The Razzies will be televised for the first time ever in 2020. For some, awards season is the ultimate recognition of what are generally considered to be the best films of the previous year. Landing a solid box office return plus critical acclaim is a great scenario for many films, but an Oscar nomination and award are the ultimate win. The Razzie's, on the other hand, are another story.
With the substantial number of Hollywood films released in a given year, there are inevitably those that don’t quite measure up to the glitz and glamor of Oscar contention. And, while taste is always a subjective matter, some films are considered just plain bad. It was for exactly this reason that The Razzies were invented in 1981, in Los Angeles, by a handful of UCLA film graduates, as well as John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy. The Golden Raspberry awards were first handed out in Wilson’s living room, and every year since then has seen the anti-award ceremony grow larger in scale and gain more media attention. Criticized by some, loved by others, the gold spray-painted raspberry atop a Super 8mm film reel award has become synonymous with failure in cinematic achievements.
With the current year in cinema marking what will later be the 40th anniversary of the Razzies, Comedy Dynamics has announced via press release that for the first time ever, the Razzies ceremony will be televised in 2020. Comedy Dynamics is the largest independent comedy production/distribution company in the United States and has produced titles such as Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History, Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape, the TV series The Toys That Made Us, and the upcoming reboot of 1990s hit sitcom Mad About You. The ceremony will air live on the Comedy Dynamics Network.
The 39th edition of the Razzies kept up what has become an entertaining takedown of various Hollywood films, making Holmes & Watson - the Will Ferrell/John C. Riley Sherlock Holmes spoof - the biggest winner (or loser) of the year with a total of 4 trophies. Other awards given out went to Donald Trump, Fifty Shades Freed, and Melissa McCarthy. The Razzies are typically handed out on the night before the best films of the year are honored at the Oscar ceremony. Exactly what the televised version of the Razzies will include is unclear as of this writing, but given that Comedy Dynamics is responsible for the festivities, there’s likely to be no shortage of laughs. Also, because the event will mark the award ceremony’s 40th anniversary, it will be interesting to see how the milestone is marked.
Some have argued that the Razzies have become quite detached from what they was originally intended to be. The fact that anyone with a spare $40 can join the voting process does somewhat lessen the legitimacy of the ceremony, but perhaps that’s the point. Can we ever truly be certain that the best films are getting the awards they deserve? It’s easy to criticize the Razzies for their arguably frivolous methods, but at the same time, it’s easy to criticize the Oscars for their methods as well. In the end, the quality of a film is subjective, and the Razzies remain a bit of fun compared to other, far bigger award ceremonies that some might consider take themselves too seriously.
Source: Comedy Dynamics