LOS ANGELES — – Kevin Costner and Sylvester Stallone are slugging it out with the thespian formerly known as Prince for the dubious distinction of "Worst Actor of the Century" as the latest "Razzies" nominations list for cinema's worst was released Monday.
Inspired by the millennium, the awards known as the flip side of the Oscars have expanded this year to include two one-time only categories — worst actor and actress of the 20th century, to go along with a worst picture of the decade award as well as its traditional worst film of the year award.
The critical bomb Wild Wild West is tied on eight nominations each with Star Wars: Episode I, the Phantom Menace as worst movie of the year.
Also vying for that "honor" are the critically savaged Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy, the surprise box office hit about walking in the woods, The Blair Witch Project and the flop horror film remake The Haunting.
John Wilson, the head of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, said that after these awards are given on March 25, the day before the Oscar awards for the year's best are presented, his organization will get to work to name a "Worst Film of the Century." He said that award will be voted on the Razzies Web site and probably unveiled in May.
In the running for worst actress of the decade are Bo Derek of Bolero and 10 fame, Brooke Blue Lagoon Shields, singers Madonna and Pia Zadora and actress Elizabeth Berkley, the star of Showgirls.
Berkley is also one of the contenders in the worst new star of the decade along with Jar-Jar Binks — the grating computerized creature from Star Wars: Episode I, Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola whose movie career began and almost ended with dad's Godfather III, basketball cut-up Dennis Rodman and Pauly Shore, whose films include Encino Man.
Costner, the former Prince and Stallone are joined in the worst actor of the century category by William Shatner of Star Trek fame and potential worst new star designee Pauly Shore.
Competing in the worst new film of the decade category are An Alan Smithee film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn!, Hudson Hawk, The Postman, the Demi Moore epic Striptease and Showgirls.
Nominations were determined by mailing ballots to more than 450 members of the Golden Raspberry Awards Foundations in 34 U.S. states and eight foreign countries.
The RAZZIES were founded in 1980 by Wilson, who gives the winners a plaque consisting of a gold-spray-painted plastic raspberry atop a mangled film reel. He said the award now has a street value of $4.27.
Competing in the worst actor of 1999 category are Kevin Costner for Message in a Bottle and For Love of the Game, Kevin Kline for Wild Wild West, Adam Sandler, Big Daddy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, End of Days and Robin Williams for Bicentennial Man and Jakob The Liar.
The worst actress nominees of 1999 are Heather Donahue, The Blair Witch Project, Melanie Griffith, Crazy in Alabama, Milla Jovovich, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, Sharon Stone, Gloria and Catherine Zeta-Jones for Entrapment and The Haunting.
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