Star Trek: Academy Award Snobbery?

[Famine]

Now, I like my Star Trek. In some off moments in the last couple of days I've watched First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis and The Wrath of Khan, and it struck me just HOW good the visual effects in Star Trek films really are - not to mention the make-up (Klingons, Vulcans, Deltans, Andorians, Borg, Romulans and Lieutenant-Commander Data, to name but a few) and score (always a full symphony orchestra in full flow).

So I, ever curious, thought I'd see what Academy Awards Star Trek had received nominations for over the 24 years and 10 films.

Oscar Nominations:
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
1980 - Best Art Direction/Set Direction; Best Effects (Visual Effects); Best Music (Original Score)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
None

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
None

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1987 - Best Cinematography; Best Effects (Sound Effects Editing); Best Music (Original Score); Best Sound

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
None (and rightly so!)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
1992 - Best Effects (Sound Effects Editing); Best Makeup

Star Trek VII: Generations
None

Star Trek: First Contact
1997 - Best Makeup

Star Trek: Insurrection
None

Star Trek: Nemesis
None

Yep - that's 10 films, a total of 10 nominations and a collosal no Oscars. Well, frankly 1997 must have been a superb year for visual effects for First Contact - stuffed full of Borg, zero-G combat, a spectacular battle in space and Data with half of his face missing still walking around) not not even get in the top 3? Right?

The three Academy Award Nominees in the field of Visual Effects in 1998 were Armageddon, Mighty Joe Young and What Dreams May Come. And What Dreams May Come won the Oscar.

I've included below some excerpts from the Insurrection DVD to show some of the special effects and make up in that film - a film which was WAY lighter on the effects (it was mostly set on a "primitive" planet's surface, but was still pretty nice visually) than First Contact. Someone please find me something comparable in "Mighty Joe Young".



Personally I find it staggering that these effects-laden films don't get any recognition. Perhaps it's Academy snobbery - they don't want to give recognition to a Star Trek film. Perhaps it's because the effects don't get in the way of the film - they're always there and barely noticeable because of it. In all seriousness, grab the DVDs of First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis - they're all good to watch, even for the non-Trekker - and just look at the work the effects guys have been doing. And take a few to listen to that fantastic orchestral music. The space effects in Nemesis are truly spectacular. The invisibility sequence in Insurrection is a masterpiece. The battle and frankly ALL of the Borg effects in First Contact are right up there.

[/rant].

 

[Firebird]

I agree completely. In fact I was disgusted at the panning Nemesis received by critics for using "old fashion" special effects techniques. Matte paintings to be specific. No one on this Earth can possibly tell me with a straight face that the effects in Nemesis were worse than those of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. You'd have to be a complete idiot to not notice that Attack of the Clones, while having some very good effects shots, had some of the worst CG work ever done too. Scenes towards the beginning when Anakin meets with Palpatine in Palpatine's office are some of the worst. The background is a blatant CG effect. It looks like something I drew in Paintbrush on my 386 with Windows 3.1 for Christ's sake!

And with Jerry Goldsmith's recent passing (R.I.P. by the way), I am reminded of just how badly he was gypped when he didn't win the Oscar for Best Score for The Motion Picture. Most scores are composed to encite emotion. Take Jaws' score for example. Great score. A classic for sure. But the majority of it (especially the pre-eminent "POM POM... POM POM POM... POM POM, POM POM..." bass notes in the underwater shots seen from the shark's point of view) was specifically designed to entice fear and menace.

Then listen to The Motion Picture score. Especially Kirk's initial tour of the Enterprise. Throughout the entire six minutes or so the music carries the scene as it portrays Kirk's feelings. It doesn't tell us what we should feel, it's telling us how HE FEELS. Music like that is rare in the movies.

And don't even get me started on The Wrath of Khan. That should have been at the very least nominated for Best Picture, let alone been a favourable contender. You'd need a chainsaw to cut some of the tension in it.

 

[Danoff]

I'm a huge star trek fan, but I've never felt that they were award quality films. Except in one category. The music in almost all of the star trek movies is simply increadible!

I guess maybe star trek 2 should have gotten a little more recognition.

 

[Mike Rotch]

Also remember, that their release date plays a big part in nominations. If a film is released in June, the awards show is only in Feb/Mar the next year. People have short memories when movie execs are stuffing December releases down their throats.

 

[87chevy]

I agree with you famine, i'm a StarTrek fan, although not a trekky by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think i've seen the last film, which one was that? I like DeepSpace9 too, i wish they would do movies about the lesser known Trek shows. Voyager had a great score, maybe the best of all the shows, although i really Like DS9's music too. Yeah, i wouldn't be surprised if the 'Academy' was prejudice against StarTrek. Rotch has a good point.

 

[///M-Spec]

I've been meaning to respond to this one:

From what I know of the industry, winning an Academy Award is kinda like winning a popularity contest. There is a LOT of politcal stuff that goes along with the Oscars and films don't always win based on merit alone.

I also think Star Trek has been largely ignored because Sci-Fi films in general don't receive much Academy recognition in the same way that the nerd who wins at the science show never gets elected to be class president.


M

 

[psonefreak]

Well, I love trek... not as much as I once did, but I still do.

First, I'd not heard of Jerry Goldsmith's passing, but its a fact that saddens me. The music he made for these films and TV shows were phenominal and set the mood a lot of the time.

Normally, I never pay attention to awards. Like ///M-Spec said, its just a big popularity contest and whoever decides who they like best, well they don't have the same opinions as me. It's a pity sci-fi films don't get more recognition except for as being "nerd magnets". I absolutly love reading and watching science fiction and fantasy style stuff, but that doesn't make me a nerd, not at all.

The really sad thing? when it comes to visual effects, sci-fi usually has the best around but it ends up going to some action movie for blowing somthing up. It doesn't take a genius to show a car get blown up, just a budget. But to see a battle in space with huge spaceships with light weapons and to make it look realistic? THAT is visual artistry.

Famine, you said "Someone please find me something comparable in "Mighty Joe Young".", and I'm thinking, maybe they think that a big gorilla smashing up a car is comparible to zero-g hand to hand combat. I think its that "reality" craze again... people want somthing that seems real, like in present day or somthing.

 

[LoudMusic]

I've been meaning to respond to this one:

From what I know of the industry, winning an Academy Award is kinda like winning a popularity contest. There is a LOT of politcal stuff that goes along with the Oscars and films don't always win based on merit alone.

I also think Star Trek has been largely ignored because Sci-Fi films in general don't receive much Academy recognition in the same way that the nerd who wins at the science show never gets elected to be class president.


M

I think you've pretty much got it figured out. How did The Matrix fare in the Oscars? Or the Star Wars films? They're looked down uppon for whatever reason.

 

[87chevy]

I think you've pretty much got it figured out. How did The Matrix fare in the Oscars? Or the Star Wars films? They're looked down uppon for whatever reason.

well fist off, Kenaou (or however the hell you spell his weird @$$ name) is no Oscar level Actor. Now Morphius, he was good in the first one, i think that was his best. As for Episode1 of StarWars, eh, but in 2, i believe that kid playing Anakin was just spooky! i think he did a GREAT job in his role. Hey, talking about the awards being bullcrap, how many awards did Saving Private Ryan get???? and how many did Titanic get???? hmmmmmmmmm....