You know what we didn’t hear enough about? That Pocahontus film about the blue people, what was it called again? The director made quite a famous film about some boat back in the day, erm… oh dear… Avatar! That’s it! Such a shame that slipped so low under the international radar, eh? Fortunately for us though, it’s getting re-released! No, really.

We explore the low-budget short films of Jan Svankmajer, and ask whether escapism needs to be an expensive venture…

It may be strange to think it, but in an age where we’re so used to 3D creatures, pixilated flying houses and talking toys, a 2D film can be considered pushing the boundaries of today’s kids entertainment. Gone is the golden age of Disney classics- The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin – all-singing, all dancing, all bloomin’ marvelous. Today what kids want is explosions, nifty special effects and some smooth-talking robots, right?

Ten years of production, the development of a whole new stereoscopic technology and a marketing blitzkrieg so intense that even lost tribes in the jungles of Borneo are aware of it. The buzz around Avatar has been almost unprecedented – James Cameron’s long-awaited return to sci-fi has been panned, praised and everything in between even before it was released. Approaching Avatar with an open mind, we discovered one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful and immersive films of recent years.

So, in the US, Avatar has broken records for the fastest selling DVD of all time, selling 6.7 million DVD and Blu-Rays in its opening four days. It snatches the record away from The Dark Knight, which previously held it with which sold 2.7 million on its opening day, 500,000 copies shy of Avatar’s 3.2 million.

So it turns out that, contrary to common belief, the world wasn’t entirely obliterated by alien attacks fourteen years ago. If the rumours emanating from Hollywood are believed to be true, it looks like Will Smith will be reprising the role of Captain Steven Hiller not once, but twice, as 20th Century Fox prepare to announce the sequels to 1996’s Independence Day.

Just when you thought Hollywood couldn’t sink any lower than re-booting every film ever make, a whole new trend comes out that proves you wrong. Why even bother making another film, when you can just re-release one you’ve already made?

God bless nail-biting competition. This year Oscar viewing figures have been the best in 5 years, with almost 41 million people in the US tuning in. This, of course, was mainly down to the battle of the titans that was Avatar vs The Hurt Locker, and the story was made all the juicer by the fact that the two directors used to be married. Of course, in the end Avatar walked away with just 3 awards, and The Hurt Locker stole the evening by winning Best Picture and Best Director

Well, what a night, eh? It was glorious to have a real nail-biter of a ceremony, with the David and Goliath battle that was Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker. But, in the end, Katheryn Bigelow’s budget Iraq epic took home the gold, in a night that was revolutionary, though rather predictable.

It seems that the letters ‘3D’ have taken on serious money-making significance for film-makers everywhere. Warner Bros has announced that their next few films – including Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, Clash Of The Titans and Harry Potter – will all be given the 3D treatment.