AWARD NEWS

Usually held the day before the Academy Awards, the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards were given out three weeks earlier on March 6th, with the goal of increasing their impact on the Oscars race. While I think this is a good idea, the nominees this year hardly comes close to matching the Oscar nominations unlike it has in the past. Maggie Gyllenhaal's feature directorial debut, "The Lost Daughter" was the big winner, with the actress receiving the awards for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Feature. Gyllenhaal's adaptation of the novel by Elena Ferrante did receive Oscar recognition for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress for Olivia Colman and Best Supporting Actress for Jessie Buckley who was nominated for a Spirit award.

Most of the winners in the acting categories were sorely overlooked by the Academy; Simon Rex received Best Male Lead with his big comeback as a washed-up porn star in "Red Rocket". Taylour Paige was named Best Female Lead for her amazing turn as the title character in "Zola", a road trip black comedy involving a friendship between two strippers. Ruth Negga was awarded Best Supporting Female for her astonishing work as an African-American woman going through life as a white woman in "Passing". And Troy Kotsur, who recently won the SAG award and is nominated for an Oscar, received Best Supporting Male for "CODA" playing the patriarch of a deaf family struggling to keep their fishing business afloat.

Here is the list of winners from the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards (Cinema):

Best Feature: "The Lost Daughter"
Best Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Best Screenplay: Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Best Female Lead: Taylour Paige, "Zola"
Best Male Lead: Simon Rex, "Red Rocket"
Best Supporting Female: Ruth Negga, "Passing"
Best Supporting Male: Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Best Cinematography: Eduard Grau, "Passing"
Best Editing: Joi McMillon, "Zola"
Best Documentary: "Summer of Soul"
Best International Film: "Drive My Car" (Japan)
Best First Feature: "7 Days"
Best First Screenplay: Michael Sarnoski; Story by Vanessa Block and Michael Sarnoski, "Pig"
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000): "Shiva Baby"
Someone to Watch Award: Alex Camilleri, "Luzzu"
The Truer Than Fiction Award: Jessica Beshir, "Faya Dayi"

The 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out on Feb. 27th and the cast of "CODA" received the Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture, which is the equivalent of "Best Picture" for actors, and Troy Kotsur was singled out by winning Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role. Will Smith won his first SAG award for Male Actor in a Leading Role with his masterful turn in "King Richard" playing the father of Venus and Serena Williams who also served as their determined coach. Ariana DeBose was named Female Actor in a Supporting Role as Anita in the reimagining of the classic stage musical, "West Side Story" and Jessica Chastain was the unexpected winner as Female Actor in a Leading Role for her transformative performance as the scandal-plagued, televangelist, Tammy Faye Bakker in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye".

Here is the list of winners of 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards (Motion Picture):

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: "CODA"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Will Smith, "King Richard"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Ariana DeBose, "West Side Story"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Troy Kotsur, "CODA"

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts revealed their nominations for the 75th annual award ceremony. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi thriller "Dune" leads the way with eleven nominations, followed by Jane Campion’s lyrical western, "The Power of the Dog" with eight while Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical drama, "Belfast" received six. Daniel Craig's final appearance as James Bond in "No Time To Die", Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1970s-set, personal drama, "Licorice Pizza" and the musical remake from Steven Spielberg of "West Side Story" each received five nominations. The winners will be announced this Sunday, March 13th at Royal Albert Hall with Rebel Wilson hosting for the first time. 

Here is a partial list of the nominees for the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards:

UPDATED: the winners are highlighted in yellow:

Best Film:

"Belfast"
"Don’t Look Up"
"Dune"
"Licorice Pizza"
"The Power of the Dog"

Outstanding British Film:

"After Love"
"Ali & Ava"
"Belfast"
"Boiling Point"
"Cyrano"
"Everybody’s Talking About Jamie"
"House of Gucci"
"Last Night in Soho"
"No Time to Die"
"Passing"

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:

Aleem Khan (Writer/Director), "After Love"
James Cummings (co-Writer), Hester Ruoff (Producer), "Boiling Point"
Jeymes Samuel (co-Writer/director), The Harder They Fall"
Posy Dixon (Writer/Director), Liv Proctor (Producer), "Keyboard Fantasies"
Rebecca Hall (Writer/Director), "Passing"

Best Director:

Aleem Khan, "After Love"
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, "Drive My Car"
Audrey Diwan, "Happening"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"
Julia Ducournau, "Titane"

Best Original Screenplay:

Aaron Sorkin, "Being The Ricardos"
Kenneth Branagh, "Belfast"
Adam Mckay, "Don't Look Up"
Zach Baylin, "King Richard"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Licorice Pizza"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Siân Heder, "CODA"
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, "Drive My Car"
Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve, "Dune"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Leading Actress:

Lady Gaga, "House of Gucci"
Alana Haim, "Licorice Pizza"
Emilia Jones, "Coda" 

Renate Reinsve, "The Worst Person in the World"
Joanna Scanlan, "After Love"
Tessa Thompson – “Passing"

Best Leading Actor:

Adeel Akhtar, "Ali & Ava"
Mahershala Ali, "Swan Song"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Power of the Dog"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Don’t Look Up"
Stephen Graham, "Boiling Point"
Will Smith, "King Richard"

Best Supporting Actress:

Caitríona Balfe, "Belfast"
Jessie Buckley, "The Lost Daughter"
Ariana Debose, "West Side Story"
Ann Dowd, "Mass"
Aunjanue Ellis, "King Richard"
Ruth Negga, "Passing"

Best Supporting Actor:

Mike Faist, "West Side Story"
Ciarán Hinds, "Belfast"
Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Woody Norman, "C’mon C’mon"
Jesse Plemons, "The Power of the Dog"
Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Cinematography:

Greig Fraser, "Dune"
Dan Laustsen, "Nightmare Alley"
Linus Sandgren, "No Time To Die"
Ari Wegner, "The Power of the Dog"
Bruno Delbonnel, "The Tragedy of Macbeth"

Best Editing:

Úna Ní Dhonghaíle, "Belfast"
Joe Walker, "Dune"
Andy Jurgensen, "Licorice Pizza"
Tom Cross and Elliot Graham, "No Time To Die"
Joshue L. Pearson, "Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"

Best Film Not in the English Language:

"Drive My Car" (Japan)
"The Hand of God" (Italy)
"Parallel Mothers" (Spain)
"Petite Maman" (France)
"The Worst Person in the World" (Norway)

Best Documentary:

"Becoming Cousteau"
"Cow"
"Flee"
"The Rescue"
"Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"

Best Animated Film:

"Encanto"
"Flee"
"Luca"
"The Mitchells Vs the Machines"

Best Production Design:

Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer, "Cyrano"
Patrice Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos, "Dune"
Adam Stockhausen and Rena Deangelo, "The French Dispatch"
Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, "Nightmare Alley"
Adam Stockhausen and Rena Deangelo, "West Side Story"

Best Original Score:

Daniel Pemberton, "Being The Ricardos"
Nicholas Britell, "Don't Look Up"
Hans Zimmer, "Dune"
Alexandre Desplat, "The French Dispatch"
Jonny Greenwood, "The Power of the Dog"

Best Costume Design:

Jenny Beavan, "Cruella"
Massimo Cantini Parrini, "Cyrano"
Robert Morgan and Jacqueline West, "Dune"
Milena Canonero, "The French Dispatch"
Luis Sequeira, "Nightmare Alley"

Best Make Up & Hair:

Nadia Stacey and Naomi Donne, "Cruella"
Alessandro Bertolazzi and Siân Miller, "Cyrano"
Love Larson and Donald Mowat, "Dune"
Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Frederic Aspiras, Jane Carboni, Giuliano Mariana and Sarah Nicole Tanno, "House of Gucci"

Best Casting:

Carolyn Mcleod, "Boiling Point"
Francine Maisler, "Dune"
Massimo Appolloni and Annamaria Sambucco, "The Hand of God"
Rich Delia and Avy Kaufman, "King Richard"
Cindy Tolan, "West Side Story"

And finally we have this year's nominations from the 42nd Golden Raspberry Awards (or the Razzies) which celebrates the worst in cinema. Leading the list with nine nominations including Worst Picture is "Diana", the filmed version of the Broadway stage musical about the late British Princess. The other nominees for Worst Picture includes "The Woman in the Window", a thriller starring Amy Adams, and another thriller, "Karen" that features Taryn Manning with both receiving a total of five nominations; the sequel of "Space Jam" with LeBron James and "Infinite", a Mark Wahlberg action-adventure film rounds out the category. And this year the Razzies have added a special category for worst performance by the actor, Bruce Willis who appeared in eight movies last year. Now I usually agree with most of the nominations but I have to take exception to one that was given this year: Ben Affleck has been nominated for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in "The Last Duel" which I think is not only a great underrated film but the actor delivered a very fine performance. Anyway, The Razzies will be unveiled on the day before the Oscars on Saturday, March 26th.

UPDATE: the losers are highlighted in yellow and the Bruce Willis category has been eliminated due to recent disclosure of the actor's health.

Here are the nominations for the 2022 Razzie Awards:

Worst Picture:

"Diana the Musical" (The Netflix Version)
"Infinite"
"Karen"
"Space Jam: A New Legacy"
"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," screenplay by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan
"Karen," written by "Coke" Daniels
"The Misfits," screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henny
"Twist," written by John Wrathall and Sally Collett
"The Woman in the Window," screenplay by Tracy Letts, from the novel by A.J. Finn

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 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 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 Screen Couple:

Any Klutzy Cast Member & Any Lamely, "Diana the Musical"
LeBron James & Any Warner Cartoon Character, "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 Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie:

Bruce Willis, "American Siege"
Bruce Willis, "Apex"
Bruce Willis, "Cosmic Sin"
Bruce Willis, "Deadlock"
Bruce Willis, "Fortress"
Bruce Willis, "Midnight in the Switchgrass"
Bruce Willis, "Out of Death"
Bruce Willis, "Survive the Game"

2021 RAZZIES AWARDS

We are less than a month away before the Oscars, but we will also have the Razzies. These are the awards given out to the worst that cinema had to offer last year. The Worst Picture nominees include "365 Days", Poland's version of "50 Shades of Grey" that involves a Sicilian man who imprisons a Polish woman for a year in order for her to fall in love with him. The Robert Downey Jr. remake of the man who talks to animals, "Dolittle" which ties "365 Days" with the most nominations at six. A re-imagining of the popular '70's television show, "Fantasy Island" with it now as a supernatural-horror movie. "Music", pop star, Sia's directorial debut, a Golden-Globe nominated musical about a former drug dealer who becomes the guardian of her younger half-sister who is autistic. And there's "Absolute Proof", a documentary on the "My Pillow" guy, Mike Lindell's false claims about the 2020 Presidential election and attempts to overturn the results. I have no real opinion on how bad these films are since I've not seen any of them but I also never had any interest in seeing them either. The one interesting nomination here is Glenn Close receiving Worst Supporting Actress for her role in "Hillbilly Elegy" while also getting an Oscar nod for the same performance. The Razzies will be given out on April 24th, the day before the Academy Awards.

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 41st Annual Golden Raspberry Awards:

UPDATE: The winners that were announced on April 24th have been highlighted:  

Worst Picture:

"365 Days"
"Absolute Proof"
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Music"

Worst Director:

Charles Band, All three “Barbie & Kendra” movies
Barbara Bialowas & Tomasz Mandes, "365 Days"
Stephen Gaghan, "Dolittle"
Ron Howard, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Sia, "Music"

Worst Screenplay:

"365 Days"
All three "Barbie & Kendra" Movies
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Hillbilly Elegy"

Worst Actress:

Anne Hathaway, "The Last Thing He Wanted" and "Roald Dahl’s The Witches"
Katie Holmes, "Brahms: The Boy II" and "The Secret: Dare to Dream"
Kate Hudson, "Music"
Lauren Lapkus, "The Wrong Missy"
Anna-Maria Sieklucka, "365 Days"

Worst Actor:

Robert Downey, Jr., "Dolittle"
Mike Lindell, "Absolute Proof"
Michele Morrone, "365 Days"
Adam Sandler, "Hubie Halloween"
David Spade, "The Wrong Missy"

Worst Supporting Actress:

Glenn Close, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Lucy Hale, "Fantasy Island"
Maggie Q, "Fantasy Island"
Kristen Wiig, "Wonder Woman 1984"
Maddie Ziegler, "Music"

Worst Supporting Actor:

Chevy Chase, "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee"
Rudy Giuliani (As “Himself”), "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Shia LaBeouf, "The Tax Collector"
Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Iron Mask"
Bruce Willis, "Breach", "Hard Kill" and "Survive the Night"

Worst Screen Combo:

Maria Bakalova & Rudy Giuliani, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Robert Downey Jr. & His Utterly Unconvincing “Welsh” Accent, "Dolittle"
Harrison Ford & That Totally Fake-Looking CGI “Dog”, "Call of the Wild"
Lauren Lapkus & David Spade, "The Wrong Missy"
Adam Sandler & His Grating Simpleton Voice, "Hubie Halloween"

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel:

"365 Days"
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Hubie Halloween"
"Wonder Woman 1984"

2020 RAZZIE AWARDS

"Cats", the big screen adaption of the beloved stage musical, swept the 40th annual Golden Raspberry Awards or as they are better known as The Razzies, a prize which spotlights the worst achievements in cinema. The musical had tied with " A Madea Family Funeral" and "Rambo: Last Blood" for the most nominations with eight and walked away with six awards including Worst Picture. The Razzies had planed to stream the ceremony live for the first time on March 14th but had to cancel due to the Coronavirus pandemic and announced the winners on March 16th with a press release.

There were two new categories added this year; Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property with "Rambo: Last Blood", Sylvester Stallone's inexplicable fifth installment of the Vietnam War veteran, taking this prize and something actually positive, the Razzie Redeemer Award. This award will honor a prior Razzie-nominated actor who have "redeemed" themselves with an impressive performance in the previous year. Eddie Murphy was the first winner for his remarkable work in the comedy biopic, "Dolemite Is My Name".

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2020 Annual Razzie Awards. The winners are highlighted:

Worst Picture:

"Cats"
"The Fanatic"
"The Haunting of Sharon Tate"
"A Madea Family Funeral"
"Rambo: Last Blood"

Worst Director:

Fred Durst, "The Fanatic"
James Franco, "Zeroville"
Adrian Grunberg, "Rambo: Last Blood"
Tom Hooper, "Cats" 
Neil Marshall, "Hellboy" (2019)

Worst Screenplay:

Lee Hall and Tom Hooper, "Cats"
Danial Farrands, "The Haunting of Sharon Tate"
Andrew Cosby, "Hellboy"
Tyler Perry, "A Madea Family Funeral"
Matthew Cirulnick and Sylvester Stallone, "Rambo: Last Blood"

Worst Actor:

James Franco, "Zeroville"
David Harbour, "Hellboy"
Matthew McConaughey, "Serenity"
Sylvester Stallone, "Rambo: Last Blood"
John Travolta, "The Fanatic" and "Trading Paint"

Worst Actress:

Hilary Duff, "The Haunting of Sharon Tate"
Anne Hathaway, "The Hustle" and "Serenity"
Francesca Hayward, "Cats"
Tyler Perry (As Medea), "A Madea Family Funeral"
Rebel Wilson, "The Hustle"

Worst Supporting Actress:

Jessica Chastain, "Dark Phoenix"
Cassi Davis, "A Madea Family Funeral"
Judi Dench, "Cats"
Fenessa Pineda, "Rambo: First Blood"
Rebel Wilson, "Cats"

Worst Supporting Actor:

James Corden, "Cats"
Tyler Perry (as “Joe”), "A Madea Family Funeral"
Tyler Perry (as “Uncle Heathrow”), "A Madea Family Funeral
Seth Rogan, "Zeroville"
Bruce Willis, "Glass"

Worst Screen Combo:

Any Two Half-Feline/Half-Human Hairballs in "Cats"
Jason Derulo & His CGI-Neutered “Bulge” in "Cats"
Tyler Perry & Tyler Perry (or Tyler Perry) in "A Madea Family Funeral"
Sylvester Stallone & His Impotent Rage in "Rambo: Last Blood"
John Travolta & Any Screenplay He Accepts

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel:

"Dark Phoenix"
"Godzilla, King of the Monsters"
"Hellboy"
"A Madea Family Funeral"
"Rambo: Last Blood"

Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property:

"Dragged Across Concrete"
"The Haunting of Sharon Tate"
"Joker"
"Rambo: Last Blood"
"Hellboy"

RAZZIE® Redeemer Award:

Eddie Murphy, "Dolemite Is My Name"
Keanu Reeves, "John Wick 3" and "Toy Story 4"
Adam Sandler, "Uncut Gems"
Jennifer Lopez, "Hustlers"
Will Smith, "Aladdin"

2019 AWARD WINNERS

Barry Jenkins and his adaption of James Baldwin's novel, "If Beale Street Could Talk" was the big winner at this year's Independent Spirit Awards receiving Best Director and the top prize of Best Feature. Regina King also won Best Supporting Female for her moving role in the film. The comedy-drama bio, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" won two awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Male for Richard E. Grant. And three great films from last year that were wrongly overlooked for Oscars were honored with awards here; the trippy comedy, "Sorry To Bother You" took Best First Feature, Bo Burnham received the Best First Screenplay for "Eighth Grade" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" won Best Documentary.

Winners of the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature: "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best Director: Barry Jenkins, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Best Female Lead: Glenn Close, "The Wife"
Best Male Lead: Ethan Hawke, "First Reformed"
Best Supporting Female: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best Supporting Male: Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Best First Feature: "Sorry to Bother You"
Best First Screenplay: Bo Burnham, "Eighth Grade"
Best Documentary: "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?"
Best International Film: "Roma" (Mexico)
Best Cinematography:  Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, "Suspiria"
Best Editing: Joe Bini, "You Were Never Really Here"
John Cassavetes Award: "En El Septimo Dia"



Truer Than Fiction Award: Bing Liu, Director of "Minding the Gap"



Someone To Watch Award: Alex Moratto, Director of "Sócrates"
Producer's Award: Shrihari Sathe

Over in France, "Custody (Jusqu’à La Garde)" was the big winner for Best Film at the 2019 César Awards. This feature debut from Xavier Legrand tells the story of a family torn apart by divorce and domestic violence and also received awards for Best Original Screenplay for Mr. Legrand and Léa Drucker won Best Actress. Jacques Audiard and his first English-language feature, "The Sisters Brothers" was another major winner and the American western drama took home four awards including Best Director. And Robert Redford received this year's honorary César Award which paid tribute to his long career as an activist, filmmaker and actor.

The list of winners for the 2019 César Awards:

Best Film: "Jusqu’a La Garde (Custody)"



Best Director: Jacques Audiard, "The Sisters Brothers"
Best Adapted Screenplay:  Andréa Bescond & Eric Métayer, "Les Chatouilles"
Best Original Screenplay: Xavier Legrand, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)"
Best Actress: Léa Drucker, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)"
Best Actor: Alex Lutz, "Guy"



Best Supporting Actress: Karin Viard, "Les Chatouilles"
Best Supporting Actor: Philippe Katerine, "Le Grand Bain (Sink or Swim)"



Best Debut Feature: "Shéhérazade"
Best Newcomer (Female): Kenza Fortas, "Shérérazade"
Best Newcomer (Male): Dylan Robert, "Shérérazade"
Best Documentary: "Ni Juge, Ni Soumise"
Best Foreign Film: "Shoplifters" (Japan)
Best Animated Film: "Dilili A Paris"



Best Cinematographer: Benoît Debie, "The Sisters Brothers"
Best Editing: Yorgos Lamprinos, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)"

Best Sound: Brigitte Taillandier, Valérie De Loof and Cyril Holtz, "The Sisters Brothers"

Best Original Score: Vincent Blanchard and Romain Greffe, "Guy"
Best Costume Design: Pierre-Jean Larroque, "Mademoiselle De Jonquières"
Best Production Design: Michele Bartélémy, "The Sisters Brothers"
Best Short Film: "Les Petites Mains"
Best Animated Short: "Vilaine Fille"
Cesar Du Public (awarded for box office success): "Les Tuches 3"

The Sherlock Holmes spoof, "Holmes & Watson" was the big loser as Worst Picture at the 2019 Razzie Awards. The film took home four awards including Worst Director and a Worst Supporting Actor win for John C. Reilly. Melissa McCarthy was named Worst Actress but also received the rare Redeemer Award for her brilliant work in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?". And our President finally won votes fair and square with him taking two prizes for Worst Actor and shared the prize with his petty nature for Worst Screen Combo.

The complete list of winners for the 2019 Razzie Awards:

Worst Picture: "Holmes & Watson"
Worst Director:  Etan Cohen, "Holmes & Watson"



Worst Screenplay: Niall Leonard, "Fifty Shades Freed"
Worst Actress:  Melissa McCarthy, "Happytime Murders" and "Life of the Party"



Razzie Redeemer Award: Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Worst Supporting Actress:  Kellyanne Conway (As Herself), "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Worst Supporting Actor:  John C. Reilly, "Holmes & Watson"
Worst Actor:  Donald J. Trump (As Himself), "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Worst Screen Combo:  Donald J. Trump & His Self-Perpetuating Pettiness, "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel:  "Holmes & Watson"

2019 RAZZIE AWARD NOMINATIONS

With the Oscar nominations for the best in cinema just announced, it's now that time to honor the worst films from 2018 with the Razzie Awards. "Gotti", "The Happytime Murders", "Holmes & Watson"  all tied for the most nominations with six including Worst Picture. "Robin Hood" and "Winchester" round out the Worst Picture nominees. The documentary, "Death of a Nation" was also honored with six nominations and I'm glad to see our President getting the proper recognition he deserves for his appearances in this film and "Fahrenheit 11/9". I'm sure he will show up to collect his award if he wins (fingers crossed).

Here is the complete list of the 2019 Razzie Awards:

Worst Picture:

"Gotti"
"The Happytime Murders"
"Holmes & Watson"
"Robin Hood"
"Winchester"

Worst Director:

Etan Cohen, "Holmes & Watson"
Kevin Connolly, "Gotti"
James Foley, "Fifty Shades Freed"
Brian Henson, "The Happytime Murders"
The Spierig Brothers, "Winchester"

Worst Screenplay:

Dinesh D’Souza & Bruce Schooley, "Death of a Nation"
Niall Leonard, "Fifty Shades Freed"
Leo Rossi and Lem Dobbs, "Gotti"
Todd Berger, "The Happytime Murders"
Tom Vaughan and The Spierig Brothers, "Winchester"

Worst Actress:

Jennifer Garner, "Peppermint"
Amber Heard, "London Fields"
Melissa McCarthy, "The Happytime Murders" and "Life of the Party"
Helen Mirren, "Winchester"
Amanda Seyfried, "The Clapper"

Worst Actor:

Johnny Depp (Voice Only), "Sherlock Gnomes"
Will Ferrell, "Holmes & Watson"
John Travolta, "Gotti"
Donald J. Trump, "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Bruce Willis, "Death Wish"

Worst Supporting Actress:

Kellyanne Conway, "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Marcia Gay Harden, "Fifty Shades Freed"
Kelly Preston, "Gotti"
Jaz Sinclair, "Slender Man"
Melania Trump, "Fahrenheit 11/9"

Worst Supporting Actor:

Jamie Fox, "Robin Hood"
Ludacris (Voice Only), "Show Dogs"
Joel McHale, "The Happytime Murders"
John C. Reilly, "Holmes & Watson"
Justice Smith, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom"

Worst Screen Combo:

Any Two Actors or Puppets, "The Happytime Murders"
Johnny Depp & His Fast-Fading Film Career, "Sherlock Gnomes"
Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly, "Holmes & Watson"
Kelly Preston & John Travolta, "Gotti"
Donald J. Trump & His Self Perpetuating Pettiness, "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9"

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel:

"Death of a Nation"
"Death Wish"
"Holmes & Watson"
"The Meg"
"Robin Hood"

2018 AWARD WINNERS

This is a very busy weekend with a lot of awards being given out. First, we have the César Awards, France's version of The Oscars, and "BPM", the acclaimed AIDS activist drama from Robin Campillo, won the most awards at the ceremony with six including Best Film. While this Cannes Grand Jury Prize winner did make it on the shortlist for the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film, it surprisingly did not make it as a finalist. "Au Revoir Là-Haut (See You Up There)", a WWI period drama which had tied "BPM" with the most nominations at thirteen, received five awards including Albert Dupontel for Best Director. "Loveless", an Oscar nominee this year from Russia, won Best Foreign-Language Film. And Penelope Cruz, the Oscar-winning actress from Spain, was the recipient of an honorary César.

Then we have the Spirit Awards, which honors the best of indie films, and I think many of these winners have a very strong chance of walking home with Oscars on Sunday as well. Jordan Peele and his thought-provoking horror film, "Get Out" took the top prizes of Best Feature and Best Director. Greta Gerwig received the Best Screenplay award for her lovely feature debut, "Lady Bird" and the powerhouse acting team from "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell received Best Female Lead and Best Supporting Male while Allison Janney and Timothée Chalamet took home the Best Supporting Female for "I, Tonya" and Best Male Lead for "Call Me By Your Name".

And finally, we have the prizes given to the worst in cinema with the Razzies and the animated disaster, "The Emoji Movie" swept the awards by winning four including Worst Picture of 2017.

This is the complete list of winners of the 2018 César Awards:

Best Film: "BPM"
Best Director: Albert Dupontel,"Au Revoir Là-Haut"



Best Original Screenplay: Robin Campillo, "BPM"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Albert Dupontel and Pierre Lemaitre, "Au Revoir Là-Haut"
Best Actress: Jeanne Balibar, "Barbara"



Best Actor: Swann Arlaud, "Petite Paysan"
Best Supporting Actress: Sara Giraudeau, "Petit Paysan"



Best Supporting Actor: Antoine Reinartz, "BPM"
Best Debut Feature: "Petit Paysan"
Best Documentary: "I Am Not Your Negro"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "Loveless" (Russia)
Best Animated Feature: "Le Grand Méchant Renard Et Autres Contes"
Best Animated Short: "Pépé Le Morse"
Best Short Film: "Les Bigorneaux"
Best Cinematography: Vincent Mathias, "Au Revoir Là-Haut"
Best Editing: Robin Campillo, "BPM"
Best Set Design: Pierre Quefféléan, "Au Revoir Là-Haut"
Best Costumes: Mimi Lempicka, "Au Revoir Là-Haut"
Best Score: Arnaud Reotini, "BPM"
Best Sound: Olivier Mauvezin, Nicolas Moreau and Stéphane Thiébaut, "Barbara"
Best Newcomer (Male): Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, "BPM"
Best Newcomer (Female): Camélia Jordana, "Le Brio"

Here is the list of winners of the 2018 Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature: "Get Out"
Best Director: Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Best Screenplay: Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Best First Feature: "Ingrid Goes West"
Best First Screenplay: Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick"
Best Female Lead: Frances McDormand, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Best Male Lead: Timothée Chalamet, "Call Me By Your Name"
Best Supporting Female: Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"
Best Supporting Male: Sam Rockwell, "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Best International Film: "A Fantastic Woman" (Chile)
Best Documentary: "Faces, Places"
Best Editing: Tatiana S. Riegel, "I, Tonya"
Best Cinematography: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, "Call Me By Your Name"
John Cassavetes Award: "Life and nothing more"

Here is the complete list of winners of the 2018 Razzie Awards:

Worst Picture: "The Emoji Movie"
Worst Director: Tony Leonidis, "The Emoji Movie"
Worst Screenplay: "The Emoji Movie"



Worst Actor: Tom Cruise, "The Mummy"
Worst Actress: Tyler Perry, "Boo 2! A Madea Halloween"
Worst Supporting Actor: Mel Gibson, "Daddy's Home 2"
Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Basinger, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Worst Screen Combo: Any Two Obnoxious Emojis, "The Emoji Movie"
Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: "Fifty Shades Darker"
The Razzie Contender for "So Rotten You Loved It": "Baywatch"

2018 RAZZIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

I have just recently placed Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" as one of my favorite films of 2017. But as I had also stated, there were many people that were not fans of this film. That was proven as "mother!" just received three nominations including Worst Director for Mr. Aronofsky during the announcement of the 38th annual Golden Raspberry Award nominations or as they are now better known as "the Razzie" which honors the worst in cinema of the previous year. "Transformers: The Last Knight", the latest of Michael Bay's endless sequels of the giant robot warriors based on toy products, leads the field with nine nominations including Worst Picture. "Fifty Shades Darker", the limp erotic drama sequel, follows with eight nominations with "Baywatch", "The Emoji Movie" and "The Mummy" all also in the running for Worst Picture. The Razzie Awards will be handed out on March 3rd, the day before the Oscars. Let's see how many will actually show up to pick-up their prize.

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2018 Razzie Awards:

WORST PICTURE:

"Baywatch"
"The Emoji Movie"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST DIRECTOR:

Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
Michael Bay, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
James Foley, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Alex Kurtzman, "The Mummy"
Anthony (Tony) Leonidis, "The Emoji Movie"

WORST SCREENPLAY:

"Baywatch"
"The Emoji Movie"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST ACTRESS:

Katherine Heigl, "Unforgettable"
Dakota Johnson, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Jennifer Lawrence, "mother!"
Tyler Perry, "Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"
Emma Watson, "The Circle"

WORST ACTOR:

Tom Cruise, "The Mummy"
Johnny Depp, "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Jamie Dornan, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Zac Efron, "Baywatch"
Mark Wahlberg, "Daddy’s Home 2" & "Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Javier Bardem, "mother!" & "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Russell Crowe, "The Mummy"
Josh Duhamel, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Mel Gibson, "Daddy’s Home 2"
Anthony Hopkins, "Collide" & "Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Kim Basinger, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Sofia Boutella, "The Mummy"
Laura Haddock, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Goldie Hawn, "Snatched"
Susan Sarandon, "A Bad Moms Christmas"

WORST SCREEN COMBO:

Any Combination of Two Characters, Two Sex Toys or Two Sexual Positions, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Any Combination of Two Humans, Two Robots or Two Explosions, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Any Two Obnoxious Emojis, "The Emoji Movie"
Johnny Depp & His Worn Out Drunk Routine,"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Tyler Perry & Either The Ratty Old Dress or Worn Out Wig, "Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL:

"Baywatch"
"Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"