Awards Season 2022: Razzies Nominations

What's that I smell in the air? Could it possibly be the whiff of cinematic feculence? 

Ah yes, it's that time of year again when the Golden Raspberries seek to dishonour the worst films of the previous year. 

So here are the full nominations for the 42nd Annual Razzie Awards:

WORST PICTURE

Diana The Musical

Infinite

Karen

Space Jam: A New Legacy

The Woman In The Window

WORST ACTRESS

Amy Adams (The Woman In The Window)

Jeanna de Waal (Diana The Musical)

Megan Fox (Midnight In The Switchgrass)

Taryn Manning (Karen)

Ruby Rose (Vanquish)

WORST ACTOR

Scott Eastwood (Dangerous)

Roe Hartrampf (Diana The Musical)

LeBron James (Space Jam: A New Legacy)

Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen)

Mark Wahlberg (Infinite)

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ben Affleck (The Last Duel)

Nick Cannon (The Misfits)

Mel Gibson (Dangerous)

Gareth Keegan (Diana The Musical)

Jared Leto (House Of Gucci)

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen)

Sophie Cookson (Infinite)

Erin Davie (Diana The Musical)

Judy Kaye (Diana The Musical)

Taryn Manning (Every Last One Of Them)

WORST SCREEN COUPLE

Any Klutzy Cast Member & Any Lamely Lyricized (or choreographed) Musical Number (Diana the Musical)

LeBron James & Any Warner Cartoon Character (or Time-Warner product) He Dribbles on (Space Jam: A New Legacy)

Jared Leto & Either His 17-Pound Latex Face, His Geeky Clothes or His Ridiculous Accent (House of Gucci)

Ben Platt & Any Other Character Who Acts Like Platt Singing 24-7 is Normal (Dear Evan Hansen)

Tom & Jerry (Tom & Jerry: The Movie)

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL

Karen

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Tom & Jerry: The Movie

Twist

The Woman In The Window

WORST DIRECTOR

Christopher Ashley (Diana The Musical)

Stephen Chbosky (Dear Evan Hansen)

Coke Daniels (Karen)

Renny Harlin (The Misfits)

Joe Wright (The Woman In The Window)

WORST SCREENPLAY

Diana The Musical

Karen

The Misfits

Twist

The Woman In The Window

WORST PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE WILLIS IN A 2021 MOVIE

American Siege

Apex

Cosmic Sin

Deadlock

Fortress

Midnight In The Switchgrass

Out Of Death

Survive The Game

With a staggering nine nominations, Diana The Musical leads the pack with nine. Tone-deaf "thriller" Karen (about a hysterical racist white woman who terrorises her new Black neighbours) and Rear Window rip-off The Woman In The Window tie for second place with five apiece. 

Frankly, if any performance did belong on this list, it's Jared Leto. Whilst the whole of House Of Gucci is slightly "heightened", his performance comes from the Joe Dolce School of Acting and feels like it belongs in an entirely different film. It's jarring, annoying, and I genuinely don't understand why Ridley Scott didn't rein him in. 

There's also a very real possibility- although I really hope not- that we might be looking at Leto getting a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod tomorrow (which will echo Glenn Close last year for her turn in Hillbilly Elegy).

A slightly dodgy claim to fame here: Infinite, which gets three nods, was partially filmed in Cardiff (with a section of Newport Road [a main road in the city centre] closed for several days in October 2019).  I have been meaning to check the film out, just for that scene, but I mightn't bother now...

Also, considering lockdowns and everything that went on, part of me is slightly impressed that Bruce Willis featured in enough cinematic crap to get his own category. 

As is tradition, the Razzies will be handed out the day before the Oscars, meaning that we'll see which of these stinkers walks away with the prizes on Saturday 26th March 2021. 

As is also tradition, I'll be posting my predictions for the main six categories for the 94th Academy Awards a little later today, ahead of the announcement tomorrow afternoon.

Countdown: Top 10 Most Razzie-Nominated (And -Winning) Films

If you've seen our most recent Lockdown Special, you'll have seen at the end that we mention the IMDB Bottom 100 films list; there's some dreadful stuff on there that we'll no doubt be exploring soon. 

So (you'll have to imagine my best Carrie Bradshaw impersonation) I couldn't help but wonder... what are some of the worst films ever made? Now, as you know, I'm an awards geek (sorrynotsorry) and a film is often judged by its Oscar wins (see Matt's comment about Once Upon A Time In America in the Lockdown Special). And, as regular readers/listeners/viewers will know, the yang to the Oscars yin is... The Golden Raspberry Awards, which also celebrates its 40th year this year. 

So I figured I'd do a bit of research and come up with a list of the 10 films with the most Razzie nominations (and wins). This includes any superlatives they may have been nominated for, or won (eg. Worst Film Of The Decade or Worst Of Our First 25 Years).

So, strap yourself in for a quick romp through some of cinema's biggest flops, disappointments, and bizarre ideas. Brace yourselves!

1. Showgirls (1995)

dir. Paul Verhoeven, starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon

15 nominations, 8 wins

This tawdry tale of a young woman who wants to become a dancer in Las Vegas is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, so it's no surprise that the Razzies decided to pile both the nominations and the awards on. At the 1996 awards, it won 7 awards, including Worst Picture; lead actress Elizabeth Berkley was singled out for two awards (Worst Actress and Worst New Star) whilst the rest of the cast escaped unscathed- despite Worst acting nominations for MacLachlan and Gershon, as well as Robert Davi, Alan Rachins and Lin Tucci. Verhoeven actually accepted his Razzie for Worst Director in person! (He was the first person to do so). It also won Worst Picture Of The Decade (for the 1990s) and was nominated for Worst Drama Of Our First 25 Years in 2005.

2. The Lonely Lady (1983)

dir. Peter Sasdy, starring Pia Zadora, Lloyd Bochner, and Bibi Besch

13 nominations, 6 wins

Another torrid tale of an idealistic young woman looking to achieve success and getting exploited along the way (although here, she's a screenwriter wanting to make it big in Hollywood) The Lonely Lady is an adaptation of a Harold Robbins novel and an unmitigated mess. Winning its 6 awards in 1984, including Worst Picture, actress Pia Zadora had already won a Worst Actress Razzie the previous year for Butterfly, so added to that with a second. It's telling that director Peter Sasdy never directed another film; his resume shows a lot of TV work after this blot. It was nominated for Worst Picture Of The Decade (for the 1980s) and was also nominated for Worst Drama Of Our First 25 Years in 2005.

3. Jack And Jill (2011)

dir. Dennis Dugan, starring Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, and Katie Holmes

12 nominations, 10 wins

The Razzies dishonour the worst of cinema, so imagine how bad a film has to be to get a clean sweep of every category. Well, Jack and Jill is that film. It's the first film in Razzies history to win every single category. It had multiple nominations in the Worst Supporting acting categories (Nick Swardson and Katie Holmes being nominated but their co-stars Al Pacino and David Spade taking the awards; yes, David Spade won Worst Supporting Actress; yes, it is that kind of a film; no, I don't get it either). Sandler was reportedly paid a cool $20m dollars to make this utter dreck, so I would imagine he's not particularly bothered. 

4. Gigli (2003)

dir. Martin Brest, starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Al Pacino

11 nominations, 7 wins

What was originally a mob movie turned into a romantic comedy to capitalise on the real-world relationship between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Which might explain why there's a sex scene between the two of them, despite Lopez's character being a lesbian. So much to unpack in that statement, so little time... Another film that's universally accepted as one of the worst ever made, it won 6 Razzies in 2004- including the Big Five (Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay)- and added a seventh in 2005 as the Worst "Comedy" Of Our First 25 Years. Dropped from UK cinemas after only a week, due to the dreadful reviews it received, Gigli also provided the kiss of death for Brest's career; after films like Beverly Hills Cop, Scent Of A Woman, and Meet Joe Black, the negative experience of making this film meant Brest retired from directing once it was over. 

5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

dir. Bill Condon, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner

11 nominations, 7 wins

The Razzies were always pretty unkind to the Twilight films; all but the first film got at least four nods. However, prior to this, despite all the nominations, the Twilight films had only won one Razzie before, when Jackson Rathbone was named Worst Supporting Actor for Eclipse. Time to make up for lost ground. Here, they pulled a Lord-Of-The-Rings-at-the-Oscars and awarded the final act of the saga the most awards. With seven awards, this soapy, poorly-acted, badly-written and utterly dismal film franchise finally bit the dust. Oh, no, I forgot... their vampires don't turn into dust. They sparkle in the sunlight. Sparkle. Vampires. Shouldn't. Sparkle. Along with Worst Picture and Director, sullen charisma vacuum Kristen Stewart took Worst Actress, with Taylor Lautner as Worst Supporting Actor. 

6. Mommie Dearest (1981)

dir. Frank Perry, starring Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, and Steve Forrest

11 nominations, 6 wins

Faye Dunaway was convinced that this biopic of the late actress Joan Crawford and the tumultuous relationship she had with her adopted children (especially her daughter Christina, who penned the salacious tell-all book the film is based on) would get her another Oscar. Instead, it got her a Razzie. To this day, Dunaway is known to stop interviews if anyone dares mention the film, even though the film is now considered something of a camp cult classic (and was even marketed as such by Paramount once they found out that people were attending out of a morbid curiosity). Along with Dunaway's Worst Actress win, and Worst Picture, it also won two Worst Supporting acting awards for Steve Forrest (as Greg Savitt) and Diana Scarwid (as the older Christine) and Worst Screenplay. It also won Worst Picture of the Decade (1980s) and was nominated for Worst "Drama" Of Our First 25 Years. 

7. Batman & Robin (1997)

dir. Joel Schumacher, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, and Chris O'Donnell

11 nominations, 1 win

We've spoken a lot about how much of a guilty pleasure this film is for us, so very little bears repeating, except for this: you know a film is bad when the director apologises for it (which Joel Schumacher did on a couple of occasions). It's certainly not as bad as it's painted; there's some fun to be had if you look for it. Despite 11 nominations (it was nominated for the most Razzies that year)- for everything from Worst Picture to Worst Screen Couple, Worst Original Song and Worst Reckless Disregard For Human Life And Public Property- the film winded up only winning one Razzie: Alicia Silverstone was named Worst Supporting Actress (beating her co-star Uma Thurman). They should be thankful they were nominated in the same year as The Postman...

8. Battlefield Earth (2000)

dir. Roger Christian, starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, and Forest Whitaker

10 nominations, 9 wins

Based on a work by L. Ron Hubbard, Battlefield Earth was something of a passion project for John Travolta (no surprise there, given the whole Scientology thing...) but something went desperately wrong with the film and it's ended up as this sprawling incoherent, visually muddling mess. Plans for a sequel got quietly shelved. It won in every category it was nominated in at the 2001 awards (with a second Worst Supporting Actor nod for Forest Whitaker), although wasn't nominated in every category. Forest Whitaker has expressed his regret for taking part, and Barry Pepper had said he would have shown up to accept his Worst Supporting Actor Razzie in person had he known about it! Screenwriter J.D. Shapiro actually did show up in person and accepted the Worst Movie Of The Decade (2000s) award, and it won Worst Drama of Our First 25 Years, beating out Mommie Dearest, Showgirls, and The Lonely Lady for the dubious honour. 

9. Bolero (1984)

dir. John Derek, starring Bo Derek, George Kennedy, and Andrea Occhipinti

10 nominations, 6 wins

There's a fine line to be walked when it comes to "erotic" movies. You can go too far and end up with a crass exploitative mess verging on actual pornography, or end up not going far enough in which case it's about as sensual as a bucket of cold custard. Bolero veers wildly between the two extremes. Bo Derek stars as a young woman whose sexual awakening leads to a journey around the world to find her ideal lover. Already, things are starting to clench (and not in a good way). But here's where the line gets massively crossed: actress Olivia d'Abo was fourteen (yes, fourteen) and appears in nude scenes throughout the film. Released unrated in the US (wonder why?), d'Abo was one of the six "winners" (getting the Worst New Star award) with the film also winning Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Musical Score (which included music by celebrated composer Elmer Bernstein). What a sorry state of affairs. 

10. An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

dir. Arthur Hiller (as Alan Smithee), starring Ryan O'Neal, Coolio, and Eric Idle

10 nominations, 5 wins

A quick lesson. "Alan Smithee" was the official Director's Guild pseudonym used on a film when its director disowns it and doesn't want their name on it. After director Arthur Hiller (who'd previously directed Love Story, The Man In The Glass Booth, and Silver Streak) used the credit for this shambles, the DGA deregistered the name, making this the last Alan Smithee film. Produced and written by Joe Eszterhas (who wrote Showgirls)- and who produced his own cut of the film which was preferred by the production company, over Hiller's (which prompted him to disown the film)- it's a bloated mess, aiming for "satire" and failing miserably. Eszterhas received three Razzies alone for this film- Worst Supporting Actor, Worst New Star, and Worst Screenplay- with Worst Picture and Worst Original Song completing the list of wins. Eric Idle (who plays filmmaker Alan Smithee who wants to disown his film... yeah...) said he was disappointed not to get a Razzie nomination for his performance. 

Other films that just fell outside the Top 10 but have still got a shedload of nominations and (in some cases, wins) are: 

• Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - 10 nominations, 5 wins
• Butterfly (1982) - 10 nominations, 2 wins
• I Know Who Killed Me (2007) - 9 nominations, 7 wins
• Cats (2019) - 9 nominations, 6 wins
• Rocky IV (1985) - 9 nominations, 5 wins
• Wild Wild West (1999) - 9 nominations, 5 wins
• Swept Away (2002) - 9 nominations, 5 wins
• The Last Airbender (2010) -  9 nominations, 5 wins

What an absolute shower of cinematic atrocities we have here. So much wasted potential. So much wasted money. So much wasted celluloid. But... one thing I hope that you take away from reading this litany of crapulence is this: if films this dire, this dreadful, this irredeemably shit can be made, there's hope for us all. 

Tez

Review: Justice League (UK Cert 12A)

SPOILER WARNING! This review discusses and/or mentions a few important plot points. If you would prefer not to have these spoiled, please stop reading now and come back once you've seen the film.

After the death of Superman, the world seems to be a place without hope. When an alien threat arrives and places the planet in danger, Bruce Wayne (with the help of Diana Prince) decides to track down others with superpowers to help fight against this new foe. 

Predictably, general critical response to Justice League has been middling to poor. At the time of writing, it currently stands with a 41% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes (although, tellingly, an audience rating of 84%). Film is an artform, not a science. It's not something that often deals with facts (other than those concrete verifiables like box office receipts, cast and crew, any awards hype, and so on). It thrives on opinion. And that's all that film criticism is: it's someone's opinion. Art is ultimately subjective and the opinions of those of the viewing public- who pay to put their bums on seats and watch the film- are as valid as those of the professional critics.  

My opinion is this: I thought Justice League was a lot better than I feared it would be. 

So what's good? Well, the cast are pretty strong (although Affleck doesn't seem as comfortable here; more on that later). Of the new characters, it's Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash who comes off the best. Socially awkward, quite geeky, he takes to this brave new world of heroes like an enthusiastic puppy. He also gets a lot of the humour. He gets a particularly good scene opposite Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg where they attempt to bond over digging up Superman's coffin. Fisher is decent as Cyborg, although the character feels less developed than the others. Jason Momoa is an imposing, charismatic presence as Arthur Curry/Aquaman and also gets a nice scene where he unwittingly gets a bit too close to the lasso of Hestia. 

Henry Cavill is as strong as he always has been in the role of Clark Kent/Superman. He obviously doesn't make an appearance until just after halfway through and his frenzied fight against the League is pretty impressive. Luckily, there's a deus ex machina to stop him from pummelling them into the dirt (and it isn't as ridiculous as the 'Martha' moment in Batman V Superman). Gal Gadot is assured and powerful as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. She's a de facto leader to the group and the film lifts whenever she's on screen. 

As for the supporting cast, generally strong although with such a large cast, some do get shortchanged. Amy Adams doesn't get much to do as Lois but she's good (although they've inexplicably cut the rather tender scene shown in the trailer where Clark mentions the ring). I did want to see more of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, although he did get a particularly good one-liner which I enjoyed. Jeremy Irons is still wonderful as Alfred whilst there's a nice cameo by Billy Crudup as Henry Allen (Barry's father). 

The slow-mo effects on The Flash are amusing (imagine the 'Time In A Bottle' sequence from X-Men: Days Of Future Past or the 'Sweet Dreams' bit in X-Men: Apocalypse and you're on the right track). Danny Elfman's score is powerful and positive and has a few nice little Easter Eggs for those who care to listen. The scene of Superman's resurrection is probably the best sequence in the film. Also, the lighting seems to have improved; there's not a lot of gloomy darkness and I could actually see what was going on most of the time. 

That's not to say the film is perfect. It's far from it. The script is uneven and occasionally very info-dumpy; it does have to properly introduce three new characters who the audience have only ever really seen in passing, but it all feels a bit clunky (especially Aquaman's little tete-a-tete with Mera). It would perhaps have made more sense to have had at least the Aquaman and Flash solo movies prior to the release of Justice League (to cut down on this). And just an FYI- London doesn't have city blocks!

Also tonally, the film is a bit of a mess- Joss Whedon's and Zack Snyder's directorial styles are very different and you can tell what's been added and what's been reshot (the farrago over Superman's CGI upper lip notwithstanding). It's why Ben Affleck feels a little less comfortable in the role than he did in Batman V Superman. There he was the tortured, brooding Batman; here, he's cracking wise. There's also an over-reliance on slow-mo (understandable when you're talking about The Flash, but it soon becomes wearying). 

However, my main complaint against the film is the villain, Steppenwolf. The CGI on him is massively shoddy (he looks like a mid-2000s Playstation character) and the motivation he's given is paper-thin. Plus, the curse of the DCEU strikes again with a massive CGI blow-out final battle which is difficult to keep track of. Bizarrely, it also feels like there's very little at stake: the human consequences of the alien invasion are pinned onto one Russian family who are barricaded into their home as the Parademons swarm. There's no jeopardy.

So yes, the film has its issues. Given the circumstances of Snyder having to withdraw due to a dreadful family tragedy then Warner Bros hiring Whedon to finish/reshoot the film, it was always going to have issues. But it's nowhere near as bad as some reviewers would have you believe. It is a superhero movie. It's two hours of- dare I say it?- fun. Not as good as Wonder Woman, but head-and-shoulders above both Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Countdown: 10 Actors Who Have Played Multiple Comic Book Characters On Screen

It was announced yesterday that Josh Brolin has been cast as Cable in the upcoming Deadpool 2 movie. Comic book movie fans will know that Brolin also plays Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Before he played Captain America, Chris Evans also appeared as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in two Fantastic Four movies. Brolin's Deadpool co-star Ryan Reynolds was also Hal Jordan in the Green Lantern movie, while Halle Berry has played both hero and villain as Storm and Catwoman respectively.

So here are ten more actors who have played different comic book characters on screen.

1. Ben Affleck

Before he was the Dark Knight, Affleck was Daredevil in the 2003 big screen version.

2. Angela Bassett

Appearing in Green Lantern as Amanda Waller, Bassett is taking the role of Queen Mother Ramonda in the upcoming Black Panther film.

3. Willem Dafoe

Dafoe played Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films; he will be playing Atlantean advisor Nuidis Vulko in Justice League and Aquaman

4. Laurence Fishburne

Known for playing Perry White in the DC Extended Universe films, Fishburne provides the voice of the titular character in  Fantastic Four: Rise Of The SIlver Surfer.

5. Tommy Lee Jones

From villain to hero: Jones played Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Joel Schumacher's camptastic Batman Forever, before taking the role of Colonel Chester Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger

6. Michael B. Jordan

Jordan is one of the few bearable things in Josh Trank's disastrous Fantastic Four reboot; he will appear in Black Panther as the wonderfully named Erik Killmonger.

7. Michael Keaton

From hero to villain: Keaton played the lead role in Tim Burton's two Batman movies, and will play Adrian Toomes/The Vulture in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming

8. Nicole Kidman

Kidman appeared with Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever as Dr. Chase Meridian; she will also play Queen Atlanna in the upcoming Aquaman film.

9. J.K. Simmons

Oscar-winner Simmons will be swapping The Daily Bugle for the Gotham City Police Department, going from playing J. Jonah Jameson in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films to Commissioner Gordon in Justice League.

10. Terence Stamp

Stamp played General Zod in Superman and Superman II (and also went on to be the voice of Jor-El in Smallville). He also played Elektra's mentor Stick in the 2005 Daredevil spin-off.

Bonus: Sylvester Stallone

Stallone played Judge Dredd in the 1995 film version of the 2000AD comic; he has a small role in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (but the character has not yet been revealed)

Awards Season 2017: Razzies Nominations

As is now traditional (the day before the Oscar nominations), this year's Golden Raspberry Awards nominations have been announced. Ever since 1981, the Razzies dishonour the very worst of film in the preceding 12 months and, by the old Gods and the new, there was a lot of subpar crap to hit the cinema screens in 2016. 

So much so, there's been a change to the Razzies' usual format. As the press release for the Razzies nominations states 'The crop of cinematic crap in 2016 was so extensive that this year's 37th Annual Razzie® Awards is expanding from 5 nominees to an unprecedented 6 contenders in each of its 9 Worst Achievement in Film categories.'

Yep, last year was that bad, they've had to expand the number of nominees. 

So here is the full list of nominations:

WORST PICTURE 

   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice  

   Dirty Grandpa 

   Gods of Egypt 

   Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party 

   Independence Day: Resurgence  

   Zoolander No. 2 

WORST ACTOR  

   Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)   

   Gerard Butler (Gods of Egypt, London Has Fallen) 

   Henry Cavill (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)   

   Robert  de Niro (Dirty Grandpa)

   Dinesh D'Souza [as Himself] (Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party) 

   Ben Stiller (Zoolander No. 2) 

WORST ACTRESS  

   Megan Fox (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) 

   Tyler Perry (BOO! A Medea Halloween)

   Julia Roberts (Mother's Day)  

   Becky Turner [as Hillary Clinton]  (Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party) 

   Naomi Watts (Divergent Series: Allegiant, Shut-In) 

   Shailene Woodley (Divergent Series: Allegiant)

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS   

   Julianne Hough (Dirty Grandpa)  

   Kate Hudson (Mother's Day)  

   Aubrey Plaza (Dirty Grandpa)  

   Jane Seymour (Fifty Shades of Black) 

   Sela Ward (Independence Day: Resurgence)  

   Kristen Wiig (Zoolander No. 2) 

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

   Nicolas Cage (Snowden)  

   Johnny Depp (Alice Through the Looking Glass) 

   Will Ferrell (Zoolander No. 2)

   Jesse Eisenberg (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)   

   Jared Leto (Suicide Squad)  

   Owen Wilson (Zoolander No. 2) 

WORST SCREEN COMBO 

   Ben Affleck & Henry Cavill (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)  

   Any 2 Egyptian Gods or Mortals (Gods of Egypt) 

   Johnny Depp & His Vomitously Vibrant Costume (Alice Through the Looking Glass) 

   The Entire Cast of Once Respected Actors (Collateral Beauty)  

   Tyler Perry & That Same Old Worn Out Wig (BOO! A Medea Halloween)

   Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson (Zoolander No. 2)  

WORST DIRECTOR  

   Dinesh D'Souza & Bruce Schooley (Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party) 

   Roland Emmerich (Independence Day: Resurgence) 

   Tyler Perry (BOO! A Medea Halloween)

   Alex Proyas (Gods of Egypt)  

   Zack Snyder (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)   

   Ben Stiller (Zoolander  No. 2) 

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF  or SEQUEL  

   Alice Through the Looking Glass 

   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Dawn of Justice   

   Fifty Shades of Black 

   Independence Day: Resurgence 

   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows 

   Zoolander No. 2 

WORST SCREENPLAY  

   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice    

   Dirty Grandpa  

   Gods of Egypt  

   Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party 

   Independence Day: Resurgence  

   Suicide Squad

Zoolander No. 2 gets the most nods with 9, with Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice behind on 8. I was expecting to see Ghostbusters plastered all over this, but not a single nomination.   

There's no details as yet for the Razzie Redeemer Award- maybe 2016 was such a bad year there's nobody worth nominating? Who knows? If these details do come through, I'll update the post accordingly.

So that just leaves tomorrow's announcement of the nominees for the 89th Academy Awards. So it's time for me to get off the fence, decide on who I think will be nominated and share it with you fine people.

Review: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (UK Cert 12A)

SPOILER WARNING! This review discusses and/or mentions a few important plot points. If you would prefer not to have these spoiled, please stop reading now and come back once you've seen the film.

Let me preface this review with a remark. This movie is essentially critic-proof. It doesn't really matter that it currently has a critic score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing; the audience score is currently 72%. It's already made over $424 million worldwide so it's not going to make the slightest bit of difference whether I say 'this is the greatest film ever made in the history of cinema' or 'watching the entire Twilight saga in one sitting is preferable to this inane pile of garbage'. What I will say is this: there was a lot I liked in the film, and a lot I didn't. 

The film has, since its very inception, been a polarizing one. When this project was announced at Comic-Con in July 2013, it broke the Internet. Reactions ranged from 'best thing ever' to '#ruined' and the furore only intensified when Ben Affleck was cast in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Over 30 petitions sprung up online, ranging from removing him from the role to trying to make it illegal for Affleck to play either Batman or any other superhero on film. Unsurprisingly, when the casting of Jesse Eisenberg and Gal Gadot were announced as Lex Luthor and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, there was more vitriol online. Eisenberg was neither old enough nor imposing enough; Gadot was bizarrely too small to play an Amazonian princess. Rumours abounded a month or so ago that the studios were 'nervous' about the film, which was instantly pooh-poohed. As it turns out, they had a right to be nervous. 

With a film that's offering the potential of two of the greatest superheroes in the whole of comic book history coming together for an epic smackdown, you might expect to feel exhilarated, thrilled, engaged, your heart in your mouth and your bum on the edge of your seat. You don't expect to feel bored. And I did. For quite a lot of the film. 

The script- by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer- is so portentous (occasionally dropping into pretentious), so doom-laden and so without nuance or subtlety that it's a tough watch in places. You're never left to intuit how people feel; the characters tell you blatantly and outright. There's an over-reliance on dream sequences- albeit Batman's fevered hallucination of what would happen if Superman isn't checked is visually interesting- and do we really need to see Bruce's parents being killed again? Apparently, we do, because it's important that we know that Bruce Wayne's mum was called Martha. This becomes vitally important later on as it's the only reason Batman doesn't stomp Superman's face into the dirt. Because their mums have the first same name. Frankly, that's shoddy and lazy writing that a creative writing student would be embarrassed to hand in. 

I guess one of my other major issues with the film is that I don't really get on with Zack Snyder's style of direction. One of my major criticisms of Man Of Steel was that the final fight sequence was too big, too frenetic, too hyperactive. Well, it's the same here, especially the final smackdown between Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman against Doomsday. I gave up trying to figure out who was doing what to whom in most of the fight sequences (not helped by the fact that there's some really dreadful lighting choices made throughout). I get that the worlds of Metropolis and Gotham are supposed to be gritty and dark, but Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy conveyed that same atmosphere without decimating the lighting budget. There's so much shaky handheld camerawork- which always makes me feel nauseous- and there's some really odd editing choices too. 

It also doesn't help that the already laden dialogue is further weighted down by a ridiculously bombastic score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL. This did have one saving grace however: the majorly kick-ass theme for Wonder Woman, whose electric violin riff brought some much needed life to proceedings. 

That said, it's not all bad. Generally speaking (with one major exception), I enjoyed the acting. For all those naysayers who criticised Affleck's casting and derided him before he'd even said a line of dialogue, you're wrong. He works really well as Batman, as a grizzled, older, more world-weary fighter who's had 20 years of fighting and for what? He also makes a particularly good Bruce Wayne and the script manages to drop a couple of interesting hints which will hopefully be explored in the standalone Batfleck film. Henry Cavill remains as stoic and dignified as he was in Man Of Steel, whilst Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane were all solid support. 

My two favourite performances came from Gal Gadot, whose sensual yet determined Diana Prince added a much-needed spark throughout and who commanded the screen as Wonder Woman in the last battle, and Jeremy Irons who was frankly born to play Alfred. Here, he's a slightly more sarcastic and abrasive but is still the faithful old retainer, delivering slightly heavy-handed speeches to Master Bruce. 

The bum note is Jesse Eisenberg who was so annoying as Lex Luthor that I wished my superpower was to be able to reach into the screen so i could slap the irritating little runt. He wasn't menacing, he wasn't imposing, he wasn't any kind of credible threat. He was mooning around on screen with a performance full of quirky tics rather than any real characterisation and basically acting like a spoiled little brat. As much as I actively dislike Kevin Spacey's performance in Superman Returns, at least his Luthor felt like a threat.

I also liked the cameos from the other nascent members of the Justice League which provided enough of a hint of what's to come without feeling too much like a cynical ploy (although there are a few bits, especially at the end, where the fact that this is now going to be its own franchise is celebrated a bit too blatantly). There are a couple of very striking visuals as well, such as Superman saving the little girl from the fire during the Mexican Day of the Dead. 

Ultimately, this film was underwhelming for me, which was a disappointment. I do feel like some of the criticism that the film has come in for has been a little harsh, but there's only so much you can do to detract from a film's inherent flaws. That said, I am still intrigued to see where the DC Expanded Universe goes from here. I'm really looking forward to both Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Tez

Review: Gone Girl (UK Cert: 18)

Gone Girl is a dissection of marriage from the man who gave us Gwyneth Paltrow’s head in a box; that’s probably the best way to sum up David Fincher’s new film. From the outset you know this is no straightforward mystery, as Fincher opens the film with a close up of Rosamund Pike’s head, Ben Affleck, in voiceover, asking the questions that go through every husband’s mind; “What are you thinking?” “What have we done to each other?” We’re shown the streets and homes of wealthy America - huge homes, small minds – before Affleck’s Nick Dunne arrives at the bar he owns, the small talk with his sister (Carrie Coon) revealing cracks in his marriage. We cut to the crime scene, which sums up the film as a whole; what appears clear cut and straightforward is, in truth, far from it. A coffee table is smashed, but there is no sign of blood, a struggle, or Nick’s wife.

Adapted from the bestselling book by Gillian Flynn (Flynn also wrote the screenplay), Gone Girl is a smart, exceptionally complex two-and-a-half hours, putting other big name thrillers to shame with just how much subtext Fincher wants you to think about: how the media tries to package speculation as fact; a person’s desire to be loved, and the despair and desperation someone could resort to so that they feel loved; the mask we wear when we walk out our front door, compared to our real face when we’re in the privacy of our home. These are just a small number of the many subjects that Gone Girl explores. This is a film that demands more than one viewing.

Fincher has always managed to coax career best performances out of his cast, and his latest is no exception. Anyone who looks at Ben Affleck and still thinks of Armageddon or Pearl Harbor will be stunned by his portrayal of Nick Dunne. There are two sides to Nick, the innocent man searching for his wife, naively stumbling through the minefield that is the media, and the weary husband who, once or twice, has considered killing his wife. Played by the wrong actor, you could end up hating every minute Nick is onscreen, but Affleck makes him constantly intriguing. At times, Nick is a morally loathsome man, but Affleck holds the film together, makes you stick with him as you try working out what the consequences of his actions will be.

Rosamund Pike also skilfully portrays the two sides of her character, Amy Dunne. When we’re first introduced to Amy, she’s this beautiful tomboy who enjoys being rebellious at formal, black tie affairs. Yet you know there’s something not quite right about Amy from her dialogue, giving a flawless smile, then saying something that destroys that perfect woman image, hinting at a sinister, hidden side to her personality.

Neil Patrick Harris makes a brave move, drawing a line through how fans see him, having played Barney in How I Met Your Mother for nearly a decade. As Desi Collings, Harris gives a credible portrayal of a man who still clings to the idea that his first true love will come back to him. Despite the wealth and the heated bathroom flooring, Desi is a pathetic, peculiar man in his longing for Amy. Harris is not on screen as much as other actors in Gone Girl, but he is one of the many things you will remember about the film.

Carrie Coon is excellent as Nick’s quick-tempered sister, Margo, who is both incensed by her brother’s behaviour during the police investigation, but always stands by him, looking after him. Tyler Perry brings some light relief as defence lawyer to the rich and guilty, Tanner Bolt; smiling and laughing when it’s least appropriate. Perry’s scenes could have jarred with the rest of the film, yet the performance he gives is understated rather than scene stealing over-the-top.

The obsessive Fincher fans will watch Gone Girl and probably criticise it as being his weakest film, visually. This is far from true. While there’s none of the tearing up the rulebook that you saw in Se7en or Fight Club, Fincher does something far more subtle. With every frame, Fincher recreates the glossy homes and lifestyles you read about in the weekly magazines – perfect hair, not a spec or mark on anyone’s clothes – but films in largely muted colours (even sunny days look pale), giving this cold, detached feel to the visuals. Occasionally Fincher pulls something out of the bag to make you stop for a second and marvel at what you are watching. Nick and Amy’s first kiss beside a backstreet bakery, sugar floating in the air like snow, is a beautiful moment. In contrast, Gone Girl also features this year’s most violent and nauseous murder scene (you sit through the film wondering why it’s an 18 certificate… Then you find out!), though, thanks to the lighting and some fast-paced fade ins/outs, it’s spectacular to watch.

The only complaint you could throw at Gone Girl is the ending. For a two-and-a-half-hour film, Fincher keeps up the pace for a good two hours before things suddenly start to flag. The last half-hour feels like it’s winding down, so much so, you end up wondering why the credits haven’t started rolling? I was waiting for one last twist, a sting in the tail, but this doesn’t happen. How Nick Dunne ends up in the film’s finale is bleak and unsettling, but would have had more impact if the film came to a head, stopping at the right moment instead of trailing off.

Gone Girl is, for most of its running time, a tense thriller with one twist after another, after another. Not your usual, straightforward twists, but the sort of mess-with-your-head moments where you have to respect Fincher for putting that up on the screen. Fincher’s latest isn’t quite up there with The Game, Se7en, or Fight Club, but there’s not much in it; Gone Girl is his best work for a long while, and one of the best films of 2014.

4 out of 5

Matt