Razzies 'honor' Paris Hilton; Rourke sparks Spirit show

LOS ANGELES - Mike Myers' "The Love Guru" has found some disciples among Razzies voters who pick Hollywood's lowest achievements.

And Paris Hilton is getting her own Razzies moment with three awards all on her own at a ceremony that spoofs the Academy Awards on the eve of the Oscars.

"The Love Guru" won three Razzies on Saturday for worst picture, actor (Myers in the title role) and screenplay, which Myers co-wrote. Hilton's three prizes are worst actress for "The Hottie and the Nottie," supporting actress for "Repo! The Genetic Opera" and screen couple alongside either of her "Hottie" co-stars, Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore.

With three Razzies, Hilton tied the record set last year by Eddie Murphy, who won worst actor, supporting actor and supporting actress for his multiple roles in "Norbit."

Pierce Brosnan was chosen as worst supporting actor for "Mamma Mia!" The worst-director Razzie went to Uwe Boll for three movies: "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale," "1968: Tunnel Rats" and "Postal."

Razzies voters also gave a prize for worst career achievement to Boll, whose critically drubbed movies include "Bloodrayne" and its sequel.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was named worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel.

John Wilson, founder of the Razzies, said Boll and Hilton's movies are so bad, he could envision their collaboration.

"She is the 21st century Zsa Zsa Gabor. She is famous for who she hangs out with. She's not famous for any talent she has yet exhibited," Wilson said. "She may end up working with Uwe Boll. She could be the head vampire in 'Bloodrayne 3.' "

"The Love Guru" features Myers as the world's second-best self-help guru, who must come to love himself before he can fully realize his potential. The movie topped out at $32 million at the domestic box office, chump change compared to the haul of Myers' "Austin Powers" sequels.

Wilson disagreed with other Razzies voters on "The Love Guru," saying that after watching it again to pull clips for the group's awards ceremony Saturday night, he did not think it was the year's worst movie.

"A couple of things he did got me to laugh, and these days, two laughs in a comedy is a high ratio," Wilson said.

In "The Hottie and the Nottie," Hilton plays a babe who won't date until her homely best pal lands a man. Hilton has a small role in "Repo," a horror musical about organ recipients who face a visit from the repo man if they fall behind on the payments.

"Repo" and "Hottie" combined did not even manage to take in $200,000 at the domestic box office.

Unlike many years, when one movie dominates, the Razzies were shared among a variety of flicks.

One voter joked that "we decided to spread the loathe around," Wilson said. "Everybody got kicked in the shin at least a little."

The Spirit Awards

The sports comeback tale "The Wrestler" was picked as best picture Saturday at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film and won two other prizes, including best actor for Mickey Rourke.

A tuneup for the Academy Awards last night, the Spirit Awards featured several winners also up for Oscars, including three of the four acting choices - Rourke, best-actress recipient Melissa Leo for "Frozen River" and supporting-actress pick Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Rourke gave a prolonged, hilarious, expletive-laden acceptance speech, dedicating the award to Loki, his beloved Chihuahua that died six days earlier, and thanking everyone from his director, Darren Aronofsky, to the wrestling community.

He mentioned that he had just talked with the Santa Monica police, who "gave me a bed to sleep in 10 years ago," when Rourke was in the midst of the bad-boy behavior that made him a Hollywood has-been until his comeback in recent years with films such as "Sin City" and "The Wrestler."

The film stars Rourke as a washed-up former star with a last shot at glory in the ring. It also took the cinematography award for Maryse Alberti. The crowd gave Rourke a standing ovation and he received hugs and backslaps from audience members as he headed to the stage.

"I didn't realize how many closet Mickey Rourke fans there were," Aronofsky said backstage. "That's been the biggest surprise of the whole trip."

Momentarily forgetting co-star Marisa Tomei's name, Rourke later complimented her for her role as a stripper in "The Wrestler," which earned her a supporting-actress Oscar nomination.

"Not many girls can climb the pole," Rourke said. "She climbed the pole, and she did it well."

Right after Rourke's speech, Tom McCarthy won the best-director award for the immigrant drama "The Visitor."

"I feel like we should just stop the show after Mickey, because who could follow that, really?" McCarthy said.

Leo gave a whoop as she took the stage for her prize in "Frozen River," which got its start a year ago at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the top dramatic honor. She stars as a destitute mother who stumbles into the immigrant-smuggling business with a Mohawk Indian woman on the U.S.-Canada border.

"You are my people. You know you are my people," Leo told the independent-cinema crowd at the awards luncheon in a tent along the Santa Monica beach. "'Frozen River' is a truly independent film."

The supporting honors went to Cruz as a combustible artist in a three-way relationship with her ex-husband and an American woman in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and James Franco as a lover of slain gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant's "Milk."

Allen won the screenplay honor for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Cruz thanked Allen "just for letting me be around him. . . . He's really the symbol of independence in our industry." *