The perpetual list-makers over at listverse.com have posted a new list I found appealing to my geekish tendencies: the Top 20 Geek Movies of All Time. I was relieved to see that these were movies for geeks, among whom I count myself, and not about so-called geeks, which is a totally different beast. (And the appeal of which I just don't get. I was in a house this weekend where Superbad was playing, and I still feel like the inside of my head needs scrubbed.)

The criteria for the list are a little hard to gauge, but there are a few things in common: space, or computers, or other sci-fi themes, or a combination of the above. Also, the 1980s spawned most of the geeky classics. One of my favorites made it: Short Circuit. Ah, Ally Sheedy circa 1986. My girlfriend says you look like somebody's mother here, but I say what's wrong with that? (Also, she was crushing on Sally Field in Places in the Heart, so I say her judgment may be questionable.)

A more recent film that made it was The Matrix. Again, I agree. The sequels were unwatchable, but I'll never forget seeing the fight sequences at the theater; this was a movie that changed the way movies are filmed. (Er, does saying that make me a geek?) Oh, and there was Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss).

Another good call: Serenity. I sort of think anything written by Joss Whedon qualifies for geekdom on that basis alone, and this one also has Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, and Gina Torres fighting the good fight on the big screen. Enough said. … continue reading

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic turned out to be so true to the television series — and so much fun — many Joss Whedon fans dared to hope that more of his canceled shows would continue in graphic form. Angel fans got their wish in November (with mixed reviews) and now comes confirmation that a new Serenity comic will be published in March 2008.

Serenity: Better Days is a three-issue series set between the end of Firefly and the 2005 Serenity feature film — the same setting as Serenity: Those Left Behind, which was published in 2005. … continue reading

Sometimes a list is so close to the hearts of AfterEllen.com readers that all a blogger has to do is tell you about it and sit back to watch the fun. So, I was tickled to find this list in the Los Angeles Times of the "Women of Whedon." The Times asked Joss Whedon to name his five favorite female creations. I was less tickled once I perused the list, however, thanks to at least one dreadful omission. (Get ready to be indignant.) Where's Willow?

While your ruffled feathers relax a bit, let's look at the women he did name. I certainly can't quarrel with the first. … continue reading

On Thursday of last week, when international space station commander Peggy Whitson welcomed space shuttle Discovery commander Pamela Melroy on board, the meeting marked the first time ever that two female commanders have hooked up (no, not like that) in space. That's a happy addition to the timeline of women's accomplishments in space.

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who still gets excited about nonfictional shuttle launches. It's amazing to me that the same culture that paid George Lucas to crank out his craptastic Star Wars prequels treats the space program like the nerd in high school who liked math and carried around Isaac Asimov novels. (You know, ignore it most of the time, but when it's having a bad day, tape a “kick me” sign to its back and watch it careen down the hall.)

But I get the fascination with space stories. I grew up with E.T. (which is 25 years old this year!), spent one summer in the '80s watching Space Camp until I wore out the tape, and yes, I, too, forked over the money for tickets to those Star Wars prequels, though that was mostly for Natalie Portman. And I do believe we should celebrate women in space-type entertainment, because they encourage us to dream of possibilities outside of our own experience. Here are a few of my favorites. … continue reading

Jaime Sommers. Supergirl. Sarah Walker. Niki Sanders. Sarah Corvus. All women who kick butt on a regular basis on network TV. None have captured my heart in the way that Buffy, Xena and Syd did, but the possibility is there.

We love that these characters are more than beautifully buff bodies. They're real people, with brains and personalities and problems — even dark sides. Other writers have analyzed why strong women are so popular with general audiences, but at AfterEllen.com, we prefer to focus on the women themselves. And their beautifully buff bodies.

Fortunately, we can count on EW.com to have the right list at the right time. Last week's Butt-Kicking Babes is just what the lesbians ordered. The inspired lineup includes the top 24 hard-hittin' hotties of all time. Actually, it started with 22 — with Buffy and Sydney missing. Fan outcry forced revision of the list, and rightly so. Now most of our favorites are there — Ripley, The Bride, Starbuck, Trinity, Kate Austen — along with some great choices that are less obvious. Here are some highlights and choice quotes from EW's notes. … continue reading

After learning of the Sci Fi Channel's Firefly marathon yesterday, I decided I could think of no better way to spend a Friday than by reminding myself how much I like Joss Whedon and the characters he creates.

So I spent the day reacquainting myself with Firefly. The only wrench in this system came when all the episodes had aiered. I was left wanting more. I simply cannot get enough of quirky mechanic Kaylee, cool-as-ice-but-vulnerable consort Inara, weird and wacky River, or tough-as-nails and second-in-command Zoe. And, yeah, the boys aren't bad either.

What I want, ultimately, is a sequel to Serenity, Whedon's big-screen wrap-up to the TV series. Seems Mr. Whedon is not against the idea. Talk of a sequel has been ongoing since the movie was released. And while such talk has cooled, it's never really disappeared entirely. We sci-fi fans don't tend to let go easily. With the new and improved DVD edition scheduled for release in the not-too-distant future, the sequel talk has resurfaced. Comments made by Joss in the newest round of chatter indicate that getting all of his actors back together for such a sequel might prove difficult, based on their current workload. Now, I consider myself a TV-phile, but I can't recall seeing his troops in any starring roles lately. So I decided to check in to see what they've all been up to. … continue reading