Hailee Steinfeld is up for Petra in Ender's Game.

I have to admit, it was a particularly stinky part of fandom I was checking with (fail fandom anon meme). So, you know, special snowflakes abound.

Hansel + Gretel: Witchhunters - starring Gemma Arteron and Jeremy Renner.

"I'm sipping my tea at you. Do you feel my tannic love?"

This completely cracked my shit up.

I broke my resolution never to sit voluntarily through another Lars von Trier movie again, and went to see Melancholia this afternoon. I'm glad I did, because it's one of the most stunning movies I've ever seen. I... um, "enjoyed" seems to be the wrong word to describe a movie with the premise of global annihilation as a metaphor for personal despair, but I found it captivating. It was so freakin' beautiful, I felt quite drunk with it all by the end. Also: the best cinematic use of Wagner EVER (move over, Apocalypse Now!). Which is, uh, a bit disturbing in the wake of Lars von Trier's infamous Nazi comments at Cannes (Hitler was a huuuuuge fan of Wagner.)

I never thought I'd say this, but Kirsten Dunst was nothing short of brilliant in this. Wow.

I never thought I'd say this, but Kirsten Dunst was nothing short of brilliant in this. Wow.

She's been getting some great reviews.

I went to see Hugo today, and I liked it very much indeed. If you've read the book, some of the details of how things play out have changed, but the overall arc is the same.

One thing that was different, that I liked very much, was they way they fleshed out the role of the Station Inspector. Sascha Baron Cohen was absolutely wonderful. There were also some other background characters in the station who got their own little arcs that played out gracefully (and almost wordlessly) almost in between breaths.

Do be sure to keep an eye out for an uncredited, non-speaking appearance by Johnny Depp.

She's been getting some great reviews.

She surprised the hell out of me. I'd written her off as a lightweight.

Like all Lars von Trier films, I suspect there will be a big part of the audience who'll hate it. It's overlong and self-indulgent, and I can't think too hard on what von Trier is saying thematically because it'll probably wig me out. But honestly, the movie was so sumptuous to look at and listen to, I didn't really care.

Anne, I'm glad to hear that the changes to the Station Inspector's role are good because I have been frankly dreading that a bit. I was certain they'd go stereotypical kid's film bad guy since he's kinda written that way already and just couldn't see how more would be better.

I still haven't see Hugo but plan on taking the kids this week.

Burrell, with regards to the Station Inspector, things start off as one might expect, but then it branches out in a couple of surprising ways.

I'll be interested to hear what you think.