1990s – High-Concept Fails and Star Vehicles
From bad acting to bizarre plots, the Golden Raspberry Awards celebrate the worst in cinema! This episode counts down some of the most infamous Razzie recipients of the 1990s, highlighting truly awful movies and notorious performances. See if your least favourite movie “won” a Golden Raspberry Award.
A total of 45 movies are covered across this series on the Worst Picture award at the Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies).
Dive into the world of cinematic missteps with a look at the Golden Raspberry Award, celebrating the worst in film. From epic fails to movies that missed the mark, the Razzies highlight the funny side of bad movies and reveal which “award‑winning” movies took home the infamous Golden Raspberry.
This article is based on my full breakdown video on Cinema Awards Archive on YouTube, where I cover each of these 45 Worst Picture “winners” in detail.
Prefer to watch instead of read? This article is adapted from my YouTube episode on Cinema Awards Archive:
“45 Years of Razzie Winners: The Absolute Worst Movies Ever Made”
It is a 1990 American mystery action comedy film directed by Renny Harlin.
The film stars comedian Andrew Dice Clay as rock ’n’ roll detective Ford Fairlane, whose beat is the Los Angeles music industry; true to his name, he drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner.
The character was created by writer Rex Weiner in a series of stories first published in New York Rocker and LA Weekly in 1979–80, later collected as a book in 2018.
The soundtrack produced Billy Idol’s hit “Cradle of Love”, and DC Comics even produced a prequel miniseries, but the film itself was both a commercial and critical failure that only later gained a cult following.
At the 11th Golden Raspberry Awards, it won three awards including Worst Picture (tied with Ghosts Can’t Do It), Worst Actor for Andrew Dice Clay and Worst Screenplay.
It is a 1989 romantic fantasy comedy film and the last film written and directed by John Derek.
The film was panned by critics and underperformed at the box office.
Donald Trump appears as himself; his cameo earned him the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor.
Trump and co‑star Anthony Quinn’s character Damian were both nominated for Worst New Star, but the award went instead to Sofia Coppola for The Godfather Part III.
At the 11th Golden Raspberry Awards, the film shared Worst Picture with The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and also “won” Worst Actress for Bo Derek and Worst Director for John Derek.
It is a 1991 American action comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann.
The film leans heavily into cartoon‑style slapstick and sound effects, aiming for a surreal, tongue‑in‑cheek tone.
In the United States it was a huge critical and commercial failure, grossing only $17 million domestically, though it performed better overseas for a worldwide total of $97 million.
At the 12th Golden Raspberry Awards, it won three awards including Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture, and also picked up nominations for Bruce Willis, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard.
It is a 1992 American World War II drama film written and directed by David Seltzer, based on the 1988 novel by Susan Isaacs.
The film was neither a commercial nor a critical success and quickly faded from theatres.
The Golden Raspberry Awards declared Shining Through the Worst Picture of 1992, with Melanie Griffith voted Worst Actress (also citing her work in A Stranger Among Us) and David Seltzer named Worst Director.
It also received Razzie nominations for Michael Douglas as Worst Actor (also for Basic Instinct) and for Worst Screenplay.
It is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne.
Based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, it follows a married couple whose relationship is tested when a billionaire offers them a million dollars for one night with the wife.
The film received mostly negative reviews for its contrived, implausible story and moral logic, and it sparked controversy among feminists for a premise seen as treating women as property.
Despite the backlash, it was a major box‑office hit, grossing nearly $267 million worldwide on a $38 million budget and becoming the sixth highest‑grossing film of 1993.
It won three awards at the 14th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screenplay, and is listed in Razzie founder John Wilson’s book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the “100 most enjoyably worst movies ever made”.
It is a 1994 American erotic mystery thriller film directed by Richard Rush.
The film underperformed at the box office and was widely regarded as a misfire on release.
At the 15th Golden Raspberry Awards, it led the field with nine nominations and won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture.
Despite its initial reception, it later became one of the 20 most‑rented films in the U.S. home‑video market in 1995.
It is a 1995 erotic drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven.
The film follows an ambitious young drifter who hitchhikes to Las Vegas to become a professional dancer and showgirl.
Made for around $45 million, it was preceded by heavy controversy and hype over its explicit sex and nudity, and it was universally panned on release, quickly becoming a touchstone “so‑bad‑it’s‑good” title.
On the home‑video market, however, Showgirls generated more than $100 million in sales and developed a strong cult following; in the 21st century it has undergone critical re‑evaluation, with some now viewing it as sharp satire.
At the 16th Golden Raspberry Awards, it won a then‑record seven Razzies from a record 13 nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Elizabeth Berkley), Worst Director (Paul Verhoeven), Worst Screenplay (Joe Eszterhas), Worst New Star, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Original Song.
Verhoeven famously attended the ceremony in person to accept his Worst Director award, and in 2000 the film was later named Worst Picture of the Last Decade.
It is a 1996 American black comedy film written, co‑produced and directed by Andrew Bergman, based on Carl Hiaasen’s 1993 best‑selling novel of the same name.
The story centres on an FBI secretary‑turned‑stripper who becomes embroiled in both a child‑custody battle and corrupt politics.
Demi Moore was paid a then‑unprecedented $12.5 million to star, making her the highest‑paid film actress at the time.
Released by Columbia Pictures on a $50 million budget, the film earned $33 million domestically and $113 million worldwide but was panned by critics.
At the 17th Golden Raspberry Awards, it won six awards including Worst Picture.
It is a 1997 American epic post‑apocalyptic adventure film produced and directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars, based on David Brin’s 1985 novel of the same name.
Set in a neo‑Western United States in the then near‑future year of 2013, it follows an unnamed drifter who puts on a U.S. Postal Service uniform and unwittingly inspires a movement to restore the country and challenge a tyrannical warlord.
The film was panned by critics, who criticised the performances, screenplay, direction, long runtime and Costner’s decision to cast himself as the lead.
It grossed only $30 million worldwide against an $80 million budget.
While it picked up several Saturn Award nominations, at the 18th Golden Raspberry Awards it swept all five of its Razzie categories including Worst Picture.
It is a 1997 American mockumentary black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller.
The film follows a director named Alan Smithee who, horrified by the studio’s cut of his latest film, steals the negatives and goes on the run rather than having his name attached to the finished product.
It was universally panned by critics and bombed at the box office.
At the 19th Golden Raspberry Awards, it won five awards including Worst Picture.
It is a 1999 American steampunk Western comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
Loosely adapted from the 1960s TV series The Wild Wild West, it was the first major revival of the franchise since the 1980 television movie More Wild Wild West.
Produced on a $170 million budget, it was one of the most expensive films made at the time, yet it was a commercial disappointment, grossing $222.1 million worldwide.
The film received mixed‑to‑negative reviews from critics for its tone, script and uneven blend of genres.
At the 20th Golden Raspberry Awards, it earned eight nominations and won five, including Worst Picture and Worst Original Song for Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West”.
Tell me in the comments — which 1990s Razzie Worst Picture winner do you think is the most infamous, and is there a “so‑bad‑it’s‑good” favourite you’ll always defend?
If you enjoy deep dives into award‑show records and film history, check out the full episode on Cinema Awards Archive, and don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an update.
