My dishwasher just went evil on me. It stopped responding and smoke started spewing out of the bottom...Am I screwed?

You're not, but the dishwasher may be. This happened to me last year. Icky, disgusting, black acrid smoke. The motor had burned out. Depending on the make, model, and age of your unit, it may or may not be worth repairing. I try to do my own repairs first. This site is helpful. Here's a direct link to the dishwasher page, if you want to give self-diagnosis a shot. http://www.repairclinic.com/0088_9_1.asp#Level1_1 Mine was 21 years old, so it wasn't worth it. Mine quit the week before Christmas last year. I went the hand-dry route until I saved up enough money to get a brand new one. I got the new one in April. Best wishes to you.  more