We live in an amazing time for being a film fan. Movies seem to be getting better and better.
Actors are taking their jobs more seriously and film making technology has gotten to a place where almost anything is possible.
But even with all the due diligence that producers do to make sure their films bring in revenue there remains duds, big time. It seems nothing can be done about it either. We are always going to have bad movies to watch.
Now, I like a bad movie now and then. They are fun to watch when you don’t want to take yourself too seriously and sometimes are good for a laugh.
People in my personal life know I dislike Nicolas Cage, like a lot. It’s mostly because I think he is bad, and if you like him you are also bad. I could go on and on about this but I won’t because there are other actors who might be better discussed.
Today, I will be talking about the most accredited bad actors in the game. The Raspberry Awards will be the yard stick by which the crappiness of an actor is measured.
John Travolta
Okay so, I think everyone knows this guy is bad. But do you really even know!
I recently just watched Face Off (both Travolta and Cage pooping up the scene) and yes it was bad, and he was very bad in it. But it was also funny (unintentional) so it was a pretty entertaining watch.
Side note – Pamela Landis from the Bourne series is his wife in Face Off!
But if we are really trying to quantify how bad he really is we have to get into some numbers.
He has been nominated for a Raspeberry Award an amazing 15 times, for everything from Worst Actor to Worst Actor of the Decade.
Lucky for him he has only won it 5 times.
Travolta’s nominations for a Golden Raspberry Award
- Staying Alive – Worst Actor
- Two of a Kind – Worst Actor
- Perfect – Worst Actor
- Shout – Worst Supporting Actor
- Domestic Disturbance – Worst Actor
- Swordfish – Worst Actor
- Old Dogs – Worst Actor
- Gotti – Worst Actor/Worst Screen Combo
Okay so you might be aware of a movie of his that I’m somewhat dancing around as a write this because it is too hilariously bad. It managed to garner Travolta with 5 Raspeberry awards in one go, winning all the major categories and even some zingers.
The great shit film I am talking about is none other than Battlefield Earth.
Golden Raspberry Awards it received.
- Worst Actor
- Worst Picture
- Worst Couple
- Worst “Drama” of our first 25 years
- Worst Picture of the decade
Travolta was nominated but did not win Worst Actor Of The Decade for his part in Battlefield Earth but he certainly came very, very close.
Battlefield Earth was so bad people are still talking about it, and with a few exceptions it wasn’t even funny/bad.
Will Smith
I know some peopel saw ‘Will Smith’ and had a knee jerk reaction that I’m being unfair. He’s definintely done some great movies. I was raised on the Men In Black series so personally I consider myself a fan.
But unfortunately, he’s made some duds, that can’t be denied.
Unlike Travolta who was nominated a huge amount of times, Smith has only been roasted 6 times.
Smith’s nominations for a Golden Raspberry Award
After Earth, in which he shared the screen with his son, was nominated in the following categories.
- Worst Supporting Actor (won)
- Worst Screenplay
- Worst Screen Combo (won, somewhat embarrasssing since they are father and such)
After Earth might have been bad, but it was nothing compared to one of Smith’s first films. That is the shittier than thou, Wild Wild West.
It won Worst Screen Combo (with Kline) and Worst Original Song (Heavens no!).
That’s a total of 4 Golden Raspberries that are attached to Smith.
Sharon Stone
I did some research and was shocked to find out that Sharon Stone has been nominated a whopping 10 times for a Golden Raspberry Award.
I find that confusing since she was quite a hot commodity for movies in her day and has received Oscar nominations in the past.
For instance her role as Ginger in Casino is fucking awesome. She plays a good deranged for sure. Anyway…
Stone’s nominations for a Golden Raspberry Award
- Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold – Worst Actress
- Basic Instinct – Worst New Star
- Sliver – Worst Actress
- Diabolique – Worst New Star
- Last Dance – Worst New Star
- Gloria – Worst Actress
- Catwoman – Worst Supporting Actress/Worst Screen Couple
She won Worst Actress for her role in The Specialist as well as Worst Screen Combo in the same film.
Side note – Did you know Basic Instict 2 is a thing? Because she also won Worst Actress for that as well.
Kevin Costner
The only movie I ever saw with Kevin Costner in it was Dances with Wolves. I thought it was pretty good, but evidently he has made some bombs.
He has been nominated for a Golden Raspberry a huge 16 times.
Costner’s nominations and victories at the Golden Raspberry Awards include
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – Worst Actor (won)
- The Bodyguard – Worst Picture, Worst Actor
- Wyatt Earp – Worst Picture, Worst Actor (won), Worst Remake or Sequel (won), Worst Screen Couple
- Waterworld – Worst Picture, Worst Actor ** How on Earth did it not win!
- The Postman – Worst Picture (won), Worst Actor (won), Worst Director (won)
- For Love of the Game – Worst Actor
- Message in a Bottle – Worst Actor
- 3000 Miles to Graceland – Worst Actor, Worst Screen Couple
The cherry on top of all of this is that in 2000 he was nominated for Worst Actor of the Century. Because if you look at the Raspberries he has won most of them are for Worst Actor and there is definitely more than a couple.
Ben Affleck
I should mention at the onset that Affleck has made some good movies. It’s just he’s been nominated for punitive Raspberry awards 11 times. Which is quite the number.
Affleck’s nominations and victories at the Golden Raspberry Awards include
- Armageddon – Worst Screen Couple
- Pearl Harbor – Worst Actor, Worst Screen Couple
- Daredevil, Gigli, and Paycheck – Worst Actor (won)
- Gigli – Worst Screen Couple (won, they were an actual couple lol)
- Jersey Girl – Worst Screen Couple (second time being paired up with Liv Tyler and it not working out), Worst Actor
- Surviving Christmas, Worst Actor
- In 2009 was nominated for Worst Actor of the decade
Then a surprise! He received the only Raspberry award that anyone actually wants and that is the Razzie Redeemer Award. It’s for individuals who have made significant contributions towards film despite winning an award in the past.
Specifically it was for his work in Argo and Gone Girl.
Then unfortunately, he starred in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and was once again nominated for Worst Actor, and won Worst Screen Combo (with Henry Cavill).
So, it’s been a career of ups and downs for Affleck. A lot of downs though, and a lot of not pairing well with his co-stars (in some cases repeatedly, and with his very own girlfriend).
Adam Sandler
No list about bad acting or bad movies would be complete without the inclusion of Mr. Sandler. I’m not saying that all of his movies are bad, some of them are classics. It’s just they typically get panned by critics.
I did just happene to watch his latest, Uncut Gems, and thought it was pretty descent, though stressful.
Anyway, he has been nominated a huge amount of times. Like big time. In fact he has been nominated in so many Golden Raspberry categories that I’m just going to say he has made 15 movies that have all earned nominations.
They are…
- The Waterboy – Worst Actor
- Big Daddy – Worst Actor (won), Worst Screenplay
- Little Nicky – Worst Actor, Worst Screenplay
- Eight Crazy Nights – Worst Actor
- Mr. Deeds – Worst Actor
- I Now Pronouce You Chuck and Larry – Worst Screen Couple, Worst Actor, Worst Picture
Of all of Sandler’s movies, and there has been some bad ones, there is one that clearly takes the cake. And That is, Jack and Jill.
It won every god damn category it was nominated for and it was nominated for a lot!
It won all of these categories at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
- Worst Actor
- Worst Actress (has nothing to do with Sandler but whatever)
- Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
- Worst Picture
- Worst Screen Combo
- Worst Screenplay
- Worst Screen Ensemble (included Al Pacino!)
So essentially it was BAD. Anyway the list continues…
- Just Go With it – Worst Screen Combo
- Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star – Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, Worst Screenplay
- That’s My Boy – Worst Actor (won), Worst Picture, Worst Screen Couple, Worst Screen Ensemble
- Grown Ups 2 – Worst Actor, Worst Picture, Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, Worst Screen Combo, Worst Screenplay
- Blended – Worst Actor
- Pixels – Worst Actor, Worst Picture
- The Cobbler – Worst Actor, Worst Screen Combo
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – Worst Picture, Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
Like holy shit that is a huge list. It’s like most of his work in fact.
I somewhat feel bad for Sandler since he makes so many bad movies that when he actually does something good, he thinks he’s worthy of an Oscar nod (Uncut Gems). To which I say, just because it wasn’t Jack and Jill doesn’t mean you get an Oscar.
Sylvestor Stallone
It kind of hurts me to put this man on the list. His movies aren’t supposed to be objectively good, they are supposed to be so bad that they are ‘good’, which is a totally different thing.
The poor guy has won every kind of Golden Raspberry Award out there including Worst Actor of the Decade (90’s) and Worst Actor of the Century.
I’m not going to list all the movies he has been nominated for since it’s pretty much a list of every movie he’s ever done. But I will tell you that 24 (!!) of his movies have been nominated in multiple categories at once.
The list includes a movie called, Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, which I did actually saw. And it wasn’t even bad/good, it was just plain bad.
Final Thoughts
While movie making has hit an all time high as far as quality goes, acting can still be bad, and as long as movies have actors in them we are going to get some great duds.
People are fallible so this list was not meant to judge too harshly, it’s just good fun. Because – admission time – I watch movies (with the exception of Travolta) with all of them.
Do you think someone else should be on this list? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
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