aren;t sci-fi movies. I'm sure I'll think of loads more after I post this. Have a good game Baltech.

 

[Baltech Budapest]

My inspiring movies for Traveller. Check the age ratings for your region before viewing In no particular order:

Avatar (for the facepalm cliches)
Forbidden Planet
Aliens
Starship Troopers
Event Horizon
Titan A.E.
Stealth
Appleseed Ex Machina
Independence Day
Judge Dredd
Red Planet
Babylon 5 movies

Putting together that list I realize that a lot of the movies that inspire my Traveller campaigns and settings aren;t sci-fi movies. I'm sure I'll think of loads more after I post this. Have a good game Baltech.

Cheers. Appleseed Ex Machina is awesome!! We watch that before playing Corporation (along with the first Appleseed and Vexille).
Of course there is Cowboy Bebop which I love.
Red Planet. I had forgotten about that film, loved it. I might have to seek that one out again. I can totally understand Avatar for the exotic alien planet.
Great choices Reban, and a couple I haven't seen yet so I will add them to my 'to watch' list. Thanks

 

[Limburger59]

Space Janitors

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Space Janitors

Never heard of this before so just watched episode 1. Very good. :rofl:At least it's on a space station! Just bookmarked the website for further viewing later. Thanks

 

[GRNDL]

Awhile ago I read about a movie suggested by a Trav player - I don't think it was on this site though - about a movie that "felt like a Book 4 Mercenary ticket" - Intimate Enemies. Its definitely a mature movie.

Its about the French presence in Algeria in the 60s/70s (can't remember exactly when), specifically about the French being involved in a war they couldn't understand.

The whole movie does feel like a Trav military scenario, including landing in an alien country (world), becoming embroiled in an alien culture with different values and its impact on the troops (mercs), and even down to a few interesting shots of an old Sikorsky Choktaw heli airlifting troops out (like a dropship of some kind).

It won't be for everybody, though, as it has hideous atrocities - I mean, it is a serious movie about the conflict, so your mileage may vary.

 

[BytePro]

Since you like Space Janitors*... must add Red Dwarf to the list.

BTW, especially for their mercs I'd add - Pitch Black and Riddick (my versions Not Rated...)

*Warning: I recall at least one episode of Space Janitors that was definitely not suitable for kids (and maybe even adults)!

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Awhile ago I read about a movie suggested by a Trav player - I don't think it was on this site though - about a movie that "felt like a Book 4 Mercenary ticket" - Intimate Enemies. Its definitely a mature movie.

Its about the French presence in Algeria in the 60s/70s (can't remember exactly when), specifically about the French being involved in a war they couldn't understand.

The whole movie does feel like a Trav military scenario, including landing in an alien country (world), becoming embroiled in an alien culture with different values and its impact on the troops (mercs), and even down to a few interesting shots of an old Sikorsky Choktaw heli airlifting troops out (like a dropship of some kind).

It won't be for everybody, though, as it has hideous atrocities - I mean, it is a serious movie about the conflict, so your mileage may vary.

I just Googled it. Thanks, it sounds like a movie I would certainly be interested in watching (even without the influence for Trav games).
Another one for the 'to watch' list. Cheers

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Since you like Space Janitors*... must add Red Dwarf to the list.

BTW, especially for their mercs I'd add - Pitch Black and Riddick (my versions Not Rated...)

*Warning: I recall at least one episode of Space Janitors that was definitely not suitable for kids (and maybe even adults)!

Never seen either Pitch Black or Riddick so more for the 'to watch' list.

An interesting link up about Red Dwarf is that my dad, during the late '70s and early '80s was a freelance comedy writer for the BBC (TV and Radio). The batch of writers in the circle he was associated with included Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who went full time and started writing for the TV show 'Spitting Image' before going on to write Red Dwarf (under the joint name of Grant Naylor).
The whole circle of up and coming comedy writers (including Rob and Doug) wrote comedy for Little & Large, Ken Dodd, The Two Ronnies, Bernie Clifton etc.
I never (as a child) got to meet Rob and Doug but Ken Dodd used to call round to our house frequently.
My dad didn't fancy taking the risk of going full time with having a family to raise, so he ended up out of the business and working full time in Insurance.
Rob and Grant of course took the bull by the horns and went full time. They wrote The Chicken Song for Spitting Image, which was a huge hit in the UK and that spurred them on to create Red Dwarf.

End of Useless trivia :rofl:

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Okay, here is the list so far. Just quote this and add to it EDIT: Just copy and paste the list into your reply to add to it.
I have removed any ratings which were indicated so please note that some of these movies are higher than a PG rating. If, like me, you have kids who may want to watch any of the listed movies, it's best to check IMDb first for the rating in your country.

MOVIES TO INSPIRE YOUR TRAVELLER CAMPAIGN

Outland
Silent Running
Alien series
Total Recall
The Right Stuff
Space Cowboys
Event Horizon
Apollo 13
Space Truckers
Battle Beyond the Stars
Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden zone.
Star Crash
Ice Pirates
Flash Gordon
Buck Rodgers (70's TV series)
Battlestar Galatica
Total Recall
Starship Troopers
The Black Hole
Contact
GalaxyQuest
The Fifth Element
Soldier
Solaris
Serenity/FireFly
Space 1999
Avatar
Forbidden Planet
Aliens
Starship Troopers
Event Horizon
Titan A.E.
Stealth
Appleseed Ex Machina
Independence Day
Judge Dredd
Red Planet
Babylon 5 movies
Space Janitors
Intimate Enemies
Red Dwarf
Pitch Black
Riddick
Cowboy Bebop

 

[GRNDL]

I second "Pitch Black", it might even be the best example I can think of for an SF RPG "session." It feels like the sort of adventure that might be dropped into a larger campaign to spice it up before the players get too tired of hopping from one civilized planet to another.

Reminds me of a Harry Harrison novel, like Deathworld, or Tully Zetford's (Kenneth Bulmer) Hook novels.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Raiders of the Lost Ark.

In fact I can't hear any of the soundtracks to any of the theatrical films without thinking of this game.

 

[Baltech Budapest]

Raiders of the Lost Ark.

In fact I can't hear any of the soundtracks to any of the theatrical films without thinking of this game.

That's an interesting choice Blue Ghost. For me personally, it reminds me more of D&D basic as that's what we were playing around the time we saw that movie.
It one for the list though.

 

[Limburger59]

Since you like Space Janitors*... must add Red Dwarf to the list.

BTW, especially for their mercs I'd add - Pitch Black and Riddick (my versions Not Rated...)

*Warning: I recall at least one episode of Space Janitors that was definitely not suitable for kids (and maybe even adults)!

Yes, there are some episodes where the language is juvenile - just the thing you don't want inspiring Jr. High boys. It is cleaner than Outland, which was on the first list without a warning.