Film: Stinkers Bad Movie Awards recognize the
worst in Hollywood with humorous categories


 

By PILAAR TERRY

(c) 2000 P. Terry, Daily Trojan

Finally, there is vindication for paying for and attending bad movies. Tired of walking out of a movie theatre and feeling more stupid than upon entering? Wish that there were some way you could get back that wasted two hours of your life? Have you ever been the victim of a mercilessly bad movie?


We all have. There is redemption, people. The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards offer the regular moviegoer a chance to voice their opinions about movies that leave a bad taste in one's mouth. The awards, hosted by the Hastings Bad Cinema Society, honor the truly bad movies of the year.


This year's awards contain a whopping 26 categories, ranging from worst film to the deviously clever worst fake accent. The latter of which the entire cast of "Varsity Blues" is a nominee. The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards spare no movie, actor or actress from its wrath, as all nominations are from members of the society itself. Any movie buff or filmgoer can become part of the Hastings Bad Cinema Society by paying small $5 in dues a year, less than the cost of seeing one movie in theatres.


This year's nominations for worst film are the family flick "Baby Geniuses," cash cow "The Blair Witch Project," ill-conceived "Inspector Gadget," television remake "The Mod Squad," and incredible money waster "Wild Wild West."


Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" actually earned ten nomination this year - more than any other film nominated, ever. Its exhaustive list of nominations include Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Actor, Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy, Worst On- Screen Couple, Biggest Disappointment, Worst Resurrection of a TV Show, Worst Song Featured in a Film or Its End Credits, Worst Screenplay For a Film Grossing More Than $100 Million Worldwide, and Least "Special" Special Effects.


Other winners in the multiple nomination department include "Pokemon The First Movie," "The Blair Witch Project," "Big Daddy," and "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." Scrambling for worst actor award are Arnold Schwarzennegger for "End of Days," Robin Williams for "Bicentennial Man" and "Jakob the Liar," Cuba Gooding Jr. for "Chill Factor" and "Instinct," Kevin Kline for "Wild Wild West," and Kevin Costner for "Message in a Bottle" and "For Love of the Game."


Worst actress award nominees are Claire Danes for "The Mod Squad," Heather Donahue for "The Blair Witch Project," Melanie Griffith for "Crazy in Alabama," Milla Jovovich for "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" and Sharon Stone for both "Gloria" and "The Muse."


Among the not-so-normal category nominees are "Big Daddy," "Inspector Gadget," "Baby Geniuses" and "Wild Wild West" for most painfully unfunny comedy. Worst On-screen Hairstyle Male and Female nominees Angelina Jolie ("Girl, Interrupted"), Dennis Rodman ("Simon Sez"), Burt Reynolds ("Mystery, Alaska"), and Helena Bonham-Carter.


To see a complete list of the nominees in all 26 categories, visit The Stinkers at www.thestinkers.com. It is too late to actually vote in this year's awards. However, the winners in all categories will be announced on Friday, March 24, at 6:00 p.m. on the society's website, just two days before the Academy Awards are broadcast.


Founders of the society Michael Lancaster, 41, and Ray Wright, 38, said that they started the society mostly to piss off friends and coworkers while working as ushers in a movie theatre. The organization, founded in 1978, is based in Los Angeles and has been nationally recognized by USA Today, CNN, and Entertainment Weekly. Wright, remarked about this year's nominees, "Our ballot is truly the worst of the worst. If you've seen any of the movies that made our final ballot, we feel your pain."


At last, somebody out there actually cares.


 
 

 
 

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