Established in 1981, The Golden Raspberry Awards (or, as they are perhaps not-so-affectionately known for short, The Razzies), started as a joke at the Oscar-watching party of Hollywood publicist John J.B. Wilson. Since that time, they've gone on to become a much bigger joke. Announced the day before the Academy Awards, the Razzies honor (or dishonor) the worst that Hollywood has to offer every year.
That's the theory, anyway. Historically the Razzies are far more likely to target over-hyped blockbusters rather than going after works of obvious shlock like Birdemic 2 or The Room. There have also been occasions where The Razzies attacked easy targets rather than truly awful films.
Regardless, the Razzies have set a standard for judging the worst movies ever made. To that end, we have tabulated which films have won the most Razzie Awards. Note: this list is limited to films that won at least four Razzies, with one notable exception. We've also eliminated those movies where the Razzie wins were less a commentary on the quality of the film and more of a political statement, such as Fahrenheit 9-11.
With that in mind, here are the 26 Worst Movies Ever Made (According To The Razzies).
From Justin To Kelly
Despite being regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, the American Idol inspired From Justin To Kelly was almost completely shut-out of the 2004 Razzies despite scoring a nomination in eight out of that year's ten categories. When it became clear after counting all of the votes that the Razzies would not see From Justin To Kelly appropriately dishonored, Razzie Governor John J.B. Wilson swung into action.
Wilson issued the Razzies' first (and, to this day, only) Governor's Award to From Justin To Kelly's choreographer Travis Payne, for his "distinguished under-achievement in choreography." One year later, in honor of The Golden Raspberry's 25th anniversary, From Justin To Kelly was once again presented with a special award for Worst Musical Of Our First 25 Years.
Inchon
Widely considered to be the worst war movie ever made, Inchon tells the story of an estranged American couple struggling to be reunited against the backdrop of the Korean War. Filled with innumerable technical errors, such as cardboard cut-outs with clearly visible strings being used to simulate military aircraft, film critic Vincent Canby described the $44 million dollar bomb as "the most expensive B-movie ever made."
Inchon "won" the 1983 Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay, with Sir Laurence Olivier being dishonored as Worst Actor.
Ironically, Olivier was probably the only person who profited from their association with Inchon, which only made $1.9 million in North America. Olivier was paid $1 million to play the role of General Douglas MacArthur, who led the American forces supporting the South Korean army. He was also given a $2500 weekly expense account.
Catwoman
There is little that can be said about the poor quality of 2004's Catwoman that hasn't already been said by a literal horde of comic book fans and film critics. Based on the famous Batman anti-heroine (in that they are both called Catwoman), the film stars Halle Berry as Prudence Phillips - a graphic designer for a cosmetics company who is reborn with cat powers after being killed by her unscrupulous boss.
While the debate rages on about what single aspect of the film is the worst, most would agree that Catwoman is undoubtedly one of the worst comic book movies of all time. The 2005 Razzies awarded the film Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay.
Halle Berry, named Worst Actress for her performance, made Razzies history by being the first actress to attend the Razzies ceremony to claim her award in person.
Dirty Love
Best known today for being the face of the anti-vaccine movement in the United States, there was a time when Jenny McCarthy headlined movies. That time ended with the release of Dirty Love, which effectively killed McCarthy's film career after making a miserable $36,099 in two weeks before being pulled from theaters.
The film's story was the typical rom-com plot about a woman whose life falls apart as she seeks the perfect man, only to discover it was the nice guy who always supported her all along. Dirty Love's only deviation from the formula was a heavy load of the gross-out humor that was McCarthy's trademark at the time.
McCarthy earned Razzies for Worst Actress and Worst Screenplay for her work on Dirty Love, which was itself named Worst Picture of 2006. McCarthy's then-husband, John Mallory Asher, also won that year's Razzie for Worst Director.
Basic Instinct 2
The original Basic Instinct was a controversial and divisive film, with audiences split on whether it was a lurid piece of trash or a sensual modernization of the sorts of thrillers Alfred Hitchcock once made. The sequel, which arrived 14 years later in 2006, has few, if any, defenders.
Basic Instinct 2 largely rehashes the plot of the first movie, with novelist Catherine Trammel (Sharon Stone) once again being accused of murder and playing mind-games with the officials charged with investigating her.
While the original Basic Instinct was nominated for three Razzies, it failed to win a single one.
The sequel was more "successful", winning Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay and Worst Sequel. Sharon Stone, who failed to win Worst Newcomer in 1992, rebound to win the 2007 Razzie for Worst Actress.
Batman V. Superman - Dawn of Justice - 4 Wins
Given the Razzies' mission statement of dishonoring overblown blockbusters, it's no surprise that the 2017 Razzie Awards saw Batman V. Superman - Dawn of Justice nominated for nine Razzies. What's surprising is that the film, loathed by critics and comic book fans upon its release, wound up winning so few Razzies in the end.
Though their dual nominations for Worst Actor bore no fruit, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck dominated in the Worst Screen Combo category. Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer won The Razzie for Worst Screenplay.
While losing out on Worst Picture, the film was dishonored as 2017's Worst Sequel and Jesse Eisenberg picked up the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor for his odd performance as Lex Luthor.
Saving Christmas
Promoted as a "faith-based Christmas comedy", the 2014 film Saving Christmas did a poor job of inspiring much beyond derisive laughter.
Starring Kirk Cameron as a fictional version of himself, the movie depicts Cameron lecturing his fictional family on why Christians should not feel bad about spending lots of money on expensive gifts and how they should ignore those who claim that modern Christmas traditions borrowed a lot of things (like decorating trees) from pagan traditions used to celebrate the Winter Solstice.
Cameron blamed the film's poor reception on "haters and atheists" on Reddit, despite the film being lambasted by less capitalism-minded Christians, as well as secular film critics. The Razzies remained neutral on the arguments of the film, saying only that it was less than engaging.
Saving Christmas won Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay, with Kirk Cameron winning Worst Actor and Worst Screen Combo.
Ghosts Can't Do It
Unable to make love to his wife, Kate (Bo Derek), following a heart-attack, businessman Scott (Anthony Quinn) commits suicide and returns to Earth as a ghost. The two immediately begin plotting how to save Scott's business from the mob and drown a younger man, whose body Scott can then possess.
Ghosts Can't Do It is an uncomfortable film to watch even if you ignore that its story was almost certainly inspired by the May/December romance of writer/director John Derek and Bo Derek. It is mostly remembered today for featuring a joke about assault that was tasteless even for 1989 and Donald Trump playing himself in a performance that won him the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor.
The Dereks were named Worst Director and Worst Actress respectively, with Ghosts Can't Do It being named Worst Picture of 1990.
Rocky IV
The Razzies have a long history of targeting Sylvester Stallone, but by the time Rocky IV came out, both audiences and critics agreed that the one-time Oscar nominee was recycling his best work as a writer, an actor, and a director.
Stallone's tale of Rocky Balboa's fight for the glory of America against Soviet strongman Ivan Drago saw hi, dishonored with the 1986 Razzies for Worst Actor and Worst Director.
Stallone was not alone in drawing scorn for Rocky IV. Bridgette Nielsen - who played the role of Ivan Drago's wife - was awarded Worst Supporting Actress for her work on the film. She was also named the Worst New Star of 1986 for her work on Rocky IV and her starring role in Red Sonja. Finally, the film "won" the Razzie for Worst Musical Score.
Wild Wild West
"Bombastic, manic, and largely laugh-free," was how RottenTomatoes.com described this 1999 effort to update the classic weird western television series Wild Wild West as a vehicle for Will Smith.
The film cast Smith as Captain Jim West, who was forcibly teamed with master of disguise and mad inventor Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) in order to stop a plot to destroy the American government with a giant steampunk spider.
While Smith wasn't nominated for Worst Actor, his song Wild Wild West was named Worst Original Song. Smith and Kline picked up the Razzie for Worst Screen Couple, though Kline lost both Worst Actor and Worst Actress, for which he was jokingly nominated for his scenes in drag.
Wild Wild West itself won Worst Screenplay, Worst Director and Worst Picture of The Year. The original Captain Jim West, Robert Conrad, accepted the awards to show his objections to the film.
Freddy Got Fingered
A professional troll before "trolling" even had a name, Tom Green was to Generation X what Andy Kaufman was to the Baby Boomers. Green's unusual and off-putting comedy was divisive, with people either loving or hating his twisted humor.
Given that, it was no surprise that the 2001 Razzies "honored" Tom Green's film, Freddy Got Fingered, with eight nominations. Nor was it a surprise that the film "won" five Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Director, Worst Actor (Green) and Worst Screen Couple (Tom Green & any animal he abuses).
What surprised everyone was that Tom Green showed up to the Razzie Awards ceremony in a tuxedo to claim his awards - the first actor to ever do so. It was somewhat less shocking, however, that Green had to be dragged off stage during his acceptance speech, which included a never-ending harmonica solo.
Swept Away
Audiences failed to be swept away by writer/director Guy Ritchie's 2002 remake of the original 1974 Swept Away. The film starred Ritchie's then-wife Madonna as Amber Leighton, a spoiled trophy wife who finds true love after being knocked overboard while on a cruise and stranded on a deserted island with the ship's first mate, Giuseppe (Adriano Giannini).
Swept Away made Razzie history by being the first movie to win both Worst Picture and Worst Remake.
Madonna also made Razzie history that year, being the first actress to win both Worst Actress and Worst Supporting Actress in the same year, earning the Worst Supporting Actress Razzie for her appearance in Die Another Day. Madonna also won, along with Adriano Giannini, the Razzie for Worst Screen Couple due to their complete lack of romantic chemistry. Guy Ritchie himself was dishonored as 2003's Worst Director.
The Last Airbender
It's hard to say who hated the 2010 film The Last Airbender more - fans of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender upset by the white-washing of the series' Asian cast or film critics. The critics were dumbfounded by writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's attempt to condense twenty episodes of a complexly-plotted television series into a live-action ninety-minute family film. In the end, it hardly mattered - both groups agreed The Last Airbender stank on ice.
The 2011 Razzies saw M. Night Shymalan dishonored with awards for Worst Screenplay and Worst Director for his work on the film. Actor Jackson Rathbone was named Worst Supporting Actor for his performance in the role of Sokka. The Last Airbender itself was named the Worst Picture of 2011 and also won a category unique to that year's awards - Worst Eye-Gouging Mis-Use of 3D.
Fifty Shades of Grey
The film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey proved as controversial as the book it was based on. Religious conservatives dismissed it as filthy smut, finding unlikely partners in their efforts to boycott the movie among feminist groups who felt it glamorized physical and emotional abuse. BDSM practitioners also protested the movie for inaccurately portraying their lifestyle.
It is believed that the unprecedented amount of control author E.L. James was given over the film adaptation may have been responsible for its unevenness, with James feuding with the director and producers. James also pushed to make the movie as hardcore as possible within the confines of an R-rating, adding to the obvious discomfort of leads Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
Small wonder then that the two won Worst Actor, Worst Actress, and Worst Screen Combo at the 2016 Razzies. The film itself won Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay.
The Postman
Based on a Locus Award winning novel, the film adaptation of The Postman overseen by actor/director Kevin Costner would not be as well-received nor as critically-acclaimed as its source material.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the film tells the tale of a Shakespeare-quoting drifter (Costner) who unintentionally starts a revolution when his efforts to instill a little hope in a survivalist community - by masquerading as a postman working for a newly reforged federal government - become bigger than he ever imagined.
The Postman was named the Worst Picture of 1998 and earned Kevin Costner the Razzies for Worst Actor and Worst Director. Eric Roth and Brian Helgeland "won" the Razzie for Worst Screenplay. The movie also earned the Razzie for Worst Song, for "the entire song selection" on the film's soundtrack.
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn
The tradition of crediting any film director who wants to go uncredited as Alan Smithee lies at the heart of An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn.
The story centers upon a director (Eric Idle) whose real name is Alan Smithee. After his latest picture is edited into something awful, Smithee goes on the run, holding the film hostage since there's no way he can take his name off the picture.
Ironically, this film's director was credited as Alan Smithee, prompting a scandal that ended the Alan Smithee tradition. The film is also remembered for earning Joe Eszterhas (who wrote the movie and appeared in it playing himself) four individual Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst New Star - the most Razzies won by a single person for a single film at the time. The movie also earned the 1999 Razzie for Worst Original Song.
Mommie Dearest
Based on the 1978 tell-all biography of Joan Crawford's adopted daughter Christina, who alleged that she had been systematically abused by her famous mother, Mommie Dearest was a financial success upon its release. The critics were less kind than the box-office, however, attacking the film for its melodramatic dialogue and an over-the-top performance by Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford.
The Razzies nominating committee agreed with the critics, granting Mommie Dearest nine total nominations.
The film went on to win five Razzies, including Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay. Faye Dunaway was dishonored as Worst Actress, with Diana Scarwid picking up Worst Supporting Actress and Steve Forres earning Worst Supporting Actor. The film would later win a special Razzie as the Worst Picture of the 1980s and has gone on to become something of a camp cult classic.
Striptease
Based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen, Striptease tells the story of Erin Grant - a secretary forced into stripping to afford the lawyer who is helping her regain custody of her daughter. Erin wins the affections of a sleazy Congressman, trapping her in the middle of a battle between the business interests backing the Congressman and the police working to bring him down.
The problem with Striptease may be that everyone but Demi Moore thought they were filming a comedy.
Or perhaps the film's failure lies in the script, as Erin Grant's serious battle to rebuild her life doesn't fit with the rest of the farcical proceedings. Either way the film cleaned up at the 1997 Razzies.
Moore was named Worst Actress and half of the Worst Screen Couple, with Burt Reynolds. The film itself won Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Song.
The Lonely Lady
Based on the novel by Harold Robbins (which was itself reportedly based on Robbins' memories of Valley of The Dolls author Jacqueline Susann), The Lonely Lady tells the tale of aspiring screenwriter Jerilee Randall (Pia Zadora) and her trials and tribulations trying to make it in Hollywood.
Rather than being a bold tale of feminist empowerment, the film seemed more concerned with showcasing Pia Zadora's bare body in a series of increasingly dehumanizing love scenes before Randall finally finds self-respect and success.
The critics, the audiences, and the Razzies were not kind to The Lonely Lady.
It picked up six Razzies in 1984, including Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Director, Worst Musical Score, and Worst Original Song. Zadora was named Worst Actress and became the first actress to win the award for two years in a row, having won the 1983 Razzie for Worst Actress for her performance in Butterfly.