Which movies were directly responsible for creating the Razzies?
For many film fans, the Razzies are akin to the Golden Globes, a meaningless yet entertaining awards sideshow to celebrate the silliness of cinema without all the ostentation of the Oscars.
Instead of purporting to highlight the best films of the year, however, the Razzies (more formally known as the ‘Golden Raspberries’), sets out very deliberately to highlight the worst. Don’t think of it as a condescending slap on the wrist, though. It’s more of a playful ‘Wtf were you thinking?’ for all the movie stars and filmmakers who plunge headfirst into projects that they surely knew were turkeys.
Over the years, the Razzies have become an institution unto themselves. Some actors have even taken it upon themselves to accept their awards in person, a valiant show of humility and good humour that almost makes up for whatever performance they’re getting roasted for. Halle Berry made the most headlines for this when she accepted her Razzie for Catwoman while brandishing her Oscar for Monster’s Ball. Giving a variation on her Oscars acceptance speech, she said, “Thank you so much. I never in my life thought I would be up here.”
One year, Tom Green, who was accepting the award for ‘Worst Actor’ for Freddie Got Fingered, had to be hauled off stage because he wouldn’t stop playing the harmonica. The producers had to surround him in an antagonistic group hug to usher him away. It was a lighthearted gesture in a lighthearted ceremony, but Green was none too pleased about having his moment of performative good sportsmanship undercut.
Although they are seen as the flipside of the Oscars, the Razzies haven’t been around nearly as long. They began in 1981 after film school graduate John Wilson had an infuriating trip to the movies. He had gone to see a double bill of the musicals Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly (in his last role) and Can’t Stop the Music, starring the Village People, and he was so appalled with their quality that he asked for his money back. Admission was 99 cents, but the theatre refused to give him a single cent. “It really made me mad,” he recalled in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “On the drive home, I kept thinking about all the bad movies I’d seen that year.”
He decided to hold an awards ceremony. It was extremely informal at first. In fact, it was basically just a dinner party at his house. But over time, it caught on. These days, it is held the night before the Oscars and claims a voting body of more than 1,128. That doesn’t make it more objective, though. You can become a voting member for the low fee of $40, no cinematic experience necessary.
Who has won the most Razzies?
It’s a tight competition at the top. Adam Sandler is a repeat offender, having won three times from 15 nominations. He even won the award for ‘Worst Actor’ twice in one year for Jack and Jill and Just Go with It. Madonna has only been nominated six times but beats Sandler with five awards.
However, the person who takes the cake for the most Razzies ever is Sylvester Stallone. Out of 21 nominations (and counting, presumably), he’s won 12 awards. Like Sandler, one of those awards was for two performances – Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV. He was even nominated three times in 2013, though he lost to Jaden Smith for After Earth.
It’s important to note that the Razzies have very little credibility, even when it comes to choosing terrible films. It’s made some pretty questionable choices over the years, including nominating Stanley Kubrick for The Shining. By comparison, it makes the Oscars look like a perfect science.
