Look, I think it’s safe to assume that when someone creates a multi-billion dollar film franchise, that person is then allowed to live the rest of their life on a plane of existence that’s well above the rest of us. It’s at this higher level that those privileged few can experience life’s sweetest nectars, like socking a horse in the face, purchasing a mail order concubine or, in the case of James Cameron, writing three films about the same subject and then claiming that they’re not a trilogy. The dude made Aliens, for crying out loud, just let him ramble on about whatever the hell he wants to and just be sure to nod your head excitedly if he looks over this way.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Cameron was sure to carefully complicate the explanation of his current preproduction process.

We’re shooting two films back-to-back, so I’m writing two scripts, not one, which will complete a [three]-film story arc – not really a trilogy, but just an overall character arc so I’m pretty excited about that. We’re doing a lot of preliminary work right now on new software and new animation techniques and so on.

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If you thought The Hobbit was going to look just like The Lord of the Rings movies, think again. Because Peter Jackson’s announced that The Hobbit will be filmed in 48 frames per second… twice the normal frame rate for movies. The higher rate is designed to make the film more lifelike and realistic, which might be handy for a movie about Dwarves going to rob a Dragon.

As Jackson posted on his facebook page:

“We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps (films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920′s). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok–and we’ve all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years–but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or ‘strobe.’”

With Jackson using digital filmmaking, there’s none of the cost of shooting in a higher frame rate, as he doesn’t have to pay for extra film. (While that might seem a minor quibble, the thousands of extra feet it can add to a film really adds up.) Jackson’s also not the only filmmaker upping their frame rate, as James Cameron recently announced that Avatar 2 will be shot between 48 and 60 frames per second. But frankly we don’t think adding any more frames of annoying blue cat-people is really going to help that film at all.

[First Showing]

We’ve replaced James Cameron’s submarine with a hippie drill. Let’s see if he notices.

James Murdoch (Rupert Murdoch’s son) interviewed James Cameron at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit.  On the topic of Avatar, Cameron mentioned a Fox studio exec who had a problem with some of the content.  Specifically, the parts of the script that beat you over the head with an environmental message (as opposed to the parts which copy the story line of Disney’s Pocahontas).

“We were worried going into ‘Avatar’ that the environmental themes — that went to a spiritually deep profound level — would actually hurt the film. Somebody at Fox, not there now, said, ‘Is there any way to reduce this New Age, tree-hugging, hippy crap?’”

I never thought there would be a day when I would be saying this, but, you know, that studio executive from Fox seems like an all right guy.  Wait, what was that?  Aww hell, there’s a red horse and some dude with a sword out on the lawn. I must have popped that damn second seal again.

[Full 41 minute interview available at ThePlaylist.]

Artist’s rendering, accuracy not guaranteed.

I may have taken some liberties with that headline, but it’s only slightly stranger than the real story:  James Cameron wants to be the third person to ever reach the deepest spot in the ocean.  And he can make it happen, ’cause he’s James f-cking Cameron.  He got nominated for an Oscar by filming blue cats having magic tail sex.  You don’t think he can pull this off?  Believe it.

The only two people to reach the bottom of the Mariana trench in the Pacific Ocean were Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, who made the 35,800 foot descent on January 23rd, 1960.  That depth is nearly seven miles down in a fissure between the Pacific plate and the Philippine plate.  Unless you think plate tectonics are of the devil, in which case it’s a fissure caused by this one time God stomped on the ocean to cause the Great Flood or something.

Despite great leaps in underwater exploration, so far no one has attempted to repeat the descent. But that is about to change. Film director James Cameron – the man behind Avatar, Aliens, and aptly, The Abyss – has gathered a team of engineers and given them the job of building a submersible capable of returning to the Mariana trench. Cameron, who has filmed on the wreck of the Titanic, has said he plans to use his new submersible to gather footage for a sequel to Avatar. The vessel is being assembled in Australia and tests on the hull are already completed. Insiders say a trial dive could be on the cards later this year. [TheGuardian via NextBigFuture]

He’s going to be very disappointed when he starts looking for NTIs and only finds a bunch of ugly snailfish.

Sometimes, if you really like a movie you brag about it to your friends. Other times, if you really enjoy a flick, you find yourself repeatedly paying full ticket price just so you can relive the theatrical experience. And then, of course, when it comes down to really, really enjoying a movie, sometimes it seems totally appropriate to lose one’s sh*t and tattoo a dedication to the film all over your freckled backside.

It was a solemn Monday, back in March, when we first mentioned that “some guy who’s old enough to know better got an ugly Avatar tattoo“. That was when our inked up hero had just a single and lonely Neytiri on the back of his left shoulder. Fast forward the rest of the 2010 year and SURPRISE -our diehard fan has just finished receiving bad decision #8.

After the jump we’ve featured the entire evolution of Avatar tattoo guy, so that you can watch his back art spread like wildfire. And while a dude with giant naked cat people all over his back is a pretty effing easy target to sling jokes at, you have to give credit where credit is due: dude just loves Avatar…what else is there to say? At the very least, this guy’s dedication has really helped me see just how rediculous my back tattoo of the entire cast of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper really is.

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PICTURE ABOVE: “Rush hour is no fun, except if you happen to be right behind the mobile puppet theater of Los Angeles artists Joel Kyack and Michael Hayden.” [via Neatorama]

INSET PICTURE: Little Warrior by Louise Mundo at Threadless.

How to be “Macho Man” Randy Savage. [Uproxx]

Of course Facebook game Mafia Wars is going to be a movie. [Filmdrunk]

Taiwanese news service NMA’s computer animation of the Al Gore sex allegations [WarmingGlow]

If you missed it yesterday, here’s one way to shut up a vuvuzela. [WithLeather]

Exercises In Blatant Insensitivity: Alternate Chris Henry Headlines [KissingSuzyKolber]

Lazy, or awesome? [NextRound]

Bros Icing Movies [CollegeHumor]

The best Superman panels [ComicsAlliance]

“Dog Artist Lori Craig Will Make Your Dog’s Butt Look Awesome”  Call the police. [Urlesque]

Aussie 65-year-old named “World’s Hottest Grandma”. Do they sell mugs with that written on them? [Guyism]

The Doctor plays his own theme song with Orbital at Glastonbury [ToplessRobot]

VIDEO BELOW: Conan the Barbarian: The Musical. [via TheDailyWhat]

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