Hello. Elston Gunn here.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, a non-profit organization devoted to honoring, recognizing and promoting genre entertainment, has announced the nominations for the 34th Annual Saturn Awards with the film 300 leading the pack with 10 noms. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX follows close behind with 9 nominations and Tim Burton's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET earns 8 nominations.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END and SPIDER-MAN 3 received 4 nominations each, while THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, EASTERN PROMISES, ENCHANTED, GRINDHOUSE, THE MIST, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, STARDUST and THERE WILL BE BLOOD each received 3 nominations.

On the television front, LOST dominated with 7 nominations, while Showtime’s DEXTER and NBC's HEROES soared with 5 and 4 nominations, respectively.

The organization also announced two special awards to be given this year: Guillermo del Toro will receive the coveted George Pal Memorial Award. Author TIM LUCAS has been selected to receive a Special Achievement Award for his 2007 book: MARIO BAVA: ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK.

This particular academy was founded in 1972 by film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed and is currently headed by film enthusiast Robert Holguin. This year’s show will take place on Tuesday, June 24, in Universal City, California. A partial rundown of nominations follows. For a complete list, visit their site!

Best Science Fiction Film

Cloverfield (Paramount)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (20th Century Fox)
I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
The Last Mimzy (New Line Cinema)
Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Transformers (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Fantasy Film

Enchanted (Buena Vista)
The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Buena Vista)
Spider-Man 3 (Sony)
Stardust (Paramount)

Best Horror Film

30 Days of Night (Sony)
1408 (The Weinstein Co.)
Ghost Rider (Sony)
Grindhouse (The Weinstein Co.)
The Mist (The Weinstein Co.)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film

3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate)
300 (Warner Bros.)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Live Free or Die Hard (20th Century Fox)
No Country for Old Men (Miramax)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage)
Zodiac (Paramount)

Best Actor

Gerard Butler (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Cusack (“1408”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”) (Paramount Vantage)
Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Will Smith (“I Am Legend”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Actress

Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) (Buena Vista)
Ashley Judd (“Bug”) (Lionsgate)
Helena Bonham Carter (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Naomi Watts (“Eastern Promises”) (Focus Features)
Belen Rueda (“The Orphanage”) (Picturehouse)
Carice van Houten (“Black Book”) (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Supporting Actor

Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”) (Lionsgate)
James Franco (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) (20th Century Fox)
Alan Rickman (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
David Wenham (“300”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress

Lizzy Caplan (“Cloverfield”) (Paramount)
Marcia Gay Harden (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Lena Headey (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
Rose McGowan (“Grindhouse” – “Planet Terror”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“Stardust”) (Paramount)
Imelda Staunton (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor

Alex Etel (“The Water Horse”) (Sony)
Freddie Highmore (“August Rush”) (Warner Bros.)
Josh Hutcherson (“Bridge to Terabithia”) (Buena Vista)
Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Dakota Blue Richards (“The Golden Compass”) (New Line Cinema)
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (“The Last Mimzy”) (New Line Cinema)

Best Direction

Tim Burton (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
Frank Darabont (“The Mist”) (The Weinstein Co.)
Paul Greengrass (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) (Universal)
Sam Raimi (“Spider-Man 3”) (Sony)
Zack Snyder (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)

Best Writing

Roger Avary, Neil Gaiman (“Beowulf”) (Paramount)
Brad Bird (“Ratatouille”) (Buena Vista)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (“No Country for Old Men”) (Miramax)
Michael Goldenberg (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) (Warner Bros.)
Michael Gordon, Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad (“300”) (Warner Bros.)
John Logan (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”) (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)

Best International Film

Black Book (Sony Pictures Classics)
Day Watch (Fox Searchlight)
Eastern Promises (Focus Features)
Goya’s Ghosts (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
The Orphanage (Picturehouse)
Sleuth (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Animated Film
Beowulf (Paramount)
Meet the Robinsons (Buena Vista)
Ratatouille (Buena Vista)
Shrek the Third (DreamWorks SKG / Paramount)
The Simpsons Movie (20th Century Fox)
Surf’s Up (Sony)

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

Best Network Television Series

Heroes (NBC)
Journeyman (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Supernatural (CW)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)

Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Channel)
The Closer (TNT)
Dexter (Showtime)
Kyle XY (ABC Family)
Saving Grace (TNT)
Stargate SG-1 (Sci Fi Channel / MGM)

Best Presentation on Television

Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Sci Fi Channel)
The Company (TNT)
Fallen (ABC Family)
The Family Guy: “Blue Harvest” (Fox)
Masters of Science Fiction (ABC)
Shrek the Halls (ABC)
Tin Man (Sci Fi Channel)

Best International Series

Doctor Who (Sci Fi Channel)
Jekyll (BBC America)
Life On Mars (BBC America)
Meadowlands (aka Cape Wrath) (Showtime)
Robin Hood (BBC America)
Torchwood (BBC America)

Best Actor on Television

Matt Dallas (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Matthew Fox (Lost) (ABC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter) (Showtime)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman) (NBC)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) (Sci Fi Channel)
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)

Best Actress on Television

Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) (ABC)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer) (CBS)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) (TNT)
Evangeline Lily (Lost) (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) (TNT)

Best Supporting Actor on Television

Michael Emerson (Lost) (ABC)
Greg Grunberg (Heroes) (NBC)
Josh Holloway (Lost) (ABC)
Erik King (Dexter) (Showtime)
Terry O’Quinn (Lost) (ABC)
Masi Oka (Heroes) (NBC)

Best Supporting Actress on Television

Jaime Alexander (Kyle XY) (ABC Family)
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) (Showtime)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) (Fox)
Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) (ABC)
Jaime Murray (Dexter) (Showtime)
Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) (NBC)

Elston Gunn
email: elstongunn@hotmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/elstongunnaicn