I think movies like Inception and Serenity are certainly helped by the fact that they're recent, but they are also both fantastic sci-fi films. I'm betting The Day the Earth Stood Still has the opposite problem, with that awful remake still being fresh in everyone's mind.

Exactly. I think the older movies aren't going to get the credit they deserve. I love District 9, but should it beat The Day the Earth Stood Still? I'm not sold either way, but I'm betting the pendulum will swing further in the direction of D9 than I'm comfortable with.

I'm thinking this round is going to unfold pretty predictably, for better or for worse.

/outrage that my pet movie isn't faring better

Sounds pretty similar to The Hole [en.wikipedia.org] except with an apocalyptic twist. Which actually turned out to be a very good, very disturbing movie, despite Keira Knightley's boobs being the main reason I saw it in the first place.

Too bad Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips can't face off. Roughly the equivalent of Rocky vs. Apollo, except the exact opposite.