lists

Empire has released its yearly list counting down the 100 sexiest movie stars in Hollywood. Since Jason already pointed you to Inside TV's list of hot chicks in sci-fi, I decided to comb through the Empire tally to see if any of our favorite genre-friendly actresses made the cut. I was doing research, you see. It's my job. Really.

I wasn't surprised to learn that seven fantasy/sci-fi starlets topped this year's list, with Transformers' Megan Fox landing the number one spot, followed by Angelina Jolie (Wanted), Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Scarlett Johansson (The Spirit, Iron Man 2), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Natalie Portman (Star Wars), and Kristen Stewart (Twilight).

The full list, ranked by Empire readers, is lousy with babes known for steaming up the big screen in sci-fi flicks. Head after the jump to see some of our favorite vote getters.

Bruce Willis unplugs from a cybernetic utopia to crack some skulls and kick some ass in Surrogates, director Jonathan Mostow's big-screen sci-fi comic book adaptation, opening everywhere today. Willis plays an FBI agent investigating a murder in a world where people live vicariously through well-preserved – and sometimes just plain creepy -- robot avatars. While on the case, he uncovers a conspiracy that, if you believe the trailer, threatens to cripple the entire world.

Of course, this isn't the first time ol' Bruno has been tapped to save the world in a big-budget sci-fi actioneer -- he does it all the time. To celebrate his return to our beloved genre, we present the Top 5 Sci-Fi Heroes Played By Bruce Willis. Yippee-ki-yay, motherfracker!

5. Harry Stamper, Armageddon
Sure, critics called Michael Bay's 1998 end-of-the-world action flick brainless, senseless and bloated (and those were the ones who liked it), but Willis instills some heart amid all the gloss and fireworks as a hard ass oil driller tasked with saving the planet from a giant meteor. Harry Stamper is no John McClane, but Willis manages to turn the character into a lovable and noble SOB who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world.

Over at SFS sibling site Asylum there's a nice weighing of the scales as to what property has the edge when it comes to creating women of science fiction. Now before you assume this is just a superficial contest of whether Sarah Michelle Gellar is hotter than Jeri Ryan, or if River Tam could beat Tasha Yar in a cat fight, let me assure you that it's actually a nice examination of what kind of qualities are put into creating a character a geek can crush on.

Sure, skin-tight space suits are factored in, but one also must consider the girl-next-doorness of spaceship mechanics, as well as the allure of cold-hard Vulcan logic. So click on over to Asylum to see the match ups and/or yell about who they left off from either side. Personally, I'm a little bummed that there was no love for Amy Acker's Fred from from Whedon's "Angel". And if it's all in honor of the return of "Dollhouse" this Friday, I think Miracle Laurie would have been a good contender for a current geek crush.

Spike TV may not be the default go-to for critical cinematic analysis, but if there is one thing the guy-tailored network knows, it's hicks and hillbillies. And that makes them perfectly qualified to hammer out a list of the Top 10 White Trash Heroes of Cinema, a list that admirably goes looking in the "the trailer parks for succor, refuge, and justice."

It's actually a pretty fun list with some great picks on it. I'm particularly fond of Russel Casse from Independence Day, Valentine and Earl from Tremors, and H.I. McDunnough from Raising Arizona, but it's Luke Skywalker at number one that puts a big 'ole smile on my face. And it's hard to argue with Spike's rationale:

- He lives on a patch of dirt in the middle of nowhere.
- He has lots of beat-up vehicles in his front yard.
- He's a greasemonkey.
- He likes to make out with his sister.
- He lives with his aunt and uncle 'cause his dad killed his mom.

The great blog SFSignal.com has an interesting piece up this week that poses a simple question to some not-so-simple people, "Which films do you think are good examples of Intelligent SciFi?" The selected panelists range from a "Stargate: Atlantis" producer to a normal geek enthusiast to several award winning authors and responses range from the obvious (Blade Runner, 2001, Contact) to the obscure (The Wings of Honneamise, La Mort en Direct).

It's interesting to read what those involved in the field think makes for intelligent cinema, but I must admit I'm disappointed that not a single person mentioned what would have been one of the first titles off of my tongue, The Man From Earth. I'm always amazed at how few people have seen Richard Schenkman's wonderful film, but if there would be one group I'd expect to champion it, it'd have to be award winning authors and sci-fi TV show creators.

If you haven't seen The Man From Earth, you'd do well to tuck it into a mental back pocket. It's a heart-heavy and thought provoking exploration of the implications of immortality made all the more bittersweet considering Jerome Bixby penned it on his death bed. Surely I'm not the only one blown away by the last thing ever written by the long time "Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek" staff writer and creator of It! The Terror From Beyond Space as well as the soon-to-be-remade Fantastic Voyage.

What else is missing from SF Signal panelist picks? Any titles you're glad made it? Any you wish hadn't?