At times brilliant; other times just campy good fun

Author

By Lydia Fort

Publish Date

Nov. 11, 2015

Brazil

I love Doctor Who and have since I was a kid. NuWho and classic Doctor Who. At times it is brilliant science fiction that examines social issues; sometimes it’s just campy good fun. But it’s always infused with a sense of wonder about the world (rather, the universe) around us. The Doctor’s sense of adventure and curiosity is infectious. Tip: You have to watch as if you were kid again — willing to believe that anything is possible.

Doctor Who (United Kingdom) 1963–present, BBC
Available on Hulu and BBC America

Terry Gilliam’s 1985 masterpiece Brazil about a dystopian future where a low-level government employee tired of the bureaucracy gets caught up in his dreams of being a romantic hero and tracking down a man wanted by the totalitarian government for being a terrorist. This is satire at its best. Its stunning visuals put it on the top of my list of best sci-fi noir of all time.