The ScreenGeek awards 2011
Forget the Oscars, here's what we made of the last 12 months in film.
In what are surely some of the most prestigious awards of the early part of 2012 (ahem), The ScreenGeek Awards have been announced. The elder council have convened, consulted with the Gods and have set forth what they truly believe to be the most deserving candidates.
From the usual stuff (Best Film etc) to some more fun categories (Best Kill), this is what we honestly believe represents our highlights of 2011, enjoy!
Best Film
Kill List
A hotly contested category, with Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive putting up a tough resistance. Ben Wheatley’s bleak shocker gets our nod. Following the immense reception it enjoyed at FrightFest, this homegrown little film became something wonderful, as it took viewers on an insane ride through three genres. A plethora of incredible performances back up a feeling of genuine unease throughout, earning this very favourable comparisons with horror landmarks such as The Wicker Man and Rosemary’s Baby. See our review here, as well as our interviews with the director and stars.
Best Actor
Michael Shannon
For so long one of cinemas best kept secrets, Take Shelter lead man Michael Shannon delivers a powerhouse performance of emotional intensity in Jeff Nichols’ apocalyptic drama. Playing his character, Curtis, as a likable everyman working hard to protect his family, Shannon takes the role of a man suffering from mental illness, (whether real or perceived) and taps straight into the popular consciousness of the credit crunch western world. You can see our Take Shelter review here.
In the runner-up position, Rutger Hauer reminded us of the heavyweight acting ability behind his cult status with his turn in Hobo with a Shotgun. Played straight down the middle, His gritty acting, tinged with regret and melancholy is the driving force behind the grindhouse tribute. Here’s the review.
Best Actress
Rooney Mara
Despite a few media boo-boos in recent weeks (Yes, we all know the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street sucked, but you were init Rooney, so behave!) this really was an easy choice. Mara’s depiction of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is perfect, taking on not only the challenge of playing with a different accent, but that of a total physical transformation. Her dedication to her craft is apparent, and this is sure to be a breakthrough role as the sequels beckon. Brimming with presence despite sharing a screen with Daniel Craig and Stellen Skarsgard among others, Mara never once seemed out of her depth in this film, giving it her all in the face of what would always be tough comparisons to Noomi Rapace’s version of Lisbeth in the Swedish version.
You can see our review of TGWADT here, and catch a video interview with Rooney here.
Best Newcomer
Lucas Pittaway
The young star of Snowtown was unbelievably a non-professional, having been spotted in a shopping mall by director Justin Kurzel and invited to audition for the role or Jamie, a conflicted teen drawn into the murderous world of serial killer John Bunting. It is an incredible piece of acting for an inexperienced performer, and big things are sure to beckon for the young man from Australia.
Read our Snowtown review here.
Best Effects
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Another no brainer here, the performance capture work from Andy Serkis has been earning more calls for this kind of work to be recognised by the academy, and the CGI apes wrapped around it are a sight to behold. Doing away with the dead eyed computer characters of old, these apes are living, breathing creatures who never once look green-screened on. Seamlessly integrating into the live-action backdrops, the climactic battle at the Golden Gate Bridge is like a highlight reel for WETA’s phenomenal work.
See our review here.
Best Set Piece
Final Destination 5 – The Bridge Collapse
Everything you could want from a large scale action sequence was included in the traditional opening bloodbath for this pleasantly surprising sequel. Tension, gore, action and some HUGE payoffs abound in this gruesome start to the film. Wires snap and vehicles go flying as the cast of pretty teens get turned to mush by all manner of inventive fates. Featuring an impalement, a face-cooking, a few dismemberments and a lot of crushings, this is gleefully violent, and will have sick minded viewers like us laughing all the way through.
See our review here.
Best Kill
The Hammer (Kill List)
SPOILER ALERT!!
Everything in Kill List’s first half has been building up to a moment, when Neil Maskell’s Jay would finally snap, his psychopathic tendancies coming to the surface. This moment comes when, confronted with a seemingly innocent librarian, who just happens to have a lockup full of videos depicting acts so unspeakable Jay can’t even watch, has goaded the hitman into going beyond the call of duty. Reminiscent of the infamous fire extinguisher scene from Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible, he suddenly cracks the older man across the skull with a claw hammer. The camera doesn’t flinch, and we aren’t even given a cut for respite as he piles in, driving the tool into his victims head with repeated force, our ability to watch long outlasted by the violence on screen. Other kills have been funnier, or more spectacular, but none will stay with you longer than this gruesome effort.
An honourable mention must go to Final Destination once more though, for the most spectacular 3-D impalement ever seen.
Best Soundtrack
Drive
The soundtrack to Drive is what gives the film its soul – oozing cool, the various tracks include 80’s style synth, some modern electro beats and a few strangely operatic touches. Almost universally recognised on release as one of the coolest soundtracks in modern cinema, it is set to endure, and we are sure the parodies cannot be far away.
Read our Drive review here.
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