The reason I started writing this list is simple. You know the movie Norbit? One of the 5 billion late 90s-early 2000s movies where Eddie Murphy plays a bunch of different characters? (Thank god that era is over, that's all I have to say.)
In this movie, Eddie Murphy plays 3 roles: the main character Norbit; Norbit's overweight, evil wife; and some orphanage owner. Like all the other terrible comedies of those days, Norbit was really fucking bad, got a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was nominated for SEVEN Golden Raspberry awards (if you're not familiar, they're the Oscars for shitty movies). But... and this is gonna blow your mind... it was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup. And yes, I am 100% serious. (It did not win.)
I was so intrigued to learn that Norbit was nominated for both 9 Razzies and an Oscar. I mean, this isn't a Sandra Bullock situation where she showed up to collect her Razzie a day before she won her Oscar. Sandra Bullock is a great actress who just happened to be in a shitty movie. Actors can be in both shitty movies and good ones, and their performances can vary, but shitty movies are just shitty movies.
It should probably be illegal for a movie to be nominated for both Razzies and Oscars, and I don't CARE how good the makeup was. (By the way, if I ever did a separate list about actors who got both Razzies and Oscars, I promise to start off with Eddie Redmayne, who gave us all an extraordinary gift in 2015, and no, I am NOT talking about The Theory of Everything.)
So anyway, I was so intrigued by Norbit that I decided to find out if there are any other movies that got both Oscar and Razzie nods. And I discovered there are a few. (I also discovered that if a movie was nominated for a Razzie, there's like a 65% chance it was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award. Hmm. Maybe teens have bad taste? Who knew.)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad, like every other DCEU film so far except for Wonder Woman, pissed a lot of people off and divided the whole movie-watching world. Some felt it was good, some felt it was terrible. And a good indicator of this split is the fact that Suicide Squad was, indeed, nominated for both an Oscar and some Razzies.
At the Razzies, it was nominated for Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor (Jared Leto, who I honestly think it's unfair to nominate, since he was in the movie for all of 10 minutes). And the cherry on the sundae: Suicide Squad lost both Razzies to Batman v. Superman (the Worst Actor award went to Jesse Eisenberg). Which is hilarious. The DCEU really is a goddamn disaster.
At the Oscars, Suicide Squad was up for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. And, having seen Suicide Squad, I honest to god cannot understand where this nomination came from. But it WON. Yes, that's right, Suicide Squad won an Oscar. If you weren't aware of this fact until now, I'm sorry to be the one who told you. Also, it won against Star Trek Beyond, which is pretty insulting to anyone with eyes.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✓
The Lone Ranger (2013)
When the 2013 Johnny Depp/Armie Hammer reboot of The Lone Ranger is brought up, your first thought would probably be, "Oh yeah, that disaster of a movie that totally bombed!" It probably wouldn't shock you to learn that this terrible movie was nominated for 5 Razzies (and won one, for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel). But it probably WOULD surprise you to learn that The Lone Ranger also got some Oscar love. It damn well surprised me.
At the Oscars of 2013, this movie got nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It won neither, losing to Gravity and Dallas Buyers Club, respectively. And just imagine the uproar if it HAD won. Much like Jared Leto got flack for winning an Oscar for playing a trans woman in Dallas Buyers Club despite not being a trans woman, so too would Johnny Depp have gotten flack for winning an Oscar (by proxy) for playing a Native American character despite being, like, only 1/150th Cherokee or whatever he is. But thank god, The Lone Ranger won nothing and faded away into obscurity, so we didn't have to live through that hypothetical controversy.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✓
Transformers franchise (2007 - present)
As we all know, the first Transformers wasn't even that bad. It was actually kind of fun and cool. And then the awful 2nd one came along, and we all realized that Michael Bay had become too powerful and could not be stopped. And to this day, we're still suffering.
Anyhow, this franchise has both Oscars and Razzies under its belt. The first and third movies were both nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. The 2nd movie was only nominated for Sound Mixing, and the 4th and 5th ones weren't nominated for anything. The franchise didn't win any of its nominations. (And yes, that's right, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was up for an Oscar.)
Shockingly to no one, the franchise has swept the Razzie awards several times. The 1st movie got a nod for Worst Supporting Actor for Jon Voight. The second movie won Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay, and was nominated for a further 3 "awards." The third movie was nominated for seven awards (eight, if you count the two separate Worst Supporting Actor nominations).
The fourth movie, at which point we all realized that this franchise was gonna keep going forever and we could do nothing to stop this horrible trainwreck, was nominated for 7 Razzies and won two (Worst Director for Michael Bay and Worst Supporting Actor for Kelsey Grammar, who was also nominated in the same category for THREE OTHER MOVIES, holy shit!). As for The Last Knight, the most recent one of these monstrosities, I'm sure that when the 2018 Razzie noms are released, it'll be at the top of the list.
To break things down: three of the five Transformers movies were nominated for Oscars; 4 of the five have gotten Razzies (with the most recent one to be decided in the near future). The franchise has 7 Oscar nominations and 22 Razzie nominations under its belt, with 5 Razzie wins and 0 Oscar wins. Way to go, I guess.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✓
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
I don't think I've made my opinion on Pirates of the Caribbean known yet on this blog, so here I go. I think the first 3 movies were a good time, and after that, things went to pot. (Literally everyone else in the world would argue that the first one movie was a good time, and after THAT, things went to pot, but I'm going against the crowd here.)
Anyway, the 3rd movie in the series came out in 2007 and got 2 Oscar nominations, Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects. It lost both (and weirdly enough, it lost Visual Effects to The Golden Compass, a movie which I'm positively SHOCKED was not nominated for any Razzies). At the Razzies, At World's End was nominated for... Worst Supporting Actor for Orlando Bloom??? I can't abide this. Orlando did a perfectly decent job. I mean, at any rate he wasn't any worse than Keira Knightley. This is unfair and ridiculous.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✓
War of the Worlds (2005)
I was surprised to hear about this. War of the Worlds wasn't widely considered to be a bad movie, as far as I know. It got 3 Oscar noms (Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects) and lost all to King Kong. But it also got a Razzie nod - Worst Actor for Tom Cruise. (He didn't win, because Rob Schnieder was around.)
Which is surprising, and honestly, very puzzling. Tom Cruise probably gave one of his best performances in War of the Worlds. He usually plays the same cocky action hero, but in this movie he's compelling and sometimes outright scary as a frustrated, stressed-out father trying to keep his bratty children in check during an alien invasion. To give him a Worst Actor nomination is completely uncalled for. (Seriously, the children in War of the Worlds are the WORST. MOVIE. CHILDREN. EVER.)
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕
Batman Begins (2005)
I'm following up Tom Cruise with Katie Holmes, how funny. And yes, that's right, Batman Begins was at the Razzies. This, probably the best Batman movie ever made, was nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography at the Oscars (didn't win), and Worst Supporting Actress for Katie Holmes at the Razzies (lost to Paris Hilton in House of Wax). This may just be the best movie to ever get a Golden Raspberry nomination.
I have no opinion on Katie Holmes' performance one way or the other. However, I DO have an opinion on the fact that she passed up on coming back for The Dark Knight... so she could do some random other movie called Mad Money. I bet you she's been kicking herself ever since. (To be fair though, it's not like The Dark Knight did a whole ton for Maggie Gyllenhaal's career or anything. What has she been in since?)
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
This movie didn't get nominated for any Oscars, but I think I need to mention it anyway. Michael Moore's most well-known documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, won the Palme d'Or, which is an even higher honor than the Oscars. And it also won four Razzies.
To be fair, the Razzies weren't meant to be taken as an indicator as the movie was bad - just that its "stars" were bad people. Worst Actor went to George Bush as himself, Worst Supporting Actor was given to Donald Rumsfield as himself, Worst Supporting Actress was awarded to Britney Spears as herself (okay, this one might be serious), and Worst Screen Couple went to George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice (and/or his pet goat) as themselves. This is more of a political statement than a recognization of terrible acting.
Barring the fact that Bush did indeed suck, I don't really like this. Giving the Razzies to real people? Really? What's the point? These awards could have been given to MUCH more deserving nominees, such as Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl, J.Lo in Jersey Girl, or Ben Affleck and J.Lo as Worst Couple in Jersey Girl. (I hated Jersey Girl.) Fun fact: these Razzies were the 2nd year in a row that an Affleck/Lopez movie got tons of love at the Razzies, after Gigli killed our souls the year before. Hollywood desperately wanted us to fall in love with Bennifer in the early 2000s, and we didn't.
And with that being said, I think that when human history comes to an end, we can safely assume that Fahrenheit 9/11 will end up being the only movie of all time to get a Razzie AND the Palme d'Or.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕
Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2006)
I don't think the prequel trilogy was as bad as we all think it was. There were four horrible parts: Hayden Christensen, Jake Lloyd, Jar Jar, and George Lucas's "romantic" script. The rest was just mediocre. And to be fair, Christensen and Lloyd were just working with what Lucas gave them, which wasn't much. All three movies were nominated for Academy Awards. That being said, these movies definitely got some Razzie love. (Razzie hate?)
1999's Phantom Menace, arguably the 2nd-worst of the lot, got seven Razzie nominations - Worst Picture, Worst Director (Lucas), Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor (Jake Lloyd), Worst Supporting Actress (apparently Sofia Coppola was in this movie???), Worst Screen Couple (Jake Lloyd/Natalie Portman - agreed wholeheartedly), and Worst Supporting Actor for Jar Jar Binks' actor Ahmed Best. Jar Jar was the only "winner." At the Oscars, Phantom Menace was nominated for three awards (Best Sound Editing, Visual Effects and Sound Mixing, all of which went to The Matrix).
2003's Attack of the Clones, which is probably the worst of the prequels ("I don't like sand," anyone?), got seven nominations and won two. It won Worst Screenplay, as well as Worst Supporting Actor (for Hayden Christensen, which is weird. Supporting actor? He's the star of the movie!!). It was also nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Screen Couple, and Worst Remake or Sequel. At the Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects, and lost to the 2nd Lord of the Rings.
2005's Revenge of the Sith - which is remarkably good compared to the other two - only got one Razzie nomination, for Hayden Christensen as Worst Supporting Actor (he won). Seriously, again with the supporting??? I don't get who he's supposed to be "supporting." HE'S DARTH FUCKING VADER. But anyway. At the Oscars, it was the only Star Wars movie to ever avoid a nomination for Best Visual Effects, but did get a nomination for Best Makeup, which it lost to The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
So there you have it. An entire film trilogy of movies that were all nominated for Oscars and Razzies. Has there ever been a better indication of the divide felt by critics and fans over these lackluster prequels?
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕, ✓, ✓
Pearl Harbor (2001)
I was actually shocked and slightly offended to see that Pearl Harbor - 2001's medicore, instantly-forgettable Michael Bay movie that is only memorable because it's on TV literally every 5 seconds - got nominated for FOUR Oscars!!!! (Before I talk about the awards, I need to talk about Michael Bay directing a whole movie about one of history's biggest explosions, which is pretty funny to me. I mean, Michael Bay directing the movie. Not Pearl Harbor itself. Obviously. Anyway, I need to know when Michael Bay's Halifax Explosion will be coming out. Michael Bay's Tsar Bomba? Michael Bay's Vela Incident? Am I getting warm yet?)
Despite a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the very historically-inaccurate Pearl Harbor is one of Michael Bay's best movies. At the Oscars, it was nominated for some very typical awards that have been seen many times before on this list: Sound Editing (which it won), Best Sound, Visual Effects, and...Best Original Song??? I didn't even know Pearl Harbor HAD an original song. Why does a movie about Pearl Harbor need a song??? And apparently Celine Dion was supposed to sing it originally. Were they hoping "There You'll Be" would become Michael Bay's "My Heart Will Go On?"
This movie is super lucky Freddy Got Fingered (which won every single award it was nominated for at the Razzies) was released in the same year, or else it might have "won" more of its awards. Pearl Harbor was nominated for Worst Actor (Ben Affleck), Worst Screen Couple (Affleck and Kate Beckinsale/Josh Hartnett), Worst Screenplay, and Worst Picture. It won nothing, but again, this is probably because of Freddy Got Fingered. And by the way, every time I am forced to type the words Freddy Got Fingered, I lose 5 months of my lifespan.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
I was a little surprised to see this movie nominated for several Razzies in 2000. I mean, it's not great, but it's a perfectly passable Christmas movie, and definitely the best Dr. Seuss adaptation. (But...it's not like this movie had any huge competition for that title.)
Anyway, How the Grinch Stole Christmas won one Oscar (for Best Makeup), and was nominated for two more (Costume Design and Art Direction). However, at the Razzies it was nominated for Worst Remake or Sequel and Worst Screenplay.
And in more interesting news, did you know they are rebooting this with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch? Sadly, he will not be peforming the role in live-action makeup, because I would KILL to see that. (He probably wouldn't even need any makeup. OHHH! Roasted!!!!) The fact that Illumination are producing this reboot does not give me hope. I mean, they did The Lorax. What more is there to be said?
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕, but got a Kids' Choice Award nomination, so...?
Bicentennial Man (1999)
I haven't seen this movie in years, but for some reason I remember intensely hating it? And I have no idea why. It was about Robin Williams playing a robot who lives for a long time, a la A.I: Artificial Intelligence. It wasn't particularly well-received, but has a cult following now for some reason.
Like several other movies on this list, predictably, Bicentennial Man was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup. At the Razzies, Robin Williams was up for Worst Actor, which he lost to Adam Sandler. I need to watch this one again and find out why the hell I hated it so much the first time.
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✕
And the grand finale... Armageddon (1998)
Shockingly, Michael Bay is on this list three times. (Well, actually, seven times, if you count the Transformers franchise as 4 separate movies.) His 1998 patriotism-fest Armageddon, which starred a very weary and weathered Bruce Willis as the most casual attempted murderer that cinema has ever seen, managed to grab 4 Academy Award nominations (but win none). Three of its nominations are pretty predictable: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects, you know the drill. The fourth, however... Best Original Song??? For "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"????? WHY?????
Thank the Lord almighty, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith - the schmaltzy, porny soft-rock you probably awkwardly shuffled around to at 50 different grade school dances - did not win Best Original Song, because "When You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt won instead. And I just want to thank Stephen Schwartz for writing "When You Believe," and therefore saving pop culture from having to say, for the rest of humanity's existence, that motherfucking "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" won an Oscar. WHY WAS IT NOMINATED. WHY.
The Razzies had something to say about this INSANE nomination choice, because "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was also up for Worst Original Song at the 19th Golden Raspberries. Armageddon also garnered 7 other nominations there, which I will discuss individually.
Worst Picture: No contest there. I mean, I kind of love Armageddon and I think it's hugely entertaining, but it also SUCKS.
Worst Actor: Bruce Willis, who got the movie's sole "win." He was also nominated for sucking in two other movies: Mercury Rising and The Siege, neither of which I have ever heard of, or ever hope that I hear of again.
Worst Supporting Actress: Liv Tyler, who didn't win. And honestly, how could you nominate her? Remember how she snarled that line, "THAT IS MY FAMILY UP THERE SO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WE HOPE SO," while firmly grasping Billy Bob Thornton by the lapels of his nerd shirt??? She didn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Worst Supporting Actress. Greatest Actress of Our Generation, maybe.
Worst Screen Couple: Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. These two turned animal crackers into a sex game, while Liv Tyler's father's voice wailed in the background, like a metaphorical shotgun being cocked. Her literal father. Not her movie father. That's all I have to say.
Worst Director: Guess who?
Worst Screenplay: Apparently J.J. Abrams was involved?? Huh. This is like when I found out that James Gunn of Guardians of the Galaxy fame is also responsible for penning 2002's Scooby-Doo.
And finally - Worst Movie Trend of the Year: This is a weird award. Armageddon was up for this award because of "cross-promotional overkill." It lost to "58-year-old men wooing 28-year-old leading ladies." It's okay, Razzies, you can just say Entrapment. (What's that you say? Entrapment came out a year after these Razzies? I don't believe it.)
Nominated for a Teen Choice Award?: ✓
And that's about as far back as I'm gonna go, so there's your list! Don't be afraid to comment (and tell me if I missed any). And maybe someday, I'll write a 2nd list that goes back before 1998. So let's call this Part 1 for now.
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