X-Men mania is beginning to rear it's ugly fan-girl head. Unlike with Star Wars, I've consciously avoided most of the hype for this one, but with less than a week to go I can't stand it any more, and I've given in. My friends and I, giddy with anticipation, are getting a group together to fight the crowds and see the movie this weekend. Determined to be on top of my game when it comes to trading bits of trivia and know-it-all-ness during our wait in line, I'm doing my research; studying the trailers, reading reviews (but avoiding spoilers, of course), and you can bet I'll be in front of my TV tonight, forsaking Buffy for the behind-the-scenes special on Fox.

What can I say? This is the first movie all year I've been genuinely excited about. I'm amazed that I managed to keep calm about it for this long.