For science fiction movie fans, 2009 was a pretty big year. The latest saga in the Star Trek pantheon of movies was released, taking fans back in prequel fashion. Avatar took the motion picture world by storm and became the highest grossing film of all time. If you missed any of last year's hits, you can probably catch them on one of satellite TV's many movie channels.

Let's take a look at some of the must-see sci-fi flicks of last year. Given that they can all now be caught on satellite, you can set your DVR to fill itself with hours of great sci-fi movies.

Avatar

Quite enough has been written and said about this futuristic, extra-terrestrial mega hit. It quickly surpassed Titanic as the most profitable and popular film of all time, which was coincidentally also directed by James Cameron. We'll keep this one short since half the world has already seen it. It goes without saying that the film broke all kinds of barriers in the areas of graphics and special effects. Note: This film is not yet available on satellite TV, so be on the lookout in months to come.

Star Trek

The Star Trek movies of old, as well as the series, were known for their thought-provoking, stereotype-challenging social themes. The latest movie installment leans much more towards an action-packed Hollywood blockbuster, but is still quite entertaining. This film takes us back to when Kirk was in Star Fleet academy and Spock was rising quickly through the intelligence ranks. It seems to be a prequel, much in the way of the more recent Star Wars films. However, it remains true to the story lines and character traits, so most Trekkies should be reasonably pleased with this one. Not only can you catch this installment on satellite TV, but you can also compare it to some of the older versions that continue to be shown on the movie channels.

District 9

This one took the entire movie industry by surprise. Many thought that it would be a summer sci-fi bomb. While lacking the budget of films such as "Avatar," this movie brings a great deal of amazing special effects and an impressive story line. It's not your typical aliens come to Earth story, either. In 1982, a massive space ship carrying a downtrodden alien population appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, alien relations with the people of South Africa have deteriorated. The aliens have been contained militarily in an area designated as District 9. Now the government has called on a private corporation to get rid of the aliens, using force if necessary.

If you missed any of these at the box office, you can definitely catch them on satellite TV. The movie channels that cater to sci-fi are also great for any business that does just the same. Whether it's a comic book store or a sci-fi movie or book store, how great would it be to have the latest sci-fi movies on in the background? You can write it off as a business expense, as well as watch movies while you work. It just doesn't get any better than that.