34th SATURN AWARDS Nominations Announced

Its no big secret around here at ScreenAnarchy that we are huge supporter of genre films, whether its sci-fi, fantasy or horror and so by extension, its pretty cool to see the Saturn Awards giving these genre its due. Since it was founded in 1972, the non-profit organization has been devoted to "honoring, recognizing and promoting genre entertainment". Today, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has announced the nominations for the 34th installment. 300 leads out with 10 nods while Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix takes second most nods with 9. What come as no surprise, Guillermo del Toro will receive the well-deserved George Pal Memorial Award in recognition of his imaginative works as a director within the fantasy/horror genre. You'll find the complete list of the nominations below after the break or you can check it at the official site.

The winners will be announced on June 24th.

“300” battles “Harry Potter” and “Sweeney Todd” at the 34th Annual Saturn Awards

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films has announced the nominations for the 34th Annual Saturn Awards. Leading the nominations this year is the groundbreaking film, “300” with 10 nominations. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” follows close behind with 9 nominations and Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is represented with 8 nominations.

A trio of fantastic adventures: “The Golden Compass”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, and “Spider-Man 3” received 4 nominations each, while “The Bourne Ultimatum”, “Eastern Promises”, “Enchanted”, “Grindhouse”, “The Mist”, “No Country For Old Men”, “Stardust”, and “There Will Be Blood” each received 3 nominations.

Warner Bros. leads the nominations this year with a total of 23. Paramount follows closely behind with 22 nominations (combining the releases of Paramount, DreamWorks/Paramount, and Paramount Vantage). Buena Vista received a total of 10 nominations, with Sony Pictures capturing 9 nominations. The Weinstein Co. is represented this year with 8 nominations and New Line Cinema with 6 nominations.

In television, “Lost” dominated with 7 nominations. Showtime’s “Dexter” carved an impressive 5 nominations and “Heroes” soared with 4 nominations.

The organization also announced two special awards to be given this year: Guillermo del Toro will receive the coveted George Pal Memorial Award. Author Tim Lucas has been singled out to receive a Special Achievement Award for his 2007 book: Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark. This critical study of the film work of Director Mario Bava is a life long project and labor of love from author Lucas who spent over 20 years seeing the completion and eventual publication of the book, ably supported by his wife, Donna Lucas.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is a non-profit organization devoted to honoring, recognizing and promoting genre entertainment. The organization was founded in 1972 by film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed. It is currently headed by film enthusiast Robert Holguin. This year’s show will take place on Tuesday, June 24, in Universal City, California.

(A LIST OF NOMINATIONS FOLLOW)

The 34th Annual Saturn Award Nominations

Best Science Fiction Film

Cloverfield (Paramount)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (20th Century Fox)
I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
The Last Mimzy (New Line Cinema)
Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Transformers (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Fantasy Film

Enchanted (Buena Vista)
The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Buena Vista)
Spider-Man 3 (Sony)
Stardust (Paramount)

Best Horror Film

30 Days of Night (Sony)
1408 (The Weinstein Co.)
Ghost Rider (Sony)
Grindhouse (The Weinstein Co.)
The Mist (The Weinstein Co.)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film

3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate)
300 (Warner Bros.)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Live Free or Die Hard (20th Century Fox)
No Country for Old Men (Miramax)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage)
Zodiac (Paramount)

Best Actor

Gerard Butler (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Cusack (“1408”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Will Smith (“I Am Legend”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Actress

Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
Ashley Judd (“Bug”) (Lionsgate)
Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Naomi Watts (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Belen Rueda (“The Orphanage”) (Picturehouse)
Carice van Houten (“Black Book”) (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Supporting Actor

Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”) (Lionsgate)
James Franco (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) (20th Century Fox)
Alan Rickman (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
David Wenham (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress

Lizzy Caplan (“Cloverfield”) (Paramount)
Marcia Gay Harden (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Lena Headey (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Rose McGowan (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor

Alex Etel (“The Water Horse”) (Sony)
Freddie Highmore (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Josh Hutcherson (“Bridge to Terabithia”) (Buena Vista)
Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Dakota Blue Richards (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (“The Last Mimzy”) (New Line Cinema)

Best Direction

Tim Burton (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Frank Darabont (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)
Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Zack Snyder (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Writing

Roger Avary, Neil Gaiman (“Beowulf”) (Paramount)
Brad Bird (“Ratatouille”) (Buena Vista)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Michael Goldenberg (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Gordon, Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Logan (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Music

Tyler Bates (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Jonny Greenwood (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Nicholas Hooper (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Mark Mancina (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Alan Menken (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
John Powell (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)

Best Costume

Colleen Atwood (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Ruth Myers (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Penny Rose (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Sammy Sheldon (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Jany Temime (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Wilkinson (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Make-Up

Howard Berger,
Greg Nicotero,
Jake Garber - (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Nick Dudman,
Amanda Knight - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Davina Lamont - (“30 Days of Night”) (Sony)
Ve Neill,
Martin Samuel - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Peter Owen,
Ivana Primorac - (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Shaun Smith,
Mark Rappaport - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Special Effects

Tim Burke,
John Richardson,
Paul Franklin,
Greg Butler - (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Scott Farrar,
Scott Benza,
Russell Earl,
John Frazier - (“Transformers”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Michael Fink,
Bill Westenhofer,
Ben Morris,
Trevor Wood - (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
John Knoll,
Hal Hickel,
Charles Gibson,
John Frazier - (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”) (Buena Vista)
Scott Stokdyk,
Peter Nofz,
Spencer Cook,
John R. Frazier - (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Chris Watts,
Grant Freckelton,
Derek Wentworth,
Daniel Leduc - (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best International Film

Black Book (Sony Pictures Classics)
Day Watch (Fox Searchlight)
Eastern Promises (Focus Features)
Goya’s Ghosts (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
The Orphanage (Picturehouse)
Sleuth (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Animated Film

Beowulf (Paramount)
Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista)
Ratatouille (Buena Vista)
Shrek the Third (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
The Simpsons Movie (20th Century Fox)
Surf’s Up (Sony)

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

Best Network Television Series

Heroes (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)
Journeyman (NBC)
Supernatural (CW)

Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series

Dexter (Showtime)
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel)
Stargate SG-1 (Sci Fi Channel / MGM)
The Closer (TNT)
Kyle XY (ABC Family)
Saving Grace (TNT)

Best Presentation on Television

Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Sci Fi Channel)
The Company (TNT)
Fallen (ABC Family)
The Family Guy: “Blue Harvest” (Fox)
Masters of Science Fiction (ABC)
Shrek the Halls (ABC)
Tin Man (Sci Fi Channel)

Best International Series

Doctor Who (Sci Fi Channel)
Torchwood (BBC America)
Meadowlands (aka Cape Wrath) (Showtime)
Jekyll (BBC America)
Life On Mars (BBC America)
Robin Hood (BBC America)

Best Actor on Television

Matt Dallas (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Matthew Fox (Lost) (ABC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter) (Showtime)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman) (NBC)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) (Sci Fi Channel)
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)

Best Actress on Television

Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer) (CBS)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) (TNT)
Evangeline Lily (Lost) (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) (TNT)

Best Supporting Actor on Television

Michael Emerson (Lost) (ABC)
Greg Grunberg (Heroes) (NBC)
Josh Holloway (Lost) (ABC)
Erik King (Dexter) (Showtime)
Terry O’Quinn (Lost) (ABC)
Masi Oka (Heroes) (NBC)

Best Supporting Actress on Television

Jaime Alexander (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) (Showtime)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) (ABC)
Jaime Murray (Dexter) (Showtime)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) (NBC)

DVD NOMINATIONS

Best DVD Release

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Starz / Anchor Bay)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix) (Image)
Driftwood (Image)
The Man From Earth (Anchor Bay)
The Nines (Sony)
White Noise 2 (Universal)

Best Special Edition DVD Release

Big (Extended Edition) (Fox)
Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary – Blu Ray) (Sony)
Death Proof (Grindhouse Presentation: Extended & Unrated) (Genius)
Pan’s Labyrinth (Platinum Series) (New Line)
Troy: Director’s Cut (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (Warner)

Best Classic Film DVD Release

Alligator (Lionsgate)
The Dark Crystal (Sony)
Face/Off (Paramount)
Flash Gordon (Universal)
The Monster Squad (Lionsgate)
Witchfinder General (MGM)

Best Collection on DVD

The Godzilla Collection (Classic Media)
The Mario Bava Collection (Vol. 1 & 2) (Anchor Bay)
The Sergio Leone Anthology (MGM)
The Sonny Chiba Collection (BCI / Eclipse)
Stanley Kubrick (Warner Home Video Directors Series) (Warner)
Vincent Price (MGM Scream Legends Collection) (MGM)

Best Television Series on DVD

Eureka (Season 1) (Universal)
Heroes (Season 1) (Universal)
Hustle (Complete Seasons 2 and 3) (BBC Warner)
Lost (The Complete Third Season) (Buena Vista)
MI:5 (Volumes 4 & 5) (BBC Warner)
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (BBC Warner)

Best Retro Television Series on DVD

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (Volume 1: The Early Years) (Paramount)
Count Dracula (BBC Mini-series 1977) (BBC Warner)
Land of the Giants (The Full Series) (Fox)
Mission Impossible (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)
Twin Peaks (The Definitive Gold Box Edition) (Paramount)
The Wild Wild West (The Second and Third Seasons) (Paramount)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS

THE GEORGE PAL MEMORIAL AWARD:
Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is one of the most talented and creative filmmakers working in contemporary film. His films have been widely recognized as genre classics. His recent film, PAN’S LABYRINTH, won several Academy awards in 2007. His upcoming film is HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY opening in July through Universal Pictures.

President of the Academy, Robert Holguin, says of del Toro: “Nobody embodies the full range artistry of classic filmmaker George Pal more than Guillermo del Toro”.

George Pal was the genius filmmaker who produced and/or directed such genre classics as “War of the Worlds” (1960), “When Worlds Collide” (1951), and “The Time Machine” (1960). He was also the creator of the three-dimensional cartoons, Puppetoons, in the 30’s. George Pal was a close friend of Academy founder Dr. Donald A. Reed, and long time supporter of the Saturn Awards until his passing in 1980.

THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Tim Lucas

One of the great achievements of 2007 was the publication of the book, Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark written by author Tim Lucas. This book interweaves biography, history and criticism of the life and work of Filmmaker Mario Bava. This massive project, which took many years of exhaustive research, is 1128 pages (nearly 800,000 words) and fully illustrated with well over 1000 stills and annotated poster art from all over the world. The book itself weighs 12 pounds. The book is a tribute to a filmmaker who was original and influential to many contemporary filmmakers including: Tim Burton, Joe Dante, Guillermo del Toro, and Martin Scorsese (who wrote the introduction). Bava’s films include: “Black Sunday” (1960), “Black Sabbath” (1963), “Planet of the Vampires” (1965), and “Danger: Diabolik” (1968).

Tim Lucas is publisher and editor of Video Watchdog. He has written other works which include Throat Sprockets and The Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula.