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The 300 Somehow Manages to Avoid "Worst Picture" Razzie Nomination

Them's some bad movies

Now this is an awards ceremony I can appreciate. The Razzies have been honoring the worst films and performances for 27 years now, and the 2007 nominees were just announced today. While the Lindsay Lohan vehicle I Know Who Killed Me led the pack with nine nominations including Worst Picture, Eddie Murphy's Norbit received eight, with Murphy getting five of those on his own: four for performances and one for his screenplay. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry also received eight nominations including "Worst Screen Couple;" it's nice to see people come around on this one since the producers really seemed to bamboozle gay rights organizations into acceptance when it came out. Feature-length commercial Bratz and Fred Savage-directed Daddy Day Camp rounded out the Worst Picture nominees, and as I said, neo-fascist paean to pectorals The 300 slipped by without a single nod—you'd think it'd get its own special achievement category or something.

The Razzies will be awarded at a lavish ceremony on February 23rd at, um, Magicopolis in Santa Monica. Full list of nominees after the jump.

Worst Picture

Bratz
Daddy Day Camp
I Know Who Killed Me
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Norbit

Worst Actor

Nicholas Cage - Ghost Rider, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and Next
Jim Carrey - The Number 23
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - Daddy Day Camp and Norbit
Eddie Murphy (as Norbit) - Norbit
Adam Sandler - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

Worst Actress

Jessica Alba - Awake, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Good Luck Chuck
Logan Browning, Janel Parrish, Nathalia Ramos, and Skyler Shaye - Bratz
Elisha Cuthbert - Captivity
Diane Keaton - Because I Said So
Lindsay Lohan (as Aubrey) - I Know Who Killed Me
Lindsay Lohan (as Dakota) - I Know Who Killed Me

Worst Supporting Actor

Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Kevin James - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Eddie Murphy (as Mr. Wong) - Norbit
Rob Schneider - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Jon Voight - Bratz, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, September Dawn, and Transformers

Worst Supporting Actress

Jessica Biel - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and Next
Carmen Electra - Epic Movie
Eddie Murphy (as Rasputia) - Norbit
Julia Ormond - I Know Who Killed Me
Nicolette Sheridan - Code Name: The Cleaner

Worst Screen Couple

Jessica Alba & Either: Hayden Christiansen (Awake), Dane Cook (Good Luck Chuck), or Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer)
Any Combination of Two Totally Air-Headed Characters - Bratz
Lindsay Lohan & Lindsay Lohan - I Know Who Killed Me
Eddie Murphy (as Norbit) & Either: Eddie Murphy (as Mr. Wong) or Eddie Murphy (as Rasputia) - Norbit
Adam Sandler & Either: Kevin James or Jessica Biel - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

Worst Remake or Rip-Off

Are We Done Yet? - Remake/Rip-Off of Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House
Bratz - "A rip-off if ever there was one!"
Epic Movie - "Of every movie it rips off."
I Know Who Killed Me - Rip-Off of Hostel, Saw, and The Patty Duke Show
Who's Your Caddy - Rip-Off of Caddyshack

Worst Prequel or Sequel

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
Daddy Day Camp
Evan Almighty
Hannibal Rising
Hostel: Part II

Worst Director

Dennis Dugan - I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Roland Joffe - Captivity
Brian Robbins - Norbit
Fred Savage - Daddy Day Camp
Chris Siverston - I Know Who Killed Me

Worst Screenplay

Daddy Day Camp - Geoff Rodkey, David J. Stem, and David N. Weiss
Epic Movie - Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
I Know Who Killed Me - Jeffrey Hammond
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry - Barry Fanaro, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor
Norbit - Eddie Murphy, Charles Murphy, Jay Sherick, and David Ronn

Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie - New Category

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
Captivity
Hannibal Rising
Hostel: Part II
I Know Who Killed Me

Comments

If you weren't looking for plot or dialogue, the 300 was actually pretty satisfying. And I mean that seriously.

Posted by: Jonathan Stein on 01/21/08 at 2:20 PM Respond

I don't mean this to come off as harsh as it does, but do you have any testosterone? 300 is all about being a man.

Now I understand that you’re looking at that and thinking I am either brain damaged or a republican (maybe both), but bear with me for a moment. Is it not the classic perception that men are hard and uncompromising in their ideals? That they fight even the most ingrained traditions when they become corrupt?

I would never criticize anyone’s taste, and if you genuinely didn’t like the movie that’s fine there are plenty of criticisms to level at the movie but I think that calling it a neo-fascist paean is a bit harsh. While not historically accurate by any means it does capture the spirit of what we know about the Spartans. Would you somehow have liked the movie more if the Spartans we’re hippies and defeated Xerxes by raining daises on the Persian army?

Yes that is a loaded (and specious) question, however I really do wonder what people who level the fascist accusation at this movie wanted/expected from it? The movie did speak to a kind of throw back masculinity to be certain, but that feeling of blood rushing with the clash of metal in defense of everything you love is thrilling and emboldening.

Men are not really supposed to be that aggressive and uncompromising, and but it is nice to feel that way vicariously on occasion, to throw back if you will and remember what being a man used to be like in a simpler time. If that’s not your thing I can respect that (even if it doesn’t seem that way) but why rag on a movie that was so thrilling? Universalism cuts both ways.

Posted by: Zeram on 01/21/08 at 3:43 PM Respond

For a better-written version of my thoughts on The 300, please see James Rocchi's review at Cinematical.com, link in my name below.

Posted by: Party Ben on 01/21/08 at 4:54 PM Respond

I think that review is bit harsh and totally misses the point of the movie, but I can respect it as an opinion.

I am a bit confused in that the review you linked to poo-poo's the idea of a political context.

I linked to a review that expresses my opinion in more immediate (albeit sophomoric) terms.

Posted by: Zeram on 01/22/08 at 4:44 AM Respond