Before the Oscars, They Belonged to Us, Part 1
Heather Buckley
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Disclaimer: This article may contain sarcasm, irony and “LOLs”; proceed with caution.
It’s time once again for horror at the Oscars. Sunday’s festivities were filled with folks who have worked in the genre and per usual, I feel if it’s a win for Danny Boyle, it is a win for rage-zombie fans everywhere. Seems like a lot of folks this year are veterans of Exorcist: The Beginning, Amityville: A New Generation and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Of course, the most important genre win would be Greg Cannom, a staple of 80’s horror effects; he worked on such films as Fright Night Part 2, The Lost Boys and The Howling.
Now some movies on this list might be “kinda horror.” These thrillers or genre-friendly frameworks are on the ghoulish cusp and are marked with an asterisk. Some flicks on the list are there because, what the fuck, it is always awesome to mention The Warriors.
On with the show…
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
- Christian Colson for Slumdog Millionaire (Winner):
The Descent and the upcoming The Descent Part 2 - Kathleen Kennedy for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
Twilight Zone: The Movie, Poltergeist, Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Signs*, Arachnophobia*, The Sixth Sense*, “Amazing Stories”* - Frank Marshall for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
The Warriors (not horror but it had to be said: “Can you dig it, suckers?”), Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Arachnophobia*, Poltergeist, The Sixth Sense*, The Talisman (Yes, the book by Mr. King and Mr. Straub is being made into a mini-series; if it is Garris-free it might be good) - Brian Grazer for Frost/Nixon:
Psycho (The remake, a reason his film deserved to lose) - Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon:
“The Twilight Zone”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
- Richard Jenkins for The Visitor:
Wolf (Jack Nicholson as a werewolf? How could we ever screw this one up…) - Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon:
Dracula, Masters of the Universe (I don’t care if this film is not horror, he played Skeletor, doesn’t he deserve an Oscar just for that? Saw it in the theater) - Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
Cutting Class, Se7en*, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, “Tales from the Crypt” - Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler:
Fade to Black (Dear God, I did not know he was in this film…), Angel Heart
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
- Kate Winslet for The Reader (Winner):
Heavenly Creatures (not horror, but damn it, it’s Peter Jackson), The Life of David Gale (listed only because the film screws with my head; it isn’t at all about the guy who was in Re-Animator…) - Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married:
The Princess Diaries (HAHAHA – choke – die) - Angelina Jolie for The Changeling:
Cyborg 2 (Billy Drago, Jack Palance? It must be the best movie ever made) - Melissa Leo for Frozen River:
Deadtime Stories (FTW)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
- Josh Brolin for Milk:
Grindhouse/Planet Terror, Mimic, Nightwatch*, Hollow Man, “The Outer Limits” - Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt:
My Boyfriend’s Back - Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road:
Bug, Cecil B. DeMented (John Waters, just sayin’), Kangaroo Jack (just so I could list it)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
- Amy Adams for Doubt:
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, Psycho Beach Party - Viola Davis for Doubt:
Disturbia* - Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler:
The Toxic Avenger
Best Achievement in Directing:
- Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (Winner):
28 Days Later… (Rage Zombies!), Sunshine (more sci-fi then horror, but there is a bit of it in there. Love the movie very much. Go Netflix it) - David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
Se7en*, Alien 3 - Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon:
“The Twilight Zone” - Gus Van Sant for Milk:
Psycho (Remake. Why would you remake a Hitchcock film?
Why?)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published:
- Eric Roth for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
Wolfen (“Our God is an Indian that turns into a wolf…”)
Best Achievement in Cinematography:
- Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire (Winner):
28 Days Later… (28 Oscars later…) - Tom Stern for The Changeling:
Ratboy, Spaceballs (this list has gone to plaid), The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Claudio Miranda for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
Se7en*, The Crow (oh and he will be lensing Tron 2.0, which will be out in 2011, not horror, but who here would knock Tron? Ok maybe not a lot of you…) - Wally Pfister for The Dark Knight:
Amityville: A New Generation (starting David Naughton, Richard Roundtree, and Terry O’Quinn), The Granny (not rabid this time), Stepmonster, The Unborn - Roger Deakins for The Reader:
The Village*
Best Achievement in Editing:
- Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire (Winner):
Seed of Chucky, Shaun of the Dead (Chris sliced and spliced these creepy classic and now has his very own Oscar. Dream big kids, you too could edit a film about killer dolls and made it to the big stage. I’m looking at you Stuart Gordon) - Angus Wall for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
“Carnivàle”* - Lee Smith for The Dark Knight:
RoboCop 2, Communion (Walken and aliens, very Starlog, but fun to mention), Howling III: The Marsupials (Yes! Yes!), Dead-End Drive In - Daniel P. Hanley for Frost/Nixon:
Pet Sematary (I also want to share that he edited Splash, Cocoon, and Gung Ho; staples of TBS Sunday afternoon programming.) “Richard Nixon doesn’t want to be buried in a Pet Sematary…”
Best Achievement in Art Direction:
- James J. Murakami for The Changeling:
The Relic - Peter Lando for The Dark Knight:
“Nightmare Cafe”, Omen IV: The Awakening - Michael Carlin for The Duchess:
Dust Devil, Hardware (both awesome and excellent Richard Stanley flicks) - Kristi Zea for Revolutionary Road:
Red Dragon*, Silence of the Lambs* - Debra Schutt for Revolutionary Road:
Sleepy Hollow
Best Achievement in Costume Design:
- Danny Glicker for Milk:
The Hills Have Eyes (Remake)
Part 2 will start with Special Effects; stay tuned. Same Dread Time, same Dread Station!
– Heather Buckley
Categorized:News
