The Razzies: Oscar’s catty-to-a-fault cousin

As awards season reaches its self-congratulatory zenith -- the Independent Spirit Awards are Saturday afternoon, with the Oscars finally arriving next Sunday -- the Razzies are always a welcome bit of ego-deflating counter-programming.

This year’s, billed as the Gala 25th Annual Razzies, will deliver a new round of well-aimed raspberries in ceremonies at the Ivar Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday. With nominees determined by ballots mailed to more than 650 film professionals, journalists and fans in 40 states and 15 countries, the Razzies honor cinema’s worst achievements.

Leading the 2004 nominees with seven is Halle Berry’s dud “Catwoman”; Oliver Stone’s epic disaster “Alexander” follows with six. It’s doubtful that any of the winners will be on hand to pick up a trophy -- worth a whopping $4.97 -- but there have been exceptions. The Paul brothers, Peter and David, attended 17 years ago when they won for their atrocious turns in “The Barbarians,” and when “Freddy Got Fingered” proved to be the big loser of 2001, actor-writer-director Tom Green played a five-minute harmonica solo in his acceptance speech.

Razzie founder John Wilson’s new book, “The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood’s Worst” (Warner Books), pays tribute to the infamous turkeys of the last quarter-century. The book parses the field with such categories as “All God’s Creatures, Large and Lame” and “Can’t Stop the Musicals” and explores such guilty pleasures as “Anaconda” -- “For laughs per minute, gasping-for-air giggle fits, great bad acting and the sheer joy of its unintended humor, ‘Anaconda’ can’t be topped.”

Many films now considered “classics” were dissed by the Razzies. Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Brian DePalma’s “Dressed to Kill” were singled out for nominations or awards, along with legendary actors and directors such as Laurence Olivier, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole and John Huston.

And, proof that one man’s Oscar is another man’s Razzie, James Coco found himself nominated for worst supporting actor and best supporting actor for 1981’s “Only When I Laugh..”