Just when you thought the MTV Movie Awards were turning a corner on cinematic taste, the winners announced on Sunday night's almost-live telecast proved that good cheekbones and smoldering looks still trump quality. And that Eminem still can't act.

We can only hope that MTV voters will show as much love next year for Robert Pattinson's solid performance as artist Salvador Dali in Little Ashes as they did for his bloodless work in Twilight. Don't bet on it. Squealing girls don't appreciate competition for pinup boys they have no chance in Hollywood of impressing, especially if the interloper is a dude.

But wouldn't it be interesting if next year's Best Kiss prize (won by Pattinson and Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart) went to the cadaverous heartthrob and his Little Ashes co-star Javier Betran? We might see the worst mass suicide since Jonestown, right there in the Gibson Amphitheater.

I hoped that this year's nominated films -- including my No. 1 (Slumdog Millionaire) and No. 3 (The Dark Knight) choices of 2008, not to mention Iron Man that earned an A grade -- would lead to results that might confirm the MTV Movie Awards as a show honoring deserving movies that aren't usually rewarded with Oscars but certainly have style and big audiences.

But aside from another posthumous prize for Heath Ledger, voters stuck with teenybop titles like Twilight, High School Musical 3 and Hannah Montana: the Movie, and popular adults (Jim Carrey, Amy Poehler) because it would be soooooo cool if they were their parents. And kids wonder why grownups don't take them seriously.

I didn't catch all of the show because I was having a great time with HorrorMovieFans.com host Mike Olsson on his online radio show, discussing the Black Devil Doll hornet's nest that I stirred up. We chatted for nearly an hour, and I was impressed (and somewhat relieved) by Mike's rational yet genuinely passionate and informed take on the subject. The Ann Arbor, Mich. resident is only 23 years old but was pulling out references and shaping questions like someone twice his age.

I'd call it a draw but you can decide for yourself after listening to the podcast by clicking this link.

Didn't get to watch Breaking Bad but maybe I can sneak it in
before heading to the office, where I'll be doing a telephone interview
this afternoon with Saturday morning TV legends Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of the TV series Land of the Lost (the movie version with Will Ferrell opens Friday) and my personal favorites of that era, H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

You can bet I'm going to ask them what they were on when they came up with those ideas.