Vampires, werewolves and airbenders lead the pack at the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof that hands out prizes for the year’s worst films.
The blockbuster supernatural tale “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and the action fantasy “The Last Airbender” tied for the most nominations Monday with nine each, including worst picture.
Also nominated for worst picture are Jennifer Aniston’s action comedy “The Bounty Hunter,” Sarah Jessica Parker’s romantic romp “Sex and the City 2” and the “Twilight” parody “Vampires Suck.”
“Twilight” star Kristen Stewart had a worst-actress nomination for her role as a teen caught in a love triangle involving her vampire boyfriend (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf pal (Taylor Lautner). Pattinson and Lautner both were nominated for worst actor.
Razzies founder John Wilson said that though “Vampires Suck” was a “Twilight” spoof, “Eclipse” actually was funnier to watch.
“I know people who are into ‘Twilight’ who take it totally seriously and they’re very vociferous,” Wilson said. “Those of us who are not ‘Twi-hards’, we don’t get it. I don’t actually know any teenage girls who have had to make the choice between a werewolf and a vampire.”
“The Last Airbender” was adapted from the animated TV series about a young hero with the power to reunite feuding nations of people who can control air, water, fire and earth. “Last Airbender” filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan received Razzie nominations for worst director and screenplay.
“All of this gobbledygook language about airbenders and fire benders and water benders,” Wilson said. “You feel like you’re on a bender watching the movie. It’s completely illogical.”
The Razzies lineup was announced a day before Oscar nominations come out. Razzie winners, chosen by the group’s roughly 600 voters, will be announced Feb. 26, the night before the Oscars.
Three Oscar-winning divas are among nominees for worst supporting actress — Cher for the song-and-dance tale “Burlesque,” Liza Minnelli for “Sex and the City 2” and Barbra Streisand for the comedy sequel “Little Fockers.”
Jackson Rathbone had a supporting-actor nomination for roles in both “The Last Airbender” and “Eclipse.” Dev Patel and Nicola Peltz also had supporting nominations for “Last Airbender.”
The entire casts of “Eclipse” and “Last Airbender” were among nominees for worst screen couple or ensemble.
“Last Airbender” also was chosen for worst eye-gouging misuse of 3-D, a special category to mark Hollywood’s current craze for shooting in three dimensions or converting 2-D movies to 3-D. The other 3-D nominees are “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” ”Clash of the Titans,” ”The Nutcracker in 3-D” and “Saw 3D.”
Along with worst-actress contenders Stewart and Aniston, the four “gal pals” in “Sex and the City 2” — Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — shared a nomination. Also up for worst-actress are Miley Cyrus for the teen drama “The Last Song” and Megan Fox for the action flop “Jonah Hex.”
Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray Cyrus, had a supporting-actor nomination for “”The Spy Next Door.”
Joining Pattinson and Lautner in the worst-actor category are Jack Black for the fantasy comedy “Gulliver’s Travels,” Gerard Butler for “The Bounty Hunter” and Ashton Kutcher for the action comedy “Killers” and the romance “Valentine’s Day.”
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More