Sigourney Weaver slams the Oscars: Sci-fi films don't get enough respect

[Daniel]

Just read this and am passing it along - Sigourney Weaver strikes a blow for all of us by standing up for sci-fi. We need more sci-fi icons (even though she doesn't consider herself one but ... who are we kidding - she's one of us) to be saying the same thing

Sigourney Weaver: Sci-fi films don't get enough respect

[Chris]

True story. Though, simply on the basis of how much of a powerhouse comic book based movies alone have become in the last decade, I have to imagine there will eventually be some changes to this fact. Perspective is changing.

[Will]

Good comment from Sigourney - thanks for posting the link. I think she has a point, but ...

Surely there's something here about the quality of many scifi films? If we are being honest, Hollywood tends towards the blockbuster end of the market. We get lots of special effects, explosions, thrills, but the story and characterisation usually suffers as a result.

The Oscars have a problem with blockbuster films of all types. And comedies. They tend to want their films to be "worthy" and have a message. So we end up with the punters paying to see Frozen and Lord of the Rings/ Hobbit/ Star Wars and the Oscars going to the more serious films that fewer people actually want to go to.

I'd like to see the Oscars recognising sci fi more, and relaxing a little when it comes to accepting "fun" films. But I'd also like to see more intelligent sci fi than we're getting at the moment.

[Greg]

She's certainly been a proponent of keeping the Alien franchise 'pure', if you will. Still, she was in Avatar, which was a huge sci-fi movie.

I'd actually like to see a graph of the top female earners for sci-fi. I mean, she's got to be at or near the top. Just the royalties on Ghostbusters must be nice.