John Travolta has responded at last to his across-the-board triumph in this year's Golden Raspberry awards - the annual commemoration of Hollywood's worst movies of the year. Last month, Travolta's sci-fi epic, adapted from the work of scientology guru L Ron Hubbard, won almost a clean sweep at the ironic gongfest. As well as being named worst film of the year, Battlefield Earth earned Travolta a Razzie for worst performance by an actor.
"I didn't even know there were such awards," says Travolta, deploying the good humour so evident in Battlefield Earth. "I have people around me whose job it is to not tell me about such things. They're obviously doing their job." He continues: "Not every film can be a critical and box office success. It would have been awful only if Battlefield Earth was neither. That's not the case. It is edging toward the $100m mark which means it has found an audience even if it didn't impress critics. I'd rather my films connect with audiences than with critics because it gives you more longevity as a performer."
Lighten up, John! Let the actor Barry Pepper, who received a worst supporting actor award for his work in the same execrable film, be an example to us all. "I wish somebody had invited me to the ceremony," he laughs. "I would have gone and accepted it. That would have been so much fun." Travolta is still trying to gain the upper hand, however. When informed that Madonna had bagged Worst Actress for the film Next Best Thing, the Pulp Fiction star purred, "I liked what she did in that film so I feel I'm in good company."
