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You're not going to hear anyone complaining about the quality of "Up" — not on this blog, at least — but Pixar's Oscar-winning animated flick certainly raised some questions regarding authenticity.

We're talking about the premise of flying one's house across continents through a complicated network of rigged balloons, of course. (Not that we haven't flown such mobile homes at various points through our lives.) But what was once considered an impossible feat achieved only through the powers of animation is now crossing over into the realm of reality.

National Geographic studied the case of "Up" for their new "How Hard Can It Be?" television series, attempting to figure out whether or not it's possible to lift a house with balloons. The verdict? Well… that's after the jump!

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FROM MTV.COM: Days after winning its seventh-straight weekend at the box office, "Avatar" nabbed nine nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, tying "The Hurt Locker" for most Oscar nods in 2010. "Inglourious Basterds" garnered eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, while "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" and "Up in the Air" collected six and "Up" secured five.

For the first time since 1943, when "Casablanca" triumphed, the Oscars have selected 10 nominees in the Best Picture category, rather than the usual five. Despite the increased number, there were few surprises. Joining Cameron's big blue-alien epic are "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Up in the Air," "Precious, "District 9," "An Education," "A Serious Man," "Up" and "The Blind Side."

Continue reading Oscar Nominations Led By 'Avatar,' 'Hurt Locker'

Tags A Serious Man, An Education, avatar, district 9, inglourious basterds, Precious, The Blind Side, the hurt locker, up, up in the air

FROM MTV.COM: The 2010 Oscar nominations are in! "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" are the two leaders, each with nine nominations, including the big ones for Best Picture and Best Director. "Up" and "District 9" are among some of the surprises in the newly expanded Best Picture category, which now features 10 nominees. Expect to see plenty of opining in the days and weeks leading up to the March 7 awards show. But for now, here's your list of nominees!

Best Picture
"Avatar"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
"Up in the Air"

Continue reading Oscar Nominations 2010: The List Is In!

Tags A Serious Man, An Education, avatar, district 9, inglourious basterds, Precious, The Blind Side, the hurt locker, up, up in the air

FROM MTV.COM: Even as moviegoers look ahead towards 2010, it cannot be denied that 2009 was a banner year for blockbuster cinema. Hot off the heels of the domestic box office's single most lucrative weekend ever, there is no question that both Hollywood and the indie scene alike had their best game-faces on this year, resulting in a science-fiction renaissance through the likes of "District 9" as well as more intimate (though no less dangerous) affairs as seen in "The Hurt Locker."

While a movie is only as good as the sum of its parts, it's clear that the films of 2009 had some very, very good parts. From intergalactic space battles to an intense conversational showdown over a glass of milk, these are our nine favorite movie moments of 2009, in no particular order. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.

Continue reading From 'Avatar' To 'Watchmen,' Our Top Nine Movie Moments Of 2009

Tags avatar, district 9, inglourious basterds, the hurt locker, up

The 2010 Golden Globe nominations hit this morning. As per usual, this triggered a stream of reactions from celebrities and the press that covers them. You can't have an awards show without a little bit of post-nomination griping. Which of course paves the way for post-win griping. As you might expect, eyes are primarily focused on the Globes' two biggest categories: Best Drama and Best Comedy/Musical. So that's the first one we're going to consider too: what's right, what isn't, who's deserving, who's notably absent... Read more...

Tags avatar, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Brothers, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, district 9, drag me to hell, duncan jones, Golden Globes, inglourious basterds, Invictus, moon, neill blomkamp, Precious, the hangover, the hurt locker, up, up in the air, zombieland

If you're a heavy Twitter user, chances are you've already seen this morning's Daily TwitPic. It made the rounds yesterday in a big way, probably because it's so freaking hilarious. I can't help but feel bad for the little kid though.

If you're NOT a Twitter user, you probably don't know what the crap I'm talking about. "Up" is one of the year's biggest movies, both critically and commercially. Pixar rarely fails, but their tale of an old man's rediscovered love for life is a major win. Part of the reason for that is the lovable characters: Carl Fredricksen, the aforementioned elder, Dug, the simple-minded talking dog, and, of course, Russell, the peppy little fat kid and wilderness explorer. As it turns out, Russell is real. Like, really real. Just hit the jump to see for yourself in today's Daily TwitPic. Read more...

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After last week's jam-packed release schedule led by "G.I. Joe," we're given an opportunity to breath today with only two new theatrical titles coming to market, along with an assortment of action-filled catalog offerings making their way to Blu-ray. This is your DVD Report for Tuesday, November 9.

Disney's Pixar was flying high after the critically and commercially acclaimed "Wall-E," so naturally they looked to the skies for their next animated outing, "Up." The film focuses on Carl Fredricksen, an elderly shut-in who aims to pay homage to his late wife by relocating to the top of a South American paradise the couple had always dreamed of visiting. Equipping his home with hundreds of helium balloons, the house lifts off its foundation and floats away, inadvertently taking with it a young wilderness scout who grows attached to the grumpy septuagenarian at the start of a grand adventure. Read more...

Tags monsters inc, Spread, The Ugly Truth, up

You readers get a treat this morning. Two Daily TwitPics for the price of one. Sure, it's all free to begin with. So instead of being a jerk about it, why don't you just appreciate the fact that today there is two where there would usually be one.

"Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich apparently put the shout out on Twitter for fans to send in pictures of their Pixar-themed tattoos, with the best one getting a studio-branded baseball cap. The two images you'll see after the jump -- from "Toy Story" and "Up" -- belong to the one winner, who offered to get the Pixar character of Unkrich's choice inked onto himself if he won. Now the director is taking suggestions for who that should be. My vote is for Luxo Jr. Tell Unkrich what you think on his Twitter feed, @leeunkrich. Read more...

Tags lee unkrich, pixar, toy story 3, up

Disney/Pixar tattoos lead a full menu from the Twitter-Wood feed today. If you want to see some dedicated "Toy Story" and "Up" fandom, you need look no further than director Lee Unkrich's tweets, which nudged out Ice-T's posterity shot with "Crank: High Voltage" star Jason Statham for Twitter Pic of the Day.

Photos popped up all over the feed, in fact, with John Stamos making an astute observation about one of his "E.R." costars and Paris Hilton enforcing fashion upon her dog. Check it out below, along with chatter between McLovin and his "Kick-Ass" co-star Chloe Moretz. I'm @brianwarmoth, and it's all in the Twitter-Wood report for September 2, 2009. Read more...

Tags brett ratner, chloe moretz, christopher mintz-plasse, dana brunetti, ice-t, jason statham, john stamos, lee unkrich, nicky hilton, paris hilton, toy story, up

As part of their Power of Film feature, IMDb has put together a list of the top 15 highest fan rated flicks released since 2000. The list is impressive and a bit shocking: four of the films are foreign, three are animated, and four are fanperson dream films.

Coming in at number one is, unsurprisingly, “The Dark Knight.” A fan favorite that arguably spurred the Academy’s decision to open Best Picture up to 10 nominees after it was snubbed a nomination. “The Dark Knight” redefined the comic book film genre. Similarly, “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” is number two, and one of only two films listed that won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Read more...

Tags Amelie, City of God, district 9, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Fellowship of the Ring, lord of the rings, Memento, Requiem for a Dream, Spirited Away, the dark knight, the departed, The Lives of Others, The Pianist, The Return of the King, The Two Towers, up, wall-e