The Razzie nominations for the worst movies and performances of the 2023 movie year have just been announced. The Golden Raspberry Awards are handed out every year by a group of critics, journalists, and ordinary movie fans — anyone can pay an annual fee and become a voting member — and their most dishonored films of 2023 are Expend4bles, with seven nominations; The Exorcist: Believer and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, with five noms each; and Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with four noms each.
Are the Razzies — or any discussion about the worst films in any given year — worth our time?
As Variety points out, the Razzies have gotten themselves into trouble with their awards before, as when they nominated a child in one of their worse-performances categories. That kind of punching down is totally uncalled for, but I do think there is value in talking about movie worsts, if they focus on the excesses of the big-budget movie machine. (Last week’s Loaded Question was What 2023 movie was the worst you saw?, and is still open for replies.) But I’ve heard the argument, too, that it’s much more useful to focus on good films and good work onscreen.
I choose only to post "Movie Recommendations" instead of movie reviews or criticism on my Substack because I only want to draw attention to things I value and that excite me. But there's plenty of room in the world for things like Razzie awards, and in fact Razzie winning pictures probably get some bonus attention and appreciation after winning from the type of people who adore indulging in kitsch. Some movies on this year's list, like Winnie the Pooh - Blood & Honey, are sort of made with this type of attention in mind.
I don't know anything about the Razzies besides knowing they exist, but I've also never been interested. Analysing a movie, or aspect of a movie, that doesn't work and thinking critically about it is quite valuable, I think, and a worthwhile endeavour. But I don't think they do that, I think they just point and laugh at things they call bad, which just feels mean-spirited.
I loved it when Sandra Bullock showed up to collect her Razzie one year.
I choose only to post "Movie Recommendations" instead of movie reviews or criticism on my Substack because I only want to draw attention to things I value and that excite me. But there's plenty of room in the world for things like Razzie awards, and in fact Razzie winning pictures probably get some bonus attention and appreciation after winning from the type of people who adore indulging in kitsch. Some movies on this year's list, like Winnie the Pooh - Blood & Honey, are sort of made with this type of attention in mind.
I don't know anything about the Razzies besides knowing they exist, but I've also never been interested. Analysing a movie, or aspect of a movie, that doesn't work and thinking critically about it is quite valuable, I think, and a worthwhile endeavour. But I don't think they do that, I think they just point and laugh at things they call bad, which just feels mean-spirited.