The Valentine's Day Disconnect

So it's Valentine's Day. Hurray! And yes, there is a tone of sarcasm in there (it doesn't come across well in print). Forgive the cynicism but this holiday often brings that out of me. That might have a lot to do with the fact that once again I am single during it, but for a holiday that comes across as being exclusively for couples and seems to punish those who are not part of one, I think I have a right to feel this way. It's like that episode of The Simpsons where Burns tells the plant that everyone who's found love can leave early. Everyone cheers and runs off, except for one poor guy who looks down at the floor sadly while a single tear runs down his cheek. That's how I feel today.

Romance in general has been a touchy point for me lately, and part of that is my tendency to watch court shows while I'm off during the day. There have been soooo many cases involving exes, and it seems to be a feature today. All these people who were once head over heels in love and now hate each other with a blistering passion. It's sad, kind of sick in it's own way, and seems to be fairly common.

Now me, I've never been big on dating. Which is kind of a problem, as everyone tells me I have to get out there if I want to meet the guy of my dreams. Yeah. Dating, to me, is exactly what Jerry Seinfeld once described it as; "A job interview that lasts all night".

My brother thinks part of the problem, not just for me but for a lot of girls, is what he likes to call "Disney-itis". He defines it as that unrealistic expectation that a lot of Disney movies, and movies in general, instill in women that there is a perfect guy out there and once you meet him, you'll know. My brother insists life isn't like that, that you have to kiss a few frogs to get to the prince, and that a lot of great guys are getting passed up because they don't meet that 'Prince' criteria. To give you an example, after doing the Tim Burton exhibit I put on Corpse Bride last night, one of my favorite Burton movies. Despite it's grim subject matter, it's a very romantic movie, and features one of my best loved movie couples, Victor and Victoria, two soft-spoken individuals who have been intended for each other by their parents, and find from their first meeting that their wedding, that they'd both been dreading, couldn't come fast enough. Unfortunately, a mistake and a lovely but dead bride named Emily throws a wrench in the proceedings. But you just know that love will conquer all, right?

My brother may have a point, that a lot of movies may instill unrealistic expectations about what romance and courtship should be (I mean, some of them do feature the living marrying the dead after all). But I can't help but wonder, well, what's wrong with finding your perfect mate? I see so many women in these daytime TV shows putting up with sub-par men for a variety of reasons, likely because romance eliminated all traces of logic and common sense in them, but one likely reason being that they just don't want to be alone or they're under pressure to be in a relationship by the people around them. So they cause themselves no limit of heartache dealing with these losers just so they can say they have a Valentine on Valentine's Day. What the hell? I admit I haven't dated much in my life, but I knew from a very young age that I would much rather be alone than with someone who doesn't get me, who doesn't make me happy or excited or passionate. In short, I'm not willing to waste my time with someone unless there's even a remote chance that he'll check off any of the above list. Not all of it necessarily, but at least some if it. At the very least, I want to be excited to see his email rather than "Oh God, I guess I should answer him and be polite out of a sense of societal obligations". I've never had that before. Really, is that so much to ask? That I find a guy who makes me feel happy, who can talk to me and understand what I feel and just makes me feel love and loved?

In the mean time, I'm going to go treat myself a little today, maybe with a cupcake and a new book, and get a heart shaped pizza for me and my roommate. Why the hell not? If you can't love yourself, you can't love anyone else, right?

And as for romance one day coming my way, well, hope springs eternal. Someday, my prince will come...

A New Geek Milestone: My first viewing of TRON

So the new Tron: Legacy movie is due this December, and there has been much buzz about it care of Disney and ComicCon and Fan Expo, etc. But it's got me wondering; how many people have actually seen the original Tron? It was a bomb back in 1982, and while it's visual style is still recognizable thanks to references in many forms of media, who's seen it? Who remembers it? Who actually knows what it's about?

Well, I can officially add myself to that select group. I can now see Tron: Legacy and say that I have seen Tron. Yay for me!

So what is it about? Basically it centers around a software engineer named Kevin Flynn (a young Jeff Bridges), who was with the powerful computer company ENCOM until his colleague stole his ideas for games and forced him out. Flynn now runs a video-game arcade, and he's a little annoyed about the whole thing. He's been trying to hack ENCOM to find the code he needs to prove the games are his, but the artificial intelligence that runs ENCOM's mainframe, Master Control, keeps him out. So with the help of a couple of his friends, Flynn makes one more ditch effort to hack in. But Master Control has a surprise for him. Using new ENCOM technology, Master Control digitizes Flynn and brings him into the mainframe. Now, Flynn must survive games and light cycles and work with the computer program Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) to bring down Master Control and find the codes.

Honestly though, the plot is rather secondary to the visual effects. Yes, though the technology was absolutely groundbreaking back in 1982, it looks dated by today's standards. Regardless, it is still visually stunning to look at. Part of it might be that I had the opportunity to watch it in high def, but still it looks amazing. It really gives you an idea of how far film technology has come, and it really makes me wonder why this film wasn't a bigger success. This would've blown people away back then. Maybe it was too new for the early 80s crowd. A shame really. But still, sequel coming!

So join the nerd masses and see it. That way when Tron: Legacy makes use of modern film technology and blows us all away in the present day, you'll know where it all came from.

Fan Expo 2010: Day 2

I think I'm in love. With who you ask? James Marsters. Now lots of you will probably think, yeah, we know, you've been in love with Spike for ages. True, but now I'm in love with the man behind Spike.

And so leads us to my second day at Toronto's geek heaven. The trip to and from was much easier this time around (thank God, no smoke on the tracks I guess). How would I describe today? Exhausting and not without it's mild irritants, but mostly...magical.

I arrived at the Convention Center around 9am and found a line, as I'd expected, but a much shorter line this time around, only going down Simcoe a little ways. And though I travelled alone, I managed to make a line buddy by the name of John. We chatted for some time about likes, dislikes, home life and what brought us here today. He was there mostly for gaming and anime, so the opposite of what I was there for, but we found a lot to talk about regardless and he explained the finer points of his costume to me.

I got in at about 10:15am. Perfect. I had time to take a quick look around, ask about the iTunes gift cards and discover that they were only being given out to people buying tickets that day (Boo!) and to find the room, two floors down, where the DC Universe panel discussion was being held. That was a very interesting talk between some DC writers and artists about some upcoming projects, and some very interesting questions came up (among them were what everyone's favorite DC and Marvel characters were).

I left that a few minutes early to get in line for the Tron Legacy sneak peak. I was a little worried once I saw the line, but it turns out it was in a huge theatre, so finding seats was no trouble. There was some talk of everyone having to confiscate their cameras and phones, as they were showing secret movie scenes, but fortunately it did not come to that. They just had security guards to keep an eye on things. Once in my seat I met another Melissa and her mother and brother. The Tron preview was hosted by InnerSPACE hosts Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson, and featured a peak at the new video game with one of the games designers and a Wii demo on the big screen. Then we had a great compilation of clips showing Tron references in pop culture, from 30 Rock to Family Guy to music videos and South Park. Then a very cool surprise; Mr. Bruce Boxleitner was brought out, an actor who has starred in both the original Tron and the upcoming feature, and is maybe best known for starring in Babylon Five. Then we were shown both a trailer and seven minutes of never before seen footage, all in 3D (glasses were handed out as we came in). Honestly, the movie looks pretty cool, and I'm excited to see it. Mr. Boxleitner came out with Ajay Fry to answer a few questions from the audience. I quite enjoyed Mr. Boxleitner, he was funny and charming. One thing he pointed out was that the original Tron was slammed by the critics at the time and did poorly at the box office, but he feels that some of the blame for that lands on the fact that E.T. came out that same summer and, as he put it, sucked all the oxygen out of the room. But, he was quick to point out, E.T. doesn't have a new movie coming out 27 years later. The audience cheered at that. He also encouraged all of us to go out and see it four times each opening weekend.

By the time that wrapped up and we had deposited our 3D glasses in the recycle bin it was a little after 1. I knew it was too late to try to go to the Stan Lee presentation, but as that wasn't high on my list of things to do this weekend that was alright. I was ready to get some lunch. But, by then the size of the crowd had ballooned to almost locust-like proportions. There was a nice sized crowd of people waiting to get in outside, so leaving the building was impossible unless I wanted to join the wait to get back in. And they were only letting people back upstairs a few at a time to try to control the crowd, so there was a crowd of people waiting around the escalator. Seeing I had nowhere to go and nothing to do, I decided to go get in line for the James Marsters Q&A, even though that wasn't for a couple of hours. I found the right line, got comfy, found a granola bar I'd packed for just such an emergency and settled in with my iPod Nano. Plus I had to deal with a mass of people, including a few behind me who kept talking at booming volumes and kept wiggling into my personal space. Grrr.

But you know what? Totally worth it! I got a great seat, just a couple rows back from the front and on the aisle, so I had the clearest view I think I've ever had at Fan Expo. After another half-hour, our hosts (Teddy Wilson and Natasha Eloi) introduced the man of the hour. He's looking good, that guy; his brown hair's grown out a little bit and he had on a sleeveless shirt, showing off his arms. Meow. It was funny hearing him talk and not sound British. He sounds very American, and I thought at times I detected a Southern twang to his voice. Still, I'm not picky.

He was an absolute delight. He was funny, intelligent, gave nice full answers and was great with the fans. Turns out he's a well rounded actor. He's not only done the Sci Fi stuff like Spike or Captain John or Brainiac, but also the stage and Shakespeare and more main stream stuff as well. When asked about playing villains he talked about how in Shakespeare there are no villains (with the exception of Iago or maybe Richard III), and that that's how he's always seen the characters he's played. He told some great stories about working on "Once More With Feeling" and how hard the cast worked to make that come to life. He talked about his new projects and how much he relates to his character on Caprica. He talked about Angel and having to make it look like he was kicking David Boreanaz's butt while Boreanaz had a bad knee but wouldn't give up until the scene was finished. Of course he was asked about his kiss on Torchwood with John Barrowman. Again, meow. He described Barrowman as a born leader who helped him out of a tight spot while filming and made him feel comfortable about that hot and heavy scene. Apparently Marsters was originally hoping to get on Doctor Who but they didn't need him for anything there and came up with this role on Torchwood instead. Our gain.

A couple of my favorite responses: when asked if there was anything about Spike he would've played differently; "Nothing." And when asked if it was better playing a supercomputer than a vampire; "Actually, I don't think anything's been better than Spike." Yay! Spike's voice even made a brief appearance this afternoon.

But the most awesome thing came right near the end. He sang for us. Someone asked him if he remembered any lyrics from "Once More With Feeling" and would he sing them for us. He confessed that he didn't, but he could sing something else. A song from a TV movie he'd done for SyFy. I made sure the video option on my camera was running. Honestly, it was lovely when he started singing. For a song from a TV movie it was haunting and sad, and he sold it. The whole auditorium went silent. I was beaming and felt something pretty deep. It was a real moment.

And then he finished, and it was over. One last round of applause and a standing ovation, myself included. I left feeling so satisfied and happy. I knew that if I'd experienced nothing else that whole day that one hour would have made the trip worth it.

The crowd had dispersed somewhat by that point, so I made it back upstairs and basically walked around for about an hour and a half looking at comics and collectibles and displays until my shoulders ached, my feet started to hurt and my mind went numb. I got some graphic novels, some free stuff, and checked to see when Mr. Marsters would be signing autographs tomorrow. Then a little after 6 I left to head back to the subway. They were keeping the Expo open until 8 tonight to meet demand, but I figured it's been a good day and the time had come to leave.

So there's two good days. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. Last day, a few things on the agenda. How will it all go down? To be continued...

Fan Expo 2010: Day 1

After a long wait, a year of anticipation, one of my very favorite times of the year is finally upon us. Fan Expo, one of the biggest geekfests in all of geekdom, opened it's doors to all at 4pm this afternoon. And where was I at that time? Not quite where you might think.

Picture this. I and my roommate Andrea get ready to leave for about 1:30pm. I've got my Batman t-shirt on, my new Capri jeans, my shape-ups in the vain hope that this will tone my legs (I've put on weight recently), and I've done myself up with black-eyeliner, silver sparkly eyeshadow and red lipstick to go with my awesome, recently dyed purple hair. I'm dressed to kill, I have everything I need, my ticket is in hand, I'm ready for anything.

Or so I thought. We get on the subway line from Yorkdale headed to Union station. So far things are fine, we're aiming to be at the Convention Center early to avoid a massive line-up. We get to the St. Claire West Station, and are told that due to some smoke in the tunnels, we all have to leave the train because it will go no further until the fire department gives the all-clear. But don't worry, they tell us, because shuttle buses will take you to the next station down south and you can hop the train from there. All of this would have been fine with me...if we did not have to wait a good forty minutes or so to catch one of those buses. Lord, did that tick me off. I felt like I was waiting for Godot. Not so much the wait, but the fact that the instructions for where we wait and for what were not very clear and there was no one to ask. I mean, what kind of operation are they running?

But we get our shuttle bus (we practically had to knock people over to get on), get to the St. George Station and take that the rest of the way in. We end up chatting to a Melissa, a fellow geek who's meeting her husband down at the convention. We finally get to Union, get to the Convention Center...but by this point it's after 4, and my worst fears have been confirmed. A line up. A massive line up, snaking all the way down under the tunnel on Simcoe Street. And not only must we wait, but we must wait in separate lines, because Andrea still needed to buy her ticket. So I'm standing alone for about an hour and a half to get in. Fortunately there were lots of costumes to see and I had my iPod with me, but still it was a long wait.

By the time I get in, get my wrist band and get onto the convention floor it's about twenty to 6. I figure there's no point in trying to make any of the 6pm panels I was hoping to get to and try to occupy myself until Andrea makes it inside (the line for ticket buyers was longer than the one with advanced tickets). However, how could I possibly stay down hearted? It's Fan Expo, for God's sake! Even in the little bit I saw tonight and with the heavy crowds my heart leapt. These are my people! This is where I belong!

And boy was there a lot to see. The tables for Marvel and DC and the Tron Display kept me occupied until Andrea made it in at about 6:15. We went to the food court to get some pizza (with me getting a Fangtasia tattoo along the way), which was right near the autograph stations so we saw a few famous faces like Ernest Borgnine and Felicia Day. After getting my picture taken with the Metallicar (see above, so awesome!) we went to the big T-Shirt store and Andrea got some really good scores with shirts featuring Sheldon Cooper's Friendship Algorithm and Pinky and The Brain's to-do list (1. Wait until tonight 2. Take over the world). While she was doing that I tried to find out about the collectible iTunes cards that the Expo is handing out. She got one, with Doctor Who on the front, when she got in but I didn't, so I went back to the ticket counters only to find out that they were fresh out. Aaahhhh! Fortunately Andrea gave up hers, as she's not a fan of Doctor Who or Torchwood, so yay! Hopefully they will have lots to give out for the next two cards over the next couple of days.

After a stop at the HMV set-up there, we went downstairs to room 205B. That's another thing that surprised me about this year's Expo. While last year it was held in the South Building in the deepest, darkest depths, this year it was in the North Building, which is all open with lots of room and lots of natural light. A nice improvement. Anyway, room 205B was a panel discussion on the X-men comic series, featuring bigwigs from Marvel comics. Andrea was talked into this with the promise of having somewhere to sit. Before it started and while she was saving our seats I picked up a couple of things and had two separate but similar conversations about True Blood with two vendors, after they noticed my Fangtasia tattoo. Once they heard I haven't seen Season 3 they kept mum so nothing would be spoiled, which I appreciate.

The discussion itself was very interesting. I admit, I did wonder if I would get kicked out once people noticed my Batman t-shirt, but nobody seemed to mind. After our speaker pointed out a kid Wolverine and his X-23 mom, we got into an update of what's been going on in the comic series and what we can expect in the near future. This is great for me because I'm very behind on the comics and have no idea what's going on. For instance, I had no idea that one of my favorites, Nightcrawler, had died. Whaaa? Or that the devastation to the mutant population from the House of M events may start to turn around with a new group called Generation Hope. Plus we got into a little bit of insight into how that industry works. Once I heard the questions from the hard core fans, I was a little reminded of how out of my league I was. Wow.

So, aside from a few hiccups, it was a good day. I got some great free samples, especially from the DC table, where I lined up to get free comics and lots of buttons and posters. I was able to squeeze in an event, and there's two more days of cool stuff to look forward to, with my orange Deluxe wrist band strapped on for the whole three days. All in all, a good start.

Now please God, let the subways be working tomorrow...and let the line ups be short.

Movie Review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Last Sunday my mother and I went to see this new Disney offering, as we're both fantasy fans. I liked it, she didn't. We're different people, she and I.

In this expansion and update of both the Goethe poem and Disney's Mickey Mouse-starring cartoon short from Fantasia, the titular sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage), a magic maker from the age of Merlin, must train the titular apprentice Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), who may be the prophesied heir to Merlin's legacy. They try to accomplish this while attempting to defeat an evil sorcerer named Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), trying to bring back supreme evil sorceress Morganna Le Fey to power, and Dave trying to impress the girl of his dreams (Teresa Palmer) from his physics class. All of this takes place in modern day Manhattan, and the film makes good use of the city and it's scenery.

Let me just start right off the bat. Were there gaping plot holes in this? Absolutely. Was some of the dialogue stilted and uninspired? Check and check. Could this whole project have been so much better. An emphatic yes. But you know what? I still liked it. The story, however thin, was enough to hold my interest. The actors were charming. There were some genuinely funny moments. And the climax was pretty cool. Plus, in a movie with magic and fantasy, director Jerry Bruckheimer managed to fit in a car chase. Like I'd expect anything else.

My Verdict: Don't go in with overly high expectations, but just enjoy it for what it is: A fun, dumb summer movie.

Movie Review: Toy Story 3

First of all, Happy Canada Day! May the maple leaf wave forever and all her loyal citizens sport red and white with pride. So how did I choose to spend this special day? By going to see a movie, natch.

Yeah, so Toy Story 3...11 years in the making and the latest chapter in the ground-breaking, hugely beloved series, we finally got to see Woody, Buzz and the whole gang back for another adventure. You know what? The damn film was amazing, but it made me freakin' cry. Not just getting me misty eyed, but full-blown tears rolling down my face. And like with Up, another Disney/Pixar masterpiece, I was glad I was wearing 3D glasses so no one could see my red watery eyes.

But it wasn't just a few scenes that touched me. The movie as a whole gave me a rollercoster of emotions. I'm still reeling as I write this, several hours after the fact. The plot hits on several themes of growing-up and changing lives as the toys deal with their owner Andy getting ready to move to college. With the gang worrying that they're going to be thrown away they wind up at a daycare, one where the kids play too rough and things aren't at all what they seem. We're introduced to new toys, treated to a lot of action, all in the complete CGI 3D treatment, and the lingering question: Does Andy still care about his toys, and if not what will happen to them now?

I was really shocked by how dark some of the scenes were. The first two movies had their unsettling moments as well, but 3 took it to an unprecedented level. I was sure some young kids in the movie would be bawling not from the touching scenes, but from the scary ones, though thankfully I heard no terrified kid sounds as I watched. There were some funny moments as well, and some lighter ones. I loved seeing Ken and Barbie together. The film's ending surprised me, but I felt that it was appropriate, and met the whole theme of Andy's childhood ending and the transitions that brings, and for things coming full-circle for the toys themselves.

My Verdict: A very deep, moving film that I think resonates more with adults than with kids, and satisfyingly completes the saga for these very special characters. One of the best movies I've seen all year.

Now, as a special Canada Day bonus, check out this link on cracked.com entitled 15 Reasons Canada is better than your country. Bonne fete du Canada!

Movie Review - Alice in Wonderland

Finally got around to seeing Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland; in 3D, natch. Would've seen it much sooner, but again, like my listening to Plastic Beach, life got in the way and things had to be put off.

Not at all disappointed though. Burton's remake/sequel is not only a fantastical romp but also a coming of age story, featuring perhaps the most unique way for a young lady to become an empowered woman ever. Without revealing too much, in this outing a nineteen year old Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska, a fairly new actress on the scene and a revelation here) returns to Wonderland and is pulled into the citizens' battle against the notorious Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter).

My man Johnny plays the Mad Hatter, making Alice the seventh film in which Depp and Burton have collaborated. Funny enough I had expected Depp to play the Hatter as more quirky than actually insane. But the Hatter has quite a few moments of genuine mental instability. Not only do I applaud that, I'm kicking myself for thinking for even a moment that Depp would've played it safe in this kind of role, or any role. Shows what I know.

Anne Hathaway and the always creepy Crispin Glover help round out the principal actors appearing on screen. Representing several of Wonderland's citizens in voice-over are the likes of Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry and Christopher Lee. And I know I've sung the praises of digital 3D before, but it really cannot be overstressed. It makes the film look so amazing, even when things aren't jumping out at you.

Bit of a final point; loved the outfits Alice wore throughout the film. Victorian Punk. So cool. Total Oscar nom worthy.

My Verdict: Wonderland is a real wonder. Besides, anything where Burton and Depp can work together is welcome sight in my book.

The Wonderful World of Disney (World)

I've come to the conclusion that Disney World really is the happiest place on earth. Don't agree? Then I'm guessing you haven't had the chance to visit there yet, have you?

I just got back from Florida, and I made it a point to visit said-happiest place on earth. I considered other theme parks, because Orlando is known for many tourist destinations, but really, how could I choose anything other than the Mouse House? So I drove the hour and a half north from Avon Park where I was staying with my Grandmother, to the vast expanse of area that Disney's four Florida theme parks take up to make it there in time for the parks to open.

Two days I spent wandering around two different parks. Day one was the Magic Kingdom. You gotta go to the Magic Kingdom. It's not a Disney trip if you don't. MK is the heart of what Disney is all about, where you can find a hodgepodge of the different characters, locales and history that make Disney so special. I was so excited when I pulled up in the parking lot. It may have been like my fourth visit there, but I was still excited. And even the rain that came late in the morning and stayed until early evening when I left to head back to Avon Park did not squelch the excitement. Sure, I missed out on a few live shows because of weather, but there were so many things to see indoors. I did all my favorites, from Pirates of the Caribbean to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Space Mountain to the Philharmagic to the Jungle Cruise to the Haunted Mansion. I tried some new things as well (or at least attractions I don't remember doing as a kid), like the Hall of Presidents, which was not at all what I expected; it was much classier and less corny than I anticipated. I did Cinderella's carousel and the Spinning Tea Cups too, and other fun activities. I did some shopping to keep out of the rain. They still had a parade, though it was the Rainy Day Character Cavalcade instead, with performers in coordinating rain gear and the characters in covered vehicles. I left the park that evening with a merry heart, wet jeans and a container of Wonderland Tea. The Mad Tea Party blend. Sweet!

Day two was spent at the Animal Kingdom, the only Disney World park I had not yet visited, as it was not finished when I was there as a kid and last year Hollywood Studios won out instead. I was surprised how much I loved Animal Kingdom. Even the unprecedented chill in the air didn't damper things (weather has no power over Disney, people!) I love animals, so I knew I'd enjoy that, and the park has a very strong focus on conservation, which is great in this day and age, but there was so much more to see. Live shows from The Lion King and Finding Nemo, a 3D movie with the characters from A Bugs Life, rides, a parade and, of course, animals, including some gorgeous tigers, big gorillas, monkeys, lions. They even have a safari you can go on. But my favorite, absolute favorite attraction was Expedition Everest, a full throttle roller coaster that takes you forwards, backwards and downwards in a huge drop as you fly through a man made Mt. Everest and escape the Yeti! I went on that ride not once, not twice, but three times! If the park hadn't closed right at 6pm, I may have gone for a fourth. But it did, and as we were ushered out to the trolley's that would take us to the parking lot I made sure to take one last look at the Tree of Life, Animal Kingdom's major landmark that needs to be seen to be believed.

I had a great time with my Grandma as well, so it was a great few days down south overall. I wore my Team Canada hoodie, and saw quite a few tourists at the parks do the same. I'm already wondering if I can make it back down there for next year. While the new Harry Potter park will be open by then and will likely compete for my attention, Disney World will always have a place in my heart. If you haven't seen it yet add the trip to your list, even if you're not much of a Disney fan. There's something for everybody.

Oscar Nominess and the Big 10

The nominations are out! Yay! Oscar Season, one of my favorite times of the year, people!

You know what I've realized, though? I really have not watched enough movies this year.

The 2010 Academy Award nominees have been announced, including ten picks for Best Picture, which has not been done since 1943. And as I glance over the selected films, I realize that I have not seen many of the nominees. That can't be good. In fact, the only Best Picture nominee I have seen is Up (which, by the way, is only the second animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture). I do like that two, count 'em, two sci fi films are also in that category. The Academy has a major bias towards sci fi. But, as I've said, I have seen neither.

Overall though, I'm not sure how to feel about having 10 in the Best Picture category. Sure, it allows for more audience-friendly fare, but it kind of cuts back on the prestige of the nomination. Plus, it'll make it that much harder to try to catch up in my movie watching over the next few weeks. But there are some BP noms that I will not watch. Precious being one (the subject matter is too brutal). The Blind Side and The Hurt Locker are others (not interested). I'm also still holding out on Avatar. Like Titanic, I may end up being one of the few people who has not seen it, and that's okay with me, because I'm just not keen on it. Some of you probably think I'm nuts, but I did not get where I am today by being a slave to what's popular, thank you very much.

But I like the Best Animated Film selections, some fine individuals have been nominated in general, and with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting it should be a good show. What do you think? Any nominees surprise you, delight you or outrage you? Check them out here and let me know.

Now, I need a theatre and stat!

Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog

Ahhh, traditional Disney animation, something you don't see too often these days, what with computer animation being so dominant. Good Lord, I sound old right there, but who cares? It's my blog. I grew up during something of a golden age in Disney animation with movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, so I was excited when I head the Mouse House was releasing a return to form after a long stretch of Pixar movies (not that I'm complaining about those).

As far as The Princess and the Frog goes, let me cut to the chase: loved it, loved everything about it. I saw it the first day it was widely released, and it met every expectation I could've possibly had.

The animation was rich and lush, an explosion of color bringing New Orleans and the Bayou to life. Original songs by Randy Newman had me humming for days afterwards. The characters were memorable, be they lovable (Ray the love sick firefly) or menacing (Doctor Facilier, the Voodoo witch doctor with some real malice behind him) and a great cast to bring them to life, like Anika Noni Rose as Tiana...sigh.

It was very much like the movies I loved as a kid, but this film somehow seemed more adult to me. Not only did Tiana have to work to buy her own restaurant (starting her own business...not a plot point generally seen in a kids movie), it also tackled issues like the difference between what you want and what you need, which is a big concept for someone young to grasp.

My verdict: Go see it. Now! Never mind it's a "kids" movie, go see it.

Movie Review: A Christmas Carol

So I'm finally in the holiday spirit, and I went and saw Disney's new version of Dicken's classic Christmas fable, A Christmas Carol. Though it's generally received mixed reviews from critics, I'm officially in the camp that is loving this eye popping, fresh yet faithful retelling of the perennial holiday favorite.

I've always been a big fan of this story, ever since I was a kid, and it remains not only one of my all time favorite Christmas tales, but one of my favorite stories in general. At it's heart, A Christmas Carol is about redemption, and how it's never too late to seek it. It's also about the transforming power of the holiday season and what it means to so many people. And it's a ghost story for Christmas, which means I was meant to like it.

Aside from a few action sequences thrown in to spice things up (you'll know them when you see them) this version is very faithful to Dickens original text. This may mean that some naysayers out there will find some of the slow parts a bit boring. To them I say, it's called building suspense. Just let it all unfold. The added action scenes balance the quieter moments nicely, and there are some genuinely frightening scenes as well (so I caution all with small children, this may not be for them).

Jim Carrey stars as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Say what you will about Mr. Carrey; you may write him off as the rubber faced comedy actor from the Ace Ventura movies. But given the chance and the right circumstances that dude can act. He's held his own with the likes of Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet in other films, and here he convincingly plays not only Scrooge at different stages of his life but also the three ghosts of Christmas. It's quite the feat.

The posters and commercials all talk about Carrey, but there's a full cast of actors involved in this. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright-Penn, Bob Hoskins, etc., many of whom also played multiple roles. It was fun trying to guess which characters they were (see how many you can get right).

The special effects are just incredible; I can't stress that enough. Digital 3D is such an awesome technological step in movie making, and here it's used to the hilt, at times making you feel like you're flying through Victorian London. And the motion capture technology used to create the characters seems to have come a long way since The Polar Express. The animated figures look much more life-like and the 'dead eyes' that were complained about in Express are long gone.

My Verdict: Go see it, preferably in the theatres where you can take full advantage of the 3D (you can't get that at home, you know).

Toy Story is out in 3D, and I revert to childhood for 3 hours.

Today was the first day of a two week limited engagement of movie theatres screening both Toy Story movies in Disney Digital 3D. Guess where I was this afternoon.

I loved Toy Story when it came out in 1995. Even though I was 14 at the time and it was considered a kids movie, it became an instant favorite with me. Not only was it groundbreaking as the first fully computer animated feature-length movie but it was a funny, smart and touching buddy-comedy, with a great cast and Joss Whedon as one of it's writers; it was just...marvelous (contented sigh inserted here) It made you look at toys in a different way. The sequel came out in 1999, when I was 18, and some argue it was even better than the first one. I'm not going to weigh in on that, but personally I loved Toy Story 2 just as much as the first (plus in that movie there were Barbie dolls!).

And I really enjoyed revisiting both films today. It was great spending time again with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Hamm, Bullseye, Bo Peep, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Rex, and all the other lovable characters. Plus, the 3D was eye-poppingly amazing. It made the footage look crisp and new again.

One woman a few rows down from me laughed far more often than her kids. You gotta love a movie that grown-ups and kids can both appreciate. Or, if you're like me, an adult who's just a big kid inside.

Don't forget: Toy Story 3 is out in 2010.

Marvel and Disney: Strange Bedfellows

A big announcement was made today; Marvel Entertainment is set to be purchased by the Walt Disney Company for a reported 4 billion dollars, stock and the rights to about 5 000 characters (insert low impressed whistle here). The full details have yet to be revealed but the entertainment world is abuzz. Many of Marvel's characters are currently owned by other movie companies, like Spider-Man at Sony, Iron Man at Paramount or the X-Men at Fox. How will that be addressed? Hopefully all will be revealed when and if the deal goes through.

As someone who grew up with both Disney and Marvel comics I find myself scratching my head at this turn of events. Disney and Marvel...business partners? The company that gave us so many princess movies and the family friendly faces of Hannah Montana and Suite Life is going to own a comic book legacy that for the past seventy odd years has given us scantily clad superheroes, sometimes in very adult situations? This doesn't add up for me.

Some reporters watching this, like Marc Bernardin at EW.com, are hopeful that this deal will help Marvel branch out a bit from superheroes and try other forms of comics and graphic novels. Perhaps I'm being pessimistic but I worry that the opposite could happen; that Disney may end up being more restrictive of what Marvel can do. The Mouse House, in all it's power and glory, sometimes has a tendency to make everything family friendly. But occasionally I like my comics gritty; DC's Vertigo line is one of my favorites (and it's definitely not for kids).

It's still really early, so we'll have to see how this progresses. Just yesterday though I was at the Marvel booth at Fan Expo. Now Marvel might go through a pretty drastic change. For good or ill? Time will tell.