JENNIFER Lopez and Ben Affleck were last night savouring a virtual clean sweep of all the awards on offer at the ‘alternative Oscars’ ceremony.
But each of the six Golden Raspberry awards for their roles in the mega-flop Gigli would have left a decidedly sour taste in the mouths of two of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.
The movie won ‘Razzies’ for worst film of the year, worst actor and
actress, worst screen couple and worst director and screenwriter for Martin Brest in a feat only outdone by two films in the ceremony’s 24-year history: Showgirls and Battlefield Earth, with seven awards each.
Gigli was the first onscreen collaboration for Lopez and Affleck, whose over-hyped wedding - and with it their relationship - has since gone up in flames. Audiences at test screenings laughed at the love scenes, and even Affleck was reported to have admitted the movie was rubbish.
It was saved from becoming the most panned film ever when the worst supporting actor and actress prizes went to Razzie king Sylvester Stallone and another veteran, Demi Moore.
Stallone was cited for an unprecedented 10th Razzie for Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, while Moore’s work in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle had Razzie voters’ jaws hitting the floor. The latter film was also cited as worst sequel.
In a new category, the Mike Myers vehicle The Cat in the Hat was named "worst excuse for an actual movie" - an award for films that are all concept, no content. The movie had come into the competition with an impressive eight nominations.
The ‘winners’ could take consolation from the fate of previous recipients, such as this year’s Oscar darling Sofia Coppola, multi-nominated for Lost in Translation and a favourite to win best original screenplay at tonight’s ceremony.
The former actress won twin Razzies back in the 1990s for her performance as Al Pacino’s daughter in Godfather III.
At the time, viewers laughed or even applauded when she took a bullet in the chest during the film’s climax then intoned "Dad?" before dropping dead.
The Razzies are chosen by the 617 Golden Raspberry Award Foundation members in 39 US states and 15 foreign countries, who send in votes for the final tally.
The awards themselves, a handcrafted gold spray-painted golf ball-sized raspberry atop a mangled reel of Super 8 film, are handed out before the Academy Awards at a less-than-glittering ceremony in a conference room at a Sheraton hotel in Santa Monica, California.
Organisers peg their estimated street value at $4.89, but emphasise "you can’t put a price on fame".
The stars tend not to collect the awards in person. In fact, it took 22 years for the first actor to show up.
In 2002, the film Freddy Got Fingered, starring Tom Green, swept the Razzies awards and he received acclaim for daring to show up to collect prizes for worst screenplay, picture, actor and director.
No British films were nominated by Raspberry Foundation voters this year, but Sex Lives of the Potato Men has been tipped by critics as a possible contender for next year.
Last year Madonna and Britney Spears were the Razzies’ favourites. They tied for the worst actress award for their performances in Swept Away and Crossroads respectively.
Swept Away was also voted worst picture, and Madonna’s husband Guy Ritchie was voted worst director for the film.
The worst original song was ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’, sung by Spears.
