The 10 best movies for Dorks

What would a Dork column be without he occasional obligatory Top 10 list? What I have compiled here, in order from 10 to one, is a thoroughly, thoughtfully and carefully researched list of the top 10 must-see movies for Dorks. Note that this isn’t a list of the dorkiest movies of all time. These are the movies that Dorks love or would love if they haven’t seen them yet. So hold on to your lightsaber and let’s get at it. 10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone This was the perfect introduction into the movie series based on the books by J.K. Rowling. This one captured the look, feel and tone of the books and set the mark by which all the others would be judged. Also, it took a dorky kid and made him uber cool, which many of us can either relate to or fantasize about. 9. Spider-Man Though most people call Peter Parker a nerd, those of us in the know realize that he is really a dork. A nerd wouldn’t create a costume and a secret identity the way a real dork would. When you combine a dork-nerd and a real cool superhero you can’t help but get the best of dorkdom. 8. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Besides being a really cool, heartwarming movie, you can’t help but admire how dorky little Elliot manages to befriend a lost alien and rise to a level of acceptance and admiration few of us will ever know. 7. Grease Your dorkness isn’t complete without a musical. It was either this or Mamma Mia. At least Grease is all about being cool, and it stars Olivia Newton-John. (What more do you need to say?) 6. Toy Story Cowboys, spacemen and other toys come to life when no one is looking … wow! Even as an adult, I was floored when I saw it. It’s like imagination brought to life. The only thing that would have made it cooler would have been having superhero action figures (just sayin’). I loved the sequels and feel Toy Story 2 was the best of the trilogy. 5. Apollo 13 Nerds in space rescued by nerds on the ground! For us space geeks, this movie based on a true story is the ultimate non-fiction space flick. The history, emotion and suspense just cause the dork to swell up in you. Even though you know the outcome ahead of time, you still get caught up in a story well told. 4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan One word: KHAAAAAAAAN! 3. The Goonies If you have to ask, please stop reading this column. Do not return until after you have seen it. Only then will you understand. 2. Revenge of the Nerds This is the movie that made being a nerd cool. While I can’t in good conscience recommend it anymore, it did set the benchmark for global nerd acceptance. 1. Star Wars This is the Holy Grail of dorkdom, geekiness and nerdism. No single movie or television franchise – including Star Trek – has a more widespread and devoted following as Star Wars. Even non-fans can recognize Darth Vader, R2-D2 and most of the rest of the characters and ships and at least identify them as being part of the Star Wars universe. Fan clubs, comics, cartoons, books and more keep the franchise current and relevant, even though the last of the six movies was released more than six years ago. Were it not for the original “Star Wars,” it’s very likely that “Star Trek” would never have jumped to the big screen and “Battlestar Galactica” would never have been approved for even a pilot episode. George Lucas was not only the mastermind behind Star Wars, he also spurred development of special effects and filmmaking technology that threw open a new universe of storytelling. There you have it. Please sound off and let me know what you think should be in the Top 10 movies for Dorks. Signing off, I am The Dork Ranger.