Today I want to focus attention on one particular award category, the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.
While many grind their teeth over the winners of the best novel, arguing that people get by on name recognition (*cough* Vernor Vinge *cough*) and buzz instead of actual merit, I crack my knuckles and mutter over not just the winners of the BDP, LF but also the short lists. While many great books have failed to make the best novel shortlist, the list nonetheless tends to have enough ‘right’ choices to allow the award to maintain some kind of credibility (unlike the Nebula). However, the BDP, LF short list systematically fails to pick up upon most of the year’s best genre films. Simply put, this is because while SF fans are willing to put the effort into looking beyond franchises for their reading material, when it comes to their trips to the cinema they are multiplex scum.
As evidence I give you this year’s shortlist :
- Enchanted (Lima/Kelly)
- The Golden Compass (Weitz/Weitz)
- Heroes season 1 (Tim Kring)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Stardust (Vaughn/Goldman and Vaughn)
So that is one television series, three book adaptations and a Disney musical. How quaint.
Admittedly, I think that Stardust is a decent film and, because it is based upon a book by Neil Gaiman, I think it will probably do enough to see off Heroes which has suffered for the fact that series two allowed everyone to suddenly realise that it was terrible.
My problem with the list is not due to the list being made up of bad films, rather it is the fact that it suggests that Hugo voters have little interest in engaging with genre as a cinematic medium. This explains why, by and large, the BDP, LF seldom moves away from franchises and big-budget American films.
However, rather than simply roll my eyes I have decided to do something about it and present an Alternative Hugo shortlist for Best Dramatic Presentation Long Form. As per the rules of the award, it is drawn exclusively from films that were “released” in 2007. Furthermore, rather than indulge my inner snob and list five foreign-language horror films, I have made up the list of films that did actually get a proper release.
Enjoy.
