Yogi Land

In the opening moments of Pray the Devil Back to Hell, the second part of Abigail Disney’s PBS series Women, War & Peace, peace activist and social worker Leymah Gbowee breaks down the impact the war in Liberia has had on her family, remarking, “My children had been hungry and afraid their entire lives.”

In a film full of remarkable statements, this one struck me as being particularly poignant. The film chronicles the work of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. Organized by Gbowee, this movement brought together thousands of women from across religions to petition for change and an end to war. It worked. Not only is the movement credited with ending the Second Liberian Civil War, it led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president of Liberia, the first female head of state in Africa.

Gbowee, Sirleaf and Tawakkul Karman were awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their work in peace-building and women’s rights advocacy.

At a breakfast earlier this week, I had a chance to ask Gbowee some questions about her journey, the importance of technology and the impact the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement has had on younger generations.

In the western world, we often take for granted the ubiquitous nature of connectivity and technology. In Liberia, activists like Gbowee had to get the word out to other women via radio and word of mouth.

The biggest limitation right now for women in areas like Africa and other parts of the developing world is the lack of access to technology. Beyond just not having the technical resources, women in these countries also don’t have education or experience using these devices.

Gbowee said that those of us in the western world — and she made a point to say that this has to go beyond the U.S. — need to look at investing in places without technology. The first step is assessing the needs, the existing setups and the goals in each area.

---

Setting a Better Example for Young Women

---

Gbowee also expressed to me the importance that those of us — especially women — who do have access to technology are using that technology responsibly.

Setting a good example for women all over the world and not simply “parading themselves over YouTube” is a good start. The more young girls in the developed world can embrace the positive, the better shot media as a whole has at “reversing the trend of negative portrayals of women.”

She went on to say that these sorts of positive influences could empower women in a whole new way.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell airs on PBS at 10:00pm tonight.

Watch Life After the Nobel: An Interview with Leymah Gbowee on PBS. See more from Women War and Peace.

More About: africa, Film, TV, womens rights

For more Entertainment coverage:

• Follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Entertainment channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Forty-five years ago, the first episode of Star Trek aired on NBC. It was five years after the Soviet Union launched the first human into space, and the franchise explored a fictional 23rd century “United Federation of Planets” through a crew based on the starship Enterprise.

Six television series and 11 movies later, some aspects of Star Trek no longer seem futuristic (people still don’t live in space, but they are working on vacationing there).

To celebrate Star Trek’s anniversary and lasting impact, we enlisted help from the “Commander” of international Star Trek fan association Starfleet, Dave Blaser.

He and a handful of other Trekkies helped us point out these eight Star Trek technologies that have shifted from future fantasy to present reality.

SEE ALSO: 45 Years of Star Trek [INFOGRAPHIC]

---

1. The Flip Phone

---

While on away missions, the Star Trek crew often speaks through hand-held “communicators” that look like walkie talkies with a flip top — in other words, much like a clamshell mobile phone.

The likeness inspired Motorola in 1996 to name the first flip phone “StarTAC.”

It also caused some strife for Trekie Ted Anthony, who wrote in a 2006 article for the AP: “Once, when I was 6, the teenage son of one of my father’s colleagues fashioned me a handmade communicator out of a wood block, paint and chickenwire. A few months later, I left it in an airplane bathroom as we flew to Asia and caused something of a bomb scare.”

---

2. The iPad

---

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, touch-based control panels called PADDs (personal access display devices) were frequently used by crew members. They resemble the tablet-like computers of today.

According to Ars Technica, PADDs were partly a reflection of a constricted budget. The flat surface of the devices meant that no knobs or dials needed to be constructed, and the idea of that its software could be reconfigured to complete any task made it a flexible prop.

No actual code was written for the devices in Star Trek, but CBS Interactive created an iPad app that mimicks its interface.

---

3. Bluetooth Headsets

---

Photo source: Wikipedia

Uhura, for a time the Enterprise’s Communications officer, wears a giant silver earpiece while sitting at the communications station. This reminds Blaser and others of the bluetooth headpieces of today.

“Look at anyone walking down the street looking like they’ve gone insane and are talking to themselves and you’re likely to see a blue light flashing next to their ear and, looking closer, you’ll see the Bluetooth earpiece.”

---

4. Tricorders

---

In Star Trek, “tricorders” are handheld devices used for sensor scanning, data analysis and recording data.

A company called Vital Technologies intentionally replicated it in the mid-90s with a device that it called the TR-107 Mark 1. Like its fictional counterpart, the device included several scientific functions such as an electromagnetic field meter, thermometer, barometer and light meter.

According to Blaser, the company sold about 10,000 of these units before it went out of business.

More recent efforts at replicating the device include a Tricoder Android app that was taken down earlier this month after CBS cried infringement and a $10 million contest by the X-Prize foundation for a Tricorder-like medical diagnostic device.

---

5. The Floppy Disk and USB Drives

---

Star Trek foresaw the convenience of portable digital storage.

“On Star Trek, they were the small square coloured pieces of plastic that they inserted into various computer consoles, but in the 80s and 90s we had the 3.5-inch floppy disk that was remarkably close to the same size as those pieces of plastic that they had on Star Trek,” Blaser says.

“Later, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, they had isolinear chips that could hold gigabytes upon gigabytes of data. These days, you don’t see floppy disks being used but USB flash drives which are, incidentally, pretty close to the same size that Star Trek TNG showed the isolinear chips were.”

---

6. Voice Activation

---

When Scotty meets an at-the-time-of-filming modern computer, he’s confused when it doesn’t respond to his voice as the Enterprise computers do. Today, he might have had more luck. Many computer softwares, smartphones, cars and other electronics now have voice activation options.

---

7. GPS

---

While the transporter above is from the 2009 Star Trek movie, well after GPS was invented, its predecessors were also able to locate crew members with precision before beaming them up. The U.S. government declared GPS functional in 1995 after launching 27 Earth-orbiting satellites — about 30 years after the concept appeared in Star Trek for the first time.

---

8. Diagnostic Bed

---

Dr. McCoy’s medical diagnostic bed inspired a team of scientists at the University of Leicester to create a sickbay that observes patients for early signs of diseases using monitoring equipment such as thermal imaging technology and analysis of the patient’s breath.

A scientist who worked on the project called a “first step” to achieving the sci-fi technology.

---

Obviously, some of the gadgets in Star Trek were based on science fiction staples established long before 1966 (If you’re interested in the original origins of some of these gadgets, click here). But Star Trek is somewhat of a gold mine of once-futuristic technology and inspiration.

“The list can go on and on and on about various things that have been inspired by Star Trek,” Blaser says. “Even people have been inspired by Star Trek and have gone on to do great things. Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield and American Astronaut Mae Jamieson were both Star Trek fans.”

Let us know about some of your favorite Star Trek gadgets in the comments below.

More About: Sci-Fi, science fiction, Star Trek

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The Summer Blockbuster Series analyzes the social media campaigns behind major summer movie releases and runs each Friday.

One of the big releases hitting theaters Friday is Cowboys & Aliens. Based on the 2006 graphic novel, the film was adapted for the screen by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Studios.

Starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, it’s a science fiction Western film about a loner who wakes up in a strange city with no memory from his past, only to find that he is a wanted criminal. After the area is invaded by aliens, friends and foes have to work together to save the city — and the earth — from extraterrestrial enemies.

Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau directed the film and played a large role in helping to develop the social media and digital campaign for this unique title.

Let’s take a look at some of the digital and social parts of the campaign.

---

Facebook

---

The official Facebook Page for Cowboys & Aliens has more than 200,000 Likes thus far. Universal Pictures has employed a tactic we’ve seen with Captain America and Harry Potter (and most other major films) in creating a widget that functions as a cross-channel hub, linking to the film’s other social and digital channels in a single box.

In this way, the Facebook Page acts as a mini version of the official homepage for the film.

---

Online Games

---

In addition to a Facebook Page, Universal and DreamWorks have also launched two online games for the film:

Cowboys & Aliens Arcade is a Facebook game that includes scenes from the film along with puzzle and trivia challenges. Players can also enter to win official prizes.

Cowboys & Aliens Absolution Training Grounds is a more complex (both in terms of visuals and intensity) shoot-em-up-style game that can be enhanced with Facebook Connect, but doesn’t require it.

---

Twitter

---

Although the studios have set up an official @cowboysaliens Twitter account, it isn’t the primary driver of Twitter activity for the film. Instead, the marketing teams have leveraged the personal account of the film’s director, Jon Favreau, who already has a Twitter following of more than a million.

In the buildup to the film’s release, Favreau has tweeted links to articles, interviews, behind-the-scenes insights and more. The official Cowboys & Aliens account frequently retweets Favreau’s updates and, in turn, Favreau re-shares the best bits from the official account.

Even in official press statements, Universal points fans to Jon Favreau’s account in addition to its own — a smart move. After all, if you have a director with an engaged and active fanbase, why not use that person as the primary driver for your film?

---

Hipstamatic Lens Kit

---

One of our favorite iPhone apps, Hipstamatic, launched its own FreePak tie-in for Cowboys & Aliens.

Until August 8, Hipstamatic users can download the Cowboys & Aliens HipstaPak, which includes two new lenses and a camera case, for free. In typical Hipstamatic style, extreme detail went into the design of the lenses.

On its Facebook Page, Hipstamatic says that both the film’s cinematographer Matthew Libatique and director Jon Favreau contributed to its development.

---

“Cowboys & Aliens” Coca-Cola Round Up for iPhone, iPad and Android

---

We have to give the marketing team at Cowboys & Aliens credit because the Cowboys & Aliens Coca-Cola Round Up app for iOS and Android is one of the more intricate tie-in apps we’ve seen.

This is an augmented reality game in which Coca-Cola triggers are captured on specially marked cups and popcorn bags at AMC and Regal theaters in the U.S. Users can also download a print trigger to play the game. After that, it’s a bottle collection game.

This is an interesting use of augmented reality and QR-like functionality that encourage play while simultaneously cross-promoting two different properties: the film and Coca-Cola.

---

The Results

---

Cowboys & Aliens has been a trending topic on Twitter in the days leading up to the film, suggesting that the film already has strong awareness among targeted audiences.

We’ll have to wait for the weekend box office figures to see how the film performed against the competition.

What do you think of the mobile-centric approach Universal took when promoting Cowboys & Aliens? Let us know in the comments section below.

More About: Cowboys & Aliens, Film, jon favreau, Movies, Summer Blockbuster Series

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The Summer Blockbuster Series analyzes the social media campaigns behind major summer movie releases and runs each Friday.

Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters in the United States today — and could well be the first superhero film to break through the summer slump and soar to box office success.

The film stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, a World War II vet who is enhanced to human perfection by an experimental serum. Directed by Joe Johnston, the film and characters are part of a broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, which includes the films, The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Thor. Many of the characters will team up in next summer’s The Avengers.

Since the movie is based on a comic book with a 70-year legacy, it makes sense that much of the social media campaign around Captain America is targeted squarely at comic book and Marvel Universe fans. Let’s look at some of the bigger initiatives.

---

Digital Comic Book Series

---

The first teaser for the film, Captain America: The First Avenger premiered during Super Bowl XLV. That day, Marvel released the first issue from Captain America: First Vengeance, a digital comic book series. Each issue of the eight-part series, available online and via the Marvel Comics iPad app, focused on a different character from the film. The series ended right at the point when the movie begins.

Not only did this campaign engage with existing comic book fans, it also used the power of the Super Bowl’s reach, online video sharing sites and the iPad to spread the buzz.

The first full-length trailer for Captain America was released on YouTube in March.

---

Marvel.com Universe

---

Marvel’s homepage has become the most informative site on the web for all things Captain America. The comic publisher dedicated an entire hub page to the film, chronicling the latest news and information, including trailers, posters, special clips and behind-the-scenes photos.

On July 19, 2011, Marvel livestreamed the red carpet premiere on its website and offered playback for fans.

The fan forums at Marvel.com are also full of fans who are engaging in conversations not just about the film, but about the entire cinematic Marvel universe and the comic canon. Fans are congregating online to discuss the best ways that they can help spread the word about the film on social media sites, which is a huge potential win for Marvel.

---

Facebook

---

The official Captain America Facebook Page has updates and information for the film, but the real meat is at Marvel’s Facebook Page.

Marvel’s page includes a promotional widget from Harley-Davidson that offers access to video clips, photos and the ability to send badges to friends.

The Marvel Facebook Page also includes links to other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and news coming out of Comic-Con 2011.

---

GetGlue

---

Marvel teamed up with GetGlue to offer five exclusive digital stickers for the film. Fans can earn the stickers by checking into the movie.

GetGlue is becoming an increasingly common service for studios to use to spread the word and reward die-hard film fans for engaging.

---

Dunkin’ Donuts

---

What’s more American than Captain America? Donuts. So it makes sense that Marvel Studios partnered with Dunkin’ Donuts, and sister-chain Baskin-Robbins, to create a promotional campaign around the film.

Dunkin’ Donuts is offering a special three-flavor beverage container — but more importantly, it created a special Unlock The Lab online sweepstakes.

Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins also worked with Facebook to launch a USO-supported “America’s Super-Soldiers” contest on Facebook.

---

Results

---

It’s too early to predict Captain America‘s box office performance. But the film is already off to a solid start, raking in $4 million at midnight screenings.

Will social media help Captain America soar? Give us your take in the comments.

More About: captain america first avenger, captain-america, comic-con 2011, comics, Movies, Summer Blockbuster Series

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Monday, friends and fans of Jackass star Ryan Dunn took to Twitter to post farewell messages and remembrances about the deceased actor.

Dunn, who perished in a car crash early Monday morning, posted a picture of himself drinking with friends just hours before the car he was driving crashed, killing both Dunn and another adult passenger.

While some, such as iconic film critic Roger Ebert, have criticized Dunn’s actions, many refuse to speak ill at this time, instead focusing on the humor Dunn brought to their lives and the memories they shared with him.

Here are some tweets from other celebrities who were close to Dunn as well as fans.

SEE ALSO: Roger Ebert Tweet on Ryan Dunn’s Death Draws Controversy

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

Twitter Remembers Ryan Dunn

More About: drunk driving, Jackass, Ryan Dunn, twitter

The Hangover Part II made its debut on the big screen this weekend, and along with it, made an appearance in Mike Tyson’s iPhone game in a Warner Bros. promotion for the film.

Specifically, a free update to the game (Mike Tyson’s Main Event [iTunes link]) features the ability to fight Mr. Chow (played in The Hangover Part II by Ken Jeong) in Bangkok (where the film is set), watch the full trailer within the app and buy tickets.

For those unfamiliar with the Hangover series, the update is especially fitting since Tyson, playing himself, was the breakout star of the first movie and makes a return appearance in the sequel.

So far, the update seems to have ignited more interest in Main Event, which was downloaded more than one million times in its release week back in March. The creators of the game, RockLive, tell Mashable that they saw more than 120,000 active users of a new “city leaderboard” feature on Thursday, which allows users to see the top scorers in their area based on geolocation.

The game, which is very much modeled after the classic NES title Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, has also added more virtual items, such as a “Power Balance wristbrand” that helps users beat more challenging opponents in their quest to get to Mike Tyson. It’s those virtual items — along with promos like the one for Hangover II — that RockLive hopes will help the monetize the free game.

Below, an interview I shot with Tyson back at SXSW before the release of the game:

More About: Film, kien jeong, MARKETING, mike tyson, Movies, rocklive, the hangover part ii, warner bros

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

In the aftermath of a grueling bankruptcy, MGM has kissed its digital department goodbye.

We’ve received a tip from an anonymous source (and other media sources confirm) that MGM’s entire digital department has been laid off today, likely as part of the company’s post-bankruptcy restructuring.

Previously, the studio laid off around 50 employees in December 2010; and prior to that, the studio had to halt production of several slated motion pictures, including two new James Bond flicks and a Robocop remake, until its debts could be somewhat resolved.

The studio also saw a change-up in leadership around that time. As MGM emerged from bankruptcy on December 20, 2010, Spyglass Entertainment partners Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum became the company’s new co-CEOs. As of December 23, 2010, ex-Pixar CFO Ann Mather became the new board of directors head, and producer Jonathan Glickman became the studio’s new film president just a couple weeks ago.

It’s unknown exactly how many jobs were lost or exactly what the digital department comprised — we’re hoping it won’t affect the studio’s forward-looking YouTube work, which included the posting of full-length feature films on YouTube, all free of charge and without commercial interruption.

In happier news, the studio is moving back into production on a slate of films that will include, among other titles, a reboot of the 1980s classic Robocop. Stay tuned for more on that surely epic remake.

More About: bankruptcy, digital, Film, layoffs, media, MGM, robocop, studio

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

If you like Cold War-flavored, comic book-inspired action flicks (and who doesn’t?), here’s something to kick off your weekend.

We’ve got a long wait until the theatrical premiere of the next X-Men installment from the Marvel comic universe, X-Men: First Class, but here’s a sneak peak at what the film will entail, courtesy of a 2-minute YouTube trailer.

According to accompanying text, we learn that the new movie in the successful comic-to-silver-screen franchise “charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga and reveals a secret history of famous global events.

“Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.”

The film, which won’t be in theaters until June 3, 2011, is seen by Fox as both a prequel to the three primary X-Men films and as the beginning on a new trilogy.

X-Men: First Class is produced by Bryan Singer, directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars James McAvoy as the young Professor X; Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr, who becomes Magneto; Kevin Bacon as villain Sebastian Shaw; and January Jones as Emma Frost. Principal photography took place in London.

X-Men: First Class is the fifth in the X-Men film series, which includes X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Will you be going to see the new X-Men film when it’s in theaters?

More About: comic books, comics, Film, Fox, Marvel, movie, x-men, x-men first class, xmen

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

In mere days, Matthew Lessner’s utopian, tongue-in-cheek film The Woods will be heading to Sundance — a noteworthy occurrence to be sure. But add to that the fact that The Woods is the first Sundance-bound film to be partially funded by Kickstarter, and you’ve got yourself a historical event.

Yes, “historical” sounds bit grandiose in this context, but take into account what the film represents — a filmmaker calling upon his fans and viewers to raise capital, and that capital leading to a finished product worthy of Sundance — and you have a bona fide game-changer.

Artists are becoming less reliant on the benevolence of big investors — and their own meager funds — transferring that role to a network of consumers who are more than happy to pay for the music, films and products that those artists are creating.

Back in 2008, Lessner had just wrapped the one-month shoot of his film — the tale of a group of 20-somethings who set out into the less-developed climes of the Pacific Northwest to create their own utopian society — when the economy collapsed.

“The initial way that we funded the film was we went and put the film [expenditures] on credit cards,” Lessner says. “I wanted to make a film, but I didn’t want to deal with all the things that go along with fundraising in the traditional ways. Usually when you’re taking money from people, you’re working in a more structured system; you have to play by their rules; and you have to answer to people. I want to make films in the way that I want to make films.”

As a result of the economic downturn — and his reluctance to raise money from backers — the film lay dormant for a year, unedited and unfinished.

Around a year later, Lessner heard about a new service called Kickstarter from a friend who had used the platform to finance an around-the-world sailing trip. (Kickstarter launched in 2009.)

“I’m not a super web-savvy person — I had never heard of crowd sourcing before,” Lessner says. “I don’t do a lot of tweeting, I don’t have a Facebook Page. [But] I liked the idea of reaching out to a number of individuals for small amounts of money, as opposed to going to a rich uncle or something and asking for money. I liked the idea of getting people involved.”

As one of the first people to get involved with Kickstarter (and a relative Luddite), Lessner wasn’t really sure how to drum up attention for the campaign.

“I tried to be pretty straightforward about what it is that we were trying to do. Our film definitely marches to the beat of its own drummer to a certain extent, and I tried to make that pretty clear in our campaign. It seemed like a lot of people responded to that fact — that we were just doing our own thing with the film and not necessarily trying to target anyone in particular.

“There wasn’t really crazy strategy involved, it was just trying to let the uniqueness of the film show through and communicate.”

Taking a look back at Lessner’s campaign page, “unique” certainly does spring to mind. The description of the film — “Equal parts Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Disney’s Camp Nowhere” — is certainly evocative, as are embedded teasers, which somewhat resemble the music video for MGMT’s “Electric Feel.”

Lessner also offered users an array of interesting prizes for pledging money: DVDs, a black and white reproduction of Che Guevara shaking hands with Ralph Waldo Emerson, signed (or not) by writer/director Matthew Lessner, customized boxes of Cheez-Its and bottles of Mountain Dew, an executive producer credit — you name it.

“So it spanned the gambit from snack food to executive producer,” says Lessner with a laugh.

With Kickstarter, Lessner managed to raise $11,584 (the goal was $8,000) with the help of 95 backers and finish his film.

“We’re really excited for The Woods and the thousands of other projects that have raised money using Kickstarter. To be recognized by an organization as respected as Sundance is a real accomplishment, and The Woods is absolutely deserving of it,” says Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter.

Although he’s still the opposite of tech-savvy, Lessner says that he would definitely use Kickstarter again to fund a film.

“The only thing I’m wary about is that I don’t want to overextend myself on [Kickstarter]. It will be interesting to see, as Kickstarter pans out, how many times you can come back to the same group of people.”

Lessner’s concern is legitimate. Although his was one of the first films to be funded by Kickstarter, the venue is increasingly becoming a popular way to raise cash — filmmaker Christopher Salmon raised $161,774 to make a computer-animated version of Neil Gaiman’s short story The Price, and Tom Durham raised more than $17,000 for his project 95ers: ECHOES.

As more and more filmmakers and artists flock to Kickstarter, the question will soon become: How does one distinguish oneself from the masses?

The Woods will premiere at Sundance on January 21.

More About: crowd-funding, kickstarter, sundance, the-woods

The Social Network was one of the big winners at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, taking home four trophies, including those for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Globes is often viewed as a predictor for the Academy Awards.

The film, which was nominated for six awards, has had a stellar award season, with director David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and lead actor Jesse Eisenberg all being recognized by various organizations, guilds and critics groups. Not bad for a movie most of us wrote-off as a joke back in 2008, eh?

Here is the rundown of nominations/wins that The Social Network received at the Golden Globes:

• Best Supporting Actor: Andrew Garfield — Lost (Christian Bale won for The Fighter)
• Best Score: Trent Reznor — Won
• Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin — Won
• Best Actor, Drama: Jesse Eisenberg — Lost (Colin Firth won for The King’s Speech)
• Best Director: David Fincher — Won
• Best Picture, Drama — Won

For those keeping track, nominations for the Academy Awards will be announced on January 25. We were convinced that The Social Network would be a major contender when we reviewed the film back in September, but after big wins at the Globes, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and receiving honors from the National Board of Review and others, we’ll go on record as saying that nominations are an absolute lock.

Mark Zuckerberg might take issue with how the film portrayed the early years of Facebook, but in truth, the film and its critical and commercial success has only reinforced Facebook’s place in the cultural zeitgeist.

What did you think of the Golden Globe awards? Let us know.

More About: facebook, facebook movie, Film, golden globe awards, golden globes, Movies, the social network, trending