Golden Raspberry Awards
Encyclopedia
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist
John J.B. Wilson
in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles
precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term raspberry in the name is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry
". The awards themselves typically cost $4.97 each, in the form of a "golfball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film
reel, the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
The first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was held on March 31, 1981, at John Wilson's living room alcove in Los Angeles
to honor the worst in film of the 1980 film season
. The most recent ceremony
, honoring film in 2010
was held at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood on February 26, 2011.
John J.B. Wilson
traditionally held potluck
dinner parties at his house in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards
had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to formalize the event, after watching a double feature of Can't Stop the Music
and Xanadu
. He gave them ballots to vote on worst in film. Wilson stood at a podium made of cardboard in a tacky tuxedo, with a foam ball attached to a broomstick as a fake microphone, and announced Can't Stop the Music as the first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture. The impromptu ceremony was a success, and the following week a press release about his event released by Wilson was picked up by a few local newspapers, including a mention in the Los Angeles Daily News
with the headline: "Take These Envelopes, Please".
Approximately three dozen people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had double the attendance as the first, and the 3rd awards ceremony had double this number. By the 4th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, CNN
and two major wire services covered the event. Wilson realized that by scheduling the Golden Raspberry Awards prior to the Academy Awards, the ceremony would get more press coverage: "We finally figured out you couldn't compete with the Oscars on Oscar night, but if you went the night before, when the press from all over the world are here and they are looking for something to do, it could well catch on," he said to BBC News
.
". Wilson commented to the author of Blame It on the Dog: "When I registered the term with the Library of Congress in 1980, they asked me, 'Why raspberry? What's the significance of that?' But since then, razz has pretty much permeated the culture. We couldn't have done it without Hollywood's help." Wilson is referred to as "Ye Olde Head Razzberry".
in 2009, award results were based on votes from approximately 650 journalists, cinema fans, and professionals from the film industry. Voters hailed from 45 states in the United States and 19 other countries.
The ceremony, typically held one day before the Academy Awards, is modelled after the latter but "deliberately low-end and tacky".
Retired
, Linda Blair
, Irwin Allen
, "Bruce the Rubber Shark" from Jaws and director Uwe Boll
who received his for his achievement as "Germany's answer to Ed Wood". Sylvester Stallone
is planned to receive one in the near future.
.
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
John J.B. Wilson
John J.B. Wilson
John J. B. Wilson is an American copywriter and publicist. He was born in Chicago, and moved with his parents to Santa Monica, California at an early age...
in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term raspberry in the name is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
". The awards themselves typically cost $4.97 each, in the form of a "golfball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format....
reel, the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
The first Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was held on March 31, 1981, at John Wilson's living room alcove in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to honor the worst in film of the 1980 film season
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
. The most recent ceremony
31st Golden Raspberry Awards
The 31st Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies is a parodic award ceremony that was held on February 26, 2011, at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood to honor the worst films of 2010. The nominations were announced on January 24. Per Razzies tradition, both the nominee announcements and...
, honoring film in 2010
2010 in film
The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
was held at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood on February 26, 2011.
Foundation
American copywriter and publicistPublicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
John J.B. Wilson
John J.B. Wilson
John J. B. Wilson is an American copywriter and publicist. He was born in Chicago, and moved with his parents to Santa Monica, California at an early age...
traditionally held potluck
Potluck
A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food prepared by the person or the group of people, to be shared among the group...
dinner parties at his house in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards
53rd Academy Awards
The 53rd Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1980, were presented March 31, 1981, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies, which were presided over by Johnny Carson, were originally scheduled for the previous day but were postponed due to the assassination attempt...
had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to formalize the event, after watching a double feature of Can't Stop the Music
Can't Stop the Music
Can't Stop the Music is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. It is a pseudo-biography of disco's Village People which bears only a vague resemblance to the actual story of the group's formation...
and Xanadu
Xanadu (film)
Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
. He gave them ballots to vote on worst in film. Wilson stood at a podium made of cardboard in a tacky tuxedo, with a foam ball attached to a broomstick as a fake microphone, and announced Can't Stop the Music as the first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture. The impromptu ceremony was a success, and the following week a press release about his event released by Wilson was picked up by a few local newspapers, including a mention in the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
with the headline: "Take These Envelopes, Please".
Approximately three dozen people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. The 2nd Golden Raspberry Awards had double the attendance as the first, and the 3rd awards ceremony had double this number. By the 4th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and two major wire services covered the event. Wilson realized that by scheduling the Golden Raspberry Awards prior to the Academy Awards, the ceremony would get more press coverage: "We finally figured out you couldn't compete with the Oscars on Oscar night, but if you went the night before, when the press from all over the world are here and they are looking for something to do, it could well catch on," he said to BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
.
Name
The term raspberry is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberryBlowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
". Wilson commented to the author of Blame It on the Dog: "When I registered the term with the Library of Congress in 1980, they asked me, 'Why raspberry? What's the significance of that?' But since then, razz has pretty much permeated the culture. We couldn't have done it without Hollywood's help." Wilson is referred to as "Ye Olde Head Razzberry".
Awarding process
Paid members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation vote to determine the winners; individuals may become members of the foundation by visiting the organization's website at www.razzies.com. For the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards29th Golden Raspberry Awards
The 29th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was held by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation to "honor" the worst films of 2008 on February 21, 2009 at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood, California. Nominations were announced on January 21, 2009; The Love Guru was the most nominated film...
in 2009, award results were based on votes from approximately 650 journalists, cinema fans, and professionals from the film industry. Voters hailed from 45 states in the United States and 19 other countries.
Ceremony
Categories
Current Awards- Worst Actor: 1980 to present
- Worst Actress: 1980 to present
- Worst Supporting Actor: 1980 to present
- Worst Supporting Actress: 1980 to present
- Worst Screen Couple/Worst Screen Ensemble: 1994 to present
- Worst Screenplay: 1980 to present
- Worst Director: 1980 to present
- Worst Picture: 1980 to present
- Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel: 1994 to present
Retired
- Worst Original Song: 1980 to 1999, 2002
- Worst New Star: 1981 to 1988, 1990 to 1998
- Worst Musical ScoreGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Musical ScoreThe Razzie Award for Worst Musical Score was an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst score composed for a film in the previous year. The following is a list of recipients and nominees of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated...
: 1981 to 1985 - Worst Visual Effects: 1986 to 1987
Special categories
Special categories have also been introduced for specific years. Such special awards include Worst Screenplay Grossing Over $100 Million (1996), Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property (1997), Worst Movie Trends of the Year (1998), Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie (2002), Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content!) (2003), Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets (2005), Worst Excuse For Family Entertainment (2006), Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie (2007), and Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D (2010).Other types of awards
Over the years, the Golden Raspberry Awards have awarded special awards next to the actual Razzie Awards as well.Worst Career Achievement Award
This award has been given only five times, in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, and 2009 to Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Linda Blair
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
, Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen was a television and film director and producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. He was also notable for creating a number of television series.- Biography :...
, "Bruce the Rubber Shark" from Jaws and director Uwe Boll
Uwe Boll
Uwe Boll is a German director, producer and screenwriter, whose work includes several films adapted from video games. He finances his own films through his Boll KG production company. He is often cited as the worst director of all time.-Early life:...
who received his for his achievement as "Germany's answer to Ed Wood". Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
is planned to receive one in the near future.
Governor's Award
This is a special award given by Razzie Award Governor John Wilson to an individual whose achievements are not covered by the Razzie's other categories. It was awarded in 2003 to Travis Payne for "Distinguished Under-Achievement in Choreography" in the film From Justin to KellyFrom Justin to Kelly
From Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the first season of American Idol...
.
See also
- Academy Award
- Bad Sex in Fiction Award
- Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the YearBookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the YearThe Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair, commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to the book with the oddest title...
for odd book titles - Ig Nobel PrizeIg Nobel PrizeThe Ig Nobel Prizes are an American parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early October for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. The stated aim of the prizes is to "first make people laugh, and then make them think"...
s for questionable scientific achievements - List of films considered the worst
- List of people who have accepted Golden Raspberry Awards
- Stella AwardStella AwardThe Stella Awards are awards given to people who file outrageous and frivolous lawsuits, named after Stella Liebeck who, in 1992, ordered a cup of McDonald's coffee at a drive thru, took off the lid and put it in between her knees while sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson's car. The ...
s for outrageous lawsuits - Stinkers Bad Movie AwardsStinkers Bad Movie AwardsThe Bad Cinema Society was a Los Angeles-based group of film buffs and movie critics devoted to honoring the worst films ever made....
- The Golden Turkey AwardsThe Golden Turkey AwardsThe Golden Turkey Awards is a 1980 book by film critic Michael Medved and his brother Harry Medved.The book awards the fictional "Golden Turkey Awards" to films judged by the authors as poor in quality, and to directors and actors judged to have created a chronically inept body of work...
External links
- Golden Raspberry Official Website
- Razzie Awards page on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Razzie channel on YouTube