Interesting Bits VIII.V

I've figured out that I may be what I've termed a "Binge-Blogger." I go for almost a month without saying boo, and then I make an "Interesting Bits," post and about 3 or 4 others on the same day. I reckon I need to start spreading these out a bit. Anyway, here's another IB post this week, but not as long as most so it's a .five.

Oscar Nominations 2009

The Oscar nominations came out this week, and there were a few surprises.

Best Motion Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Frost/Nixon (2008) (My Pick)

Milk (2008)

The Reader (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Actor:

Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)

Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008) (My pick, who would think someone who's played both Dracula and Skeletor would be up for this?)

Sean Penn for Milk (2008)

Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Actress:

Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)

Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)

Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)

Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008) (I'm gonna go with this because I wasn't expecting anything from it)

Best Supporting Actor:

Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)

Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)

Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008) (Sentiment plays a big roll in these, look at John Wayne winning for The Shootist a month or two before he died)

Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I) (Pleasantly surprised)

Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)

Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Director:

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)

David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008) (I really liked this movie)

Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Best Screenplay (Original):

Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh

In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh (Great freakin' movie)

Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black

WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Screenplay (Adaptation):

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord

Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley

Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan

The Reader (2008): David Hare

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy (I think that this will be the only award it wins)

Best Cinematography:

Changeling (2008)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) (My only thought after I saw it was, "Well. It was pretty.")

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Reader (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Toys

At USA Today they had 4 of the new toys coming out for JJ Abrams Star Trek this spring. Must have Communicator!

Also, The Obamassiah has a toy! Holy shit! Who knew the President was such a bad ass??


News of the Weird

Zambia doctors to cut feet of unformed twin from baby Faith Mwampe's buttocks

Wow. I mean, wow. I've heard of people being born with extra fingers and things, but this is just....wow.

Student Decapitated in Cafe

A woman has been decapitated by a fellow student at Virginia Tech, the scene of the worst school shooting in US history in 2007.

They say she was decapitated with a knife. Not a machete, not a broadsword, a knife. This guy had enough time to decapitate a woman with a regular knife and people watching. Our world scares me.

Audio Stuff

Okay, I'll admit I really dig audio books, podcasts and anything I can listen to at my lesiure on my IPod. Now these people at Pendant Productions do radio dramas in the flavour of old radio broadcasts. The really cool things is that they're not bad at all. Kinda fun actually. Considering they do not to my knowledge have a license to do these and make no money besides donations, they're still worth giving a listen to. Their current dramas include:








Superman: The Last Son of Krypton

















Batman: The Ace of Detectives

















Wonder Woman: Champion of Themyscira

















Supergirl: Lost Daughter of Krypton

















Catwoman: Queen of Thieves

















Star Trek: Defiant














Star Wars: Blue Harvest











James Bond: To the End

















Indiana Jones and the Well of Life










Coolest of all, the "Big 3" of the superheroes have had two crossovers.








Imperium

















Vindictatum











All of them are well worth a listen to.

Movies

In the, "Why the Hell Do the Japanese Get Cooler Trailers?" front. Here are the new Japanese trailers for Watchmen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Terminator: Salvation.