39th Annual Saturn Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the 39th annual Saturn Awards, celebrating the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror, and presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, were announced last night in Los Angeles. The ceremony was dedicated to the memory of author Richard Matheson, who died just days prior to being set to receive the Visionary Award.

The full list of winners:

Film Awards

Best Science Fiction Film: Marvel’s Avengers Assemble
Best Fantasy Film: Life Of Pi
Best Horror/Thriller Film: The Cabin In The Woods
Best Action/Adventure Film: Skyfall

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (Killer Joe)
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
Best Supporting Actor: Clark Gregg (Marvel’s Avengers Assemble)
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Suraj Sharma (Life Of Pi)

Best Director: Joss Whedon (Marvel’s Avengers Assemble)
Best Writing: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Best Production Design: Dan Hennah (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
Best Editing: Alexander Berner (Cloud Atlas)
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Frankenweenie)
Best Costume: Paco Delgado (Les Miserables)
Best Make-Up: Heike Merker, Daniel Parker, Jeremy Woodhead (Cloud Atlas)
Best Special Effects: Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick (Marvel’s The Avengers)
Best Independent Film Release: Killer Joe
Best International Film: Headhunters
Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie

Television Awards

Best Network Television Series: Revolution
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: The Walking Dead
Best Presentation on Television: Breaking Bad
Best Youth-Oriented Series on Television: Teen Wolf

Best Actor on Television: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kevin Bacon (The Following) – tie
Best Actress on Television: Anna Torv (Fringe)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead)
Best Guest Star on Television: Yvonne Strahovski (Dexter)

Home Entertainment Awards

Best DVD/BD Release: Touchback
Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release: Little Shop Of Horrors: The Director’s Cut
Best DVD/BD Collection Release: Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection
Best DVD/BD Television Series Release: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1 & 2

Special achievement awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films

The Lifetime Achievement Award: William Friedkin
The Dan Curtis Legacy Award: Vince Gilligan
The Visionary Award: Richard Matheson
The Life Career Award: Jonathan Frakes
Theater Showcase Award: Silence! The Musical

And The Oscar Goes To . . . The Winners

Here's the list of winners from last night's Oscars.

Best Animated Short, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score are the awards I usually keep an eye out for. And can't really complain about the choices for the animated awards, I loved 'Paperman' and really enjoyed 'Brave' although it was up against some good animated films too ('Wreck-It-Ralph', 'ParaNorman' amongst others). I would've probably gone with Thomas Newman's 'Skyfall' score though.
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Supporting Actor
CHRISTOPH WALTZ (Django Unchained)

Animated Short Film:
PAPERMAN

Animated Feature Film:
BRAVE

Cinematography:
CLAUDIO MIRANDA (LIFE OF PI)

Visual Effects:
LIFE OF PI

Costume Design:
ANNA KARENINA

Makeup and Hairstyle:
LES MISERABLES

Live Action Short Film:
CURFEW

Documentary Short Subject:
INNOCENTE

Documentary Feature:
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Foreign Language Film:
AMOUR

Sound Mixing:
LES MISERABLES

Sound Editing:
SKYFALL and ZERO DARK THIRTY (tie)

Supporting Actress:
ANNE HATHAWAY (Les Miserables)

Film Editing:
WILLIAM GOLDENBERG (ARGO)

Production Design:
LINCOLN

Original Score:
LIFE OF PI

Original Song:
SKYFALL

Adapted Screenplay:
CHRIS TERRIO (ARGO)

Original Screenplay:
QUENTIN TARANTINO (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Director:
ANG LEE (LIFE OF PI)

Best Actress:
JENNIFER LAWRENCE (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Best Actor:
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS (LINCOLN)

Best Picture:
ARGO

The 48th Annual Nebula Awards Finalists Announced

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the finalists for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with contenders for the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

Each year, the organization’s members vote on which stories they consider to be the best in the genre. The 48th annual award ceremony will take place May 16th – 19th at the San Jose Hilton. Active members of the SFWA have between March 1st – 30th to vote.
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Novel
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW; Gollancz ’13)
Ironskin, Tina Connolly (Tor)
The Killing Moon, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Drowning Girl, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)
Glamour in Glass, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

Novella
On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon)
“The Stars Do Not Lie,” Jay Lake (Asimov’s 10-11/12)
“All the Flavors,” Ken Liu (GigaNotoSaurus 2/1/12)
“Katabasis,” Robert Reed (F&SF 11-12/12)
“Barry’s Tale,” Lawrence M. Schoen (Buffalito Buffet)

Novelette
“The Pyre of New Day,” Catherine Asaro (The Mammoth Books of SF Wars)
“Close Encounters,” Andy Duncan (The Pottawatomie Giant & Other Stories)
“The Waves,” Ken Liu (Asimov’s 12/12)
“The Finite Canvas,” Brit Mandelo (Tor.com 12/5/12)
“Swift, Brutal Retaliation,” Meghan McCarron (Tor.com 1/4/12)
“Portrait of Lisane da Patagnia,” Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 8/22/12)
“Fade to White,” Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld 8/12)

Short Story
“Robot,” Helena Bell (Clarkesworld 9/12)
“Immersion,” Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)
“Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes,” Tom Crosshill (Clarkesworld 4/12)
“Nanny’s Day,” Leah Cypess (Asimov’s 3/12)
“Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream,” Maria Dahvana Headley (Lightspeed 7/12)
“The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species,” Ken Liu (Lightspeed 8/12)
“Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain,” Cat Rambo (Near + Far)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
The Avengers, Joss Whedon (director) and Joss Whedon and Zak Penn (writers), (Marvel/Disney)
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin (director),  Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Abilar (writers), (Journeyman/Cinereach/Court 13/Fox Searchlight )
The Cabin in the Woods, Drew Goddard (director), Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard (writers) (Mutant Enemy/Lionsgate)
The Hunger Games, Gary Ross (director), Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray  writers), (Lionsgate)
John Carter, Andrew Stanton (director), Michael Chabon, Mark Andrews, and Andrew Stanton (writers), (Disney)
Looper, Rian Johnson (director), Rian Johnson (writer), (FilmDistrict/TriStar)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Iron Hearted Violet, Kelly Barnhill (Little, Brown)
Black Heart, Holly Black (S&S/McElderry; Gollancz)
Above, Leah Bobet (Levine)
The Diviners, Libba Bray (Little, Brown; Atom)
Vessel, Sarah Beth Durst (S&S/McElderry)
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman (Random House; Doubleday UK)
Enchanted, Alethea Kontis (Harcourt)
Every Day, David Levithan (Alice A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Summer of the Mariposas, Guadalupe Garcia McCall (Tu Books)
Railsea, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan)
Fair Coin, E.C. Myers (Pyr)
Above World, Jenn Reese (Candlewick)

The 39th Annual Saturn Awards Nominations Announced

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today revealed the nominations for the 39th Annual Saturn Awards.

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' and 'Dexter' received the most nominations in the Film and Television categories respectively.

The Saturn Awards are dedicated to honouring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, and will be presented in June, with the exact date and location to be announced shortly.

Check out the full list of nominations below.
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FILM NOMINATIONS

Best Science Fiction Film
Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios
Chronicle 20th Century Fox
Cloud Atlas Warner Bros.
The Hunger Games Summit / Lionsgate
Looper Sony Pictures
Prometheus 20th Century Fox

Best Fantasy Film
The Amazing Spider-Man Sony Pictures
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Ruby Sparks Fox Searchlight
Snow White and the Huntsman Universal
Ted Universal

Best Horror / Thriller Film
Argo Warner Bros.
The Cabin in the Woods Lionsgate
The Impossible Summit / Lionsgate
Seven Psychopaths CBS Films
The Woman in Black CBS Films
Zero Dark Thirty Sony Pictures

Best Action / Adventure Film
The Bourne Legacy Universal
The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.
Django Unchained The Weinstein Co.
Les Miserables Universal
Skyfall Sony Pictures
Taken 2 20th Century Fox

Best Independent Film Release
Compliance Magnolia
Hitchcock Fox Searchlight
Killer Joe LD Entertainment
The Paperboy Millennium
Robot and Frank Samuel Goldwyn Films
Safety Not Guaranteed FilmDistrict
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Focus Features

Best International Film
Anna Karenina Focus Features
Chicken With Plums Sony Pictures Classics
The Fairy Kino Lorber
Headhunters Magnolia
My Way Well Go USA
Pusher Radius

Best Animated Film
Brave Pixar / Walt Disney Studios
Frankenweenie Walt Disney Studios
ParaNorman Focus Features
Wreck-It Ralph Walt Disney Studios

Best Actor
Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.
Daniel Craig, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Martin Freeman, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables Universal
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Looper Sony Pictures
Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe LD Entertainment

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty 20th Century Fox
Ann Dowd, Compliance Magnolia
Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks Fox Searchlight
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games Summit / Lionsgate
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock Fox Searchlight
Naomi Watts, The Impossible Summit / Lionsgate

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Michael Fassbender, Prometheus 20th Century Fox
Clark Gregg, Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.
Ian McKellen, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained The Weinstein Co.

Best Supporting Actress
Judi Dench, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Gina Gershon, Killer Joe LD Entertainment
Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables Universal
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy Millennium
Charlize Theron, Snow White and the Huntsman Universal

Best Performance By a Younger Actor
CJ Adams, The Odd Life of Timothy Green Walt Disney Studios
Tom Holland, The Impossible Summit / Lionsgate
Daniel Huttlestone, Les Miserables Universal
Chloe Grace Moretz, Dark Shadows Warner Bros.
Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild Fox Searchlight

Best Direction
William Friedkin, Killer Joe LD Entertainment
Peter Jackson, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Rian Johnson, Looper Sony Pictures
Ang Lee, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.
Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios

Best Writing
Tracy Letts, Killer Joe LD Entertainment
David Magee, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths CBS Films
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained The Weinstein Co.
Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios
Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods Lionsgate

Best Production Design
Hugh Bateup, Uli Hanisch, Cloud Atlas Warner Bros.
Sarah Greenwood, Anna Karenina Focus Features
David Gropman, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Rick Heinrichs, Dark Shadows Warner Bros.
Dan Hennah, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Eve Stewart, Les Miserables Universal

Best Editing
Stuart Baird, Kate Baird, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Alexander Berner, Cloud Atlas Warner Bros.
Bob Ducsay, Looper Sony Pictures
Jeffrey Ford, Lisa Lassek, Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios
John Gilroy, The Bourne Legacy Universal
Tim Squyres, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox

Best Music
Mychael Danna, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Danny Elfman, Frankenweenie Walt Disney Studios
Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina Focus Features
Thomas Newman, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Howard Shore, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros.

Best Costume
Jacqueline Durran, Anna Karenina Focus Features
Kym Barrett, Pierre-Yves Gavraud, Cloud Atlas Warner Bros.
Sharen Davis, Django Unchained The Weinstein Co.
Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Paco Delgado, Les Miserables Universal
Colleen Atwood, Snow White and the Huntsman Universal

Best Make-Up
Heike Merker, Daniel Parker, Jeremy Woodhead, Cloud Atlas Warner Bros.
Gregory Nicotero, Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, Julie Hewitt, Hitchcock Fox Searchlight
Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater, Tami Lane, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
David Marti, Montse Ribe, Vasit Suchitta, The Impossible Summit / Lionsgate
Naomi Donne, Donald Mowat, Love Larson, Skyfall Sony Pictures
Jean Ann Black, Fay Von Schroeder, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 Lionsgate

Best Special Effects
Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick, Marvel’s The Avengers Marvel / Walt Disney Studios
Grady Cofer, Pablo Helman, Jeanie King, Burt Dalton, Battleship Universal
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Warner Bros.
Chris Corbould, Peter Chiang, Scott R. Fisher, Sue Rowe, John Carter Walt Disney Studios
Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan de Boer, Donald R. Elliott, Life of Pi 20th Century Fox
Cedric Nicholas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Courbould, Michael Dawson, Snow White and the Huntsman Universal 

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

Best Network Television Series
Elementary CBS
The Following Fox
Fringe Fox
Once Upon a Time ABC
Revolution NBC Supernatural CW

Best Syndicated Cable Television Series
American Horror Story: Asylum FX
Dexter Showtime
Leverage TNT
The Killing AMC
True Blood HBO
The Walking Dead AMC

Best Television Presentation
Breaking Bad AMC
Continuum Syfy
Falling Skies TNT
Game of Thrones HBO
Ken Follett’s World Without End Reelz
Mockingbird Lane NBC
Spartacus: War of the Damned Starz

Best Youth Oriented Series on Television
Arrow CW
Beauty and the Beast CW
Doctor Who BBC America
Merlin Syfy
Teen Wolf MTV
The Vampire Diaries CW

Best Actor
Kevin Bacon, The Following Fox
Billy Burke, Revolution NBC
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad AMC
Michael C. Hall, Dexter Showtime
Joshua Jackson, Fringe Fox
Timothy Hutton, Leverage TNT
Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead AMC

Best Actress
Moon Bloodgood, Falling Skies TNT
Mireille Enos, The Killing AMC
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum FX
Charlotte Riley, Ken Follett’s World Without End Reelz
Tracy Spiridakos, Revolution NBC
Anna Torv, Fringe Fox

Best Supporting Actor
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad AMC
Giancarlo Esposito, Revolution NBC
Todd Lasance, Spartacus: War of the Damned Starz
Colm Meaney, Hell on Wheels AMC
David Morrissey, The Walking Dead AMC
John Noble, Fringe Fox

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Carpenter, Dexter Showtime
Sarah Carter, Falling Skies TNT
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad AMC
Laurie Holden, The Walking Dead AMC
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum FX
Beth Riesgraf, Leverage TNT

Best Guest Starring Role in a Series
Blair Brown, Fringe Fox
Terry O’Quinn, Falling Skies TNT
Lance Reddick, Fringe Fox
Mark Sheppard, Leverage TNT
Ray Stevenson, Dexter Showtime
Yvonne Strahovski, Dexter Showtime

HOME-ENTERTAINMENT NOMINATIONS

Best DVD/Blu-ray Release
Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike Atlas Distribution/Fox
Chained Anchor Bay
Cosmopolis Entertainment One
The Possession Lionsgate
A Thousand Cuts Lorber Films
Touchback Anchor Bay/Starz

Best DVD/Blu-ray Special Edition Release 
Jaws (Universal 100th Anniversary Edition) Universal
Lawrence of Arabia (50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition) Sony Les Vampires Classics Edition Kino International
Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut Warner
Stanley Kubrick’s Fear and Desire Kino International

Best DVD/Blu-ray Collection
Alfred Hitchcock (The Masterpiece Collection) Universal
Battle Royale (The Complete Collection) Anchor Bay
Bond 50 (The Complete 22 Film Collection) MGM
Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series MPI
The Ultimate Buster Keaton Blu-ray Collection Kino Lorber
Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Universal

Best DVD/Blu-ray TV Series
In Search Of: The Complete Series Visual Entertainment
Logan’s Run: The Complete Series Warner
The River: The Complete First Season ABC Studios
Shazam! The Complete Live-Action Series Warner Archive
Spartacus: Vengeance (The Complete Second Season) Starz/Anchor Bay
Star Trek: The Next Generation (Seasons 1 & 2) Paramount

16th Annual DICE Award Winners Announced

The D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Award winners were recently announced by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) in Las Vegas.

'Journey' was the big winner scooping the Game of The Year prize, along with another 7 awards.

The full list of winners for the 16th Annual DICE Awards are:
Action Game of the Year:
"Borderlands 2" (Publisher: 2K Games, Developer: Gearbox Software)

Mobile Game of the Year:
"Hero Academy" (Publisher/Developer: Robot Entertainment)

Handheld Game of the Year: "Paper Mario Sticker Star" (Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc., Developer: Intelligent Systems)

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: "Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: "Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Outstanding Achievement in Story:
"The Walking Dead" (Publisher/Developer: Telltale Games)

Outstanding Character Performance:
"The Walking Dead's" Lee Everett (Publisher/Developer: Telltale Games)

Downloadable Game of the Year:
"The Walking Dead" (Publisher/Developer: Telltale Games)

Casual Game of the Year: 
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Web Based Game of the Year: 
"SimCity Social" (Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: Maxis, Playfish)

Family Game of the Year: 
"Skylanders Giants" (Publisher: Activision, Developer: Toys for Bob)

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year: 
"Mass Effect 3" (Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: Bioware)

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: 
"XCOM: Enemy Unknown" (Publisher: 2K Games, Developer: Firaxis Games)

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming: 
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Sports Game of the Year: 
"FIFA Soccer 13" (Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: EA Canada)

Racing Game of the Year: 
"Need for Speed: Most Wanted" (Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: Criterion Games)

Fighting Game of the Year: 
"PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: SuperBot Entertainment, Inc.)

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay: 
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity: 
"Halo 4" (Publisher: Microsoft Studios, Developer: 343 Industries)

Outstanding Achievement in Animation: 
"Assassin's Creed III" (Publisher/Developer: Ubisoft)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: 
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:
"Halo 4" (Publisher: Microsoft Studios, Developer: 343 Industries)

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering:
"XCOM: Enemy Unknown" (Publisher: 2K Games, Developer: Firaxis Games)

Adventure Game of the Year:
"The Walking Dead" (Publisher/Developer: Telltale Games)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction:
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany)

Game of the Year: 
"Journey" (Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Developer: thatgamecompany) 

Cool Art: 'The Oscars Best Picture Movie Poster Series' by Gallery 1988

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and Gallery1988 commissioned a small group of artists, which I've featured a lot on this blog and are some of my favourites, to create original screen prints inspired by this year’s nine Best Picture Oscar nominees.

Take a look below at these stunning prints.
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'Beasts Of The Southern Wild' by Rich Kelly

2012 VES Award Winners Announced

Presented by the Visual Effects Society, the winners of the 11th Annual VES Awards were announced yesterday in Los Angeles. The big winners on the night were 'Brave', 'Life of Pi' and 'Game of Thrones' with four awards each.

The award recognizes outstanding visual effects work across a broad spectrum of the entertainment industry including film, animation, television, commercials and video games.

In addition to the awards below, director Ang Lee was honoured with the VES Visionary Award (presented by Dennis Muren) and ILM veteran Richard Edlund with the Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Harrison Ford).

See the complete list of VES Award winners below.
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Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Life of Pi
Donald R. Elliott, Susan Macleod, Guillaume Rocheron, Bill Westenhofer

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
The Impossible
Felix Bergés,Sandra Hermida,Pau Costa Moeller

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Brave
Mark Andrews, Steve May, Katherine Sarafian, Bill Wise

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: Volar Morghulis
Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Sven Martin, Juri Stanossek

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
Boardwalk Empire: Episode 308
John Bair, Parker Chehak, Paul Graff, Lesley Robson-Foster

Outstanding Real-Time Visuals in a Video Game
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Jason Blundell, Barry Whitney, Colin Whitney

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Nike: Biomorph
Rafael Colon, Aladino Debert, David Liu, Nicola Wiseman

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
Heather Drummons, Joel Friesch, Brooke Breton, Chris Bailey

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Life of Pi: Richard Parker
Erik De Boer, Sean Comer, Betsy Asher Hall, Kai-Hua Lan

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Brave: Merida
Travis Hathaway, Olivier Soares, Peter Sumanaseni, Brian Tindall

Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: Training the Dragons
Irfan Celik, Florian Friedmann, Ingo Schachner, Chris Stenner

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
The Avengers: Midtown Manhattan
Richard Bluff, Barry Williams, David Meny, Andy Proctor

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Brave: The Forest
Tim Best, Steve Pilcher, Inigo Quilez, Andrew Whittock

Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones: Pyke
Rene Borst, Thilo Ewers, Adam Figielski, Jonas Stuckenbrock

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Matt Aitken, Victor Huang, Christian Rivers, R. Christopher White

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
ZombiU
Dominique Boidin, Léon Bérelle, Rémi Kozyra, Maxime Luère

Outstanding Models in a Feature Motion Picture
The Avengers: Helicarrier
Rene Garcia, Bruce Holcomb, Polly Ing, Aaron Wilson

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture
Life of Pi: Storm of God
Harry Mukhopadhyay, David Stopford, Mark Williams, Derek Wolfe

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture
Brave
Chris Chapman, Dave Hale, Michael K. O’Brien, Bill Watral

Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program
Guinness: Cloud
Tom Bussell, Neil Davies

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture
Life of Pi: Storm of God
Ryan Clarke, Jose Fernandez, Sean Oharas, Hamish Schumacher

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program
Game of Thrones, Episode 210: White Walker Army
Falk Boje, Esther Engel, Alexey Kuchinsky, Klaus Wuchta

Outstanding Compositing in a Commercial
Chevy 2012 Silverado
Dominik Bauch, Nicholas Kim, Benjamin Walsh

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
Natalis
Daniel Brkovic, David Kirchner, Jan-Marcel Kuehn, Tom Ferstl

2012 Internet Movie Poster Awards

IMPAwards have published their awards for the best movie posters from 2012.

Split into various genres and categories, they list the winners and nominees from each - along with a quick explanation of why they went with the winner, culminating in what they think is the best movie poster of 2012.

Good to see some love for some decent movie posters and originality too, considering that most posters from Hollywood these days are awful generic clichéd rubbish.

Go here to see the full list of winners.

Geeky Nerfherder 1st Anniversary & My 2012 Favourites

And so it's that time of year, where everybody lists all their favourites of the past year, and I'm no different. I've rediscovered my inner geek and really gotten back into the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres this year, and I'd say it's been a good year for SF&F output too and I'll be listing my favourite things from 2012 below.

It's also one year since I started this blog! Yes, The Geeky Nerfherder is 1 year old! Thanks to everyone that visits here and I hope that you enjoy my posts of pop culture geekery. Hit the jump to see a few of my favourite things from 2012.

Movie Poster Art: Skyfall (2012)

With the latest James Bond movie, 'Skyfall' out in UK cinemas today (November 9 in the US), here are the posters and some of the fan art inspired by the film.

Hit the jump to see more, click to embiggen.

My Ibiza 2012 Videos

Not necessarily geeky or nerfherdery, but under my Residentclubber.co.uk guise, here's a couple of videos I've put together from this year's holiday to Ibiza.

Featuring a few clips, mostly from Itaca Bar, the awesome sunset (you really have to be there to experience the chilled out vibe!) and a live vocal from vocalist Katherine Amy over Toca's Miracle. Had too much fun to take more video but for photos from our August holiday to Ibiza, click here.

Check out the videos below.

Movie Poster Art: Looper (2012)

Now out in cinemas, here's a look at the movie posters and fan art of Rian Johnson's 'Looper'.

More posters and fan art after the jump.

Movie Poster Art: Dredd (2012)

Out in UK cinemas from September 7 and now out in the US, here's a look at the movie posters and fan art of Pete Travis' 'Dredd'.

More posters and fan art after the jump.

Movie Review: Marvel's The Avengers (2012) [Bluray]

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

I think I must have been one of the few people to NOT catch this at the cinema when it was released earlier in the year, but all good things come to those who wait, so they say, and I've now got a nice shiny bluray to watch.

I must admit that I'm not that much of a fan of Marvel superhero comics and the movie spinoffs, and The Avengers does have that comic book feel to it. Quite different in tone to that other big superhero film, The Dark Knight Rises, but I thought it was much better than I expected and really enjoyed it.

It looks like Marvel releasing the Iron Man, Captain America and Thor movies previously worked, as it removed the need to introduce each of the heroes and just get straight to the action. And lots of action there is too, right from the off! It doesn't really slow down much throughout, especially when 'the other guy' goes green!

I was also really loving the soundtrack from Alan Silvestri, very rousing and fit the film perfectly for me. Thought it was up there with his Back To Future scores.

All in all, this is very much a fun-filled action packed superhero film that definitely pays tribute to previous superhero films and to comic books. As with Marvel films these days, don't forget to watch until the end of the closing credits.

Bluray Extras:

The picture quality and sound are superb, as I would expect from bluray, so no complaints there at all. As I was watching the UK bluray disc, we get deleted scenes, a gag reel, A Visual Journey featurette and the enjoyable Marvel Short film 'Item 47'. Barebones compared to the in depth US release.

If you enjoyed this at the cinemas, then go get it, as it looks and sounds superb on a big TV. If you want a fun filled action film, go get this as well.

**** out of 5

2012 Hugo Award Winners Announced

The Hugo Awards are a set of awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. This year's awards were announced on Sunday evening, September 2 at Chicon 7 in Chicago.

BEST NOVEL
Among Others by Jo Walton (Tor)

BEST NOVELLA
“The Man Who Bridged the Mist” by Kij Johnson (Asimov’s, September/October 2011)

BEST NOVELETTE
“Six Months, Three Days” by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor.com)

BEST SHORT STORY
“The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March/April 2011)

BEST RELATED WORK
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, Third Edition edited by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls, and Graham Sleight (Gollancz)

BEST GRAPHIC STORY
Digger by Ursula Vernon (Sofawolf Press)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM
Game of Thrones (Season 1) (HBO)

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM
“The Doctor’s Wife” (Doctor Who) (BBC Wales)

BEST EDITOR, SHORT FORM
Sheila Williams

BEST EDITOR, LONG FORM
Lou Anders

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST
Betsy Wollheim

BEST SEMIPROZINE
Locus, edited by Liza Groen Trombi, Kirsten Gong-Wong, et al.

BEST FANZINE
SF Signal, edited by John DeNardo

BEST FAN WRITER
Jim C. Hines

BEST FAN ARTIST
Maurine Starkey

BEST FANCAST
SF Squeecast, Lynne M. Thomas, Seanan McGuire, Paul Cornell, Elizabeth Bear, and Catherynne M. Valente

JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award).
E. Lily Yu

Movie Review: Total Recall (2012)

Right off the bat, before you even think about watching this, forget about the Schwarzenegger 1990 version of Total Recall, as this 2012 version starring Colin Farrell, aside from the same familiar characters, is more or less the same film in name only.

Yes there are a few nods to the earlier film, the three-breasted woman appears, and there are a few choice lines and situations, but by and large it may as well have been called something else. And probably should've done to stave off unfair comparisons to the original version.

I did read the the original source material before watching this, as I did before watching the film John Carter, but as 'We Can Remember It For You Wholesale', which the film is based on is a short story, as with the 1990 film, a lot of it has been padded out. No mention of aliens though, as is in the book!

As a film though, I really enjoyed it. Director Len Wiseman has cooked up a decent, if maybe slightly generic science fiction film, that for me at least, in parts reminded me a bit of Bladerunner/Minority Report (fitting really, as those were adaptations of Philip K  Dick books as well) as well as the videogame Fallout 3.

The major players did their roles well, and there was enough story and action to keep me entertained throughout.

If you like science fiction films then I would recommend this. But, as with Prometheus earlier in the year, just go in with the expectation of a stand alone film and not a complete remake/reboot of a familiar film/franchise.

***1/2 out of 5

Movie Poster Art: Django Unchained (2012)

Continuing my look at movie poster art and fan art with Quentin Tarantino's soon to be released western, 'Django Unchained'.

More posters and fan art after the jump. Click to embiggen.

Movie Poster Art: Brave (2012)

Continuing my look at movie posters and fan art and through the films of Pixar Animation Studios, with their latest, 'Brave'.

More posters and fan art after the jump. click to embiggen.

Total Recall: 1990 vs 2012

Here's virtually a shot-for-shot remake of Total Recall by Youtuber CinestirTV, using footage from the 1990 Schwarzenegger version, side by side with the 2012 Colin Farrell version.

Although both are based on the original short story by Philip K Dick, they are very similar indeed, although as in the short story, the main difference is that the 2012 flavour isn't set on Mars!

Check it out!


Via

Movie Poster Art: John Carter (2012)

Continuing my look at official movie posters and fan art, with a look at one of my favourite films of 2012, Andrew Stanton's John Carter.