Now that the Oscars have announced their 2023 nominations, awards season is well and truly under way. And for one subset of movie fans — namely the unapologetic lovers of truly terrible cinema — that means one thing above all: it's time to take stock of the very worst films of the last year ahead of the Golden Raspberry Awards, better known as the Razzies.
True to form, last week the Razzies followed the Oscars with their own shortlist. Curiously, while Austin Butler was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Elvis Presley, Tom Hanks's performance as Colonel Tom Parker in the same film, alongside his part as Geppetto in Disney's critically slated live-action Pinocchio remake, earned him three nods from the Razzies.
The Razzies, widely recognised as Hollywood’s leading celebration of all things awful in cinema, celebrate their 43rd birthday this year, and they’ve come a long way since co-founder John Wilson, himself a Hollywood publicist, invented them — essentially by accident.
Wilson recalled in a 2005 interview with South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel how the germ of the Razzies came to him while driving home from a double-bill screening of The Village People movie Can’t Stop the Music and the Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly-starrer Xanadu in 1980: “Those two movies ought to get awards for being that lousy,” he thought.
Wilson, who was also required to watch a host of less-than-stellar movies as part of his day job promoting them, put his the idea to the test at the beginning of 1981 when, at his annual Oscars night party at home in LA, he closed the evening by inviting his guests to cast ballots on their least-favourite films of the year in a makeshift living-room ceremony.
The event was a success and an impromptu press release was picked up by local media. Things snowballed from there. Just over 30 people had attended that first “ceremony” in 1981. Attendance would double annually for the next couple of years as press interest grew, and by the 1984 event the awards were being covered by CNN and major newswires.
With public interest piqued, Wilson realised he needed to move the event to maximise coverage — he may have been lampooning the world’s biggest, glitziest movie bash, but by holding his ceremony on the same evening he was also competing with it.
So, in 1984, the Razzies moved to their now-traditional slot of Oscars Eve, capitalising on the presence of the global movie media in Hollywood with time to kill ahead of the big event, and moving out of Wilson’s living room for the first time, to a public ceremony at LA’s Third Street Elementary School.
The Razzies have kept growing, and 2020’s 40th anniversary would have been the first televised Razzies ceremony, from the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, courtesy of broadcaster Comedy Dynamics. Sadly, Covid-19 ultimately had other ideas.
Highlights of the Razzies’ 43-year history include Halle Berry showing up at the 2005 ceremony at Hollywood’s Ivar Theatre to collect her Worst Actress Award for Catwoman. She had her Monster’s Ball (2001) Oscar in hand, and an expletive-laden tirade at the film’s producers in mouth as she did so.
Berry isn’t alone in embracing the Raspberry. Paul Verhoeven (Worst Movie — Showgirls) and Sandra Bullock are also notable Razzie attendees. Bullock gamely accepted her 2010 Worst Actress Award for All About Steve saying: "I didn't realise that, in Hollywood, all you had to do was say you'd show up, and then you'd get the award. If I'd known that, I would have said I was appearing at the Oscars a long time ago."
Not everyone has been such a good sport. Sylvester Stallone is one of the Razzies' most frequent targets with 18 nominations in total. The Rambo actor has never confirmed that it was him, but “someone who sounded like him” left a far-from-pleased message on Wilson’s answerphone after the 2000 nomination for Worst Actor of the 1990s.
Postal director Uwe Boll, meanwhile, was far from complimentary towards Wilson in his acceptance video for 2019’s Worst Career lifetime achievement award.
And so to this year’s shortlist of flops. It’s probably no surprise to find Sony’s Marvel misfire Morbius and Disney's Pinocchio included, alongside Andrew Dominik's rather more divisive Blonde. Others include Blacklight, in which Liam Neeson channels the spirit of Liam Neeson, yet again with dramatically diminishing returns, and Disney's family comedy dud Cheaper by the Dozen.
In a rare democratic break with awards tradition, over the winter, the Razzies’ board allowed voters — about 650 people comprised of industry figures, previous winners, press and subscribers who have applied to join the jury — not only to consider the longlist, but also to suggest turkeys that may have been overlooked, or ideas for special categories on top of the annual awards such as Worst Actor and Worst On-Screen Combo.
Previous special categories included Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property (awarded twice, to Con Air in 1997 and Rambo: Last Blood in 2019) and the All Concept No Content Award for Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie, bestowed upon The Cat in the Hat in 2003.
Now that the shortlist is out of the way, all that remains is the final winners ceremony on March 11. While most eyes will be fixed on the interminable build-up of Baftas, Sag Awards and so forth to predict what films may triumph at the Oscars on March 12, there’s surely more fun to be had keeping tabs on the Razzies to predict what won’t.
Scroll through images of this year's Oscars Best Picture nominees below
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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Honeymoonish
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
SPECS
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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%3Cp%3E-%20US%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20435%20members%20make%20up%20the%20House%2C%20and%20100%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20party%20needs%20control%20of%20218%20seats%20to%20have%20a%20majority%20in%20the%20House%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20Senate%2C%20a%20party%20needs%20to%20hold%2051%20seats%20for%20control%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20event%20of%20a%2050-50%20split%2C%20the%20vice%20president's%20party%20retains%20power%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.