Oscars welcome aliens and avatars

There was a time when epic period dramas, complete with lavish costumes, British accents and men in tights, would be a sure thing for Oscar gold.

But this year, it's the aliens and avatars that are kicking everybody's ass.

"Avatar's" blue people and "District 9's" creatures from outer space have almost completely shut out famous figures like the Queen and poet John Keats brought to life in the movies "The Young Victoria" and "Bright Star."

Both period films certainly had the makings to win the hearts of the Academy – historical context, strong female characters and hot leading men – but instead were relegated to nominations in smaller categories such as costume design and art direction.

"Avatar," on the other hand, is tied for the most nominations at nine, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron, while "District 9" is also up for Best Picture, along with three other awards.

But it wasn't too long ago that it was the other way around.

Canadian award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer says while science fiction films used to dominate technical categories, they have been virtually ignored for anything else.

"Whereas the period pieces (like "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth") were elevated beyond their mere trappings and were getting Oscar nominations showered on them," says Sawyer, whose novel "FlashForward" inspired a television series on ABC and CTV.

"It's an interesting reversal that people are now recognizing that more than just re-creating Victorian England is required to tell a meaningful story."

Sawyer says it has been a long time coming, and that recent films prove sci-fi isn't just about escapism and special effects anymore.

"Some of the most important films being made of any type are in fact science fiction films," he says. He notes that "Avatar," with its environmental message and "District 9," which draws parallels to Apartheid in South Africa, are both social commentary films.

Teddy Wilson, host of "InnerSPACE" on The Space Channel, says not only has "Avatar" set a high watermark for film technology, it's captured the imagination of film-goers around the world the same way that "Star Wars" did in 1977. Cameron's blockbuster has also helped to expose the world of science fiction to a wider audience.

"'Avatar' in that sense is a bit of a gateway film so I think the hope is that people will go see a movie like this that's so visually stunning and then perhaps get interested in other sci-fi and genre content," says Wilson.

It's also an indication the Academy is realizing what the public has known for a long time.

"It really seems that in the last 10 years that ‘geek' has become the new ‘cool.' You look at films like ‘The Dark Knight,' and ‘Lord of the Rings' and now obviously with ‘Avatar' … sci-fi and genre have really gone mainstream and that's really showing at the Oscars this year as well," says Wilson.

And what if a little movie called "The Hurt Locker," which doesn't feature any aliens or avatars, ends up winning it all on Oscars night instead?

"That's fine," says Sawyer. "First you get nominated and then somewhere down the road you start to win, but it is a sea change just to have the nomination."

Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100226/oscars_aliens_avatars_100301/20100301?s_name=oscars2010