The Academy Overlooks Avatar

Sci fi epic Avatar disappointed at last night's Oscars, winning only three awards out of nine nominations.

James Cameron's visual spectacular was trounced by Kathryn Bigelow's deserving low-budget Iraq drama The Hurt Locker, which nabbed best picture and best director for Bigelow - the first woman to be awarded the accolade (to add insult to injury, she also happens to be Cameron's ex-wife. Ouch). The film took six awards in total.

Cameron took home the statues for art direction, cinematography and visual effects (no surprise there), but was doubtless disappointed to miss out on the big 'uns.

The only other win for our favourite genre was in the makeup category, which predictably went to Star Trek (presumably awarded for Zachary Quinto's ears alone).

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Avatar Leads Oscar Nominations

As Avatar is now the highest-grossing worldwide film release of all time, it was impossible that the movie wouldn't top the bill at this week's Oscar nominations also. James Cameron's sci fi epic has clocked up a whopping nine nods from the academy, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Score.

But we were pleased to see a few other sci fi movies in the mix.

District 9 is also up for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Visual Effects, while Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could win a gong for Cinematography. Star Trek gets a nod in the Makeup category (presumably for Zachary Quinto's ears alone) and Visual Effects as well as Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.

Even Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen managed to squeeze in with a nomination for, erm... Sound Mixing. Well, you can't win 'em all.

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