Archives: What’s Happening in HTG Town

In case you’ve been living on an island somewhere, shunned by the rest of humanity and living in a world of your own, you probably know that the HTG Awards 7 is taking place this Saturday. And if you didn’t, well you do now. How’s that for informative journalism. So get your best designer label picked out, or whatever’s clean, because unlike other award shows, they will actually let you in.

Now, I like award shows as much as the next guy, as long as the next guy likes getting hit in the crotch with a baseball bat. But seeing as how HTG Town is filled with ego-driven, attention seekers, grasping at whatever notice or recognition they can get their grubby little hands on, this award show and its results are probably foremost on your mind. So since I need the money, I may as well pander to the common denominator and do a little something on it. And I hope you appreciate it, ‘cause I had to spend the last few nights watching the films nominated to do this. Granted, I fast forwarded thru most of them, but I got the jist of them. And even though it’s common knowledge that award shows are fixed. Hey, let’s just say I find it fishy when all the winners always seem to have aisle seats. Want to give my view on the various categories.

Best Picture - May as well start with the big one. Having checked out previous winners, it was pleasantly surprising to see that past winners were so varied in their genre. But seeing as how a Horror or Sci-fi picture has never won, gonna go with the averages and pass on Eighth Circle and Ghost Story. As for Batman, ya, sure. And as far as I could see, The Projectionist was nominated probably just to round out the genres. But it can always boast it got a nomination. Which leaves Kansas and The Last Round. Seeing as how Kansas was made by 10,000 Cases Productions, as well as the aforementioned Ghost Story, I’d have to say that having 2 nominated films could sway votes and leave Kansas as the winner.

Best New Producer – Don’t know ‘em, don’t care, and other than the two producers listed, no one else probably does either.

Best Producer – To be honest, I see only 2 producers being reasonable possibilities. O ne being Top Hat Productions for The Projectionist. Seeing as how the movie will most likely be passed over for Best Picture. Top Hat could get sympathy votes. However, 10,000 Cases Productions has half of the films nominated for best picture and if that’s not a reason to be considered Best Producer, I don’t what is.

Best Director – Like a lot of other categories, I figure this is pretty much a crap shoot, or will most likely be based on personal preferences by the various elite who know better than the rest of us mere mortals. So I’ll just pick a name from this hat and go with Robert Zemeckis.

Best Short Film – Not really sure how this category even made it for this year considering our choices are a sequel, a biker flick and one that no one probably saw or knew about. So I’m gonna have to go with the lesser of the evils and say Destiny will win by default.

Best Adapted Screenplay – Cobraaaa. Oh ya, G.I. Joe all the way baby.

Best Original Screenplay – Though The Eighth Circle had one of the most original bases for a sci-fi flick, the premise does not share the same accolade. A hot-shot lawyer taking on the more experienced older lawyer, is practically a sub-genre in and of itself. And a movie whose concept could be taken from an episode of Scooby-Doo pretty much takes out Ghost Story. Which leaves The Projectionist and Kansas as the only real contenders. Though The Projectionist has elements used before, it’s variation on the theme makes it stand as an original. And Kansas is original for reasons well deserved of its own. And I would have to go with either a tie, or a difference you could count on one hand.

Best Actor/Actress/Supporting Actor/Supporting Actress – Hate to break the fourth wall on this, but this is beyond even being subjective, so I won’t even bother. Besides, it’ll let me use the don’t care excuse for another category.

Best Poster – Found the choices for this category rather odd, for reasons I’ll explain in a sec. It’s just that most of those nominated didn’t seem that worthwhile, but seeing as how I’m not sure what other movie posters would have been eligible, I am unable to take advantage of making fun of this list by mentioning posters that would have probably been better choices. So I’m stuck only discussing the ones nominated. Considering the concept of The Projectionist and possible ways of taking advantage of it, simply going with a relatively shipshod collage type poster seemed a waste, and a curious inclusion in this category. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a nice clean poster, but doesn’t grab your attention, or even promote what the film could be or anything. I collect movie posters, none of which are biker movies, and there’s a reason not many other people collect them either. And as for Batman:To Thy Magic… How can you not have Batman on a poster for a Batman movie? Which leaves The Eighth Circle. Even if it wasn’t the only one left by default, this is a beautiful poster, and a shoe-in to win.

Best Site – Now I have no clue on the technical aspects involved to create a site. So though ones I consider nothing special, may really be technically superior to others, it’s the final product I’m looking at and judging my choice on. Now with that disclaimer out of the way… Other than the inclusion of music, Terminator: Reboot, has very little else to challenge the other nominations. Even though Pizza Tycoon has a lot to offer, the hide and seek aspect of it left me cold. Both Batman: To Thy Magic and The Man Who Would Have Rome are both nice, clean sites, are left in the dust by Star Wars Episode XI, which is by far the best one and has the most to offer, and would have been the clear winner except for the angle The Eighth Circle took. Which though plain and simple compared to all the rest and offered little of anything. Did however offer a visual and feel for the movie that helped bring the movie to life that the others could not.

Best Cast – Not really sure how to go on this one. Is it based on because they were the most appropriate actors for the roles given, or because they ended up becoming the best choice for the roles. Is it based on best use of TS, or best use of star power. Or is it all because I really think this is another breaking of the fourth wall, but with the added reasons already stated.

Best Advertising Campaign – Was never subjected to any of them, so can’t even comment.

Best Soundtrack – Pretty much same thing as for Best Cast, just replace actors with the word song. With the added fact that I don’t think Best Soundtrack should even be a category.

Best Cinematography – Never took any film classes, so wouldn’t know good cinematography from bad videography.

Best Creative Company – Well, my guess would be whomever worked on The Eighth Circle.

Best Journalist – Oh, definitely Marlowe. Detailed and informative articles, interesting read, everyone else is just a hack compared to him, blah, blah, blah. Hey, he’s buying this article; that’s pretty much a clincher for me.

Best Critic – Oh ya, well, just wait till next year.