Harry Potter went out with a bang at the 2011 Spike TV Scream Awards, winning the most awards (six) and taking down the biggie of the night, The Ultimate Scream Award. Presenters and guests like Samuel Jackson, George Lucas and Quentin Tarantino graced the dark carnival set, so lush and decadent Ray Bradbury himself would envy it.
The ceremonies may have opened with heartthrob Colin Farrell reciting a poetic homage to his boy crush – and Hero award winner – Robert Downey Jr., but it became clear as the night went on this was a celebration for not only the freaks, but the geeks, as well. I mean, how often do you see a show wrap by honoring Pee Wee Herman as a “visionary” and allowing him to subject the audience to the farty sounds of a deflating balloon?
Alrighty.
While the testosterone levels may have noticeably dwindled as the show went on, the estrogen was all but absent save presenters and the Comic-Con Icon June Foray. The ladies were in short supply as the major female categories seemed to have happened during commercial breaks, or perhaps during the many shameless plugs and trailers for upcoming movies. Call me crazy, but perhaps and awards show should focus on … um, awards? But hey, I guess you gotta pay for that fancy award show set. And sure, I know you have to pay the bills, but making a “Most Anticipated Movie” category? Do you really think we can’t see through the shameless shill for an upcoming movie?
Highlights included “True Blood” hottie Joe Manganiello thanking his wolf “because without him I’d just be a naked guy in the woods,” Tarantino with the most-bleeped presentation of the Maverick Award to Nicolas Cage, and Best Director Darren Aronofsky thanking “supergeeks” like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for making it cool to like sci-fi.
Sure, Aronofsky, geeky may be the new cool, but let’s face it – you lost his girl to James Bond.
Other highlights included Kate Beckinsale introducing Villain Award winner Darth Vader as someone who, “without showing an inch of skin, still managed to inspire more heavy breathing in teenage boys than Princess Leia in a gold bikini.” The shortest – and perhaps best – acceptance speech came from Best Comic Book Writer winner Ed Brubaker, who held the dangerously sharp award like a knife and declared, “I’d like to thank all the other writers for not winning so I could come to this amazing freakshow that Spike puts on and I’m going to get out of here before I embarrass myself and try to find someone from ‘Twilight’ I can kill.”
Godspeed Ed, godspeed.
Featured presentations during the broadcast:
Hero Award – Robert Downey, Jr.
Best Thriller – “Limitless”
Best Supporting Actor – Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
Breakout Performance Male – Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”)
Best Director – Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”)
Villain Award – Darth Vader
Best Science Fiction Actor – Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”)
Best Comic Book Writer – Ed Brubaker (“Captain America”)
Comic-Con Icon – Voiceover artist June Foray
Best Horror Movie – “Let Me In”
Maverick – Nicolas Cage
Best Sci-Fi Movie – “Super 8″
Best TV Show – “Game of Thrones”
Most Memorable Mutilation – “Pirahna 3D”
The Ultimate Scream – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Best Villain – Ralph Fiennes (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″)
Most Anticipated Movie – “The Dark Knight Rises”
Visionary – Pee Wee Herman
The rest of the winners included:
Best Fantasy Movie – “X-Men: First Class”
Best Scream-Play – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Best Chase Scene – “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
Best Fantasy Actress – Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”)
Best Fantasy Actor – Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″)
Best Science Fiction Actress – Milla Jovovich (“Resident Evil: Afterlife”)
Best Horror Actress – Chloe Grace Moretz (“Let Me In”)
Best Horror Actor – Alexander Skarsgaard (“True Blood”)
Best Superhero – Chris Evans (“Captain America”)
Best Supporting Actress – Mila Kunis (“Black Swan”)
Breakout Performance Female – Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”)
Best Cameo – Hugh Jackman (“X-Men: First Class”)
Best Ensemble – “True Blood”
Fight Scene – “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”
Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Best Independent Movie – “Monsters”
Best 3D Movie – “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Best F/X – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
Best Graphic Novel or Comic Book – The Walking Dead
Best Comic Book Artist – John Romita, Jr (Avengers, Kick-Ass 2)
Best Comic Book Movie – “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”