Pre-emptive Oscar strike?

In anticipation of tomorrow's release of this year's Oscar nominations, I was caught off guard by the release of this year's Razzie nominations this afternoon! I actually thought they came out after the Oscar nominations were released, so it's possible the Razzies made a pre-emptive strike on the Oscars this year. For those who are unfamiliar with the Razzies, they honor the worst in the year's motion picture industry, giving out awards for worst actor, worst director, worst picture, etc. There isn't a formal ceremony per se, though some nominees have actually shown up to receive their awards! (**cough cough** Halle Berry)

So far the list of nominees makes sense, though I must confess, some of this year's nominations surprised me! So here's my take on the main ones, along with my predictions.

Worst Picture: Out of all those listed, the only one I've seen is Lady in the Water, and I have to agree—it was something of a letdown. Even though I thought it showed some of M. Night Shyamalan's best work in terms of style and camera, the story itself I found garbled and confusing. (I guess fairy tales just aren't his forte.) And the moment I saw the trailer for Little Man, I knew that there was no way in hell I would see that movie. The very thought of a miniature Wayans in a baby outfit damn near turned my stomach—for in principle, that's just wrong. And for a while, part of me was afraid that Miami Vice would be razzed, because as a fan of director Michael Mann, I would consider it a great dishonor for one of his films to be razzed.

Prediction: Little Man

Worst Actor: I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I would have included Tom Hanks on this list, because I thought he was seriously miscast in The Da Vinci Code, and left the role of Robert Langdon very lacking. As for the actors actually nominated, I haven't seen any of these films—though for all I know, that may be a good thing!

Prediction: Wayans brothers

Worst Actress: Okay, I'm getting a huge laugh out of the fact that both the Duff sisters, Jessica Simpson, and Lindsey Lohan are getting razzed. Imagine that—pop culture teen icons getting called out as the bad actresses they really are! It restores my faith in justice. Apparently Sharon Stone's not gettin' any love, either, for reprising her famous role in Basic Instinct 2. I guess the lesson to be learned here is the crotch shot seen 'round the world only works when you're young and sexy?

Prediction: Sharon Stone

Worst Supporting Actor: At the same time, Shyamalan's nomination does and doesn't surprise me. The whole director's cameo thing isn't as groundbreaking as it was when Alfred Hitchcock did it, so I get the feeling that his nomination is more a reaction to his ego than it is to his acting abilities—and when I say ego, I don't mean his labeling himself "the new Spielberg". I mean the presumption that his audiences will swallow a fairy tales that's too complicated.

Prediction: M. Night Shyamalan

Worst Supporting Actress: I would have included Bryce Dallas Howard on this list, for her turn as the mystical girl from Lady in the Water just didn't make sense to me, and I found her acting questionable, at best.

Prediction: Kate Bosworth

Worst Director: Now this genuinely surprised me! I thought The Da Vinci Code was quite a well-done adaptation from the book, so I'm surprised to find Ron Howard being razzed for this. Maybe it's fallen victim to the general displeasure of having Ron Howard adapt this, but whatever the case, I don't agree with the call. As to Shyamalan and the Wayans, those nominations I'll agree with, for both movies we could easily have done without. And again, I'm very greatful that Michael Mann wasn't razzed for directing Miami Vice.

Prediction: Keenan Ivory Wayans

Worst Remake or Rip-Off: It honestly never occurred to me that Little Man came from a Bugs Bunny cartoon! I know exactly the cartoon, too! It's a classic. But more to the point, I see that Steve Martin's remake of The Pink Panther is getting razzed. I should state this up front—I haven't seen the remake, but the very thought of trying to remake the indomitable Inspector Clouseau, so immortally personified by the legendary Peter Sellers . . . the bar is just too high. Haven't seen Posiedon, but I saw the original, and save for the tidal wave that capsized the ship, the original wasn't much to shake a stick at, either.

Prediction: Little Man

Now that I've gotten all that out of my system, I wait with bated breath for tomorrow's announcement of Oscar nominations. I'll undoubtedly have many opinions on those as well, so stay tuned!