District 9

With Benicio Del Toro ready to debut as Lawrence Talbot in Joe Johnston's The Wolfman tomorrow, it's time to pay tribute to transformations. When Lon Chaney Jr. played The Wolf Man in 1941, the physical transformation was effected through make-up and dissolves. But the idea wasn't just that Lawrence Talbot was changed physically, but that his interior life changed as well. All the make-up and special effects in the world can't hide a character who doesn't grow (or devolve) from the experience.

Science fiction opens up the possibilities considerably, expanding the idea of cross-species commingling. Here are my top ten sci-fi transformations, listed (almost) in alphabetical order.

1. Sam Worthington in Avatar
Jake Sully is a broken man in more ways than one, rendered paraplegic during his military service and broken of spirit as a result. He doesn't take much convincing to accept a mission that may earn him an operation to regain the use of his limbs. Little does he know that it's his increasingly intimate dealings with the Na'vi that will transform him body and soul. He may appear to be nine feet tall and blue, he may wag a new tail, but deep inside, it is his very essence that is changing.

2. William Hurt in Altered States
Eddie Jessup is a brilliant scientist, far more interested in expanding his mind and consciousness than worrying about his physical being. Yet the hours he spends floating in a sensory-deprivation tank -- not to mention the drugs -- begin to have an effect upon his body as well, drilling down far deeper than even the brilliant Jessup could ever have anticipated. The result is one of the more bizarre apparitions to appear on screen.

The award nominations announcements seem to be coming hourly, don't they?

The next round of nominations are from the Writer's Guild, and the Producer's Guild. Guess who's got the noms?

Not surprisingly, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman got a nod from the Writer's Guild for Star Trek as Best Adapted screenplay. I do not get how James Cameron and his Avatar script get a nod for Best Original Screenplay. Seriously, folks? Best? Original?

Anyway...

Lost's writers were nominated for Best Written Drama Series (or more precisely, Carlton Cuse, Adam Horowitz, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Edward Kitsis, Damon Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Zbyszewski were nominated).

True Blood's "I Will Rise Up" episode, written by Nancy Oliver, is up for the Best Episodic Drama - Any Length - One Airing Time award. That's the post-explosion episode, also the one where Hoyt introduces Jessica to his mother.

Not to be left out, the Producer's Guild announced more noms for its 21st award ceremony, including the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures. Producer's like their titles, eh? Avatar's James Cameron and Jon Landau are nominated, as well as District 9's Carolynne Cunningham and Peter Jackson, Star Trek's J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Up's Jonas Rivera.

PGA Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures could be going to Jonas Rivera for Up, or the as yet to get final credit determination producers of 9.

Last year the Producer's Guild announced Joss Whedon was receiving the Vanguard Award, and Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter was getting the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures award.

The WGA awards aren't until February 20th, but the PGA awards are announced on January 24th. Guess producers like to make their decisions quickly.

Awards nomination season is fully underway, including those awards that aren't as well known by the average moviegoer. Two professional associations have announced their nominations in the last week, with awards expected mid-February.

The ACE Eddie Awards with science fiction themes include three of the five films nominated for Best Edited Feature (Dramatic) Avatar (Stephen Rivkin, John Refua & James Cameron), District 9 (Julian Clarke) and Star Trek (Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey). Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television noms include Lost : "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" (Christopher Nelson). Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television includes True Blood: "Hard-Hearted Hannah" (Louise Innes).

The Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards for Fantasy Film include, no surprise, Avatar (Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg), District 9 (Philip Ivey), and Star Trek (Scott Chambliss). The category also includes Where the Wild Things Are and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

ADG categorizes the types of films within their awards, apparently to honor the distinct challenges of each type of film. (period, contemporary, fantasy, among others). The challenges on an art direction level are conceivably different between genres. However, it always bothers me to see science fiction and other genre films separated out, as if they aren't worthy of consideration outside their genre, even when I can intellectually appreciate that keeping a film authentic to a period or creating a brand new reality is different than a contemporary piece, I do have to take exception to lumping science based fiction and pure fantasy fiction. And without spoiling why, I'm sad to see Moon not mentioned for the Eddies.

The ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards will be announced on February 13th and ACE Eddie Awards on February 14th.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)