The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has seen fit to bestow upon infamous game-to-movie director Uwe Boll a Worst Career Achievement award. This is the first Lifetime Razzie award the Foundation has handed out since they gave it to Bruce the rubber shark from Jaws in 1987.
Source: EuroGamer [ more info ]

House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, In the Name of the King, Postal (not released in the US), BloodRayne II, Far Cry (not released in the US)...

Uwe Boll has made a name for himself destroying game to movie conversions. Not mention what seems to be a complete inability to actually make money with a film. So, if there is someone in the movie industry that deserves a Worst Career Achievement Award more that Uwe, their name is not immediately coming to mind.

He's referred to as our generation's Ed Wood. But I'll be honest, I've watched a few Ed Wood movies and where yes, they ARE terrible, they at least have a certain charm to them. With Boll's travesties, not so much. His movies are miserable from sweeping vista to exposed stunt equipment. If you must watch them... watch them with friends. The ensuing heckling will be infinitely more entertaining.

I'm wondering when Uwe is going to challenge the foundation to a fight personally.

I've got to ask, where did this prick go to school to get his doctorate? Does he even have one? Did he buy it online with money from the German government?

Bah, I really despise this guy. I hope the award is really heavy and somebody smashes him on the head with it.

Mordican, when I told Taks about this news item... I said basically the same thing.

Skittles, he studied at the Universities of Cologne and Siegen, his doctorate is in literature.

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Out of curiosity I was digging through BoxOfficeMojo.Com and found some of the following information. Between House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, In the Name of the King, and Postal, Uwe has spent $132 Million and has only made $37.6 Million globally. His highest opening weekend "House of the Dead" was a $5.6 Million. And Postal, with a $15 Million production budget, has brought in less that $200K.

Three things:

1) Did that petition ever reach the 1 million siggies that Uwe Boll demanded before he'd lay down his director's megaphone? EDIT: Found it. Drat. It only reached 322744 signatures. Comeon people! We can do it! It won't mean anything, but it will be a moral victory.

2) Ahahahaha! I see I'm not the only one who thought of the fight challenge.

3) 0_0... His movies lost *that* much money? And he's still receiving funding? Even Tom Cruise wouldn't be getting hired if he was losing that kind of money!

was actually hoping you would draw him with a WOW-achievement on it

As for Uwe Boll's movies. Bought Alone In The Dark and didnt notice it was an Uwe film until I was at home. Seeing as it only costed me €2,-, I didn't really care about returning it...

Now if only I can sue him to get those precious minutes of my life back somehow

The reason he (and his investors) are still able to make money, is because of a German Tax Law that works to his benefit when his movies inevitably bomb. (It's commonly called a tax loophole, but after looking into it, it actually looks like Dr. Boll has been using it as it was intended.)

I kind of enjoyed Blood Rayne and I thought In The Name of the King was his first venture into "So bad it's hilariously good" territory. Any of his other work? Blech. I mean...just look at the description of Blood Rayne 2.

"Rayne battles a Vampiric Billy the Kid in the Old West".

Vampiric Billy The Kid.

I love the exposed stunt equipment too. When my friends and I were watching House of the Dead back when it had first come out on DVD, we had tons of fun trying to find the various spring boards and obvious pyrotechnics during the fight scenes. I think that my favorite thing I've ever seen on one of his DVD's was an extra called "Dinner with Uwe" or something. You'd reasonably expect them to be in some sort of restaurant or something...but it's just two people sitting at a dinner table with Dr. Boll, eating take out Chinese Food. Sooooooooooooooooo unintentionally funny.

Boll's movies don't have to make money at the box office. He already makes enough before post-production.

To my understanding, Boll's been exploiting German Tax Laws for awhile. While many countries have incentives to bring movie production into their country, they usually have accompanying restrictions like actually filming in that country or employing a set amount of employees from that country.

Germany didn't have such restrictions. So Boll's been able to film anywhere and still get German taxpayer money to finance his productions. Also, investors exploiting other German tax laws could invest in Boll's ventures and get a huge write off. The tax laws only require tax be paid IF the venture makes money. Since none of Boll's movies made money, the write offs are maximized. Thus, there's little incentive to make a money making movie.

I've heard that Germany has changed their tax laws circa 2006, but if he's still making movies, he must have found a new loophole to exploit.

Originally Posted by gopher65:

3) 0_0... His movies lost *that* much money? And he's still receiving funding? Even Tom Cruise wouldn't be getting hired if he was losing that kind of money!

Nah, Tom has charisma

Seriously though, how do I get that job?? I can make 5 movies lose $100M and you know he's got to be walking away with bank.

I think the inimitable Howard Tayler, of Schlock Mercenary, summed it up pretty well.
Source: livejournal blog [ more info ]

Movie Review: BloodRayne

Okay, let's start with my instructions to you: no matter how enticing I may make this film sound, do NOT spend money on it. Don't see it in the theater, and don't rent it. Buying the DVD would be a crime against humanity. For that matter, don't bother seeing it for FREE, either. Spending your TIME on this film is a crime against your employer, your family, and the Baby New Year. You would be better off using an hour and thirty-four minutes eating junk food and watching Weather Channel repeats you've accidentally TIVO'd.

I'm serious. If I find out that you went and saw this film after I told you not to, I'll phone your friends up and tell them to go to your house and pour ants in your bed. And when you wake up screaming, covered in ants, you'll think "at least I'm not still watching BloodRayne."