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BBC News Online: Entertainment

Tuesday, 15 February, 2000, 12:20 GMT

Razzies finger film flops

Box office blockbusters Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace and Wild Wild West are in the running for the Worst Film title at this year's Golden Raspberry Foundation Awards.

Both movies - two of 1999's biggest hits - have been nominated for the dubious trophy at the foundation's Razzie awards ceremony - the flip side of the Oscars.

Each film has been nominated in eight categories of criticism. Their nominations include Worst Director for Star Wars director George Lucas and Worst Supporting Actor for his computer-animated star Jar Jar Binks.

Wild Wild West star Kevin Kline finds himself in both the Worst Actor and Worst supporting Actor categories.

The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation will announce its film flop winners on 25 March - the eve of the coveted Oscars ceremony.

Lacklustre event

However the Razzies - in contrast to the Oscars - are unlikely to be a star-studded event, despite the equal calibre of its nominees.

Among the other movies vying for the Worst Film title are the low-budget smash horror The Blair Witch Project, Adam Sandler's Big Daddy and The Haunting.

Worst Actor nominees also include Kevin Costner for his leading roles in Message in a Bottle and For the Love of the Game.

Robin Williams has been picked-out for his performance in Bicentennial Man and Jakob The Liar, as has hardman Arnold Schwarzeneggar for End Of Days.

In the running for Worst Actress are Catherine Zeta-Jones for both Entrapment and The Haunting, Melannie Griffith for Crazy in Alabama and Heather Donahue for Blair Witch.

The Razzies were started in 1980 by Golden Raspberry Foundation creator John Wilson.

Each year winners are given a plaque consisting of a gold spray-painted plastic raspberry on top of a mangled film reel, which Wilson says has a street value of $4.27 (Ł2.50).

Nominations for this year's awards were determined by asking the 457 foundation members - made up of journalists, cinema-goers and industry members - in eight different countries to send in their postal votes.

Centenary losers

In recognition of the end of the millennium a number of one-off "Worst of the 20th Century" categories have been added. Sylvester Stallone is one of those nominated in the Worst Actor of the Century category for "99.5% for everything he has ever done".

Bo Derek has been nominated for the Worst Actress of the Century for her roles in Bolero, Ghosts Can't Do It and Tarzan the Ape-Man.

She is joined by pop superstar Madonna for her all of her sporadic ventures into the movies, including Who's That Girl? Body of Evidence, Shanghai Surprise and Evita.

John Wilson said that once the Razzies have been presented, his organistaiton will get to work on naming a Worst Film of the Century.

He said that coveted award will be voted for on the Razzies website and most probably unveiled in May.

Related to this story:
Oscars countdown begins (15 Feb 00 | Entertainment)
Star Wars breaks box office record (21 May 99 | Entertainment)
Sun shines on US box office (06 Sep 99 | Entertainment)
The Film 99 top 100 (08 Dec 99 | Entertainment)
Film buffs look back to the future (08 Dec 99 | Entertainment)

Internet Links: The Blair Witch Project Star Wars The Golden Raspberry Foundation
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