Everyone in the film community and beyond knows about the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, plus all the other important film award ceremonies intent on honoring the best of the best in Hollywood every year. But what about the award show for the worst of Hollywood? The Golden Raspberry Awards have been around for about as long as the Oscars have and some people value them just as much.
Each year they give out an award to the Worst Picture of the year, the opposite of the Best Picture Award. But that doesn't mean they're always right, just like the Oscars aren't always right. Here are ten films that haven't didn't deserve the Worst Picture Award.
Hudson Hawk
It's hard to imagine Bruce Willis, a lauded and popular movie star, landing a spot on the Worst Picture nominee at the Razzies, nonetheless winning the award. But that was the case with his heist film, Hudson Hawk. The movie starred Willis as a thief hoping to pull off the ultimate last heist before his retirement.
The movie bombed critically but it has had something of a resurgence in the last decade or so as new fans discover the movie. Hudson Hawk was a zany heist film for certain. It had musical numbers and a surprising amount of whimsy. It fell victim to poor marketing that offered a misguided promotional tour for what the film really had to offer.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey is based on the adaptation of the novel of the same name. EL James's claim to fame is an erotic book series following the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. The novel is based on Twilight fanfiction. It's not surprising that Fifty Shades won the award given its many issues and cheesiness but the first Fifty Shades is actually probably the best out of the entire franchise.
The director famously wanted to lessen the abusive tendencies of the central relationship and even have Ana walk away from Christian at the end. Ultimately, it's not a good film, but out of all the movies in the series, it certainly isn't the worst.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
Twilight is a film franchise and book series that has received an endless amount of flack from people who hate the story. Admittedly, it isn't top-notch storytelling and there are plenty of issues to be picked apart, but at the end of the day, the series was hated so intensely because it was geared towards teenage girls.
The films were never great but people have begun to enjoy them more over the years for exactly what they are. The last film in the franchise is the final culmination of Bella and Edward's story. As grand finales go, it was somewhat lackluster but definitely not deserving of the "worst picture" award.
Catwoman
Honestly, Catwoman is nowhere near as bad as the Internet makes it out to be. In fact, it's a surprisingly empowering film when you think about it. In the end, Selina's character even rejects her male love interest in favor of being alone and learning more about herself! It's relatively harmless and downright fun.
It came out before the big superhero franchises and interconnected universes took precedent. It's over the top, campy, and enjoyable. No, it's not going to blow anyone away with its script or special effects, but it's clear Halle Berry was having a blast in the role and Sharon Stone makes a delightfully charismatic villain.
Shining Through
The weird thing about Shining Through winning the Worst Picture award at the Razzies is the film wasn't bad. While it wasn't a commercial or critical success, it wasn't a failure either. Mostly, it's a forgettable film and you won't find many people ranking it as their favorite, but it was hardly the worst movie that came out that year.
The film was a WWII film based on the novel of the same name. It was a thriller that starred Liam Neeson, Michael Douglas, and Melanie Griffith. The plot is somewhat tone deaf and if it was optioned now it probably wouldn't make it to theaters but for its time period, it was just an average movie, not terrible, not great.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
The thing is, if you're a fan of the Vietnam veteran played by Sylvester Stallone, Rambo, then odds are you probably liked this movie regardless. There comes a time when a franchise becomes incredibly popular where you can forgive the random movie that isn't as good as the rest. Look no further than the current superhero behemoth franchises.
Not every movie is exceptional but that doesn't mean you don't enjoy the lackluster ones anyways because you appreciate the characters. The same can be said of Rambo: First Blood Part II. It's mindlessly entertaining. If you love Rambo, then the film will appeal to you, simple as that.
Striptease
Striptease is the erotic black comedy film infamously starring Demi Moore. The film was reviled by critics at the time of its premiere, but like Showgirls, it has found its own cult following over the years. America has always been somewhat prudish towards sex and nudity on-screen, that's not a shock. Many erotic films were critically panned simply for the genre they were created for.
Striptease is by no means a masterpiece film but some of its comedy was lost on the 1990s audience. Watching it now it can be appreciated for its insanity and absurdity. Sometimes you want to watch a film to laugh at the ridiculousness and Striptease is perfect for that.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers has never been a critically beloved franchise and yet it has made millions at the box office and spawned more than five movies over the last decade. It's surprising that one of the Transformers movies would be hated enough to win the Worst Picture Award at the Razzies because it delivers on everything the audience wanted to see: giant robots fighting each other.
Why else go see a big-budget Transformers film? Sure it's bloated and the jokes are cringe more often than not, but the CGI and action sequences more than make amends for that. It's no Bumblebee, but Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is good fun all the same.
Showgirls
When it comes to thinking about the "worst films of all time," many people will say Showgirls without even thinking about another answer. The Internet has told them to hate the movie and so they do. But over the last decade, people have begun to appreciate Showgirls for its satire of Hollywood and the industry and its hilarious camp.
The movie has established itself as unforgettable, even after all these years, and for that alone it deserves a little more appreciation. It has also developed a fervent cult following and talk of a remake that has been discussed from time to time. Although Showgirls is very much a product of its time. It definitely didn't deserve the Worst Picture win.
Mommie Dearest
Given the impact Mommie Dearest has had on the horror community it's pretty shocking that the movie won Worst Picture. It has come to be revered by many genre fans and its impact can be felt in a lot of horror movies and television series over the years.
Joan Crawford's role in the film is now considered iconic and the story behind Mommie Dearest is shocking enough to make the movie consistently talked about all these years after it was released. Most of the reason the movie has developed an ardent cult following is because of its unintentional hilarity and because of how strong the performances are. The movie was also a box office success.