While I was spot-on for a fair number of my predictions, there were just some upsets last weekend that I did not see coming. I’m talking, of course, about the Razzies, the award show that celebrates the best of the worst just before Hollywood convenes for the prestigious Academy Awards. I was at a complete loss for who would pick up Worst Actor and Worst Supporting Actress, and both those categories went to Unfrosted performances — Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer, respectively. The other two acting categories I called: Dakota Johnson as Worst Actress for Madame Web, and Jon Voight simply had to win Worst Supporting Actor, because he was nominated for four separate films! One of the four was Megalopolis, the decades-in-the-making Francis Ford Coppola passion project about the Catilinarian conspiracy in 63 BC Rome, but set in a quasi futuristic NYC-ish backdrop. Or as the Razzies renamed it, WTF: The Movie. I predicted Megalopolis for Worst Picture, but no, Madame Web won instead! Coppola did get Worst Director, though. He communicated his acceptance speech for the dubious (dis)honor on Instagram:
Francis Ford Coppola has issued a blistering response to “winning” worst director for Megalopolis after the film was given six Razzie nominations — including worst picture and worst screenplay.
The director’s $120 million passion project already suffered the indignity of being torn apart by critics and flopping at the box office (earning only $12 million globally).
But on Friday, the Razzies — those annual pre-Oscars faux awards for the worst movies of the year — gave Megalopolis wins for director and for co-star Jon Voight.
Coppola took to Instagram to reply: “I am thrilled to accept the Razzie award in so many important categories for @megalopolisfilm, and for the distinctive honor of being nominated as the worst director, worst screenplay, and worst picture at a time when so few have the courage to go against the prevailing trends of contemporary moviemaking!”
Continued the director: “In this wreck of a world today, where ART is given scores as if it were professional wrestling, I chose to NOT follow the gutless rules laid down by an industry so terrified of risk that despite the enormous pool of young talent at its disposal, may not create pictures that will be relevant and alive 50 years from now.”
He concluded by noting: “What an honor to stand alongside a great and courageous filmmaker like Jacques Tati who impoverished himself completely to make one of cinema’s most beloved failures, PLAYTIME! My sincere thanks to all my brilliant colleagues who joined me to make our work of art, MEGALOPOLIS, and let us remind ourselves us that box-office is only about money, and like war, stupidity and politics has no true place in our future.”
Two things, of course, can be true: Coppola’s criticisms of the industry can be spot on … and Megalopolis can still have fully earned those Razzies.
The Razzies dubbed the film “WTF: The Movie” and called it “an incoherent $120 million mess from the fabled director of The Godfather” while also singling out nominations for two of the film’s stars (Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight — the latter also won).
There are artists who have accepted their Razzies in good humor, and turned the whole moment into a positive PR flex (see: Halle Berry). That is not how Coppola handled himself here. With a film that bombed so badly, he could’ve easily quipped that winning the Razzie was great because it meant at least someone saw it! To be fair, with the opening paragraph I thought Coppola might be approaching that balance. But his tone quickly went off the rails, and I knew we were in emotional indignation territory once the indiscriminate CAPITALIZATIONS started. Believing in your work is one thing, but reacting so strongly kind of reeks of insecurity, no? Plus, I’ve always loathed the rebuttal, “You just didn’t get it!” Yes, the work is being critiqued as incomprehensible. If that was the actual intention, why?! Wouldn’t a filmmaker want their work to be understood? And then he trots out the qualifier “50 years from now people will love it!” Kevin Costner, who also self-financed a passion project box office bomb with the Horizon: An American Saga series, also deployed this tactic of kicking the can down the road several decades. So I guess we’ll all just have to reconvene in 50 years to see if these movies finally make sense. Until then, I’m still referring to it as Mega-FLOP-olis.
Congrats, Francis!
photos credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com, Getty
I think I agree with both points here: yes the movie was bad. But if we have an award to highlight the worst movie of the year and the worst director, could we not give it to x-th soulless super hero sequel (or any sequel) of that year, and the directors who do that without inspiration just for the money? (And yes I know there are great and inspired super hero films). Instead of singling out someone who at least tried to create something original?
I agree. And however anyone sees him as a person he’s got a point – he’s exactly right when he says there’s a massive pool of young talent that will never be utilized the way it could be according to what makes money nowadays.
Many things can be true at once. He was a pompous a*s about it (and we know he has his more serious problematic elements). Stop huffing your own farts ffs, FFC.
**HOWEVER** a lot of what he said about the industry is true. Along with all it implies. Life is complicated. Here, a legendary director is being a 24K gold encrusted jackwagon. But he ain’t wrong about what he said.
Fina—well, the Worst Pic Razzie did go to Madame Web, a superhero tale…😉😉🤣🤣
So passionate about his ART. What he needs to remember is ART is in the eye of the beholder and so not everyone will agree with what his version of ART is.
Get over it, Francis. I hope the girls you harrassed are laughing.
Awww isn’t he just such a sensitive little drama queen…bless!
Give me Sandy Bullock anyday, who picked up her Razzie win, went to the Oscars the next night and picked up her Oscar win.
Please read this comment as a snort at yet another old, wealthy, white male sneering at anyone who doesn’t applaud his GENIUS. I’m so tired of this jackassery.
@SquiddusMaximus – As a POC, I try to not point that out, even when obviously true, but thank you for saying it, I will whole heartedly cosign it.. Big art. Many genius. Much feelings.
Somebody call the waaahmbulance because this person that sexually harasses their employees is dying of sanctimoniousness!
In a world of Francis Ford Coppolas, be a Halle Berry.
I admired Megalopolis… it is a bit of a mess but it is always interesting. I saw it in the theatre and there are scenes that I have not stopped thinking about since. It is not a movie for everybody and I understand why it flopped.
Coppola is still 100% correct here.
Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Artists and writers still need to pay bills and eat and have a roof over their heads. Plays, operas, and films must pay their performers, crew, and for production. There have always been patrons of the arts who support artists and/or purchase their works (in whatever medium they practice).
It’s naive and, frankly, privileged to think money has no place in film or other medium.
Is he supporting and distributing films by young actors and directors? Is he supporting young painters and writers?
Or is he simply yelling at clouds?