The Razzie winners are out!

Just in time for the Oscar ceremony tonight, the Golden Raspberry Foundation has released its list of winners for worst films of 2008. I make predictions for this like I do with the Oscars each year, so let's go down the list of winners and see how I fared with my picks.

Worst Picture: The Love Guru (picked it!)

Worst Actor: Mike Myers in The Love Guru (picked it!)

Worst Actress: Paris Hilton for The Hottie & The Nottie (picked it!)

Worst Supporting Actor: Pierce Brosnan for Mamma Mia! (I had picked Uwe Boll, since he seemed to be getting a lot of love from the Razzie folk)

Worst Supporting Actress: Paris Hilton for Repo: The Genetic Opera (picked it!)

Worst Screen Couple: Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore for The Hottie & The Nottie (I had picked Uwe Boll and any combination thereto)

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (I had picked Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Worst Director: Uwe Boll for 1968: Tunnel Rats, In The Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, and Postal (I had predicted a tie between Uwe Boll and M. Night Shyamalan, so maybe I'll give myself half a point here)

Worst Screenplay: Mike Myers and Graham Gordy for The Love Guru (I'd predicted M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening)

And let's not forget Uwe Boll's Worst Career Achievement award! Apparently this is the first award given in this category since 1987, when it was awarded to "Bruce", the shark from the Jaws sequels.

Which makes my score 4.5 out of 9. I have to say, I'm really saddened by the win for Indy 4. I know it wasn't on the level of Raiders, but be realistic: it's 20-some years later, and you're not going to capture the luster and magic of the first three films. Besides, it was light years better than (and nowhere near as pretentious as!) the Star Wars prequels.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't be surprised by Pierce Brosnan's win. I had heard his singing in Mamma Mia! was atrocious, and apparently the Razzies agreed with that assessment. And while I'm pleased that Paris Hilton is again exposed as the talentless non-actress, spotlight hog, and utterly pointless media sensation that she is, I'm a little disappointed that The Happening didn't come away with a win or two here. Because The Happening easily has to be Shyamalan's worst film, and I think this should be a wake-up call to the director to revisit his filmography and assess just where he went wrong.

Well, now that we've crowned the worst films of the year, let us move onto the best films of the year! :) Less than 12 hours to Oscar time, baby!!!

The Razzie nominations are out!

With all the buildup to yesterday's inauguration, I almost forgot about the Razzie and Oscar nominations being released (today and tomorrow, respectively)!

As I've stated in previous years, the Razzie Awards are kind of like a reverse Oscar, rewarding the worst films of the year rather than the best. I often get a kick out of these nominations, because some films truly are bad, and fully deserve being called out.

Anyway, onto the examination of this year's nominees!

Worst Picture: From this list, the only film I've seen is The Happening, and as much as I like M. Night Shyamalan's early films, The Happening was definitely not happening. I had been hoping for a comeback from Lady in the Water, but alas, this was not it.

Prediction: The Love Guru

Worst Actor: Again, from this list, I've only seen Mark Wahlberg in The Happening. Perennial favorite Eddie Murphy is back again with a nomination for Meet Dave, which is kinda saddening, because I still think he gets a bad rap from Hollywood. Al Pacino's nomination surprised me, actually, because I've always thought him to be a great actor. Though I haven't seen Righteous Kill yet, so I can't judge his performance.

Prediction: Mike Myers for The Love Guru

Worst Actress: See, now I'm very surprised that Zooey Deschanel didn't get a nomination for The Happening, because she looked completely lost throughout the whole film (not to mention bug-eyed!).

Prediction: Paris Hilton for The Hottie and the Nottie

Worst Supporting Actor: I haven't seen any of these films, though I've heard that Pierce Brosnan was a terrible singer in Mamma Mia! I'm actually a little surprised that James Cromwell wasn't nominated for W., because he struck me as being greatly miscast as Papa Bush.

Prediction: Uwe Boll, for reasons which will become obvious below

Worst Supporting Actress: Again, didn't see any of these films. Yet between Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, and Jenny McCarthy, I can't help but notice a trend here!

Prediction: Paris Hilton for Repo

Worst Screen Couple: I'm surprised again that we didn't have a nomination from The Happening, for Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel.

Prediction: Uwe Boll & ANY Actor, Camera or Screenplay

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: I was actually disappointed to see Indy 4 listed as a nominee. Yes, it wasn't anywhere near the scale of Raiders, but it was still a fun movie experience!

Prediction: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Worst Director: It looks like the list of directors almost perfectly matches up with the nominations for Worst Picture.

Prediction: I think this could possibly be a tie, between Uwe Boll for Postal and M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening

Worst Screenplay: Again, an almost exact match between Worst Picture and Worst Director nominees.

Prediction: M. Night Shyamalan for The Happening

Worst Career Achievement: There's only one nomination! And it's for Uwe Boll, who's being dubbed "Germany’s Answer to Ed Wood." Ouch!!! (Does that mean Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are going to make a movie about him, too?)

And the Razzie winners are . . .

I was surprised this afternoon to see the winners announced for the annual Razzie (Golden Raspberry) Awards. I had actually thought they were announced the day after the Oscars rather than before, but I'll take it either way. :)

I made predictions late last month on the winners, so let's see how well I fared in this year's contest. (Last year, I think I scored a bit better than half.)

Worst Picture: I Know Who Killed Me (I predicted Norbit)

Worst Actor: Eddie Murphy for Norbit (I predicted Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Daddy Day Camp)

Worst Actress: Lindsay Lohan for I Know Who Killed Me (picked it!)

Worst Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy for Norbit (picked it!)

Worst Supporting Actress: Eddie Murphy for Norbit (Ooh, didn't see that one coming. I'd predicted Jessica Biel for I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry)

Worst Director: Chris Siverston for I Know Who Killed Me (picked it!)

Worst Screen Couple: Lindsay Lohan and Lindsay Lohan (picked it!)

Worst Remake or Rip-off: I Know Who Killed Me (I picked it!)

Worst Prequel or Sequel: Daddy Day Camp (Doh!!! I'd gone with Alien vs. Predator, mainly because classic-bad-guy vs. classic-bad-guy movies have become rather old.)

Worst Screenplay: Jeffrey Hammond for I Know Who Killed Me (I'd predicted Epic Movie)

Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie: I Know Who Killed Me (Again, I went for Alien vs. Predator)

So that's 5 out of 11. Good thing I'm not a gambling man!

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting such hate for Eddie Murphy. Lindsay Lohan, yes (and justifiably so), but I kinda think Hollywood has been a bit unfair towards Murphy. I agree, his acting choices of late have been rather questionable, but I still think he's proven himself to be a good and worthy actor. His choice of versatility in his roles stretches all the way back to Coming to America, which showcased him in quite a few eclectic roles (to say the least). Though I think his moving over to family movies during the '90s wasn't such a good move, because his comedic talents have thus been underutilized. Me, I still fondly remember Murphy from such films as 48 HRS., Beverly Hills Cop, The Golden Child, and even his most recent dramatic role in Dreamgirls, for which he was rightfully Oscar-nominated. My hope is that one day Eddie Murphy can one day overcome the stigma that Hollywood has branded him with, and at the same time, choose some roles that truly show how good an actor he is.

The Razzie nominations have been announced

At least there's one awards ceremony that isn't hanging on the outcome of the writers strike: the Golden Raspberry Awards, aka The Razzies, which celebrate the worst films of the year. I often get a kick out of these awards—not only because they provide a comedic counterpoint to the Oscars, but more often than not, they're accurate, because some movies are just so bad that they never should have been made in the first place (Godfather III, I'm looking in your direction!). And this year's acting nominations seem to focus all around the same people: Eddie Murphy, Lindsay Lohan, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Worst Picture: I must admit, I haven't seen any of these films, though I'm surprised by I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Well, maybe I shouldn't be surprised, because Adam Sandler seems to have been a Razzie favorite over the years. But Norbit and Daddy Day Camp don't necessarily surprise me.

Prediction: Norbit, since Eddie Murphy films seem to be a Razzie favorite, too.

Worst Actor: I think the only one that surprises me is Nicholas Cage's nomination. He's actually getting nominations for three films, one of which is the National Treasure sequel. I haven't actually seen that film yet, but it's rather good from what I hear. So I guess that's why I'm puzzled by Nick Cage getting razzed for that film (though I haven't seen Text or Ghost Rider, the other two films he's getting razzed for). As to Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Eddie Murphy, these two seem to be heavy Razzie favorites. I must admit, I often think Hollywood has been unfair to these guys, because I think they're both good actors—but at the same time, I have to question their choices of roles over the years, because I know these guys can do better. Frankly, I think films like Norbit, The Nutty Professor, and going all the way back to Coming to America show quite the opposite about Eddie Murphy—which is to say, I think it shows just how good an actor he is, because of the great variety of character roles he can jump into with surprising believability.

Prediction: Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Daddy Day Camp

Worst Actress: This lineup actually surprises me the most, because of two actresses who landed in this category: Diane Keaton and Elisa Cuthbert. I have enormous respect for Diane Keaton, and consider her one of the finest actresses of our time. I haven't seen Annie Hall yet, for which she won an Oscar, but her work on The Godfather Duet and Reds was nothing short of stunning. (Plus, she wasn't a bad-looking woman when she was younger, either!) So for someone like her to get razzed . . . it's just hard to fathom that she'd do a bad acting job, I guess. As for Elisa Cuthbert, again, I think she's a fine actress (and I'm sure Colby will agree with me when I say she ain't that bad-looking, either!), and I have a lot of respect for her. So again, it's hard to fathom her choosing a bad role. Jessica Alba and Lindsay Lohan, on the other hand . . . To be perfectly honest, I never thought Jessica Alba served much of a purpose in Hollywood, other than eye-candy. And Lindsay Lohan's nomination just speaks for itself.

Prediction: Lindsay Lohan, heavy favorite; though Diane Keaton might score an upset!

Worst Supporting Actor: We find Eddie Murphy in this lineup, too, along with Rob Schneider—who, I have to say, might need to strike out on his own again, because serving as Adam Sandler's bitch has run its course (which is to say, Rob Schneider has a bit role in damn near ever Adam Sandler movie, and it's just gotten old). Orlando Bloom scored a nomination for what I'm guessing is a spoof on the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which I honestly hadn't even been aware of. Jon Voight made it into the lineup as well, and he's another actor that surprises me to be here, because like Diane Keaton, Voight has shown his great acting abilities over the years to surprising effect. One of his nominations is for September Dawn, which is actually the opposite of what I had envisioned. When I had seen the trailers for that film a long time ago, Voight had actually struck me as being very strong and commanding. I guess some didn't agree with me.

Prediction: Eddie Murphy for Norbit

Worst Supporting Actress: Eddie Murphy made it into this category as well! Along with Jessica Biel. I guess the Razzies really dislike like Eddie Murphy more than I thought.

Prediction: Jessica Biel for I Now Pronouce You Chuck & Larry

Worst Screen Couple: The whole main cast of Chuck & Larry, along with an intriguing array of identical couples—i.e., Lindsay Lohan with Lindsay Lohan (her two characters paired up, I guess), and Eddie Murphy with Eddie Murphy (any of his own characters paired up).

Prediction: Lindsay Lohan with Lindsay Lohan

Worst Remake or Ripoff: Not having seen any of these nominated movies, I really can't say what's a genuine ripoff or not—though I do recognize some of the movies named as being ripped off.

Prediction: I Know Who Killed Me

Worst Prequel or Sequel: Now we get into the real nitty-gritty, for a couple of these I agree 100% with: Hannibal Rising (Silence of the Lambs was quite good, Hannibal was okay, and now the series needs to be laid to rest), Evan Almighty (strikes me as a vehicle for Steve Carrell, and not much else), and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (in one word, why???).

Prediction: Aliens vs. Predator

Worst Director: Out of all these directors, only one name stands out: Fred Savage! The former Wonder Years star directed Daddy Day Care. I didn't even know he'd ever stepped behind the camera!!!

Prediction: Chris Siverston for I Know Who Killed Me

Worst Screenplay: A lot of the same nominations as the acting and picture awards, really.

Prediction: Epic Movie

Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie: Advertised as a new category, presumably because a lot of horror movies were released last year, many of these films garnered lots of other Razzie nominations, like I Know Who Killed Me, Hannibal, and AvP.

Prediction: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

If I remember correctly, the winners are announced the day after the Oscar ceremony, so we'll have to wait till then to see if my predictions hold up. Last year, I think I got 5 out of my 8 predictions. I wonder, too, if any of the actors/actresses will show up to receive their awards!!! Like Tom Green and Halle Berry did several years back.

The Razzies are in!

Now that the Oscar hangover has started to subside, let us turn our focus to another award show: the Razzies! As a perfect prelude to last night's Oscars, this year's Razzie awards were released on Saturday night. I made some predictions when the formal list came out, and out of the 7 that I predicted, I came away with a score of 4. The results are as follows:

• Worst Picture: Basic Instinct 2 (I had predicted Little Man; score of 0 out of 7 for me)

• Worst Actor(s): Marlon Wayans & Shawn Wayans (spot-on pick; 1 out of 7)

• Worst Actress: Sharon Stone (2 out of 7)

• Worst Supporting Actor: M. Night Shyamalan (3 out of 7)

• Worst Supporting Actress: Carmen Electra (I had picked Kate Bosworth)

• Worst Director: M. Night Shyamalan (I had picked Keenan Ivory Wayans; and let me also say, I'm glad Ron Howard didn't win, for I still don't understand why he was razzed for The Da Vinci Code)

• Worst Remake Or Rip-off: Little Man (4 out of 7)

The rest of the results are below, even though I didn't make predictions for any of these categories.

• Worst Screen Couple: Shawn Wayans and either Kerry Washington or Marlon Wayans

• Worst Prequel or Sequel: Basic Instinct 2

• Worst Screenplay: Basic Instinct 2

• Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment: RV

And there we have it, ladies and germs—the Oscars and the Razzies. The best and the worst of this year's cinematic entries, respectively.

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!

I missed the Golden Globes

. . . and to be honest, I'm not that broken up about it. I honestly didn't even know they were happening until I went onto IMDb last night and saw some of the results posted.

I've only become interested in a few of the awards ceremonies in the last few years, and so far it only extends unto the Oscars and the Razzies. In a strange way, I find it comical to compare the two extremes against each other, because with the Oscars you have the best of the best, whereas with the Razzies you have the worst of the worst—and I think we've all seen our fair share of both.

I've almost lost track of time, but I think the Oscar listings are coming out in the next week or so, and I decided that on Oscar night, I'm going to make a respectable attempt at live blogging. I want to wait until the nominees list comes out, though, before I say more, because I know I'll have a few strong opinions about who's getting nominated for what.