On January 23, 2007, the United Critics Organization (UCO) announced M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water as the worst film of 2006. The award was the highest, or rather the lowest, honor in the long list of underachievers recognized by the organization's first Annual GAG Awards, presented by 7M Pictures. The awards, currently in their infancy, recognize some of the biggest cinematic tragedies of the past year as well as some of the more forgettable performances.
Among the big winners (or should it be losers?) were Shyamalan with Lady in the Water, which took home not only the Worst Picture nod, but the Worst Screenplay award as well. From this voter's perspective (and yes, I am an actual member of the UCO) Shyamalan's movie was bad, but by no means the worst film of the year. My nominations must have fallen upon the deaf ears of the other members, which are mostly made up of critics from around Ohio and Internet publications. My worst five of the year included Marie Antoinette, Basic Instinct 2, Bloodrayne, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, and Click.
Another big winner of the night was singer-turned-bad-actress Jessica Simpson, who took home the award for Worst Actress for her phoned in performance as a pair of breasts that talks in the dubiously unfunny Employee of the Month. Co-Star Dax Shephard was also nominated, but in a category for the gentlemen - he finished as the runner up in the Worst Supporting Actor category, which was won by Home of the Brave's Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
But while some of the awards were of a unanimous nature, the night did not end without some surprises. Director Uwe Boll, whose year was so bad that he offered to fight some of his toughest critics, was shut out from the awards even though he garnered three nominations. The category of Worst Sequel was also a surprise, at least to me, with The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause defeating Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction by a narrow margin. It begs the question: How can any film be worse than Basic Instinct 2? I leave you to ponder.
When asked to comment on the awards, Kevin Carr, lead film critic of 7M Pictures and President of the UCO had this to offer: "Anyone can make a bad movie. However, it takes a special talent to make a film so bad that it leaves a lasting impression for months to come. All of the nominees should be honored for this recognition."
Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
Cannot say I particularly care for the choices here. That may be because there are a few films I liked, some that are OK, and some that are undeserving of being near the likes of the truly awful ones that did make the list.
I think the Razzies did a etter job of nailing the worst of the worst.
(also, you spelled Avary wrong)
2 - DJRadiohead
When I consider some of the dreck made this past year, I am shocked so many people think Lady in the Water was the worst of it.
We actually liked the movie, mostly because of Paul Giamatti. I can see where it wouldn't be on the Oscar list, but I didn't think it was BI2 bad, either.
3 - Ty
It is ridiculous that these GAG awards nominated Lady In the Water and Not Little Man for Worst Film.
To even remotely think that Little Man is better than Lady in the Water is ridiculous.
AND WHERE IS "DATE MOVIE???"
Sounds GAG is just a bunch of M. Night "Haters" (I didn't love Lady in the Water, but it isn't the Worst Film of 2006).
4 - Chris Beaumont
Funny, Date Movie didn't make the Razzie list either.
5 - Victor Plenty
"Worst of" awards are SO five minutes ago. How's about some mediocrity awards?
6 - handyguy
The point of these 'awards,' which I have never heard of before, is surely not to list consensus choices that we will all agree on, but instead to provoke some laughs and comments. For instance, Happy Feet made a lot of best lists, so it's interesting and provocative to nominate it as one of the worst of the year.
I would like to see a few more pretentious 'art films' included...like Little Children or Babel. And X-Men: The Last Stand was pretty damn awful.
7 - Neil Miller
"I would like to see a few more pretentious 'art films' included...like Little Children or Babel."
I did actually nominate Babel in the Worst Picture of the Year category, but as you can see it was not chosen...
8 - Ashley
ed speleers is his first film.......GAG awards are very bad......ed the best!
9 - Alex
Meh at the choice for Ed Speleers. Eragon was his FIRST MOVIE you morons who nominated him! I think he did a good job considering what the expectations were and he was working under big names as well. You try doing all the stuff he did. At least Ed has his name out there. Go Ed Speleers, I'm rooting for ya.