Richard Matheson, |
Three Legends Who Shaped – and Reshaped – Genre Entertainment to Receive Special Achievement Awards
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LOS ANGELES – Their creations have become towering achievements in genre entertainment, and on June 26, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films will recognize the continually influential work of Richard Matheson, William Friedkin and Vince Gilligan at the 39th Annual Saturn Awards. Matheson, Friedkin and Gilligan are confirmed to attend the Saturn Awards Ceremony and receive special achievement honors. “The recipients of this year’s special Saturn Awards have influenced generations of fans – not to mention other creative minds, and their accomplishments truly rank among the great contributions to science fiction, fantasy and horror,” said Academy President Robert Holguin. “They have provoked our thoughts, invaded our dreams and set our minds soaring to new heights, and the Academy is genuinely thrilled to pay tribute to them and their works.” From the moment he published his first short story, “Born of Man and Woman,” at age 24, RICHARD MATHESON has been a singular voice in fiction, whose prolific written work is as unforgettable as the television and filmed entertainment it has inspired for more than half a century. In addition to more than 25 novels and nearly 100 short stories, Matheson wrote 14 timeless episodes of The Twilight Zone – including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” “Little Girl Lost,” “The Invaders” and “Night Call.” As a screenwriter, he has adapted his own work and also seen his writing serve as the basis for other screenwriters – resulting in such indelible entertainment as Steven Spielberg’s Duel, The Incredible Shrinking Man, I Am Legend and The Omega Man, Stir of Echoes, Real Steel, What Dreams May Come, The Legend of Hell House and Somewhere In Time. At the 39th Annual Saturn Awards, Matheson will receive the Academy’s VISIONARY AWARD. This year’s LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD will be presented to WILLIAM FRIEDKIN, whose cinematic accomplishments as a director, producer and screenwriter have included such classic films as The Exorcist, The French Connection, Sorcerer and last year’s widely acclaimed Killer Joe. Few filmmakers have challenged audiences with a blend of reality and fantasy as regularly and boldly as Friedkin, whose career began with a feature film starring Sonny and Cher – and went on to include multiple Academy Awards and nominations, cementing his place as one of the industry’s most remarkable voices, bringing a new reality to genre filmmaking. Television producer and creator VINCE GILLIGAN is the recipient of the DAN CURTIS LEGACY AWARD, a new award named for the legendary producer of such remarkable TV entertainment as the original Night Stalker films, the epic miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance and Dark Shadows. Likewise, Gilligan’s work has changed the face of television as writer and executive producer of The X Files and the creator, writer, producer and director of the wildly successful AMC series Breaking Bad, winner of three past Saturn Awards. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed to honor and recognize films often overlooked by mainstream awards. Over the years, the Academy has expanded its reach to include recognizing excellence in television and home entertainment, as well as other genres, including adventure, thriller, dark drama, and edgy entertainment.
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey leads the nominations for the 39th Annual Saturn Awards. |
download a complete pdf file of the nominations here. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the leading film with nominations for the prestigious Saturn Awards presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Peter Jackson’s return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth received 9 nominations. Other films receiving major nominations include Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (8 nominations), and the 23nd entry in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall (7 nominations). Comic book icons-turned-cinematic spectacles, Marvel’s The Avengers and Christopher Nolan’s triumphant conclusion to his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, followed closely behind with 6 nominations each, along with the epic musical based on Victor Hugo’s classic Les Miserables. Warner Bros. received a leading total of 23 nominations, while Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures each received 14 nominations for their ambitious slate of films released last year. Television Entertainment also received nominations from the 41 year old Academy. Leading this prestigious list was the beloved series, Fringe, which received 6 nominations and ended a five year run on the Fox Network. Other notable series receiving multiple nominations include Showtime’s Dexter (5 nominations), and with 4 nominations each, Breaking Bad (AMC), Falling Skies (TNT), Leverage (TNT), Revolution (NBC), and The Walking Dead (AMC). The non-profit organization was founded in 1972 by noted film historian, Dr. Donald A. Reed. His goal was to find an outlet to honor and recognize genre entertainment often overlooked by mainstream awards organizations. The Saturn Awards is considered the premier award for the entertainment we dub “exaggerated and/or enhanced reality”. The scope of the genres we honor has been broadened in recent years running the gamut from dark and edgy entertainment to colorful and life-affirming fable-esque slices of life. This year, the Academy is thrilled to inaugurate a new film category honoring independent film releases alongside the high-budgeted films which help drive the box-office. Organization President Robert Holguin states “I’ve long admired and respected independent filmmakers and their focused vision. I’m thrilled to see the organization create a category which expressively allows our membership to champion personal film projects which helps expand ideas and creativity in the genre field.” This year’s 39th Annual Saturn Awards is slated to take place in June. Please visit the Academy’s website for a listing of this year’s nominations, www.saturnawards.org.
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