since we're talking about nerds...

check out this rad (read: nerdy) manual to sci-fi superfandom!

and, yes, i started watching Castle to get my nathan fillion fix. you didn't?

I love movie people with time on their hands

While I still maintain that Avatar is more of a Ferngully remake than a Pocahontas one, this is really incredible. Well done, magical movie mashup guy, well done indeed...

CFV 426 - Avatar/Pocahontas Mashup FINAL VERSION from Randy Szuch on Vimeo.

(apparently other people have tried the same thing with Ferngully, but have been less successful...)

Poorly run Oscar campaigns

Why are you doing this to us, Hurt Locker? This is just embarrassing. Apparently, one of the producers, Nicolas Chartier, sent an e-mail to a huge number of Academy members asking them to vote for his film and not the "$500M" movie. Which, okay, yeah, we agree with you, but you need to be a little more careful who you send that to. Because apparently your list included producers who worked on some of the other 9 movies that are nominated for Best Picture (8 of which did not cost $500 million to make). Which, shockingly, is now bringing the backlash. After they began hearing about the e-mail from outraged reps for studios with other best picture contenders, the academy forced Chartier to issue an apology and e-mail it to each person who received the plea he sent last week. Not only was the e-mail in violation of Academy rules and etiquette, it's just plain dumb.

However, ballots are due back next Tuesday, the 2nd, so presumably the backlash might be coming a little late. Either way, the plot for Best Picture thickens...

10 days until Oscar Day!

i see you.

wanna watch a jackass look like a jackass by desperately trying not to come off as a jackass?

take it away james cameron!

you have to go HERE to watch the video cause they're a bunch of copyright fascists but here's a taste of the douchebaggery: "And look, for myself, I have already got an Oscar. I've got a couple of them, you know." oh DO you mr. king of the world? where WILL you ever keep another one? you may even have to, like, clean off a shelf or something. what a BOTHER!

asshole.

helping to keep me awake

The Producers Guild of America Awards helped build the tension in one of the few big races that still has some (seriously, this is the year I start studying the Animated Short Film nominees in order to win our Oscar pool). While Avatar spent the weekend breaking Titanic's worldwide record to become the highest grossing film of all-time (although Titanic still holds the domestic record, at least for another couple weeks), it was once again the Hurt Locker on top at the PGAs (of course, both were shut out of the SAGs, but at least The Hurt Locker was nominated). Ladies and gentlemen, we have an Oscar race!



Nothing better than a little suspense around the top award. After Avatar's win at the Golden Globes, this was pretty awesome news for the Hurt Locker, especially since the PGAs have one of the better Oscar predicting histories (13 of the last 20 PGA winners have won best picture- conveniently compiled for you here). This is also one of those years where I could see them splitting the Best Director/Picture categories and giving one to each (in that scenario, please let Kathryn Bigelow win. I mean, I know I'm probably stuck listening to Cameron speak in Na'vi either way, and I'd really like to see the first woman ever win a directing Oscar. Which is in addition to the fact that she completely deserves to win). Be sure to keep February 2nd on your calendars for the announcement of the Oscar nominations!!!

as if you cared: it's kim's review of "avatar"!

whoa... i'm really eating my words on this one!

top tenable.