Fatal Farm made these for the MTV Movie Awards, but they were apparently a bit too insane for their tastes. I guess I can see why, but these are just so good.

And if you haven't yet, be sure to check out the other stuff on Fatal Farm's site, such as the alternate TV themes (Designing Women is my favorite). [Fatal Farm]

There aren't a whole lot of movies from this crop that astound us, so these three capture the landscape of 2008's special effects fairly well. Which one should win? [Oscar]

And a second bonus poll.

To refresh, BD-Live is the Blu-ray technology that allows for more interactive special features on your disc, like being able to arrange "screenings" with your friends or record commentary tracks yourself.

It all comes down to the technology. Instead of having director Chris Nolan talk into a mic and answer questions as they were asked via the website, Nolan had to do all his own typing. Or, we assume it was Nolan and not some designated typist, since the answers were slow going and contained a bunch of typos. The largest problem was that the text, displayed IRC-style with a white overlay behind it, was too small (on my PS3, at least), forcing me to sit closer than I normally would.

Smaller issues included Chris Nolan connecting and disconnecting every two minutes for the first 1/3 of the movie, which lead to the unfulfilling situation where questions were displayed but his answers were dropped. He also intentionally stayed silent or deftly evaded when certain questions on sensitive topics chosen by the moderator, such as piracy, making a third movie and any talk of money.

There were some enjoyable moments, such as when he took not one, but two pee breaks, explaining that he needed to make a shorter film next time. Fortunately, the BD-Live format let him pause everyone's movie simultaneously. He also reused the same joke three times in different formats, thanking an actor or a contributor by name when someone asked how awesome it was working with said person.

Here's how to fix the experience. Give Chris Nolan a microphone. Make whatever adjustments you have to make to the BD-Live technology to allow a low-bandwidth audio stream to reach however many players were signed on last night. Then, record the "podcast", and let people who were still at work (it was on at 6PM PST) watch it after the fact whenever they like. I stare at chatrooms all day at work, don't make me stare at another one when I'm watching Batman tearing around Gotham City.

To get a look at Kill Bill and The Bourne Ultimatum, head on over to Antrepo's site. [Antrepo via TrendsNow]

Bob estimates when all is said and done, his labor of love will cost him anywhere from $50k-$70k. And even after repeated pleading on the Super Hero Hype forums where he's showing it off, he ain't sellin'. At least not until he needs to liquify some assets to work on a working Batpod, which he's setting his sights on next. Head to Jalopnik and the boards for more. [SuperHeroHype via Jalopnik]

But one thing I wanted to highlight was a particularly interesting segment from Wally Pfister, the film's director of photography. He explains the relevance of using huge Imax film stock in the days of 1080p televisions and digital compression.

It's more of a visceral thing. You can see something way off on the horizon. You can see a little glint of light, a reflection in Batman's eye. You can't see it in a conventional theater. And you definitely can't see it on a plasma screen at home.

Only a handful of the Dark Knight's scenes were shot with Imax film and cameras, but I'm looking forward to them all the same.

Now read it all over at Wired. Or I swear I'll blockquote the whole thing. [Wired]

Verizon Wireless and Nokia team up to fight for Gotham City with the new Nokia 6205 phone

Verizon Wireless Exclusive: Phone Debuts with Limited “The Dark Knight” Edition Inspired by one of the Summer’s Most Highly-Anticipated Movies

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the world leader in mobility, today announced the availability of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition mobile phone. Celebrating the upcoming July 18 theatrical release of “The Dark Knight,” the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available exclusively online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning, Sunday, June 15.

Clad in a mysterious black color and embellished with a subtle The Dark Knight emblem, this themed-edition flip phone comes pre-loaded with wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition has a generous set of features designed to enhance the mobile lifestyle. Touch-sensitive external music keys make it simple to access tracks purchased from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service, while the crisp two-inch display that supports up to 262,000 colors, makes watching news, sports and entertainment content from V CAST Video more enjoyable. In addition, the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition includes:

o 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and 4x digital zoom
o 58 MB internal memory; expandable up to an additional 4 GB with an optional microSD™ memory card
o Support for text, picture and video messaging
o Get It Now®-capable for downloading games, ringtones, wallpapers and other mobile content
o VZ NavigatorSM-compatible for audible turn-by-turn directions and location information
o Mobile Web for access to the latest news, sports, weather and more
o Voice dialing and voice commands for touch-free phone operation
o Built-in speakerphone
o Bluetooth®-enabled for wireless headset support

Like the phone, the unique packaging of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition is also sure to be a hit with fans, featuring iconic images drawn straight from Gotham City. Verizon Wireless customers will also find a Joker playing card with a code and a link to the www.fightforgothamcity.com Web site. Once on the Web site, customers can instantly find out if they have won The Joker’s “bag of cash” containing $10,000, play games to win more The Dark Knight-themed prizes, and download exclusive The Dark Knight content from Verizon Wireless’

V CAST service.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available online for $69.99 after a $50 online instant rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Following the premiere release of The Dark Knight edition, the standard edition of the Nokia 6205 phone – containing all of the same features and a striking metallic blue and silver color scheme – will be available both online and at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores next month.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Iron Man : Yeah, He Can Fly

Iron Man may already be out, but that doesn't mean we should just forget about it. With the great flight scenes, cutting edge tech and the fact that it is just an excellent film, I plan to use any and all excuses to keep talking about the best superhero movie ever made (as well as the sequel).

Wall-E : Don't (or Do) Watch While Dropping Acid

Wall-E is probably the movie I'm most excited for this summer. From the gadget/robot factor, to the CG eye candy, I get hyped just thinking about it (especially with the righteous toys and promo gear). And did I mention Jonathan Ive helped design one of the robots? In any case, with films such as Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille under their belt, I find it hard to believe Pixar would miss the mark with Wall-E (Cars never happened).

The Dark Knight : Ambien's New Corporate Slogan
For all its positive transformation in Batman Begins, the Batman franchise just hasn't really held up too well on the gadget front. While you shouldn't expect to see any sonic batarangs or batnet guns in The Dark Knight, fans and other, less intentionally strange people have been picking up the slack. If I want to (and I do) I could go out right now and get myself, for example, a Batman MP3 player. I could use it to listen to the old Batman theme while I'm driving the original Tim Burton Batmobile. I might pull up at a stoplight next to nice young lady driving a much flatter, much more street legal Batmobile. I could even ask her out to see the premiere of The Dark Knight. Most importantly, If all goes well (or if she tries to escape) I could finally try out a pair of Batcuffs. Theoretically speaking.

The Incredible Hulk : Suck On That Eric Bana. And Everything Else, Too
The Hulk doesn't give a shit about gadgets. He's not all like "HULK FINGER TOO BIG FOR UMPC, HULK DEMAND EXTERNAL KEYBOARD," mainly because that'd be stupid. If that stupid green Luddite could calm down for five minutes he might realize that just because he's apparently given up electronics, they haven't given up on him. Any of those items would provide Mr. Hulk with a sizable increase in daily productivity.

For a little fun he could always play Hulk Operation, but there's always the risk that if he buzzed he'd flip out, get huge and ruin everyone's family night with another of his obnoxious tantrums. He could do with a pair of carthartic Hulk Gloves, so he could punch some of that energy out every now and then. But I wouldn't watch that movie half as hard as I was going to watch The Incredible Hulk.

Well, that's the summer lineup, and I personally plan on seeing all these films. Also, if you're interested in my two cents, Iron Man kicks way more ass than Batman.

(The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk roundups by John Herrman)

This rendition of The Joker needs to get some kind of award for Ledger for being the best villain in recent memory. The Joker doesn't need gadgets to kill Batman. He relies on pure insanity. The new suit, on the other hand, seems even more souped up and gadgety than the first. We'll have to wait for the movie to see what crazy ass stuff they shoved in. [Why So Serious]