Even though this film premiered in 1986 and was a bit of a flop, the joke is on all the critics who panned Howard the Duck – did you know he made a cameo appearance 28 years later in Guardians of the Galaxy, and most recently, in the latest installment of The Avengers? The cigar-smoking drake perhaps went over audiences’ heads in the 80s, but hey, Guardians is all about a talking raccoon and a talking tree.
However hard Howard the Duck might have tried to persuade us that “ducks can talk”, it just wasn’t going to fly for 80s cinemagoers. Despite the fans of the OG Marvel comic book, and Howard giving the film a somewhat cult status, it is still considered one of the worst films ever made. Financially it was a bit of a disaster too – making just $15 million after the studio forked out $30 million for its production.
1988: Cocktail
Ah, a young Tom Cruise. Nowadays he’s a hot-shot action movie star, but the actor of Top Gun fame was riding the celebrity train in the 80s. Cocktail was one of the many films the budding young actor released during that period. Featuring the song “Kokomo”, the film focuses on the life of a college student who works as a bartender to pay for his education. He works and works and then – oh wait, that’s it.
Lola Borg of Empire remarks “Cruise oozes as much charm as in Top Gun and The Colour of Money, but the mix of bar-acrobatics and Caribbean love isn't anywhere near strong enough to get you drunk.” Cruise himself admitted a few years later it wasn’t exactly the highlight of his career. 5% on Rotten Tomatoes. Next.
1987: Leonard Part 6
Parody films only really work if they’re done well. As for Leonard Part 6? Well, the verdict was not so good. Awarded the Golden Raspberry in 1987, the American spy parody film starred and was produced by the now-infamous Bill Cosby.
Funnily enough, Cosby himself denounced the film; just weeks before its release, he came out and basically said he wasn’t proud of it. Apparently, the reputation he had given it certainly lived up to the expectations of audiences and critics alike: the expectation that it was going to be terrible. Winning three Razzies, including Worst Picture, it’s considered one of the worst films ever made.
1986: Under The Cherry Moon
Tied closely with Howard the Duck in 1986, is Under the Cherry Moon. Starring and directed by iconic singer-songwriter Prince, the film is like the earlier, poorer version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was to premiere two years later.
Sure, the musical drama might satiate Prince’s crazed fans, but for general audiences, it's definitely better to stick to enjoying the soundtrack and leave the film to the die-hards. Winning five Razzies, Prince scored himself Worst Actor too! We’re kind of sad Kristin Scott Thomas scored Worst Supporting Actress, but hey, when you sign on to a film that stars someone who’s paid for their music and not their acting, what do you expect?
1985: Rambo: First Blood Part II
Okay, so we’re just checking that what fans know as Rambo 2 actually won the Golden Raspberry for 1985. Damn, Wilson, you are savage. Let’s be real though – most of the time critics are looking for flawless storylines, cinematography, and hard-hitting drama. Rambo isn’t really one of those stories.
Rambo: First Blood Part II is the type of film you go and watch when you want some action. Explosions, blood, a good guy, a bad guy and (hopefully) a happy ending involving a chopper. So, despite the critics panning this one, and it receiving a Golden Raspberry, we’re sticking with Stallone and saying "Go, Rambo"!