2008 Imaginary Cinema Awards!

Finally, as promised, here are the awards we've been leading up to - the 1st Annual Montgomery Burns Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence! Uh, I mean the Imaginary Cinema Awards for 2008. Granted, there are still some major films I haven't seen, but I doubt this would change much if I had seen them all. There were three great superhero movies this year, and one great animated movie. Aside from that, it was pretty disappointing, though. Indiana Jones nuked the fridge and there was a sucky Star Wars movie (unlike the prequels, which everyone thinks sucked but didn't really).

Best Movie: Wall-E Runners-up: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Screenplay: Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon (Wall-E)
Best Director: Guillermo del Torro (Hellboy II)
Best Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight); Runners-up: Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Doug Jones (Hellboy II), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Luke Goss (Hellboy II)
Best Actress: Anna Walton (Hellboy II)
Best Music: James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight)
Best Visual Effects: Hellboy II
Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Production Design: Hellboy II
Best Costumes: Hellboy II
Best Comedy: Twilight and The Happening (TIE)

2007

Burton and Depp do it again! Grindhouse was a fun experience for the few who caught the double feature (though Tarantino's dialogue finally crossed the line from clever to teeth-grindingly annoying), there were two very good Stephen King adaptations and even Michael Bay couldn't ruin Transformers (though he tried his best).

Best Movie: Sweeney Todd; Runners-up: Grindhouse, The Mist, 1408, Stardust, 300, Bridge to Terabithia, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Beowulf, Transformers
Best Screenplay: John Logan (Sweeney Todd)
Best Director: Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd)
Best Actor: Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd); Runners-up: Gerard Butler (300), Kurt Russell (Grindhouse: Death Proof), Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd), Sacha Baron Cohen (Sweeney Todd)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd); Runners-up: Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust), Lena Headey (300)
Best Music: Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd)
Best Visual Effects: Transformers
Best Makeup: Grindhouse
Best Production Design: Sweeney Todd
Best Costumes: Sweeney Todd
Most pointlessly depressing end in an otherwise great movie: The Mist

2006

Just two more entries to go and then I can reveal the best fantasy movies of 2008. Take that, Oscars!
So 2006 was an interesting year. There were two movies made about a totalitarian Britain of the future (V for Vendetta was the more stylish but Children of Men was more subtle and emotionally satisfying), Pan's Labyrinth was one of the most disturbing fairytales ever and Snakes on a (muthafucking) Plane was everything I expected it to be.

Best Movie: Children of Men; Runners-up: Pan’s Labyrinth, V for Vendetta, The Prestige, Snakes on a Plane, Monster House, Superman Returns, Slither, The Hills Have Eyes
Best Screenplay: Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostb (Children of Men)
Best Director: Guillermo del Torro (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Best Actor: Hugo Weaving (V for Vendetta); Runners-up: Clive Owen (Children of Men), Samuel L. Jackson (SOAP), Kevin Spacey (Superman Returns)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta); Runners-up: Julianne Moore (Children of Men), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Best Music: Dario Marianelli (V for Vendetta)
Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Best Makeup: Pan’s Labyrinth
Biggest Disappointment: Cars. Pixar can normally do no wrong, but I don’t know what they were thinking making a family movie about a world where talking cars have apparently killed every human and animal and erased all trace of their existence.

2005

An amazing year when there was a Star Wars prequel released that most people actually liked! Episode III easily trumped Peter Jackson's ambitious but overlong remake of King Kong, Tim Burton's two films (each only half as good as his best films) and even Joss Whedon's Serenity. Batman Begins made up for Joel Schumacher's films but couldn't top Burton. And Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a fine adaptation except for one thing - they left out the jokes!

Best Movie: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; Runners-up: Serenity, Sin City, King Kong, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Batman Begins, Corpse Bride, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, War of the Worlds, Sky High
Best Screenplay: Joss Whedon (Serenity)
Best Director: George Lucas (Revenge of the Sith)
Best Actor: Ian McDiarmid (Revenge of the Sith); Runners-up: Ewan McGregor (Revenge of the Sith), Bruce Willis (Sin City), Mickey Rourke (Sin City), Nathan Fillion (Serenity)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (Wallace & Gromit, Corpse Bride); Runners-up: Carla Gugino (Sin City), Summer Glau (Serenity)
Best Music: John Williams (Revenge of the Sith); Runner-up: Danny Elfman (Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Best Visual Effects: Revenge of the Sith; Runner-up: King Kong
Best Makeup: Revenge of the Sith
Best Cinematography: Sin City
Best Production Design: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Best Costumes: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2004

No Lord of the Rings this year, but plenty of other good movies. There was the birth of the Saw franchise, a remake of and comic homage to Dawn of the Dead (the latter was better) and a Spider-Man movie where he looked less like a cartoon.

Best Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Runners-up: The Incredibles, Shaun of the Dead, Spider-Man 2, Hellboy, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Shrek 2, Saw, Secret Window, Dawn of the Dead
Best Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Best Director: Brad Bird (The Incredibles)
Best Actor: Jim Carrey (Eternal Sushine of the Spotless Mind); Runners-up: Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Johnny Depp (Secret Window)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Best Music: John Williams (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
Best Visual Effects: Spider-Man 2
Best Makeup: Hellboy

2003

The year The Lord of the Rings reached its conclusion and raised its finger to all subsequent epics. Oh, and the public finally discovered Johnny Depp and there was wrinkly Terminator.

Best Movie: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King; Runners-up: Big Fish, X2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Elf, Peter Pan, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, The Matrix Reloaded
Best Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson (Return of the King); Runner-up: Big Fish
Best Director: Peter Jackson (Return of the King); Runner-up: Timmy B. (Big Fish)
Best Actor: Ewan McGregor (Big Fish); Runners-up: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Elijah Wood (Return of the King), Ian McKellan (Return of the King), Alan Cumming (X2)
Best Actress: Miranda Otto (Return of the King); Runner-up: Helena Bonham Carter (Big Fish)
Best Music: Howard Shore (Return of the King); Runner-up: Danny Elfman (Big Fish, Hulk)
Best Visual Effects: Return of the King
Best Makeup: Return of the King
Best Production Design: Return of the King
Best Costumes: Return of the King

2002

This year saw the epic battle between the second part of two trilogies - the Star Wars prequels and The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers won the critical and commercial battle, but for my money Attack of the Clones was the more fun, despite its flaws. Meanwhile, a radioactive wall crawler ruled them all, at least at the North American box office.

Best Movie: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones; Runners-up: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Minority Report, Spider-Man, Blade II, Solaris, 28 Days Later, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dog Soldiers
Best Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson (The Two Towers)
Best Director: Peter Jackson (The Two Towers)
Best Actor: Andy Serkis (The Two Towers); Runners-up: Frank Oz (Attack of the Clones), Christopher Lee (Attack of the Clones), Viggo Mortensen (The Two Towers), Bernard Hill (The Two Towers)
Best Actress: Naomi Watts (The Ring); Runner-up: Natalie Portman (Attack of the Clones)
Best Music: John Williams (Attack of the Clones); Runners-up: The Two Towers, Spider-Man
Best Visual Effects: Attack of the Clones; Runner-up: The Two Towers
Best Makeup: The Two Towers
Most Ridiculous Ending: Signs

2001

A year that will live in infamy. Turns out Kubrick and Clarke were wrong. Planet of the Apes and A.I. were good, but didn't live up to expectations. Luckily The Lord of the Rings arrived at the end of the year to make everything right.

Best Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Runners-up: Monsters, Inc., Shrek, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Donnie Darko, Vanilla Sky, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Others, Jeepers Creepers, Planet of the Apes
Best Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson (The Fellowship of the Ring)
Best Director: Peter Jackson (The Fellowship of the Ring)
Best Actor: Ian McKellan (The Fellowship of the Ring); Runners-up: Tim Roth (Planet of the Apes), Christopher Lee (The Fellowship of the Ring), Sean Astin (The Fellowship of the Ring), Jude Law (A.I.)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (Planet of the Apes); Runners-up: Liv Tyler (The Fellowship of the Ring), Nicole Kidman (The Others)
Best Music: Howard Shore (The Fellowship of the Ring); Runner-up: Danny Elfman (Planet of the Apes)
Best Visual Effects: The Fellowship of the Ring
Best Makeup: Planet of the Apes
Best Production Design: The Fellowship of the Ring
Best Costumes: The Fellowship of the Ring

My Bloody Valentine . . . in 3D!

So I watched My Bloody Valentine 3D tonight (or at least most of it). I was in projection at the movie theater where I work (it was another shitty, understaffed night, but enough about that) so I snuck down on my break to watch the movie with an audience. It was a lot of fun.
I haven't seen the original movie, but the remake has the feel of an 80's slasher, which is a genre I love (most modern horror films are too slick for my liking). It even has horror legend Tom Atkins! Following the very bloody prologue, the film cuts to ten years later (though for some reason star Jensen Ackles doesn't look like he's aged a day) and attempts to create some mystery about whether the new rash of killings are the work of the original, supposedly deceased, murderer or a copycat (the final reveal of the killer manages to be both predictable and illogical).
The 3D technology is well utlised for the (literally) eye-popping kills. And it has the most gratuitous nude scene I have ever seen, with Betsy Rue running around naked outside for four minutes. The film is played straight for the most part, but the more absurd scenes seem to knowingly wink at the audience.
What it doesn't have, is great acting, interesting characters or smart dialogue. So if you're not near a cinema showing it in 3D, I suggest giving this film a miss. But it's a good movie to see with an audience wearing the 3D glasses. I give it three bloody hearts out of five.

2000

A bad year for fantasy from Hollywood. Aside from X-Men and the guilty pleasure of Final Destination there was nothing that impressive. Luckily there was a Canadian take on werewolves and a Chinese martial arts fantasy to make the year worthwhile.

Best Movie: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Runners-up: Ginger Snaps, X-Men, Final Destination, Unbreakable, Titan AE
Best Screenplay: Karen Walton (Ginger Snaps)
Best Director: Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
Best Actor: Chown Yun Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon); Runners-up: Hugh Jackman (X-Men), Samuel L. Jackson (Unbreakable)
Best Actress: Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon); Runners-up: Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps)
Best Music: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Best Visual Effects: X-Men
Best Costumes: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

1999

Oh boy. This was the year that Star Wars was supposed to come back and make our collective jaws hit the floor. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I actually liked The Phantom Menace, but it was far from the best movie of the year. The Matrix did wow a lot of people, but that wasn't the best movie of the year either. The Sixth Sense? It was good, but anyone who's seen Jacob's Ladder could see that twist coming a mile off. Even Tim Burton's wonderful homage to Hammer Horror wasn't the best of the year. For me, the two best films were both animated.

Best Movie: The Iron Giant; Runners-up: Toy Story 2, Sleepy Hollow, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, The Green Mile, Galaxy Quest, Being John Malkovich, The Sixth Sense, Dogma, EXistenZ, The Matrix, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Best Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich)
Best Director: Tim Burton (Sleepy Hollow)
Best Actor: Johnny Depp (Sleepy Hollow); Runners-up: Ian McDiarmid (The Phantom Menace/Sleepy Hollow), Tom Hanks (The Green Mile), Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense)
Best Actress: Cameron Diaz (Being John Malkovich); Runner-up: Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow)
Best Music: John Williams (The Phantom Menace); Runner-up: Danny Elfman (Sleepy Hollow)
Best Visual Effects: The Phantom Menace
Best Cinematography: The Matrix
Best Makeup: Galaxy Quest
Best Production Design: Sleepy Hollow
Best Sound Effects: The Phantom Menace
Most Overhyped Movie: The Blair Witch Project

1998

A year of colossal overhype (I'm looking in your direction, big green fella) but few great movies. The best two films of the year were both about engineered realities. Funny that. There were also two meteor movies, only one of which was halfway decent.

1998
Best Movie: Dark City; Runners-up: The Truman Show, Pleasantville, The X-Files, Blade, Small Soldiers, The Faculty, Bride of Chucky, Deep Impact
Best Screenplay: Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show)
Best Director: Alex Proyas (Dark City)
Best Actor: Jim Carrey (The Truman Show); Runners-up: William Hurt (Dark City), Kiefer Sutherland (Dark City), Brad Dourif (Bride of Chucky), William H. Macy (Pleasantville)
Best Actress: Jennifer Tilly (Bride of Chucky); Runner-up: Joan Allen (Pleasantville)
Best Music: Dark City
Best Visual Effects: Armageddon
Best Makeup: Blade
Best Production Design: Dark City
Most Overhyped Movie: Godzilla

1997

A landmark year, especially in the field of visual effects. Star Wars came back to the big screen (with some controversial changes), The Fifth Element was a unique mix of hard sci-fi and French farce and Event Horizon was scary as hell. But the best movie of the year was that rarity - intelligent sci-fi. 

Best Movie: Contact; Runners-up: Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition, The Fifth Element, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Starship Troopers, Men in Black, Gattaca, Event Horizon 

Best Screenplay: James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg (Contact) 

Best Director: Robert Zemeckis (Contact) 

Best Actor: Will Smith (MiB); Runners-up: James Woods (Contact), Bruce Willis (The Fifth Element), Mike Myers (Austin Powers), Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers) 

Best Actress: Jodie Foster (Contact); Runner-up: Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) 

Best Music: Danny Elfman (Men in Black); Runners-up: Contact, Starship Troopers, Event Horizon 

Best Visual Effects: The Fifth Element; Runners-up: Contact, Men in Black, Starship Troopers, Event Horizon 

Best Makeup: Men in Black 

Best Sound Effects: Event Horizon 

Best Costumes: The Fifth Element 

Best Production Design: The Fifth Element

1996

This year had rival alien invasion epics (Mars Attacks! was clearly the better one, despite what the box office would indicate) and a revival of the slasher flick. But the best movie of the year was Tarantino's insane vampire caper.

Best Movie: From Dusk Til Dawn; Runners-up: Mars Attacks, The Frighteners, Independence Day, Scream, The Arrival
Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (From Dusk Til Dawn)
Best Director: Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Til Dawn)
Best Actor: George Clooney (From Dusk Til Dawn); Runners-up: Jack Nicholson (Mars Attacks!), Pierce Brosnan (Mars Attacks!), Will Smith (ID4), Jeff Goldblum (ID4)
Best Actress: Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact); Runners-up: Juliette Lewis (From Dusk Til Dawn), Lisa Marie (Mars Attacks!)
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Mars Attacks!); Runner-up: Dragonheart
Best Visual Effects: Mars Attacks!; Runners-up: ID4, Dragonheart
Best Makeup: From Dusk Til Dawn
Best Production Design: Mars Attacks!
Best line: "Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them. I don't give a fuck how crazy they are." (From Dusk Til Dawn)

1995

Two classics this year - Toy Story and 12 Monkeys - somewhat offset by a really shitty Batman film. Good soundtrack, though. Oh, and Waterworld wasn't that bad, even though it cost way too much money.

Best Movie: Toy Story; Runners-up: 12 Monkeys, Strange Days, In the Mouth of Madness, Jumanji, Fluke, Tank Girl, Screamers
Best Screenplay: David Webb Peoples & Janet Peoples (12 Monkeys); Runner-up: Joss Whedon (Toy Story)
Best Director: Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys)
Best Actor: Bruce Willis (12 Monkeys); Runners-up: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys), Tim Allen (Toy Story)
Best Actress: Madeline Stowe (12 Monkeys); Runner-up: Lori Petty (Tank Girl)
Best Music: Batman Forever
Best Visual Effects: Jumanji
Best Makeup: In the Mouth of Madness

1994

A funny year, this. The best fantasy movie this year was a true story. But hey, it's Burton. He could make the phone book into a surreal fantasy. Aside from that, the year was pretty unremarkable for imaginary cinema. Interview With the Vampire was better than the book, Stargate made sci-fi popular again and The Crow became a hit largely due to the tragic death of Brandon Lee. 

Best Movie: Ed Wood; Runners-up: Interview With the Vampire, The Crow, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Stargate, The Mask 

Best Screenplay: Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood) 

Best Director: Tim Burton (Ed Wood) 

Best Actor: Martin Landau (Ed Wood); Runners-up: Johnny Depp (Ed Wood), Brad Pitt (Interview With the Vampire), Tom Cruise (Interview With the Vampire), Brandon Lee (The Crow) 

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst (Interview With the Vampire) 

Best Music: Howard Shore (Ed Wood); Runner-up: Elliot Goldenthal (Interview With the Vampire) 

Best Visual Effects: The Mask 

Best Makeup: Interview With the Vampire 

Best Production Design: Interview With the Vampire

1993

The year when dinosaurs trampled over everything in their path, even Schwarzenegger (but hey, I liked his movie). It was also the year that saw the birth of a holiday classic (though nobody realised it at the time) and Bill Murray's finest hour. But most of all it was the last time special effects actually wowed us.

Best Movie: Jurassic Park; Runners-up: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Groundhog Day, Army of Darkness, Return of the Living Dead 3, Addams Family Values, Demolition Man, Last Action Hero
Best Screenplay: Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day)
Best Director: Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park)
Best Actor: Bill Murray (Groundhog Day); Runners-up: Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Charles Dance (Last Action Hero), Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness)
Best Actress: Catherine O’Hara (The Nightmare Before Christmas); Runner-up: Ariana Richards (Jurassic Park)
Best Music: (TIE) Danny Elfman (The Nightmare Before Christmas)/ John Williams (Jurassic Park)
Best Visual Effects: The bleeding dinosaur movie, stupid!
Best Makeup: Army of Darkness

1992

This was an interesting year. Bram Stoker's Dracula and Batman Returns were slammed by critics, but for me they were by far the most visually stunning and interesting films of the year. Nothing else really stood out, although Alien 3 set a record for most depressing summer blockbuster.

Best Movie: Bram Stoker’s Dracula; Runners-up: Batman Returns, Aladdin, Death Becomes Her, Candyman, Alien 3, Universal Soldier, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Best Screenplay: Daniel Waters (Batman Returns)
Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola (Dracula); Runner-up: Tim Burton (Batman Returns)
Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Dracula); Runners-up: Christopher Walken (Batman Returns), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns), Michael Keaton (Batman Returns), Robin Williams (Aladdin)
Best Actress: Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns); Runners-up: Winona Ryder (Dracula), Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her), Sigourney Weaver (Alien 3)
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Batman Returns); Runner-up: Dracula
Best Visual Effects: Death Becomes Her; Runner-up: The Lawnmower Man
Best Makeup: Dracula
Best Costumes: Dracula
Best Production Design: Batman Returns
Best Cinematography: Dracula

1991

A big year. T2 broke new ground both with its computer effects and its $100 million budget. And Terry Gilliam and the Coen Brothers did their weird thing to great effect.

Best Movie: Terminator 2: Judgment Day; Runners-up: Barton Fink, The Fisher King, Beauty & the Beast, The Rocketeer, Naked Lunch, The People Under the Stairs
Best Screenplay: The Coen Brother (Barton Fink); Runners-up: T2, The Fisher King
Best Director: James Cameron (Terminator 2); Runner-up: Joel Coen (Barton Fink)
Best Actor: Alan Rickman (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves); Runners-up: John Turturro (Barton Fink), Robert Patrick (T2), Robin Williams (The Fisher King), Jeff Bridges (The Fisher King)
Best Actress: Linda Hamilton (T2); Runner-up: Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King)
Best Music: John Williams (Hook); Runner-up: T2
Best Visual Effects: T2
Best Stunts: T2
Best Comedy: Dead Again
Best Tim Burton rip-off: The Addams Family

1990

Hey, we're into the nineties with Tim Burton's masterpiece, the twin superb mindfucks of Total Recall and Jacob's Ladder and a bit of the old ultraviolence sprinkled though most of the films. The decade definitely started with a bang.

Best Movie: Edward Scissorhands; Runners-up: Total Recall, Jacob’s Ladder, Arachnophobia, Back to the Future Part III, Gremlins 2, Tremors, Ghost, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Predator 2
Best Screenplay: A whole bunch of writers (Total Recall); Runners-up: Edward Scissorhands, Jacob’s Ladder
Best Director: Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands); Runners-up: Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall), Adrian Lyne (Jacob’s Ladder)
Best Actor: Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands); Runners-up: Tim Robbins (Jacob’s Ladder), Michael Ironside (Total Recall), John Goodman (Arachnophobia)
Best Actress: Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands), Runners-up: Sharon Stone (Total Recall), Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands), Angelica Huston (The Witches), Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost)
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Darkman, Dick Tracy, Nightbreed); Runner-up: Total Recall
Best Visual Effects: Total Recall
Best Makeup: Dick Tracy; Runner-up: Edward Scissorhands
Best Production Design: Edward Scissorhands
Best Costumes: Edward Scissorhands

1989

The year when hype began to explode out of control, as evidenced by the unstoppable Batman. But the best films of the year included some that were considered disappointments at the time, such as James Cameron's epic The Abyss. In fact, that would have been my choice for best film of the year if the director's cut had been the version released to cinemas.

Best Movie: Field of Dreams; Runners-up: The Abyss, Back to the Future Part II, The Little Mermaid, Batman, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Society, The Burbs, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Fly II
Best Screenplay: The two Bobs (Back to the Future Part II)
Best Director: James Cameron (The Abyss)
Best Actor: Ed Harris (The Abyss); Runners-up: Michael Keaton (Batman), James Earl Jones (Field of Dreams), Jack Nicholson (Batman), Sean Connery (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
Best Actress: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Abyss); Runner-up: Kim Basinger . . . just kidding!
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Batman); Runners-up: Field of Dreams, The Abyss, The Little Mermaid
Best Visual Effects: The Abyss; Runner-up: Back to the Future Part II
Best Makeup: The Fly II
Best Production Design: Batman

1988

Another good year, though without the contributions of directors Burton and Zemeckis it would have been pretty lackluster. Special effects wise, it was most notable for the birth of morphing in Willow. Oh, and Terry Gilliam spent way too much money on Baron Munchausen.

Best Movie: Beetlejuice (Runners-up: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, They Live, The Blob, Child’s Play, Monkeyshines, Earth Girls Are Easy, The Adventures of Baron Muchausen, Willow)
Best Screenplay: Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Best Director: Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit); Runner-up: Tim Burton (Beetlejuice)
Best Actor: Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice); Runners-up: Tom Hanks (Big), Boskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Christopher Lloyd (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Best Actress: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice); Runners-up: Geena Davis (Beetlejuice & Earth Girls Are Easy), Joanne Whalley (Willow)
Best Music: Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice); Runners-up: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow
Best Visual Effects: Willow; Runner-up: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Best Makeup: Beetlejuice
Best Production Design: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Best Product Placement: Return of the Killer Tomatoes

1987

1987 was chock full of a bit of the old ultra-violence with Robocop, Predator and Evil Dead II. But there was also more gentle fantasy with the superb The Princess Bride. In fact, the winners and nominees this year have something for everyone. I remember this fondly as the year I saw my first two R-rated movies on the big screen - Robocop and The Lost Boys.

Best Movie: Robocop; Runners-up: The Princess Bride, Evil Dead II, Predator, The Hidden, Near Dark, The Monster Squad, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Angel Heart, Innerspace
Best Screenplay: Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner (Robocop); Runner-up: William Goldman (The Princess Bride)
Best Director: Paul Verhoeven (Robocop); Runners-up: Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride), Sam Raimi (Evil Dead II)
Best Actor: Peter Weller (Robocop); Runners-up: Mandy Patinkin (The Princess Bride), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead II), Kyle MacLachen (The Hidden)
Best Actress: Robin Wright (The Princess Bride); Runner-up: Michelle Pfeiffer (The Witches of Eastwick)
Best Music: Basil Poledouris (Robocop); Runners-up: The Princess Bride, Predator, The Lost Boys
Best Visual Effects: Robocop; Runners-up: Innerspace, Predator
Best Makeup: Evil Dead II; Runners-up: Hellraiser, The Monster Squad
Best Sound Effects: Robocop