Like cowboys, soldiers, and child detectives, aliens are evergreen film subjects--the sort that, no matter how many stories you've seen before, you're magnetically drawn back for yet another round. With the opening this weekend of alien-abduction film The Fourth Kind, we thought it was worth taking a look back at the best films of the past half century that deal in close encounters of all kinds. (Note that we've deliberately left all Star Wars- and Star Trek-related films off this list, just to make things more democratic.)

Are your picks wildly different from ours? Let us know what we missed on our discussion boards.

10) Cloverfield
What could've been a cheesy, throwaway early-in-the-season monster flick turned out to be rather clever (Metascore: 64). A product of the Youtube generation, the story (produced by J.J. Abrams) unfolded through the lens of a handheld video camera--sure, the partygoing characters could be annoying, and yes, the shaky camerawork was on the verge of nauseating; but the story maintained a sense of mystery, it never took itself too seriously, and perhaps best of us, the whole thing wrapped up in well under 90 minutes.





9) Fire in the Sky
Part of what made this 1993 film so watchable and worthwhile is the attention Robert Lieberman paid to getting the details of rural life so right. Another part was the fact the film was based on the true story of Arizona logger Travis Walton, who disappeared for five days, allegedly the victim of an alien abduction (his book The Walton Experience is the basis for the screenplay). That attention to detail helped make the story all the more grounded and real...and chilling.





8) The War of the Worlds
Don't get me wrong, the original 1953 version of this H.G. Wells story is still a lot of fun. But the 2005 Spielberg blockbuster remake definitely turns up the heat (Metascore: 73). I'm not one to push a film based on special effects alone, but I have to say, the early scenes here, with the storms, lightning strikes, and aliens emerging from the ground, were so well done (and scary) they deserve a shout-out. As for the rest, Film Threat's Pete Vonder Haar put it well: "I thoroughly enjoyed the street level perspective of the world being destroyed, it just would've been nice if they hadn't crapped out at the end." Yeah, well, nothing's perfect. And it's still a fun ride.





7) Galaxy Quest
As far as goofball space movies go, this 1999 sleeper hit nailed it (Metascore: 70), building a hilariously original story around actors from a long-ago-cancelled Star Trek-type TV show who, during a sci-fi convention, find themselves whisked away by real aliens to solve an intergalactic conflict. Tim Allen isn't everyone's idea of a compelling leading man, but he did a smashing job as "captain" of a burned-out "crew" that also includes Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, and Monk's Tony Shalhoub.





6) Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Whether you love or hate Spielberg, this 1977 film captures the wonder and awe that are at the heart of so many of his films, and throws in a thrill-ride adventure coupled with a misunderstood (and massively obsessed) hero.





5) The Day the Earth Stood Still
In a postwar, sci-fi-obsessed era filled with movies about monsters, demons, blobs, and space invaders of all kinds, it's refreshing to find one that adopts a more measured perspective toward nonhuman beings. This time, the alien in question is actually looking to help, not hurt, humankind. That doesn't mean, though, that the film isn't filled with edgy suspense--not to mention one of the most iconic robots of the 20th century. And in case you couldn't have guessed on your own, note this 1951 classic beats hell out of the shoddy 2008 remake.





4) The Thing
John Carpenter set his 1982 film in an Antarctic research station, so right off the bat we have an awesome, super-isolated location that's perfect for a story about psychological turmoil. When the scientists uncover an alien creature that's been frozen for ages, and said creature begins to wreak havoc, to say that trust breaks down and things get tense would be a bit of an understatement. Like many great horror flicks, The Thing is less about the monster and more about what happens when human beings are pushed to the brink.





3) Invasion of the Body Snatchers
This is a fantastically creepy story that still gives us chills even decades later. In fact, it was such a powerful story, it was remade three more times! The noir-ish 1956 original, though--even with its heavy-handed Cold War references--is still the version to beat.





2) District 9
This 2009 film (Metascore: 80) one of the most original sci-fi stories we've seen in ages--a thrill ride with well-done CGI that was, at the same time, fully grounded in a contemporary (and very troubled) reality that hits home hard.





1) Alien
Haunting, dark, and more than a little gory, this 1979 classic took the concept of alien encounters in bold new directions. The film created an air of mystery, and quickly had everyone talking about a crucial scene involving an alien 'birth.' The creatures are a freak show, and the mood remains tense and ominous throughout.