Rondo Hatton Horror Awards announced

The restored version of the 1925 silent film Metropolis and the popular zombie franchise The Walking Dead each were double winners Wednesday in the 9th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, a fan-based recognition of the best in classic horror, science fiction and fantasy.

Voters also decided that The Black Swan, the dark and stylish thriller that earned star Natalie Portman an Oscar, would add a Rondo as Best Film of 2010, narrowly topping Inception and the remake of The Wolfman.

The Rondo awards, named after Rondo Hatton, an obscure B-movie villain of the 1940s, celebrate the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's e-mail vote, conducted by the Classic Horror Film Board, a 16-year old online community, drew more than 2,900 votes as fans chose among 30 categories.

A special nod goes out to UFN friend Shem Andre Byron and Terrance Zdunich, whose collaborative multimedia project The Tutor earned a Special Recognition Award. Congrats!