Billion Dollar New Year

Well, James Cameron CERTAINLY has had just about the best New Year that a filmmaker, or perhaps anyone, could have.

This slash film article tells how Cameron's latest epic, Avatar, after a mere 3 weeks of release has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. That's billion with a "b."

James Cameron is now the first director in history to have directed two movies (the first being Titanic, which is still tops at $1.8 billion) that have each grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. He's the Two Billion (and counting) Dollar Man.

I guess this - plus the record U.S. box office of $10.6 billion for 2009 - shows that in a recession, people really DO seek escapist fare. But WHY does so much of it has to be of the level of GI Joe, Monsters vs. Aliens and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Oh, well, along with those turds at least we also had quality films like, The Hangover, Star Trek and Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.