Since the Academy has seen fit to completely disregard the horror genre once again, I have taken it upon myself to come up with my own nominations and winners. Although I respect the Oscar Awards, and I even loved some of the nominations (especially Her), I don’t think it’s fair that so many gems are overlooked simply because they are deemed “horror”. Sure, there have been a few exceptions in the past, most notably Silence of the Lambs, but it seems that as the years progress, the Oscars become more and more weary of the horror genre, and less likely to acknowledge its achievements. In fact, the Academy has become so political that they even managed to snub Robert Redford this year, who is arguably one of the best actors to have ever graced the silver screen. If you don’t put in the time and money to campaign for awards, then it seems that your film won’t be recognized. But how is this fair to indie filmmakers who pour every penny and bit of determination into their art? The short answer? It’s not.
To try to even the score, or at least, to shed some light on a very deserving group of people, I’ve listed my own nominations and winners for the horror genre. Please let me know if you agree with my choices, or if you feel that there are any films that I might have missed. I’m always looking for new material to watch! The nominations will be listed below, with the winners in bold at the end. Without further ado, here are my choices for the KILLER KALYN AWARDS.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nominees:
Robin Coudert – Maniac
Haim Frank Ilfman – Big Bad Wolves
Steven Hufsteter – Kiss of the Damned
John 5 – Lords of Salem
Clint Mansell – Stoker
Winner: Clint Mansell – Stoker
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees:
Chung-hoon Chung – Stoker
Brandon Trost – The Lords of Salem
Maxime Alexandre – Maniac
Glora Bejach – Big Bad Wolves
Abdul Dermawan Habir – V/H/S/2
Winner: Maxime Alexandre – Maniac
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Nominees:
Shaune Harrison – Grabbers
Josh Hakian, Roland Blancaflor, Frank Langley, Jill Warner and Bob Mano – Bad Milo
Aoife Noonan and Ben O’Connor – Stitches
Geoff Anderson, Luiza Cipolotti Gurgel, and Tom Raycove – American Mary
Wayne Toth – The Lords of Salem
Winner: Josh Hakian, Roland Blancaflor, Frank Langley, Jill Warner and Bob Mano – Bad Milo!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominees:
Lior Ashkenazi – Big Bad Wolves
Joe Swanberg – Proxy
Gene Jones – The Sacrament
Ethan Embry – Cheap Thrills
Vinny Curran – Resolution
Winner: Gene Jones – The Sacrament
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominees:
Meg Foster – The Lords of Salem
Tristan Risk – American Mary
Alexa Havins – Proxy
Nicole Kidman – Stoker
Ruth Bradley – Grabbers
Winner: Nicole Kidman – Stoker
BEST ACTOR
Nominees:
Matthew Goode – Stoker
Elijah Wood – Maniac
Pat Healy – Cheap Thrills
Tzahi Grad – Big Bad Wolves
AJ Bowen – The Sacrament
Winner: Matthew Goode – Stoker
BEST ACTRESS
Nominees:
Mia Wasikowska- Stoker
Sheri Moon Zombie – The Lords of Salem
Katharine Isabelle – American Mary
Danielle Harris – Hatchet III
Sharni Vinson – You’re Next
Winner: Katharine Isabelle – American Mary
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
Brandon Cronenberg – Antiviral
Rob Zombie – The Lords of Salem
Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado – Big Bad Wolves
Ti West – The Sacrament
Park Chan-wook – Stoker
Winner: Park Chan-wook – Stoker
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nominees:
Rob Zombie – The Lords of Salem
Wentworth Miller – Stoker
Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado – Big Bad Wolves
Jen & Sylvia Soska – American Mary
Zack Parker – Proxy
Winner: Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado – Big Bad Wolves
BEST PICTURE
Nominees:
Maniac
The Lords of Salem
Big Bad Wolves
Cheap Thrills
American Mary
Stoker
V/H/S/2
Antiviral
The Sacrament
Proxy
Winner: Stoker
