'Twilight', Adam Sandler & Rihanna take home honors at 33rd annual Razzie awards

Just one day before the Oscars telecast, the winners of the 33rd annual Golden Raspberry Awards (“The Razzies”) are announced, honoring the worst films released in 2012. While the entire city of D.C. is geared up to see how host Seth MacFarlane will fare at tomorrow night’s Academy Awards ceremony, it’s the perfect time to roast last year’s worst movies before honoring the best.

Heading into the event, the list of nominations were more spread out than the previous year, with Tyler Perry, Adam Sandler and the final installment of the Twilight franchise all looking like hotshot contenders. The 2011 Razzies gave Sandler a thorough raking over the coals by awarding him the top prize in all 10 categories for his work on the films Jack & Jill, Just Go with It and Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star. This year, most pools had him repeating his performance…those people weren’t too far off. Although Sandler’s film That’s My Boy did take home two statuettes, the night’s big winner was The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, taking home the award in seven out of ten categories. The remaining trophy, for Worst Supporting Actress, was given to Rihanna for her work in Battleship.

The Twilight franchise had been getting off the hook for one too many years now, being honored with 17 nominations and only winning once (for Worst Supporting Actor Jackson Rathbone in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse). That award was split with Rathbone’s work in The Last Airbender, which became the biggest Razzie winner (loser?) of 2010. Tonight’s victory of the Twilight franchise was certainly an upset, but since Sandler swept the awards last year, perhaps the Razzies saw their last chance to give the franchise one final kick in the pants before it ends.

Of course, not all of this year’s nominees were slated to take home the gold-painted Berry. In terms of certain nominees like The Oogieloves, it’s a dishonor just to be nominated. The colorful, children’s picture had the distinction of having the worst opening-day box office ticket sales in recorded history for a wide release film. Similar disdain was awarded to Atlas Shrugged: Part II (now renamed Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike on video), which made a failed attempt to reboot its franchise with an entirely new cast and crew after its predecessor bombed at the box office.

It could be said that the Razzies give unwarranted free promotion to last year’s trash, and that their nominees are a little too predictable (always picking pop singers and tabloid figures). With that being said, the awards have become an important benchmark of quality in the entertainment industry, not to mention serving as a deterrent to (hopefully) curb future behavior. In Adam Sandler’s case, the hint just doesn’t seem to be getting through.

The Razzies are chosen by the members of The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation (of which there are just under 650). Anyone, including you, can become a member by paying a small yearly fee. The Razzies broke with tradition last year when it allowed users at Rottentomatoes.com to get in on the action by voting for who should win Worst On-Screen Couple. The promotion ended up working so well that this year, the site asked users to pick the five nominees and winner for Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel.

There have been rumors and hopes for a televised Razzie awards show for years. The logistics of pulling off such an event might be a little difficult, but it would certainly make for great television. We would be able to see which stars have a sense of humor and which ones take themselves too seriously. These people need to know that their movies were garbage. Several past winners like Tom Green, Sandra Bullock and Halle Berry have shown up in person to collect their statuette (which, according to a recent Razzies press release, costs about $4.79 to make). It’s an endearing show of humility. An act of penance, if you will.

The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation is run by co-founder John Wilson, author of “The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood’s Worst.” He can be seen talking about this year’s nominees with members of YouTube’s The Screen Junkies Show here. In the official press release, the Foundation had this to say about 2013’s awards ceremony:

Results were announced in a comedic press conference, which parodied the format and attitude of Tinsel Town's other 357 award ceremonies. The proceedings were conducted in alarming proximity to where Sunday night will see that other award show unfold: The venue for this year's Golden Raspberry bash-fest was The Continental Breakfast Room of the Holiday Inn Express Hollywood Walk of Fame hotel, less than half-a-mile from the Dolby Theatre, home of the 85th Annual Giving Out of the Little Gold Naked Men.

Those who didn’t receive an award this year should be counting their blessings. Hopefully though, they will remain reticent in the knowledge that they had a hand in making a terrible, terrible movie. With planned sequels to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Atlas Shrugged: Part II, The Hangover Part II and Snow White and the Huntsman all rumored or listed as “in development,” there’s always next year’s awards show to “honor” those who managed to scrape by with only a nomination in the past.

Without further ado, here is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 33rd annual Razzie Awards. The winners have been highlighted in bold:

Worst Film:

Battleship
The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
That's My Boy
A Thousand Words
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II

Worst Actor:

Nicolas Cage Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Seeking Justice
Eddie Murphy A Thousand Words
Robert Pattinson The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Tyler Perry Alex Cross and Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
Adam Sandler That’s My Boy

Worst Actress:

Katherine Heigl One for the Money
Milla Jovovich Resident Evil: Retribution
Tyler Perry Madea’s Witness Protection
Kristen Stewart The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II and Snow White and the Huntsman
Barbara Streisand The Guilt Trip

Worst Supporting Actor:

David Hasselhoff Piranha 3DD
Taylor Lautner The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Liam Neeson Battleship and Wrath of the Titans
Nick Swardson That’s My Boy
Vanilla Ice That’s My Boy

Worst Supporting Actress:

Jessica Biel Playing for Keeps and Total Recall
Brooklyn Decker Battleship and What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Ashley Green The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Jennifer Lopez What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Rihanna Battleship

Worst Screen Emsemble:

The entire cast of: Battleship
The entire cast of: The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
The entire cast of: That’s My Boy
The entire cast of: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
The entire cast of: Madea’s Witness Protection

Worst Director:

Sean Anders That’s My Boy
Peter Berg Battleship
Bill Condon The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds and Madea’s Witness Protection
John Putch Atlas Shrugged: Part II

Worst Screenplay:

Atlas Shrugged: Part II
Battleship
That’s My Boy
A Thousand Words
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II

Worst On-Screen Couple:

Any Combination of Two Cast Members from “Jersey Shore” The Three Stooges
Mackenzie Foy (as “Little Renesmee”) & Taylor Lautner The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II
Tyler Perry & His Drag Get-Up Madea’s Witness Protection
Adam Sandler & EITHER Leighton Meester, Andy Samberg OR Susan Sarandon That’s My Boy

Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel: