"Avatar" is now officially the highest grossing film ever.  At least when you take a look at the worldwide boxoffice.  For the US, it passed "The Dark Knight" last week, and I think there is little doubt it will pass "Titanic" within two weeks.

I'm right now predicting that as soon as it is announced as one of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture Oscar, the backlash will begin, and we'll start seeing all kinds of snippy stories about it.

Since the Oscar nominations are announced on Tuesday, let me go ahead and put on record the ten films I think will be nominated in this first ever expansion of the category.

Avatar 
Up in the Air 
Precious 
Invictus 
Inglourious Basterds 
The Hurt Locker 
Up 
An Education 
A Serious Man 
Star Trek

Yes, I did just put "Star Trek"  in that list.  I really think they'll use this opportunity to nominate a sci-fi film, and if it isn't this one, it will be "District 9"

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We open with a shot of "The Islamic Republic of Kamistan".  Let's see.  It's 8 PM in New York, and it looks to be sunrise at Kamistan...which puts them something like 11 time zones away.

Damn...we're being attacked by Australia.

Fredo Hassan is talking to General Wasid ("Wassssuuuuppp, Wasid?") one of the third-rate third world generals we have seen so many times before, trying to tell him to calm down.  Lacking sufficient 3G coverage from Verizon, and using a "mobile" phone purchased from Radio Shack...in 1982...it's amazing he could hear anything.  I hope he didn't think Fredo said "deposit $100"...I don't think Vitaly Corleonovich would be pleased.  Wasid has his own problems, as President Hassan has ordered a major butt-kicking crackdown on the heels of the assassination attempt.

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Huge day for football on Sunday, but what about the rest of the weekend? According to Mitch, it's a good time to catch up on previously released movies you may not have seen yet, like "Avatar" and "The Book of Eli", because the new releases out today stink. Mitch also catches us up on the latest movie news, such as the Coen Brothers remake of "True Grit", looks at what's being released on DVD on Tuesday, and tells us what's coming to the Big Screen in the weeks ahead.

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Yesterday Mitch ran through the first two hours of "24" that aired Sunday night. Today the Mitch Man moves on to the second two hours, which were shown Monday night on FOX. This episode featured the return of Renee Walker. Not the Renee Walker we knew and loved from season seven though. An even better version. A distant, dark, vacant, rogue version of Renee Walker. Who hacks off the hand of a Russian mobster with a saw. I'm in love! If you watch "24", and haven't been reading Mitch's recaps ... do yourself a favor and get on board.

Welcome back.  Did you miss me?  No?  OK, let's get right to it, then.

Recap

Meredith Lewinski is still holding back "something" from CTU...yeah, the fact that she's a ho.  But of course her "holding back" is enough to make Dana and Cole think she's guilty of being part of the assassination attempt, diverting attention away from the real target.

Jack slips $100 to one of the local gangbangers playing across the street from Officer Jimmy's place to find out where Percy might be.  So how can you tell Jimmy and Maggie weren't very important?  Because Jack shows up just in time to find them accessorized with bullets to the foreheads.  Unfortunately, Jack is too late to catch Percy, but is there in time for Plot Device Movement #27: Getting Arrested by Clueless Police Officers.  Jack gets tasered as well...and then they screw things up even more by dragging him inside for more fun and games.

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