"As you said, this is a fun question but a tough one. I ended up picking films that had a lasting impact on science fiction as a genre and an impact on film as a whole. Then I put them in order of what I perceived as having the greatest impact.

I’m sure if you asked me again next week it would change, but these were my top ten with a few runners up. Now, if you asked for a list of favorites, it would be a bit different. Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Ghost in the Shell would be much higher on the list.

1. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
2. Metropolis (1926)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
4. Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
5. Forbidden Planet (1956)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
7. Alien (1979)
8. Akira (1988)
9. Close Encounters of a Third Kind (1977)
10. The Matrix (1999)

Planet of the Apes (1968)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Looking forward to your compiled list this weekend!"

Thanks, Roman.  I love your list, especially for including Metropolis.  I can't wait to start collating the results of this exercise...