HIS recent hit film ’Elvis’ is an Oscars frontrunner, but Tom Hanks was left all shook up on Monday as he earned three nominations from the Razzies, which "celebrate" the year's worst films.
Hanks was short-listed by the tongue-in-cheek awards for his roles as Presley's manager in rock 'n' roll biopic ‘Elvis’, and Geppetto in Disney's critically slated live-action ‘Pinocchio’ remake.
A press release from organisers of the Razzies dubbed Hanks' ‘Elvis’ role as "2022's most widely derided performance," and piled on a further nomination for "worst screen couple" to "Tom Hanks & His Latex-Laden Face (and Ludicrous Accent)."
While ‘Elvis’ and its star Austin Butler have generally received acclaim, Hanks' appearance as his exploitative manager Colonel Tom Parker was panned by many critics.
A New York Times review said Hanks appears "with a mountain of prosthetic goo, a bizarre accent and a yes-it's-really-me twinkle in his eyes," and portrays Parker as "part small-time grifter, part full-blown Mephistopheles."
‘Disney's Pinocchio’ was among five "worst picture" nominees for the annual Golden Raspberry – or Razzie – awards, as was the controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Blonde’.
Also in the running were regular Razzies punching bag Jared Leto, and his Spider-Man spinoff ‘Morbius’.
Just last year, Leto was named worst supporting actor for his flamboyant performance – complete with a campy Italian accent and heavy prosthetics – in ‘House of Gucci’.
The Razzies are usually announced the day before the Oscars, serving to mock the following night's self-congratulatory Tinseltown back-slapping.
But last year, the Razzies themselves were left embarrassed, after jokingly creating a new category labelled "Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie" to accommodate all of the former ‘Die Hard’ star's questionable output.
Organisers rescinded the prize after his family revealed Willis suffered from a cognitive illness called aphasia.
Nominations for this year's Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday. – AFP, January 23, 2023
