7th Golden Raspberry Awards
The 7th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 29, 1987, at the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, to parody the worst films, performances, and technical achievements of 1986 as selected by members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation.[1] This ceremony marked the first tie in the history of the Razzies for Worst Picture, which went to Howard the Duck—a George Lucas-produced adaptation of the Marvel Comics character that bombed critically and commercially—and Under the Cherry Moon, Prince's self-directed romantic drama that also underperformed at the box office.[1] Under the Cherry Moon dominated the evening with five wins overall, including Worst Actor and Worst Director for Prince, as well as Worst Supporting Actor for Jerome Benton and Worst Original Song for "Love or Money" (music and lyrics by Prince and the Revolution).[2] In the acting categories, Madonna earned Worst Actress for her role in the adventure film Shanghai Surprise, co-starring her then-husband Sean Penn, who received a nomination in the same category.[3][2] Nominations had been announced earlier on February 13, 1987, with Under the Cherry Moon leading at eight nods, followed closely by Howard the Duck and others like Cobra, Shanghai Surprise, and Blue City.[4] The event, timed just before the Academy Awards, highlighted Hollywood's flops from a year that included high-profile disappointments, underscoring the Razzies' role in satirizing cinematic excess and pretension through public voting by over 175 foundation members.[4]Overview
Ceremony Details
The 7th Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony was held on March 29, 1987, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.[2][5] The event followed the informal presentation style typical of early Razzie ceremonies, featuring a modest gathering that contrasted sharply with the grandeur of the Academy Awards.[6] It was scheduled one day prior to the 59th Academy Awards on March 30, 1987, upholding the tradition of timing the Razzies as a satirical prelude to the Oscars.[7] As part of the Golden Raspberry Awards tradition, which began in 1981 to mock cinematic failures and parody the Oscars, the 7th ceremony continued the foundation's mission of highlighting the year's perceived worst achievements in film.[6] This event notably included a tie for Worst Picture among its outcomes.[8]Key Statistics and Notable Events
The 7th Golden Raspberry Awards recognized the worst films and performances of 1986, with nominations distributed across 10 categories encompassing 1986 releases such as Howard the Duck, Under the Cherry Moon, Cobra, Blue City, and Shanghai Surprise.[4] Under the Cherry Moon received the most nominations with eight, spanning Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Original Song, and others.[4] The film also won the most awards, claiming five including Worst Picture (tied), Worst Director (Prince), Worst Actor (Prince), Worst Supporting Actor (Jerome Benton), and Worst Original Song ("Love or Money").[2][9][10] Notably, the Worst Picture category resulted in the first-ever tie in Razzie history, shared by Howard the Duck and Under the Cherry Moon.[11] The ceremony introduced new categories, including Worst Visual Effects—awarded to Howard the Duck for its Industrial Light & Magic work—and the Worst Career Achievement Award, given to the rubber shark "Bruce" from the Jaws franchise.[4][2]Awards and Nominations
Picture, Director, and Screenplay Awards
The Worst Picture category at the 7th Golden Raspberry Awards resulted in a historic tie between Howard the Duck, directed by Willard Huyck, and Under the Cherry Moon, directed by Prince, marking the first such tie in the award's history.[11] The other nominees included Blue City, Cobra, and Shanghai Surprise.[4] This recognition highlighted the satirical critique of 1986's high-profile flops, with Howard the Duck derided for its bungled adaptation of the Marvel comic, featuring a disjointed plot that stranded an anthropomorphic duck in a human world amid lackluster special effects and tonal whiplash between sci-fi absurdity and romantic comedy.[12] Similarly, Under the Cherry Moon was lambasted as Prince's self-indulgent vanity project, with its contrived Riviera romance plot criticized for contrived twists, underdeveloped characters, and an overall pretentiousness that alienated audiences expecting the vibrancy of his prior work Purple Rain.[13] In the Worst Director category, Prince received the award for his work on Under the Cherry Moon, his directorial debut that exemplified novice missteps in pacing and visual composition.[2] The nominees were Jim Goddard for Shanghai Surprise, Willard Huyck for Howard the Duck, Stephen King for Maximum Overdrive, and Michelle Manning for Blue City.[2] Critics satirically targeted Prince's inexperience, noting how the film's black-and-white aesthetic and languid camera work—intended as a nod to classic cinema—resulted in amateurish framing and sluggish sequences that failed to capture the dynamism of his music videos, turning a potential stylish romp into a meandering bore.[14] The Worst Screenplay award went to Howard the Duck, written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz from the Marvel Comics character created by Steve Gerber.[15] Nominees included Cobra (written by Sylvester Stallone), 9½ Weeks (Patricia Knop, Zalman King, Sarah Kernochan), Shanghai Surprise (John Kohn, Robert Bentley), and Under the Cherry Moon (Becky Johnston). The winning script drew particular scorn for its convoluted narrative, which shoehorned the cynical duck protagonist into a portal-crossing adventure rife with illogical plot holes, forced romantic subplots, and dialogue that mangled the source material's satirical edge into juvenile quips unfit for its mismatched tone.[12] Under the Cherry Moon's screenplay faced similar ridicule for its thin, melodramatic plotting, where inheritance schemes and love triangles served more as excuses for musical interludes than coherent storytelling, underscoring the era's pitfalls in celebrity-driven writing.[13]Acting Awards
The acting categories at the 7th Golden Raspberry Awards highlighted performances deemed overly mannered, miscast, or lacking emotional depth, often satirizing the trend of placing pop stars in dramatic roles without sufficient acting experience.[16] Voters, consisting of film enthusiasts and professionals who viewed at least 50 movies annually, targeted instances of wooden delivery and exaggerated characterizations that undermined narrative credibility.[16] These awards underscored the Razzies' satirical lens on Hollywood's occasional prioritization of celebrity over craft, particularly in 1986 releases where musical talents like Prince and Madonna struggled to transition convincingly to screen acting. In the Worst Actor category, Prince won for his portrayal of the charming con artist Christopher Tracy in Under the Cherry Moon, a self-directed vanity project that critics lambasted for his inexperienced and stiff performance, marked by unnatural line readings and an overreliance on his musical persona rather than dramatic nuance.[17] The film tied for Worst Picture, amplifying the mockery of Prince's multifaceted but uneven involvement, where his acting was seen as emblematic of the production's indulgent miscasting of a rock icon in a faux-European romance.[16] Nominees included Emilio Estevez as the hapless trucker Bill Robinson in Maximum Overdrive, whose earnest but flat delivery failed to elevate the film's absurd premise; Judd Nelson as the vengeful drifter in Blue City, criticized for wooden intensity; Sean Penn as the opportunistic adventurer Jack McGurn in Shanghai Surprise, noted for hammy outbursts; and Sylvester Stallone as the stoic cop in Cobra, satirized for his monotone machismo bordering on parody.[4][16] Madonna received the Worst Actress award for her role as the devout missionary Gloria McNally in Shanghai Surprise, a performance derided for its unconvincing piety and emotional shallowness, as she struggled to convey sincerity amid the film's chaotic adventure, leading to awkward line deliveries that highlighted her inexperience in dramatic roles.[3][18] The Razzie satirized the era's push to mold pop sensations into leading ladies, with Madonna's casting seen as a commercial gamble that resulted in a miscast figure whose charisma clashed with the character's prim demeanor.[19] Other nominees were Kim Basinger as the seductive Elizabeth in 9½ Weeks, faulted for overly stylized sensuality that veered into caricature; Joan Chen as the resilient concubine in Tai-Pan, critiqued for subdued emotional range; Brigitte Nielsen as the damsel Ingrid in Cobra, mocked for her statuesque but vacant presence; and Ally Sheedy as the tough sibling Annie in Blue City, noted for strained toughness in a mismatched role.[4][16] The Worst Supporting Actor went to Jerome Benton as the bumbling sidekick Tricky in Under the Cherry Moon, whose comedic timing and exaggerated mannerisms were lampooned as amateurish and disruptive, further emphasizing the film's ensemble issues stemming from non-professional casting in service of Prince's vision.[16][17] This win satirized the inclusion of real-life associates in key roles, resulting in overacted loyalty that felt forced and unconvincing. Nominees comprised Peter O'Toole as the eccentric resort owner in Club Paradise, whose hammy delivery was seen as phoning it in; Tim Robbins as the alien companion in Howard the Duck, critiqued for awkward earnestness in a fantastical setup; Brian Thompson as the villainous Night Slasher in Cobra, noted for one-note menace; and Scott Wilson as the corrupt figure in Blue City, faulted for subdued villainy.[4][16] Dom DeLuise earned the Worst Supporting Actress for his drag portrayal of the eccentric Aunt Kate Abbot in Haunted Honeymoon, a role that drew ridicule for its broad, unfunny campiness and over-the-top gestures, which clashed with the film's attempted blend of horror and comedy, turning a potentially quirky character into grating caricature.[16][20] The Razzie highlighted the satirical take on gender-bending tropes gone awry, where DeLuise's familiar comedic excess felt labored and ill-suited to the gothic setting.[21] Additional nominees included Louise Fletcher as the domineering principal in Invaders from Mars, criticized for icy detachment; Zelda Rubinstein as the medium in Poltergeist II: The Other Side, mocked for repetitive quirkiness; Beatrice Straight as the power broker in Power, seen as stiff authority; and Kristin Scott Thomas as the heiress Mary Sharon in Under the Cherry Moon, faulted for aloof elegance that lacked warmth.[4][16]| Category | Winner | Film | Other Nominees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worst Actor | Prince (Christopher Tracy) | Under the Cherry Moon | Emilio Estevez (Maximum Overdrive), Judd Nelson (Blue City), Sean Penn (Shanghai Surprise), Sylvester Stallone (Cobra) |
| Worst Actress | Madonna (Gloria McNally) | Shanghai Surprise | Kim Basinger (9½ Weeks), Joan Chen (Tai-Pan), Brigitte Nielsen (Cobra), Ally Sheedy (Blue City) |
| Worst Supporting Actor | Jerome Benton (Tricky) | Under the Cherry Moon | Peter O'Toole (Club Paradise), Tim Robbins (Howard the Duck), Brian Thompson (Cobra), Scott Wilson (Blue City) |
| Worst Supporting Actress | Dom DeLuise (Aunt Kate Abbot) | Haunted Honeymoon | Louise Fletcher (Invaders from Mars), Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist II), Beatrice Straight (Power), Kristin Scott Thomas (Under the Cherry Moon) |