Jenny McCarthy film 'triumphs' at Razzies

Details
'Dirty Love'

When: 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Admission: $1, plus an additional charge based upon the roll of a die -- $5 for a five, $2 for a two, and so on. Patons who make it to the end of the movie get a $1 gift certificate to see another film at the Oaks

Where: Oaks Theater, Oakmont

Details: 412-828-6311

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Michael Machosky can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7901.

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There are bad movies, and then there are bad movies, the kind that pain the heart and churn the stomach.

And then there are Razzie movies.

For the past 26 years, the Golden Raspberry Awards have shadowed the Academy Awards, mocking the celluloid droppings that the Oscars leave behind. This year, the runaway worst film of the year was "Dirty Love," which never even made it to Pittsburgh. But now, after its "triumph" at the Razzies, it's finally coming to the Oaks Theater. Proceeds will go towards the theater's Moonlit Matinees summer film festival.

"Dirty Love" is a cinematic catastrophe starring -- and written by -- former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy, that few saw, and even fewer liked. One who did, sort of, was Razzies founder John Wilson, who had the pleasure of awarding it "Worst Screenplay," "Worst Director," "Worst Actress" and "Worst Picture."

"It got our attention because of how many critics actually mentioned the Razzie awards in their reviews," says Wilson, from his home in Los Angeles. "The L.A. Times actually opened with 'Attention Razzie voters ...,'" says Wilson.

The film opened with a whimper in September, in 44 theaters. Total worldwide box office revenues to date are $58,116, according to boxofficemojo.com. In fact, winning four Razzies is probably the best thing that ever happened to "Dirty Love."

"When it got all these awards, I was fully aware that there would be a morbid curiosity to see this thing that beat out 'Dukes of Hazzard,' 'Son of the Mask,' 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo' and 'House of Wax.'"

It's ostensibly about a clumsy girl who decides to win back her cheating boyfriend by making him jealous -- but is really all about its seemingly unending series of humiliating grossout gags.

McCarthy, an actress whose fame appears to be predicated entirely upon taking off her clothes, faced daunting competition this year from the reliably oblivious Tara Reid from "Alone in the Dark."

"It is complely devoid of any sense of how ridiculous she is making herself," says Wilson, of McCarthy's performance. "And devoid of any ego, which is unusual for Hollywood. She wrote the script -- you'd think her worst enemy had written the thing, the stuff she ends up doing. You'd think somebody thought they were gettting the ultimate vengeance on Jenny McCarthy. Then when you see she wrote it, you're like, 'Why -- why would you do this to yourself?'"

The Oaks will give a $1 gift certificate to patrons who sit through the whole thing.

"My sympathies to those who make it through to the end," says Wilson.