I have written up a page about movies I like, as a way to defend myself from people who think I hate movies because I come down rather hard on a lot of flicks. If you think I am some bitter, twisted science freak, then I hope this page changes your mind. If, after reading that page, you still think I am too picky, check out this guy. I rest my case.

Of all the places where Bad Astronomy originates, it's safe to say that Hollywood has the biggest budget. Most of the top-grossing movies of all time are science fiction... with emphasis on the word fiction. Don't get me wrong: I love science-fiction. When I was a kid I lived on a straight diet of ``Lost in Space'', Star Trek and ``Space: 1999''. I still do! Even though the science in these shows is usually pretty bad, they do serve the great purpose of getting people excited about science, space and astronomy.

However, they also make a big impression on people. Even though we recently had two naked eye comets pass by the Earth (Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake), and millions of people saw them, they will probably remember the comet from ``Deep Impact'' and the asteroid from ``Armageddon'' better. Movies have a way of imprinting their images on our brain, and those images are not necessarily accurate.

That's why I have these Bad Movies pages. The movies may not be bad, but sometimes the science is. I know they are fiction, so I try not to take them too seriously. My philosophy is: these movies have made an impression, and if it's wrong, at least I can use that impression to teach Good Astronomy. Sure, they're fiction, but why not use that fiction to show some fact?

The movies listed are nowhere near complete. I cannot keep up with all current movies, let alone ones from years gone by. But I'll add more, I promise: as long as movies are made, this list has the capacity to grow!

Note: most of these reviews have two parts: one with no plot spoilers and one (the actual review) with lots. If you haven't seen the movie, be warned: the spoilers will have key elements of the plot revealed.

Another note: if you live in Baltimore or happen to be in the area, visit one of my favorite theaters, the Senator Theater in northern Baltimore. This is a great old-fashioned art deco movie house, and the owner truly loves movies. This is one of the country's best places to see movies.

• The Internet Movie Database, a priceless and exhaustive list of every movie ever made.

• Science Fiction Science Blunders is an all-too-short website with brief descriptions of more generic science mistakes in TV and movies. It's a fun read and complements a lot of what I say here as well.

• Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics, a page very much like my own, except it deals more with physics than astronomy.