And the award for most pointlessly long title goes to ...

"Chasing Amy"

There are a number of great candidates for this one, as there are every year. But with "Chasing Amy" in the running, there obviously is a standout. The rain scene (all of you who have seen it know what this means) is one of the most moving love scenes ever. Sniff. And just for a bit of ironic juxtaposition ...

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Batman and Robin tried to save the day with rubber suits and cold puns. They lost.

Most Gratuitous Violence:

"Event Horizon"

This movie had enough blood in it to fuel a good-sized emergency room for a year or two. The film had it all, if you're looking for blatant masochism: eye-gougings, disembowelings and men without skin, oh my! And all of it was explicitly portrayed, complete with the digital experience.

Most Predictable Dialogue:

"Titanic"

The award goes to ... (drumroll, please) ... "Titanic"! The film pulled in every other award this year, so it is only fitting that it should receive this one. The most impressively mundane piece of writing came in a scene showing Kate Winslet sitting in a dining room, waiting for her dinner. In her most poignantly pathetic, introspective tone, her voice echoes something to the effect of, "I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, ready to jump off, and all that I needed was a loving hand to reach out and save me." It is less than 30 seconds before the audience is shown a moving vignette: Winslet's character standing on the ship's bow railing, ready to jump. No sooner is this scene shown than faithful Leo shows up behind her, with the aforementioned "loving hand." And surprisingly, he reaches out and saves her. Thanks, Jimmy, for challenging our collective intellect with this engaging piece of film.

Best Exploitation of a Movie Trend:

"Men in Black"

OK, for all of you out there who are tired of the recent spate of alien flicks, I apologize for this one. But a light in the film darkness this year was the comic relief offered up by "Men In Black." It featured an innovative plot, some great one-liners and the coolest Will Smith song in years (which consequently set the stage for "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It," the keenest song ever. Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah!).

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures For gratuitous violence, see "Event Horizon."

Best Sequel:

"Scream 2"

Many may disagree, but "Scream 2" was a pretty impressive thrill ride. Maybe it wasn't quite as innovative as its predecessor, but it still had audiences squirming.

Worst Sequel:

"The Lost World"

Michael Crichton has sold out completely, and he proved it this year with "The Lost World."

He wrote the book solely in response to the lucrative success of "Jurassic Park," and it showed. The book was heinous, and the film was even worse. At least millions were spent on the project, so the dinosaurs were pretty nifty.

Worst Venture into a Rubber Suit:

"Batman and Robin"

Last summer gave us the fourth episode of the Batman series, in which, maybe, the first installment should have been the last. This time, George Clooney took his place behind the wheel of the Batmobile. I promised myself that I'd never say this, but maybe George should stick to surgery. Give me a chest tube, stat!

Most Excessive Use of Cold Puns:

"Batman and Robin"

Same movie, with honors going to Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Chill.

Gay Guy Who the Largest Number of Women Fell For:

Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett's portrayal of Julia Roberts's homosexual friend in "My Best Friend's Wedding" made audiences everywhere swoon.

Most Pointlessly Long Movie Title:

"I Know What You Did Last Summer"

The all-time champion in this category is "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar." But last summer's "I Know What You Did Last Summer" comes close. A bit of advice for all the aspiring title writers out there: Despite evidence to the contrary, U.S. movie audiences aren't completely asinine, and some of the plot can be left to our collective discernment. Let's try to stick to one or two words. Maybe "I Know," or "Last Summer," or heck, if you're feeling particularly uninspired, "What You."

Worst Movie from which to Take Your Own Personal Catch Phrase:

"Good Will Hunting"

Hands down. The "How do you like them apples?" scene was witty the first time I saw it, and amusing when my friends talked about it after the movie. But after hearing it for what must be the 432nd time last night, I'm ready to stuff them apples down the throat of the next person who utters this one.

Courtesy of Miramax Films Robin Williams finally took home an award honoring his tremendous ability, as shown in "As Good As It Gets." "The Edge"'s Bart the Bear is still waiting.

Best Movie from which to Take Your Own Personal Catch Phrase:

"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery"

Again, hands down. Take your pick of any number of zingers for instant popularity among your friends and peers. You can choose from classics such as: "Shagadelic!" "Yeah, baby, yeah!" "One million dollars" and "It's fricking freezing in here, Mr. Bigglesworth." You'll have to contrive the fake British accent on your own.

Best Use of Hair Gel in a Movie:

"Grease"/"The Wedding Singer" (tie)

Obviously, Travolta's 'do in "Grease" is the undisputed king of the lubricated tresses, but the permanent wave of Adam Sandler's "Wedding Singer" made a slick run at the crown, so we'll give him a piece of the title this year.

Best Performance by an Ursine in a Major Motion Picture:

"The Edge"

"The Edge," starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin was one of the least impressive movies of the year, but one character stood out in the midst of mediocrity.

The spectacular work of Bart the Bear would most assuredly have been rewarded with an Academy Award if the discriminatory methods practiced by the Academy had not barred him from a Best Actor nomination.

So, instead of an Oscar, Bart was honored with six raw fish.

Most Deserving Oscar Winner:

Robin Williams

Williams, who has never won an Academy Award, was given the award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "Good Will Hunting," and it's been a long time coming. After nearly a decade of exceptional movie roles, including moving leads in "Dead Poets' Society" and "Good Morning, Vietnam," Williams finally received this highest of honors. Way to go, Robin.

- Compiled by Daily Film Editor Joshua Pederson.

04-16-98