20 Truly Great Movies Nominated for a Razzie Award
Oscar season is here ! Which means this is Razzie Awards season, for better or for worse (it’s worse).
Ostensibly designed as a jagged blade to pierce Hollywood’s bubble of pretension, the first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony took place back on March 31, 1981, in co-founder John J.B. Wilson’s living room. Wilson claims he was inspired by watching the double feature Can’t Stop the Music and Xanadu , which to me sounds like a great night at the movies, but for Wilson and co-founder Moe Murphy it was the start of a forty-year hiatus. The annual tradition of roasting films that, at least among Razzie voters, are viewed as the worst examples of Hollywood arrogance on offer in a given year.
The thing is, there are a lot of films nominated for the Razzie that are actually great. To brush off the anti-Oscars, smart movie streamer The Criterion Channel is programming an Oscar-month lineup that includes such Razzie-winning films as Cruise (1980), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Under the Cherry Moon (1986). ). , “Ishtar” (1987), “Cocktail ” (1988), “Barbed Wire” (1996), “Freddy Got Too Much” (2001), “Swept Away” (2002), “Gigli ” (2003) and “The Wicker Man” ( 2006) and others. If you’re familiar with any or all of these films, you may notice that the Razzies tend to pick films that are genuinely bad, but also films that are unique, campy, or that benefit from a little hindsight. They can be simplistic: favoring a certain type of film or performance and hitting the easy targets (sometimes revealing some racism or, especially, misogyny along the way).
Questionable Oscar favorites like Crash and Green Book didn’t win any Razzies, but many better films did. It’s fun to joke about when the Razzies hit a good target… but their accuracy isn’t always that good. Here are 20 really good films that earned a Razzie—enough to plan a pretty good film festival.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Heather Donahue, winner)
The Blair Witch Project ‘s worst picture nomination feels like sour grapes: This no-budget indie came out of nowhere, cleared the box office, and became an instant pop culture phenomenon. How dare they? However, leading actress Heather Donahue’s nomination (and award) is a little more insidious. At the forefront of one of the year’s most successful films was a woman playing a determined heroine who was immediately described as edgy. We’ve all made fun of the scene where her character cries in her tent for years: it’s as if none of us have ever had a runny nose. It was a shockingly vulnerable and raw moment… that everyone decided was too much. Donahue spoke about how a role that should have been seen as a triumph turned life into hell when audiences’ hatred of her character spilled over into real life.
Where to watch: The Criterion Channel, Freevee.
The Shining (1980)
Nominations: Worst Director (Stanley Kubrick), Worst Actress (Shelley Duvall).
Can’t Stop the Music was a big loser during the first Razzie ceremony, but the controversy also included The Shining , a revisited classic of its creepy genre and one of Stanley Kubrick’s best films (the only person who doesn’t like it seems to be Stephen King). Directors John J. Avildsen and Brian DePalma were nominated for Kubrick that year, so he was in good company, but the nod is nonetheless unclear. And Shelley Duvall’s performance was definitely not worthy of criticism. “Shrill” is a word often associated with Wendy Torrance, but you’ll be shrill too if you find yourself trapped in an isolated hotel being chased by Jack Nicholson (who, frankly, is going overboard himself). Duvall plays the only recognizably human character in the film, surrounded by dark forces and psychic abilities. The Razzie folks actually revoked her nomination in 2022, citing the director’s “treatment of her throughout production…” which only adds insult to injury. Duvall was not a damsel in distress, but one of the greatest actresses of the 1970s, and she is a standout character in one of the greatest horror films of all time.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Nominations: Worst Actor (Harvey Keitel)
The Last Temptation of Christ was so mired in controversy when it was released that few could see its strengths as a film—and perhaps no one knew what to make of a Martin Scorsese film that didn’t have a gangster plot. Harvey Keitel’s stylistic performance is certainly a choice ; his Judas Iscariot feels like he stepped out of one of those crime dramas. That’s not to say it doesn’t work, as the betrayer of Jesus is presented to the audience as a character with an unlikely point of view rather than a more traditional villain.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Nominations: Worst Actor (Kevin Costner, winner), Worst Supporting Actor (Christian Slater).
I’m not here to argue that Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is some kind of masterpiece, but Kevin Costner’s award seems to be an example of the stupidity of the whole operation: it was the second-highest-grossing film of its year. and the award seems merely an unnecessary exploration of popular tastes. Costner was mocked for making smart choices that didn’t affect his English accent, but are we going to admit he’s less of an actor than fellow nominees Andrew Dice Clay and Vanilla Ice? I don’t buy it.
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Exorcist III (1990)
Nominations: Worst Actor (George C. Scott)
This nomination is a little confusing, except that it reflects the idea that any sequel to The Exorcist must be bad. Of course, for the 4/5 sequels that assumption turned out to be correct, but this third film is a quietly effective crime drama with demonic overtones and a solid thriller in its own right. Scott lost to Andrew Dice Clay ( The Adventures of Ford Fairlane ), and that same year Donald Trump won Worst Supporting Actor for his role in Ghosts Can’t Do It , one of the last times that it was awarded something by popular vote.
Where to stream: Peacock, Crackle
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Nominated: Worst On-Screen Couple (Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, winners)
Of course, it took some time for audiences and critics to figure out what to make of Neil Jordan’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic novel, but the reviews were good nonetheless and the film was a box office success. Even Rice herself, who was against the casting of Tom Cruise, quickly came to her senses and praised the film, which also gave Brad Pitt one of his most iconic early roles. Given the era, the film took a low-key approach to depicting the homoerotic relationship between the vampiric duo, which prompted the folks at Razzie to create an award for Worst On-Screen Couple to give to Cruise and Pitt. It feels like a bunch of people are pointing and shouting “gaaaaah!” at the screen.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Batman Returns (1992)
Nominated: Worst Supporting Actor (Danny DeVito)
Danny DeVito’s The Penguin has become the standard by which all cinematic penguins are judged. His monstrous, over-the-top performance is delightful… until it isn’t, DeVito never lets us lose sight of the fact that Oswald’s tragic circumstances and the judgment of a deeply fickle society at large have more to do with his murderous intent than any inherent evil. The film has become an unlikely Christmas classic , and the apparently corrupt Penguin’s attempt at political office may have once seemed like satire, but now seems downright prophetic. It’s a little harder to argue with DeVito’s co-nominee this year, Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand of Spain in Christopher Columbus: The Discovery .
Where to watch: Max, Tubi
Thing (1982)
Nomination: Worst Musical Score (Ennio Morricone)
The great Ennio Morricone created a brilliant, minimalist score for John Carpenter’s The Thing , using the director’s signature synthesizers as part of a musical backdrop that eschews the grandiose Hollywood tradition in favor of something more suited to the film’s intense and lonely atmosphere. Morricone was also nominated this year for his score for Butterfly , a not very good film that nonetheless had a decent score, with more traditional brass and noir influences. This nomination seems like just a dig at the film, but still, two Razzie nominations in one year for one of the best film composers who did a great job? Give it meaning.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actress (Betsy Palmer).
Slasher films may or may not be your thing, and director Sean S. Cunningham’s original may well have been intended as a rather blatant parody of Halloween. However , the film’s low-budget style and simple, visceral thrills spawned a formula that has endured the series through eleven-plus sequels, while also ushering in an extremely cheap subgenre filled with films that make Friday the 13th look like Citizen Kane . Betsy Palmer, nominated for worst supporting actress, is deliciously vicious as housewife turned serial killer Pamela Voorhees.
Where to stream: Max
Annie (1982)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Director (John Huston), Worst Supporting Actress (Eileen Quinn, winner), Worst New Star (Eileen Quinn), Worst Screenplay (Carole Sobieski).
I don’t think “sucks” is too strong a word here, and I’m not talking about Annie . The film may not have been a hit with adult audiences, but kids loved it and were indeed the target audience. Far more blunt than the Worst Picture, Screenplay and Director nominations, however, is the double attack on Aileen Quinn, both in the Worst New Star and Worst Supporting Actress categories, for which even this category is insulting considering she plays the main character. Eileen Quinn was 11 years old when she played her first leading role in a movie, and she certainly didn’t need a group of adults, mostly men, to get together to tell her how terrible she was.
Where to watch: Netflix
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Nominations: Worst Director (Brian De Palma), Worst Actor (Michael Caine), Worst Actress (Nancy Allen).
The Razzies used to rave about Brian De Palma, nominating him for Worst Director for Dressed to Kill , Scarface and Body Double , all very memorable films, none of which deserved a Razzie. Dressed to Kill is De Palma’s homage to Hitchcock, an erotic sex thriller with plenty of style and a playful willingness to lean toward camp. It is certainly one of the most interesting films of the year and a true neo-noir classic. From the very first ceremony, it seems that Razzie voters are not chasing overblown photographs that deserve to be taken off the peg, but rather targets that are easily unusual and unexpected.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi, The Roku Channel.
Roadhouse (1989)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Patrick Swayze), Worst Supporting Actor (Ben Gazzara), Worst Director (Rowdy Herrington), Worst Screenplay.
I’m not a big fan of the phrase “so bad it’s good” just because it seems like an overly dismissive way of saying “good.” But if any movie fits that description, it’s a sweaty, cheap, overly violent action, midnight movie with a weird A-list (or at least B+) cast. It made such an impression that it now has a much bigger budget remake with Jake Gyllenhaal. It may not be high art, but it’s definitely high camp, which is just as good.
Where to stream: Max
Showgirls (1995)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Kyle MacLachlan), Worst Actress (Elizabeth Berkley, winner), Worst Supporting Actor (Robert Davie and Alan Rachins), Worst Supporting Actress (Gina Gershon) and Lyn Tucci), “Worst Screen Couple” (“Any Combination”). two people (or two body parts!), Worst Director (Paul Verhoeven, winner), Worst Screenplay (Jo Jo Eszterhas, winner), Worst New Star (Elizabeth Berkley, winner), Worst Original Song “(“Walk Into “Wind”, winner), “Worst remake or sequel”
Whether it’s a guilty pleasure or an intentional camp comedy, Showgirls has become a cult classic on par with The Rocky Horror Picture Show . I’m sure it was hard to see in 1995, but Razzie’s piling on of a movie-turned-joke points to another problem with awards as an operation: laziness. This raunchy erotic thriller was already the butt of everyone’s jokes when it came out, at least in part because breasts make insecure people feel uncomfortable. Razzie voters might have tried to call it the worst movie ever, saddled with a record number of nominations… but I’d rather watch Showgirls than that year’s Oscar favorite, Braveheart . And I guarantee that I’m not alone.
Where to watch: Tubi
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Nominated: Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million
In 1996, the Razzies added a special category: “Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million,” and, like… what? The Hunchback of Notre Dame is great! A little darker than other Disney hits of the era, but still a superbly animated and emotional ride. It’s also strange that none of the films nominated in this category (including Twister , Independence Day , A Time to Kill and Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible ) were actually nominated anywhere else. So they were bad, but only because they made a lot of money? Blunt.
Where to watch: Disney+.
Who’s That Girl (1987)
Nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Madonna, winner), Worst Director, Worst Screenplay (Andrew Smith and Ken Finkleman).
What perhaps couldn’t have been expected was that Razzie voters would see the much-maligned Madonna vehicle gain its own cult status in the years to come, with audiences (that is, middle-aged gay men) often being able to quote the film verbatim. It’s a silly, fun, screwball ’30s-style comedy, and Madonna is clearly having fun.
But the more important point: The Razzies have been gunning for Madonna almost from the very beginning: she’s one of the most nominated and awarded actresses in awards history, having won for Shanghai Surprise , Who’s That Girl , Body of Proof , and Four rooms “, “The Next Best” , “Swept Away ” and “Die Another Day “. She even received a nomination for Worst Actress for the documentary Truth or Dare . She was nominated for Worst Actress of the Decade in 1990 and 2010, and was awarded Worst Actress of the Century in 2000. Well, her filmography includes not outstanding films, but also such successes as Vision Quest , Desperately Seeking Susan , A League of Their Own , Evita and Dick Tracy … so calling her the worst actress in the history of cinema seems a bit exaggerated.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Nominated: Worst Actress (Megan Fox)
It’s probably not surprising that the extremely literal Razzie voters didn’t get Diablo Cody’s satirical succubus thriller – and neither did audiences, in part because 20th Century Fox had no idea how to market it as anything other than just another high school horror film. movie. Almost everyone was wrong about this edgy revenge fantasy, and Megan Fox’s performance is only bad if you don’t see the film for what it really is.
Where to stream: Max
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Nominations: Worst Actress (Cassandra Peterson)
Having so gleefully nominated and awarded future cult camp classics like Showgirls , Who’s That Girl and Elvira , I can only conclude that Razzie voters are not only homophobic, but absolutely hate fun.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi
Yentl (1983)
Nominations: Worst Actor (Barbra Streisand), Worst Supporting Actress (Amy Irving), Worst Musical Score.
Apart from being a bit long, Barbra Streisand’s Yentl is a touching, sometimes subversive musical that has received mostly good reviews. Razzie voters decided to nominate Barbra Streisand for Worst Actor … because the title character is a Polish Jewish woman who dresses up as a man to study the Talmud in 1904. It’s clear? The other two nominations are also bold choices: Amy Irving received a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress, a role that also earned her an Oscar nomination. The same goes for the film’s score, which was nominated for a Razzie but won an Oscar. Going after Yentl seems like an odd maneuver…unless voters weren’t bothered by the fact that it was a major film written and directed by a woman, incredibly rare circa 1983.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Kerel (1982)
Nominations: Worst Original Song x2
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s dreamy, strange film follows a handsome young sailor who finds himself caught in a web of sex, sibling rivalry and sublimated lust in a French brothel. Given Razzie’s distrust of anything interesting, I’m a little surprised he didn’t get more nominations. The two songs he received were for each of the film’s original songs, and they’re a little puzzling: Lead actress Jeanne Moreau sings “Every Man Kills What He Loves,” with lyrics taken from an Oscar Wilde poem. The style is very French and wouldn’t work for an action movie, but it’s absolutely perfect for a film set in a French brothel, like The Young and Cheerful Bandit, performed by German actor (and sometimes Fassbinder’s boyfriend) Gunther. Kaufmann. I don’t understand what the problem was.
Where to watch: Max, Tuby, The Criterion Channel
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
Nominations: Worst Supporting Actress (Estelle Getty, winner), Worst Actor (Sylvester Stallone, winner), Worst Screenplay (winner).
Okay, yes, it’s a terrible movie. But how dare they persecute Estelle Getty like that?
Where to watch: digital rental.