I have a confession to make: I love movies. I love watching movies, talking about movies, seeing how movies are made, and poking holes in a movie’s logic. Namely, this is because of the way films appeal to my geeky side. Today, I’ve decided to compile a top-ten list of my favorite “geek” films. Please note that none of the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter films appear in the list; this is purely intentional. Enjoy!

1. Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li – Aside from the fact that this film is based on the immensely popular Capcom video game series, this film changes the way you look (and think) about your favorite classic Street Fighter characters.

2. Clerks II – If you thought that this film wouldn’t make the cut, you would be grossly mistaken. The way writer/director Kevin Smith (with the help of actor Jeff Anderson) rips into the “Lord of the Rings” film series is befitting of any geek who is a Star Wars fan that loves to poke holes in Hollywood’s logic.

3. A Beautiful Mind – Not only does this film cover conspiracy theories, but it also prominently features mathematics and its usage. In this film, John Nash (historical mathematician, played by Russell Crowe) uses mathetmatics to explain every mundane occurences, like the moving patterns of a pack of squirrels, making it perfect for geeks who find numbers interesting.

4. Independence Day – What film could be better for geeks than a film that has a geek for a hero? In this film, David Levingston (played by Jeff Goldblum) uses an old hacker technique to disable a communication signal by the invading alien swarm. Not only that, but the numerous references to advanced technologies and the paranormal make this perfect for any technology geek.

5. The Triangle – This Sci-Fi Channel original film, starring Bruce Davison (who you may know as Senator Kelly from the “X-Men” films) and Eric Stoltz, tells the story of five people charged with explaining what I consider to be the “mother of all paranormal phenomena”: the Bermuda Triangle. This film is perfect for geeks due to its use of government conspiracies and new technologies, such as a machine that can cause catastophic electromagnetic fields.

6. Minority Report – This Tom Cruise film, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, features futuristic societies and innovations in technology, such as a machine that can detect crimes before they even happen. This film also makes you wonder just how far technology could go before it would be too far. Not only that, but it’s from the guy whose novels brought us “Blade Runner” and how bad could that be?

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas – I had to include this in the list, since it was basically created with large action figures and, as everyone knows, action figures are geeky. During one critical sequence, Jack uses the Scientific Method and a chemistry set in an attempt to figure out the whole “Christmas thing”, making it the perfect film for science (or science fiction) fanatics. It’s also perfect for horror fans, since it makes you think twice about how you view the numerous icons of the Halloween holiday.

8. Super Mario Brothers – The original geek film! Not only is this film based on the classic characters of the Nintendo universe, but it is also one of the few “game to screen” adaptations to stay true to its original inspiration (even if the dynamics of the characters were changed for dramatic purposes). I’ll admit that I found Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo hard to swallow as brothers (one’s white and the other is Latino), but their comedic timing and presenation are impossible to resist. Above all, however, is the geek pride one feels when pointing out the various characters from the “Mario” universe like Yoshi and the Koopa brothers, Iggy and Spike (all from Super Mario Bros. World).

9. Coraline – Yes, another stop-motion animated feature! Again, action figures are geeky, and this film was made with glorified action figures. And who can forget the character of Whyborn who, without a doubt, is one of the geekiest characters to come out of Hollywood since the nerds of “Revenge of the Nerds”! All you have to do then is add the voice (which, sadly, doesn’t appear enough in this film) of John Hodgman, better known as PC from the Apple TV commercials, and you have a full-blown, five-alarm geek emergency here!

10. Phenomenon – You probably wouldn’t expect this movie to be listed on a geek’s list of favorite movies, but this one is an exception. What makes this film geeky is that it deals with extrasensory perception, better known as ESP. Not only that but, during a pivotal point in the film, John Travolta makes a list of animals in alphabetical order, though he pokes holes in his own logic by pointing out that several of the animals are either mythical (meaning they don’t exist) or extinct. How geeky is that?

What are you favorite geek films? What makes them geeky? Please leave your thoughts, insights, or even your own top-ten list in the comments below.