Welcome to another week of the daily edition of CobWEBs, the flagship podcast of The Cynical Bastards!
For those who don’t remember from the other episodes, this is a new format for the show as we are going to try giving you daily bite sized chunks of our patented brand of cynicism over everything in the tech universe. The show will have a rotating host schedule between Steven Hodson, Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins and myself. You’ll always get two of us, you just never know which two!
Steven and I take a look at the hair pulling over Facebook privacy, the plan to attack AT&T as led by Fake Steve Jobs and the whole Microsoft/Plurk debacle … in other words a whole load of stuff that annoyed us today. (links by Steven)
Welcome to another week of the daily edition of CobWEBs, the flagship podcast of The Cynical Bastards!
For those who don’t remember from the other episodes, this is a new format for the show as we are going to try giving you daily bite sized chunks of our patented brand of cynicism over everything in the tech universe. The show will have a rotating host schedule between Steven Hodson, Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins and myself. You’ll always get two of us, you just never know which two!
Steven and I take a look into the future of the mobile space for 2010, and how we think it may be more a year of infrastructure building for 2011/2012 than anything else. Also, is Twitter the plumbing of the future Internet?
This trailer pretty much delivers on all fronts. We see the snarky Tony Stark we all loved in the first film, as well as seeing him living it up as an “out” super hero. I swear Robert Downey Jr. was born to play this role.
We then get our first good looks at Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow and Don Cheadle in the War Machine armor. (I have avoided this “spoiler” in past posts, but since they blatantly show it in the trailer, I give up.) We also get the returns of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. There is also a very brief shot of Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, but how exciting can shots of a guy in a three-piece suit really be? So, not too surprised we don’t see much of him in this.
This is just looking more and more trippy the more of it we see!
The second trailer for Tim Burton’sAlice in Wonderland has just been released, and my eye balls feel like they are about to pop out. Kudos to Disney for letting Burton run wild with his visual style in this film. It does look like Johnny Depp is going to play a lot bigger role in this than I first imagined, and that’s a win-win for everyone.
The trailer definitely says that this is Alice’s second trip to Wonderland, so this confirms the rumors we had heard previously that this is a sequel to the original story, which means all bets are off for us knowing what is going to happen.
Make sure you blow this up to full screen to watch … you’re going to need it.
The Golden Globe nominations for 2010 have been announced, and there are some really interesting nods this year.
The Golden Globes is one of the few awards that acknowledges excellence in both television and film, and tends to be more relaxed than the Academy Awards. However, even if the relaxed attitude, the awards are considered a precursor to some of the things we will see from the Oscars.
In the TV realm, well, those are just fun to look at, and yay for Big Love getting some notice for what is quite possibly its best season yet!
Here is the full list.
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
UP IN THE AIR
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
EMILY BLUNT THE YOUNG VICTORIA
SANDRA BULLOCK THE BLIND SIDE
HELEN MIRREN THE LAST STATION
CAREY MULLIGAN AN EDUCATION
GABOUREY SIDIBE PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
JEFF BRIDGES CRAZY HEART
GEORGE CLOONEY UP IN THE AIR
COLIN FIRTH A SINGLE MAN
MORGAN FREEMAN INVICTUS
TOBEY MAGUIRE BROTHERS
BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL 500 DAYS OF SUMMER
THE HANGOVER
IT’S COMPLICATED
JULIE & JULIA
NINE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
SANDRA BULLOCK THE PROPOSAL
MARION COTILLARD NINE
JULIA ROBERTS DUPLICITY
MERYL STREEP IT’S COMPLICATED
MERYL STREEP JULIE & JULIA
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
MATT DAMON THE INFORMANT!
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS NINE
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. SHERLOCK HOLMES
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT 500 DAYS OF SUMMER
MICHAEL STUHLBARG A SERIOUS MAN
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
CORALINE
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
UP
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM BAARIA (ITALY) BROKEN EMBRACES (SPAIN) THE MAID (CHILE) A PROPHET (FRANCE) THE WHITE RIBBON (GERMANY)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
PENÉLOPE CRUZ NINE
VERA FARMIGA UP IN THE AIR
ANNA KENDRICK UP IN THE AIR
MO’NIQUE PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
JULIANNE MOORE A SINGLE MAN
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
MATT DAMON INVICTUS
WOODY HARRELSON THE MESSENGER
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER THE LAST STATION
STANLEY TUCCI THE LOVELY BONES
CHRISTOPH WALTZ INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
KATHRYN BIGELOW THE HURT LOCKER
JAMES CAMERON AVATAR
CLINT EASTWOOD INVICTUS
JASON REITMAN UP IN THE AIR
QUENTIN TARANTINO INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
NEILL BLOMKAMP, DISTRICT 9
TERRI TATCHELL, MARK BOAL THE HURT LOCKER
NANCY MEYERS IT’S COMPLICATED
JASON REITMAN, UP IN THE AIR
SHELDON TURNER, QUENTIN TARANTINO INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
MICHAEL GIACCHINO UP
MARVIN HAMLISCH THE INFORMANT!
JAMES HORNER AVATAR
ABEL KORZENIOWSKI A SINGLE MAN
KAREN O, CARTER BURWELL WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“CINEMA ITALIANO” — NINE
Music & Lyrics by: Maury Yeston
“I WANT TO COME HOME” — EVERYBODY’S FINE
Music & Lyrics by: Paul McCartney
“I WILL SEE YOU” — AVATAR
Music by: James Horner, Simon Franglen
Lyrics by: James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell
“THE WEARY KIND (THEME FROM CRAZY HEART)” — CRAZY HEART
Music & Lyrics by: Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
“WINTER” — BROTHERS
Music by: U2
Lyrics by: Bono
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA BIG LOVE (HBO) DEXTER (SHOWTIME) HOUSE (FOX) MAD MEN (AMC) TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
GLENN CLOSE DAMAGES
JANUARY JONES MAD MEN
JULIANNA MARGULIES THE GOOD WIFE
ANNA PAQUIN TRUE BLOOD
KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
SIMON BAKER THE MENTALIST
MICHAEL C. HALL DEXTER
JON HAMM MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE HOUSE
BILL PAXTON BIG LOVE
BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL 30 ROCK (NBC) ENTOURAGE (HBO) GLEE (FOX) MODERN FAMILY (ABC) THE OFFICE (NBC)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
TONI COLLETTE UNITED STATES OF TARA
COURTENEY COX COUGAR TOWN
EDIE FALCO NURSE JACKIE
TINA FEY 30 ROCK
LEA MICHELE GLEE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
DAVID DUCHOVNY CALIFORNICATION
THOMAS JANE HUNG
MATTHEW MORRISON GLEE
BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION GEORGIA O’KEEFFE (LIFETIME TELEVISION) GREY GARDENS (HBO) INTO THE STORM (HBO) LITTLE DORRIT (PBS) TAKING CHANCE (HBO)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JOAN ALLEN GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
DREW BARRYMORE GREY GARDENS
JESSICA LANGE GREY GARDENS
ANNA PAQUIN THE COURAGEOUS HEART OF IRENA SENDLER
SIGOURNEY WEAVER PRAYERS FOR BOBBY
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
KEVIN BACON TAKING CHANCE
KENNETH BRANAGH WALLANDER: ONE STEP BEHIND
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR ENDGAME
BRENDAN GLEESON INTO THE STORM
JEREMY IRONS GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JANE ADAMS HUNG
ROSE BYRNE DAMAGES
JANE LYNCH GLEE
JANET McTEER INTO THE STORM
CHLOË SEVIGNY BIG LOVE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
MICHAEL EMERSON LOST
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
WILLIAM HURT DAMAGES
JOHN LITHGOW DEXTER
JEREMY PIVEN ENTOURAGE
Welcome to another week of the daily edition of CobWEBs, the flagship podcast of The Cynical Bastards!
For those who don’t remember from the other episodes, this is a new format for the show as we are going to try giving you daily bite sized chunks of our patented brand of cynicism over everything in the tech universe. The show will have a rotating host schedule between Steven Hodson, Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins and myself. You’ll always get two of us, you just never know which two!
Steven and I take a look at Michael Arrington’s latest tempest in a tea pot and why it sounds oddly familiar to us …
We also have a brief discussion about how the big blogs make the lives of the small guys harder and harder. Actually, we wander a lot, as usual. (links via Steven)
Did you enjoy Paranormal Activity? No matter if you did or didn’t, get ready for more of the same.
Made on a budget of $15,000, Paranormal Activity brought in a domestic box office of $107,484,801 which is apparently leading movie studio to launch a new micro-budget division that will produce films made on a budget of $100,00 or less. According to the Los Angeles Times, the as-yet-unnamed new division will have a budget of $2 million per year, so in theory this could lead to 20 productions per year.
The majority of the productions probably won’t make it to the theater and are more envisioned as calling cards for filmmakers to possibly secure larger budget work. Those that do go to the theater will have next to no advertising budget with a plan to simply promote them by word of mouth. Midnight showings would also probably be the venue for those that do get theatrical releases as it would mean producing fewer prints of the films.
While this is somewhat inline with things I have said about studios needing to release smaller budget films, this approach has been tried before, and it has never ended well. The same article that announces this new division also points out that Twentieth Century Fox recently closed its Fox Atomic brand, and Universal Studios also just shut down its Rogue Pictures imprint by selling it to Relativity Media.
Every few years some low budget film like The Blair Witch Project ($60,000 budget, $248,639,099 international gross box office) comes along and the studios go all bonkers on making low budget films, and what they don’t realize is that you can’t manufacture successes like these. They have to grow organically, and just because a movie cost $100,000 doesn’t mean it’s going to be good.
This idea has failed before, and it will again. But, hey, it’s only going to cost them $2 million, so why not roll the dice?
Welcome to another week of the daily edition of CobWEBs, the flagship podcast of The Cynical Bastards!
For those who don’t remember from the other episodes, this is a new format for the show as we are going to try giving you daily bite sized chunks of our patented brand of cynicism over everything in the tech universe. The show will have a rotating host schedule between Steven Hodson, Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins and myself. You’ll always get two of us, you just never know which two!
Steven, Mark and I have a special weekend round table about the Nexus One, also known as the Google Phone/gPhone, and all of its possible implications for the mobile industry. In short: this is a game changer. If everything we are hearing is true, and we admit it is all speculation for now, the mobile industry was just put on notice by Google, and the consumer is being put back in the driver’s seat.
I am not sure I have ever been as insulted as I was last night.
At 5:48 p.m. last night I received the following e-mail: (emphasis theirs)
Hi Sean, I am with [redacted site name]. I have a question regarding your [redacted article link] article. I’m sure you get requests for this all the time, but we would love to be considered for placement in the article as we are a community of independent artists and offer many mp3 downloads, free and legal. I believe we are an excellent resourse and are a very relevant site to the article. I know, since the article was already completed a while back, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go back and change something, so we would love to compensate you for your troubles. And to make sure you know our site is legit, by all means, check it our for yourself. Here is our main [redacted link] page, which is sub-categorized by genre. Please let me know if this might be possible. Thank you for your consideration.
Yes folks, someone offered me a bribe to get placement in a list I did about 18 months ago.
I replied with:
For future reference, no legitimate journalist would ever accept compensation for such an act. You need to learn how to approach writers before you do yourself any more damage.
Believe me, I had more to say, and most of it wouldn’t have been re-printable if I hadn’t edited myself.
The idea that I would ever accept ‘compensation’ from a third-party for inclusion into a piece of my work disgusts me to my very core. As I have said many times before, I never attended any form of journalism school, but I think just about any one with half a brain cell knows that you do not make an offer such as this. And hopefully every journalist would know not to accept it.
I have no delusions about being a serious journalist, but I at least attempt to be an ethical one. This is part of the reason the whole FTC disclosure guidelines thing annoyed me so much as I am already ethical without being threatened into it.
All that being said, I cannot believe someone would actually attempt this. Who in their right mind just out and out offers what amounts to a bribe to a journalist? Perhaps they are new, hence why I have opted to conceal their name and site address, but you would think common sense might kick in and say, “Hey, maybe this isn’t a good idea.” Whatever the case may be, offering ‘compensation’ to a journalist of any type is reprehensible.
Some have said tech journalists being given gadgets to review is a form of bribe, and to those people I would ask, “How do you expect us to review the product if we have never seen or used it?” Do you want us to write reviews strictly from the biased press releases and professionally shot photography? Isn’t a move reviewer getting to see a movie early and free the same? ”Well, I watched the trailer and this movie looks amazing, go see it.”
However, I digress, don’t try bribing me, it won’t end well for you.
And, just a note to anyone else who ever ponders doing this: If you try to bribe me to be added to an article, I will publish your name and mock you publicly. This serves as the one and only warning anyone will ever receive on this matter.
Hollywood has been crying for ages that movie piracy has been causing a fall in box office revenues, but as of close of business on the 11th, the total domestic income for movies $9.685 billion, making it the highest grossing year in movie history. With several major releases left between now and the end of the year, it is looking like it will be the first ever $10 billion year.
So, again, how much is piracy hurting the box office receipts?
While the DVD release hold back is more about stopping the decline of DVD sales, the $1 billion loss estimate includes revenues to the box office also, and, I’m sorry, but that is just hard to believe when you are having the biggest year ever.
Now, true, ticket prices continue to increase, and some studios show move attendance has held study for some years now, but that doesn’t change the fact that Hollywood is grossing insane amounts of money. But, instead of constantly looking for external forces that are causing your problems, how about you look internally? How about you start controlling the budgets of movies more? Stop paying actors obscene amounts of money, cut out the lavish parties you are so famous for and so on. Clean up your own houses before you go looking for targets such as Redbox that are doing nothing wrong?
Oh, I know, how silly of me, they are evil and must be destroyed … while you dine out at expensive restaurants on your corporate card.
The sad thing is, I know I’m whistling in the wind because I have written similar thoughts before, and obviously nothing is going to change. It would just be nice to see Hollywood stop whining about how bad they’ve got it when they’re facing $10 billion in revenues.
Welcome to another week of the daily edition of CobWEBs, the flagship podcast of The Cynical Bastards!
For those who don’t remember from the other episodes, this is a new format for the show as we are going to try giving you daily bite sized chunks of our patented brand of cynicism over everything in the tech universe. The show will have a rotating host schedule between Steven Hodson, Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins and myself. You’ll always get two of us, you just never know which two!
Steven and I take on Blippy tonight, possibly the single stupidest idea ever in social media. Want everyone to know when you pay for hookers on your credit card? Blippy will do that for you! We then an eye to the joke that is AT&T and their desire to limit their unlimited iPhone users. (links via Steven)
It seems the trailers are coming at us fast and furiously all of a sudden.
This is just looking more and more trippy the more of it we see!
The Golden Globe nominations for 2010 have been announced, and there are some really interesting nods this year.
Did you enjoy Paranormal Activity? No matter if you did or didn’t, get ready for more of the same.
I am not sure I have ever been as insulted as I was last night.
45 articles again this week as I added my new employer 
