Tag Archives: Avatar

Quack

While doing my morning Twitter check, an avatar caught my eye.

Not only was it someone I don’t usually follow — their post had been re-tweeted — but it was a yellow rubber duckie.

I love rubber duckies.

They’re cute and sunny and silly and playful.  I kinda wished for a second that my avatar was a rubber duckie (instead of of an egg with a crooked grin).

Funny thing — I’ve never owned a rubber duckie.  We all know Ernie on Sesame Street had one; he used to sing to it.  And Queen Elizabeth II was rumored to have one in her bathroom that wore a crown.  (A workman saw it when he was doing some painting and told a tabloid, of course.)

There’s even a Guinness World Record for Largest Rubber Duckie Collection — 2,583 unique rubber ducks, awarded to Charlotte Lee in 2007.

Greedy woman.  She’s got my duck.

Biblical proportions

‘John sinks James.’

‘Tearjerker takes down technology.’

‘Love kills the blue people.’

(Sorry…I couldn’t resist.)

Even I was stunned to see that “Dear John,”  the latest weeper from Nicholas Sparks , had taken over “Avatar’s” seemingly permanent Number #1 position at the Box Office.

It actually makes sense.  Most of “Avatar’s” target demographic was occupied with the pre-, pre-pre-, and pre-pre-pre-Super Bowl analysis, followed by the actual game and post, post-post, and post-post-post-game summaries.

And then, of course, there was the Super Bowl commercial viewing and analysis as well, both live and online.

The Super Bowl, if you do it right, can take a good three days.

Alas, “Avatar” was its victim…this weekend, anyway.  I’m sure its box office sales will bounce back for the balance of this week.

But beware, little blue CGI folk:  the Olympics are headed right your way.

And “Dear John” will be there, tear-stained tissue in hand, to pick up the pieces of your shattered audience.

Grand gesture

The 82nd Academy Award nominations were announced yesterday, and for the first time in the show’s history, the “Best Motion Picture” category was expanded to 10.

And the nominees are:

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9″
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

By increasing the field to 10, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences theorized that they would be able to recognize ‘more truly deserving films.’

Who are they kidding?

The directors, producers and actors recognized will be able to add “Oscar-nominated” to their resumes and demand higher paychecks for their next projects.  And the ratings for the awards broadcast itself may go up a bit, with a few more box office favorites in the mix.

But one of the serious contenders for “Best Motion Picture” will still win the Oscar, and this year, there are still only five….so they could have avoided all the drama.

Just look at the Top Ten:

  • “The Blind Side” was slammed by the critics, but beloved at the box office.  Sandra Bullock’s nomination for “Best Actress” was recognition enough.
  • “District 9″ seems like a bit of a stretch.  Indie sci-fi overachiever, maybe…but Oscar nominee?
  • “Up,” only the second animated picture to be nominated in the category, is not a serious contender.  (Count yourself lucky.  The producer’s speeches to date have been real snoozes.)
  • “An Education” is the foreign film rep.  Carey Mulligan’s nomination gives it credibility, but no real chance.
  • “A Serious Man”  is, in my opinion, an automatic inclusion.  The Coen Brothers seem to get a pass on whatever they produce and direct.  I’m not even sure the members watch their films anymore.

Which leaves us with…

“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

These are your five serious contenders for the Oscar for “Best Motion Picture.”  The others?

Just filler.