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Dinesh D'Souza's Right-Wing Hillary Film Targeted by the Razzies

Controversial conservative firebrand Dinesh D'Souza's burgeoning career as a filmmaker may have taken a significant hit on Monday.
Image: Conservative commentator and best-selling author, Dinesh D'Souza exits the Manhattan Federal Courthouse after pleading guilty in New York
Conservative commentator and best-selling author, Dinesh D'Souza exits the Manhattan Federal Courthouse after pleading guilty in New York, May 20, 2014. D'Souza pleaded guilty to one criminal count of making illegal contributions in the names of others. A second count concerning the making of false statements is expected to be dismissed once the defendant is sentenced. Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Controversial conservative firebrand Dinesh D'Souza's burgeoning career as a filmmaker may have taken a significant hit on Monday. His widely panned recent pseudo-documentary "Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party" was nominated for four Razzies, an award that recognizes the worst movies of the year.

The film, which was released during the 2016 campaign, was a follow up on a previous D'Souza film, "2016: Obama's America," which cast aspersions on the former president's character and political philosophy. That film, which also debuted in the midst of a presidential campaign, found an audience — while "Hillary's America" was by-and-large DOA at the box office.

"The Democrats have very cleverly gotten away with blaming America for things that they did," claimed D'Souza in an interview with 1200 WOIAconservative radio host Joe Pagslast summer. "We are gonna put this movie in the face of African-Americans, of minorities, of immigrants, of young people, and we're going to point the finger for these crimes at the Democratic Party."

Related: Scholar Behind Anti-Obama Film, Dinesh D'Souza, Gets Probation

But "Hillary's America" — which was as much a takedown of the Democratic Party's history on issues like race as it was an attempt to tarnish their nominee, Hillary Clinton — failed to connect with diverse audiences. That may be in part because of reviews that highlighted the film's selective version of history and likened its tone to "a drunk man at a sports bar sucking back whole jalapeño peppers hoping for applause without ever being dared."

The Razzies, which also shouted out critically reviled films from last year like "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Dirty Grandpa," nominated D'Souza for Worst Actor, Worst Director (a dishonor he shared with Bruce Schooley) and Worst Picture.

Additionally, Becky Turner, who appears in some of the film's panned scripted portions, was nominated for Worst Actress for her performance in the film.

D'Souza, a best-selling author and the former president of the faith-based King's College, has a history of making controversial statements, particularly on the subject of race. He's dragged Obama's deceased African father into his critique of the Ebola outbreak and referred to the former president as a "boy" from the "ghetto" in a tweet attacking him for taking a selfie.

Earlier this month, D'Souza, who has served time in a halfway house for making illegal campaign contributions, was the subject of ridicule and negative publicity for openly questioning the historic contributions of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. His comments came amid the debate over Rep. John Lewis' criticism of then President-elect Trump.

After first dismissing Lewis, who was brutally beaten as a young activist fighting for voting rights in the 1960s, on Twitter as a "minor figure," D'Souza went on to single out Parks, who played a seminal role in 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. He alleged her reputation had been "absurdly inflated" by liberals.

Despite a significant backlash on social media, D'Souza has not walked back his incendiary remarks. He also has not addressed his strong showing in the Razzie nominations.