“Catwoman” and “Alexander” Lead Razzie Nominations

There is more to be learned through failure than there is through success. If that is so, the film world is going to learn a great deal from the 25th Annual Razzies® than from this year’s Oscars. While the fawning Hollyweird press has buried the needle on the hype-o-meter for its favorites, the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has announced its nominees for the worst in cinema this year. “Catwoman” earned seven, “Alexander” six, and a special award for the worst Razzie loser of the last 25 years awaits someone who should consider another career.

Comic books tend to make commercially successful films – the adolescent appeal brings in the teenage dollars. Superman, Batman, and Spiderman all had their cinema renditions, and the money rolled in – and Tim Burton’s “Batman” was something artistically interesting as well. But “Catwoman” started rotting with the script (which is up for worst screenplay), continued with a weak performance from Halle Berry (who chose not to use her talent, remember “Losing Isaiah,” “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” and “Monster’s Ball?”) and ended with a lame result (worst film honors). Sharon Stone, who isn’t much of an actress, didn’t help, and her worst supporting actress nomination is merited.

Meanwhile, epics of the ancient world are fertile territory both artistically and commercially (“Spartacus” and “Ben Hur" to name but two). Alexander the Great has probably the best story in the entire ancient world, or at least second to Jesus of Nazareth. But Oliver Stone couldn’t tell it. Colin Farrell couldn’t show it. And Val Kilmer (who still gets the benefit of the doubt thanks to “Real Genius” made thousands of years ago) was just too young to be Philip of Macedon. If the best use one can make of Anthony Hopkins, KBE, is a narrator (albeit Ptolemy, founder of the last Egyptian dynasty), it’s time to hang up the camera and open a restaurant.

After a quarter of a century, the Razzies have reached the point where lifetime achievement in the field of failure gets recognition. Nominations for Worst Razzie Loser of the Last 25 Years went to those with the largest number of Razzie nominations without a “win.” Nominees in this category are, in alphabetical order by surname (as opposed to sheer awfulness of performance): Kim Basinger (with 6 nominations total), Angelina Jolie (with 7, which includes 2 for 2004), Ryan O’Neal (who has 6), Keanu Reeves (who somehow got 7 nominations without winning), and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (8 nominations, including a nod this year for “Around the World in 80 Days.”)

Special mention goes to George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld for their work in “Fahrenheit 9/11." Mr. Bush gets a worst actor nomination for portraying himself during a national crisis. Dr. Rice, who played an unconvincing role as a foreign policy expert in Michael Moore’s film, is pitted against Carmen Electra (“Starsky & Hutch”), Jennifer Lopez (“Jersey Girl”), Britney Spears (“Fahrenheit 9/11”) and the previously mentioned Sharon Stone (“Catwoman”). Field Marshal von Rumsfeld’s weak performance as a military planner in “9/11” stacks him up against Messrs. Kilmer and Schwarzenegger as well as Jon Voight (“Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2”) and Lambert Wilson (“Catwoman”). One hopes they get better treatment from the Razzie crew than they will from the Nobel Committee.

© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.

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