Review: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is Beastly Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Running time:  133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some fantasy action violence
DIRECTOR:  David Yates
WRITER:  J.K. Rowling
PRODUCERS:  David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, and Lionel Wigram
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Philippe Rousselot (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Mark Day
COMPOSER:  James Newton Howard
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring:  Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Samantha Morton, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Jenn Murray, Carmen Ejogo, Jon Voight, Josh Cowdery, Ronan Rafferty, Ron Perlman, Zoe Kravitz, and Johnny Depp

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates.  This film is a continuation of the Harry Potter film series, and it is co-produced and written by J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (or simply Fantastic Beasts) is inspired by Rowling's 2001 book of the same name.  Set in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World 70 years before Harry Potter's story, Fantastic Beasts follows the adventures of a British wizard after he arrives in New York City and clashes with its secret community of witches and wizards.

In 1926, British wizard and "magizoologist" Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) stops in New York City on his way to Arizona.  Scamander also carries with him a magical suitcase full of fantastic beasts, and one of them, a “Niffler,” escapes into the city.  During his quest to recapture the Niffler, Scamander meets a “No-Maj” (does not have magical powers) named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), after they unwittingly swap suitcases.

This confusion brings Scamander into contact and conflict with Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a demoted auror (hunter of dark wizards), who belongs to the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA).  Scamander also meets Tina's sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), a flapper who has amazing powers of memory.  Now, the four of them are caught in a conspiracy involving one or more escaped beasts, with one of them being very dangerous.  Scamander has been searching for this creature, and to find it and protect it may cost him his life.

I did not expect much from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  It is not that I thought that it was a bad movie, but I guess I was comparing it unfavorably to the Harry Potter films – without having seen it...  However, I find that Fantastic Beasts compares quite favorably to the Potter films; in fact, Fantastic Beasts is a film set in the Wizarding World for us grown-ups.

Fantastic Beasts is an adult urban fantasy which presents a perilous world of magic where secrets must be kept, even unto penalty of death.  War between the world of wizards and witches and the world of the No-Maj slash humans without magical powers seems like a genuine threat in this narrative.  [In the Potter films, humans without magical powers are referred to as “muggles.”]

There is something on the line for the character; they have something to lose, and perhaps, some could lose everything, including their lives.  So the audience buys into this story.  Fantastic Beasts is not some mere, spin-off, sequel/prequel, event movie.  It is all in the writing of of J.K. Rowling's script; she makes the story matters, and once again, director David Yates understands the most important elements of Rowling's writing.  The bonds of family and friendship; the motivations of characters; the conflict central and peripheral; and good versus evil, and Yates and Rowling deliver strongly on these.

Fantastic Beasts also separates itself from the Potter films with a cast of characters that is far more eccentric than the characters Potter delivered (and there were oddballs in that lot).  Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne manages to make a introverted, strange little man into a strong lead and resilient lead character that the audience will follow, even when Redmayne makes it obvious that Scamander does not want anyone following him.

Katherine Waterston makes Tina worthy of her own film.  In her feature film debut, Alison Sudol is pitch perfect as Queenie, and Dan Fogler surprises as Jacob.  In fact, all of the cast is good – from Colin Farrell's perplexing Percival Graves to Ezra Miller's troubled Credence Barebone.  Fantastic Beasts delivers complex and engaging characters.

Yes, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them delivers and proves that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a universe that can exist beyond Harry.  Fantastic Beasts is a thoroughly enjoyable movie; it is so likable that I cannot really find fault with it.  I don't know if every Potter fan will like this movie, but for some of us, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is our part of the Wizarding World.

9 of 10
A+


NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood); 1 nominations: “Best Achievement in Production Design” (Stuart Craig-production design and Anna Pinnock-set decoration

2017 BAFTA Awards 2017:  1 win: “Best Production Design” (Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock); 4 nominations: “Outstanding British Film of the Year” (David Yates, J.K. Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram), “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood), “Best Sound” (Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, and Ian Tapp), “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, and David Watkins)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "The Jungle Book" Goes Live with Spectacular Effects

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Jungle Book (2016)
Running time: 107 minutes
MPAA – PG for some sequences of scary action and peril
DIRECTOR:  Jon Favreau
WRITER:  Justin Marks (based on the books by Runyard Kipling)
PRODUCERS:  Jon Favreau and Brigham Taylor
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bill Pope (D.o.P)
EDITORS:  Mark Livolsi with Adam Gerstel
COMPOSER: John Debney
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring:  Neel Sethi and the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, Brighton Rose, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau and Dee Bradley Baker

The Jungle Book is a 2016 fantasy adventure film directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.  The film is a live-action remake of Disney's classic animated film, The Jungle Book (1967), and both films are based on stories from The Jungle Book (1894), the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling.  The Jungle Book 2016 focuses on a boy raised by wolves who makes a journey of self-discovery after a fearsome tiger threatens his life.

The Jungle Book focuses on Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a human who is raised by the wolf Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o) and her pack, led by her mate, Akela (Giancarlo Esposito).  Mowgli is called a “man-cub” and lives in harmony with the animals in a jungle in India.  However, Shere Khan (Idris Elba), a tiger with a scar on its face, catches Mowgli's scent; Khan hates man because it was a man that scarred his face.  Now, Khan has decided to kill Mowgli.

The black panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who rescued Mowgli when he was a baby and brought him to the wolves, decides that he must take the man-cub out of the jungle and get him to a nearby man village.  Shere Khan, however, is not content with Mowgli leaving the jungle; he wants to kill him.  Mowgli must prove to everyone, including Bagheera and his new friend, Baloo the sloth bear (Bill Murray), that the jungle is where he belongs.

The Jungle Book 2016 is not a great movie, but it is a pretty good movie.  The voice acting is good, but only Christopher Walken as King Louie the Gigantopithecus (an extinct genus of ape), and Idris Elba as Shere Khan bring real power, heat and menace to their voice acting.  As Mowgli, one of the few real or non-computer generated characters, Neel Sethi gives a performance that has both strong and weak moments, but overall is good.

The most impressive things about The Jungle Book 2016 are the visual effects.  The animal characters are some of the most realistic computer-generated animals that I have ever seen in a movie.  The sheer number and variety of animals make this the greatest cinematic achievement in terms of using computer software to create animals.  If there is better, I have not seen it yet, but I want to see that movie or movies.

The Jungle Book 2016 will not make you forget the 1967 film, which I do not consider to be among the best of Disney's animated films.  Still, it is a truly nice family movie that even some adults can find entertaining, and, of course, the visual effects achievements here make The Jungle Book a must-see for film fans.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, October 22, 2017

NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon)

2017 BAFTA Awards 2017:  1 win: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, and Adam Valdez)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: First "Boo! A Madea Halloween" Not One of the Better Madea Movies

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)
Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for drug use and references, suggestive content, language, some horror images and thematic material
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Tyler Perry
PRODUCERS:  Ozzie Areu, Tyler Perry, and Will Areu
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Richard Vialet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Larry Sexton
COMPOSER:  Elvin Ross

HALLOWEEN/COMEDY

Starring:  Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Bella Thorne, Yousef Erakat, Lexy Panterra, Andre Hall, Brock O'Hurn, Liza Koshy, Diamond White, Mike Tornabene, Javan Johnson, Angela Ray, and Tyga

Boo! A Madea Halloween is a 2016 comedy and Halloween movie from writer-director Tyler Perry.  The idea for this film originated from a fictitious Madea Halloween movie (entitled “Boo!”) that was referenced several times in writer-director Chris Rock's film, Top Five (2014).  In Boo! A Madea Halloween, Madea fends off noisy spirits and evil clowns while keeping an eye on two high school girls who want to party with a gang of college frat boys.

Boo! A Madea Halloween begins about mid-day on Halloween.  At Upsilon Theta college fraternity house. Jonathan (Yousef Erakat), the fraternity leader, and his fellow fraternity brothers are finalizing plans for their big Halloween party for that night.  The brothers take notice of 17-year-old Tiffany Simmons (Diamond White) and her three friends, 17-year-old Aday (Liza Koshy), 18-year-old Rain (Bella Thorne) and 18-year-old Leah (Lexy Panterra), as they walk past their fraternity house.  Jonathan invites the four teens to their party.

However, Tiffany's father, Brian Simmons (Tyler Perry), does not want Tiffany and Aday to attend the party because, at the age of 17, they are too young to be partying with college-age young men.  Sensing that his daughter will disobey him, Brian convinces his aunt, Mabel “Madea” Simmons (Tyler Perry), to stay at his house and babysit Tiffany.  Madea's brother, Joe Simmons (Tyler Perry), who is Brian's father; marijuana aficionado, Betty Ann “Aunt Bam” Murphy (Cassi Davis); and Joe's lover, Hattie Mae Love (Patrice Lovely), tag along.

Madea is strict, but Tiffany proves to be more stubborn and also craftier than Madea expects.  When she discovers that Tiffany and Aday have indeed gone to the fraternity party, Madea is ready to deal out some punishment; instead, this pugnacious matron will spend a haunted Halloween dealing with ghosts, goblins, ghouls, poltergeists, zombies, and killer clowns.

Boo! A Madea Halloween has its moments.  It is a Madea movie after all, and if you enjoy the antics of Tyler Perry's most beloved character, Mabel “Madea” Simmons, you will find something or some things to like about Boo! A Madea Halloween.  However, it is the weakest “Madea-verse” movie since Meet the Browns (2008), in which Madea only made a cameo appearance.

I like Boo!'s young and diverse cast, although I wish the characters lived up to the energy brought by the young actors.  The youthful energy is needed because characters that are old favorites have worn out their welcome; Aunt Bam, I'm looking at you.  And Uncle Joe isn't at his best here.

This isn't one of Tyler Perry's better efforts at playing Madea, but there is a gem or two here (such as Madea in church, wanting to be “saved”).  It is only a passable Halloween movie.  That said, I want more Madea and there is a sequel to Boo!, due this fall.  So, it is fair to say that Boo! A Madea Halloween is strictly for Madea fans.

5 of 10
B-

Thursday, August 24, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "BATMAN: The Killing Joke" is Just Fucking Terrible

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 (of  2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Running time:  76 minutes
Rated MPAA – PG-13 for some bloody images and disturbing content
DIRECTOR:  Sam Liu
WRITERS:  Brian Azzarello (based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland and the characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger)
EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinsk
COMPOSERS:  Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis
ANIMATION STUDIO:  The Answer Studio

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, Ray Wise, John DiMaggio, Robin Atkins Downes, Brian George, and Maury Sterling

Batman: The Killing Joke is a 2016 animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation.  It is the 26th film in Warner's line of DC Universe original animated movies.  Unlike many of those films, which are released straight-to-video, Batman: The Killing Joke did get a one-week theatrical release before being released on DVD and Blu-ray.  Bruce Timm is an executive producer on this film.

The film focuses on select characters featured in the world of DC Comics' world of Batman.  This movie is based on the 1988 comic book, Batman: The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland.  In Batman: The Killing Joke the movie, Batman hunts for The Joker, after he kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and attacks his daughter, who is also the superhero, Batgirl.  Batman: The Killing Joke is the first Batman animated film to be rated R by the MPAA.

In the world of Batman: The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Tara Strong) is the crime-fighting partner of Batman (Kevin Conroy).  They usually work well together, but of late, the two have disagreed on how to deal with Parry Francesco a.k.a. “Paris Franz” (Maury Sterling), the nephew of crime boss, Carlos Francesco (John DiMaggio).  Paris is currently trying to take over his uncle's criminal empire, and he is obsessed with Batgirl.  The fallout from the respective actions of Batman, Batgirl, and Paris lead to the dissolution of the Batman-Batgirl team.

Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker (Mark Hamill), has escaped prison, and this time he is determined to prove a point to Batman.  Joker launches a brutal assault at Barbara Gordon's home against Barbara and her father, Gotham City Police Department Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon (Ray Wise).  The secret to The Joker's madness lies somewhere in his past, before he became the “Clown Prince of Crime.”  Yes, it's an origin story.

I have seen some Batman films that were gigantic misfires (Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises), the result being a movie that was more disappointing than bad (which it also was).  I have seen a Batman movie that was a comical blunder (1997's Batman and Robin).  Batman: The Killing Joke is a truly awful and terrible movie.  It is an insult to good Batman storytelling.  The screenplay is written by a critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling comic book writer, Brian Azzarello, who proves that when his work is bad, it makes for dreadful entertainment, which is the case with Batman: The Killing Joke the movie.  [By the way, Batman: The Killing Joke the comic book is way overrated.]

The fact that this movie features Batman and Batgirl having sex on a rooftop is all you need to know about this abomination of a movie.  The only good thing about this movie is that it reunited Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman, and Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame) as the voice of The Joker.  Conroy and Hamill are near-legends for playing the characters on the beloved “Batman: The Animated Series,” a Batman animated TV series that began airing in 1992.

However, Batman: The Killing Joke is so bad that if you want Conroy and Hamill, find episodes of cartoon instead of watching this.

1 of 10
D-

Sunday, October 8, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Moonlight" Shines as Groundbreaking American Cinema

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moonlight (2016)
Running time:  151 minutes
MPAA – R for some sexuality, drug use, brief violence, and language throughout
DIRECTOR:  Barry Jenkins
WRITERS:  Barry Jenkins; from a story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
PRODUCERS:  Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  James Laxton
EDITORS:  Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders
COMPOSER: Nicholas Britell
Academy Award winner including “Best Picture”

DRAMA/LGBTQ

Starring:  Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome, Andre Holland, and Janelle Monae

Moonlight is a 2016 coming-of-age drama from director Barry Jenkins.  This won the “Best Picture of the Year” Oscar at the 89th Academy Awards (February 2017).  It was the first film with an all-Black/African-American cast and also the first LGBT film to win the best picture Oscar.  Moonlight looks at the difficulties of identity and sexuality faced by the main character, an African-American male, by examining three stages of his life:  childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.

His name is Chiron (Alex Hibbert), but some call him by the nicknames, “Little” and “Black.”  In Liberty City, Miami, Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer originally form Cuba, finds Little in an abandoned crack house, hiding from a pack of bullies.  Juan and his girlfriend, Teresa (Janelle Monae), befriend Little, and Juan becomes a mentor, of sorts.  However, Little finds himself dealing with the word, “faggot,” and with the fact that his mother, Paula (Naomie Harris), is a customer of Juan's.

Later, teen Chiron (Ashton Sanders) is a high school student.  His mother's addiction is worse, and a bully named Terrel is constantly harassing him.  Chiron befriends another teenager, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), who likes to call Chiron by the nickname “Black,” but their friendship will be complicated by high school politics.

Later, adult Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) deals drugs in Atlanta.  He tries to reconcile with his mother.  Also, after receiving a phone call from him, Chiron travels to Miami to reunite with an adult Kevin (André Holland) to explore what could have been.

In the moonlight, black Black boys look blue (or purple, as some people say).  I think what immediately makes Moonlight stand out is what a beautiful Black boy Alex Hibbert, who plays young Chiron, is.  His subtle and fiercely quiet performance gives life-blood to the early chapters of Moonlight.  Just his demeanor humanizes all young Black boys, putting them in a positive light, similar to the way other films make young White boys cute and precocious.  In this film, gay is a journey to discovery, and while that journey is difficult, it does not yield tragedy (as in Brokeback Mountain).  So Hibbert is the first leg of the relay race that carries Moonlight to Oscar gold.

When Mahershala Ali won the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance as Juan, he became the first Muslim to win an Oscar.  Although the role is small, Juan is a giant, and Ali establishes him with richness and grace.  In a way, Ali is the pillar that supports this film, and he turns Juan into the rocket that launches the story of the stages in the life of Chiron.

Naomie Harris is electric as Paula, in a role that some African-American actresses are reluctant to play.  A Black female crack addict as a fictional character is just as likely to be a melodramatic trope as it is likely to be multi-layered character.  The crack-head can be a treacherous role, but Harris picks her spots; in each scene in which Paula appears, Harris gives her another layer.  Thus, she creates a character that can engage us, rather than a caricature that annoys the audience.

In fact, all of the performances here are good and the actors have excellent characters, via the story and screenplay, with which to work.  Tarell Alvin McCraney's story is rich source material, and Barry Jenkins turns it into a screenplay for the ages, simply because it is like nothing else before it.  Moonlight is achingly and beautifully human.  Here, the Black person – straight, gay, addict, bully, etc. –  is a life, a precious life – a life that matters.  The focus is not on tragedy but on love, connectivity, and reconciliation.  This makes Moonlight the best American LGBT or gay-theme film to date.

10 of 10

Tuesday, August 15, 2017


NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  3 wins: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski – Dede Gardner became the first woman to win Best Picture twice.), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Mahershala Ali), and “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Barry Jenkins-screenplay and Tarell Alvin McCraney-story); 5 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Naomie Harris), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Barry Jenkins), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (James Laxton), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders – Joi McMillon became the first African American female to be nominated for Best Film Editing.), and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)” (Nicholas Britell)

2017 Golden Globes, USA 2017:  1 win: “Best Motion Picture – Drama;” 5 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Mahershala Ali), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Naomie Harris), “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Barry Jenkins), “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Barry Jenkins), and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture: (Nicholas Britell)

2017 BAFTA Awards:  4 nominations: “Best Film” (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski), “Best Supporting Actor” (Mahershala Ali), “Best Supporting Actress” (Naomie Harris), and “Best Screenplay (Original)” (Barry Jenkins)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "X-Men: Apocalypse" is Garbage

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Running time:  144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief strong language and some suggestive images
DIRECTOR:  Bryan Singer
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg; from a story by Simon Kinberg, Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty, and Dan Harris
PRODUCERS:  Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Bryan Singer
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITORS:  Michael Louis Hill and John Ottman
COMPOSER:  John Ottman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Rose Byrne, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Hardy, Alexandra Shipp, Lana Condor, Olivia Munn, Josh Helman, and Stan Lee with Hugh Jackman

X-Men: Apocalypse is a 2016 superhero movie from director Bryan Singer.  It is 20th Century Fox’s eighth film based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  This new movie is a sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past.  In X-Men Apocalypse, the world's first mutant, a world-destroyer, reemerges and begins a plan for human extinction that the X-Men must stop.

X-Men: Apocalypse opens in Ancient Egypt, 3600BC and introduces En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the ruler of that land and a supremely powerful mutant believed to be the very first of his kind.  He is betrayed by some of his worshipers and is buried alive for centuries.  Apocalypse arises in 1983 and is upset to discover what he considers “false gods” to have arisen in his absence.  He gathers “four horsemen” and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is one of the quartet.  Apocalypse begins to unleash an extinction level plan to clean the Earth of everything and everyone, so that only the strong survive.

Meanwhile, Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) continues to build his educational institute in Westchester County, New York.  He is also adding new students, when a former friend, Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), returns to warn him of Magneto's new activities.  When they learn the extent of Apocalypse's threat, the X-Men are forced to come together to save the world.

Some believe that Superman: The Movie, originally released in 1978, is the beginning of the modern superhero film.  Other believe that the current age of superhero movies was spearheaded by Tim Burton's 1989 film, Batman.  [Those are good choices, but I believe the current superhero movie rage was born of the surprise (even shocking) success of the 1998 film, Blade.  Its success spurred Fox into producing X-Men (2000), which was a hit and which really pushed superhero movie production into overdrive.]

I am starting to believe that the most influential film in the current onslaught of superhero movies is 2012's Marvel's The Avengers.  Why?  The Avengers' immediate and massive success at the box office was practically unprecedented.  It's opening weekend dollar gross set what was at the time a record for North American box office.  It's worldwide box office exceeded a billion dollars, and while that was not the first time a superhero movie crossed the billion-dollar mark (which 2008's The Dark Knight did first), I don't think anyone, not Disney, Marvel, box office watchers, or movie fans, expected The Avengers to be so successful in terms of box office – not before its release.

Such surprising success breeds copycats.  Superhero movies that are big, even massive, and filled with destruction followed The Avengers.  See Warner Bros. The Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015).  In fact, the latter is Warner Bros. desperate attempt to make an Avengers-like movie featuring characters from DC Comics, which is, like Warner Bros., part of Time Warner.

To me, X-Men: Days of Future Past was trapped between being 2011's X-Men: First Class and Marvel's The Avengers.  X-Men: Apocalypse reeks of the desperation to be like The Avengers.  20th Century Fox owns the film rights to Marvel Comics X-Men franchise, and as Fox makes one mediocre and/or financial failure X-Men movie after another, they cannot help but look at Marvel Studios' unprecedented success with the Marvel Comics characters to which it still has film rights.  Hell, Fox isn't the only Hollywood studio that wants to be like Marvel.

But the X-Men are not the Avengers.  The Avengers are a gathering of loosely connected superheroes who come together to defend Earth – or avenge it.  The X-Men can be superheroes, but their story has largely been about a racial minority, known as “Mutants,” that bands together for protection.  Their acts of heroism are essentially a defense of the race or species.  It is as if the X-Men's heroic actions declare that they can peacefully coexist on this planet with humans, which gives them reason to want to defend it.

X-Men: Apocalypse is just a big action movie.  Familiar X-Men themes:  fear, racism, bigotry, tribalism, unity, extended families, familial and friendship bonds, etc. are just window dressing for big special effects driven and created set pieces.  X-Men: Apocalypse does not take from the wheelhouse of the best X-Men films (such as the first two films in the franchise); instead, it steals from Marvel's The Avengers and even Michael Bay's Transformers movies.

You know what, dear reader?  I've taken enough of your time.  I hate this movie.

3 of 10
D+

Friday, December 16, 2016


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon" a Cool Cartoon

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (2016) – Video
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
DIRECTORS:   Tim Divar, Brandon Vietti
WRITERS:  Ernie Altbacker; from a story by Matt Wayne
PRODUCER: Brandon Vietti
EDITORS:  Keef Bartkus and Philip Malamuth
COMPOSER:  Ryan Shore
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Steven J. Blum, Eric Bauza, and Phil Morris; from WWE: The Undertaker, Kofi Kingston, Diego, Fernando, El Torito, Goldust, Stardust, The Miz, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Paige, Dusty Rhodes, Lana, Rusev, Michael Cole, and Vince McMahon

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is a 2016 straight-to-video animated comedy mystery.  It is the 27th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation.  This series began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  In Curse of the Speed Demon, Mystery Inc. is hired to solve the mystery of a phantom racer plaguing a WWE road race.  This film is also a co-production between WWE Studios and Warner Bros. Animation.

Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon begins some time after Mystery Inc. helped the WWE (Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment) superstars solve the mystery of the “ghost bear” (known as “Vicious”).  Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) are operating a food truck at WWE's latest venture, a road race called “WWW's Muscle Moro X Off Road Challenge.”

The race's participants are WWE superstars like The Undertaker and Dusty Rhodes, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, to name a few.  During a preliminary round of the race, a demon racer known as “Inferno,” disrupts the race, injuring Rhodes.  Needing a new partner, The Undertaker takes on Shaggy (a.k.a. “Skinny Man”) and Scooby-Doo (a.k.a. “Dead Meat”).  The trio becomes “Team Taker” and races in “The Scoobinator.”

Meanwhile, WWE boss, Mr. McMahon, hires the rest of Mystery Inc. gang:  Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), and Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), to solve the mystery of Inferno.  However, the young mystery-solvers suspect that Inferno is actually a WWE superstar!

I have failed you, dear readers.  I cannot explain why I like Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon.  It is not a great movie, but I find quite entertaining.  What are some of the things that I like.

I am not a fan of WWE, but I found these cartoon versions of select WWE superstars likable, especially The Undertaker.  The cartoon Stephanie McMahon seems personable.  I found myself attracted to “Team Taker” and their racing vehicles.  All the elements that make up monster/villain Inferno make him a good bad guy.

Of course, when it comes down to it, I am a lifelong fan of Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang.  I don't really want to go to long without seeing them, and yes, I have come across some poor Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD films.  Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is not one of them.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, June 5, 2017

The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

-------------------------

Review: Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz (2016) – straight-to-video
Running time:  81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS:  Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITERS:  Spike Brandt, Paul Dini, and Sam Register
EDITOR:  Dave Courter
COMPOSER: Michael Tavera
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE and FAMILY/MUSIC

Starring:  (voices)  Grey Griffin, Jason Alexander, Amy Pemberton, Joe Alaskey, Michael Gough, Rob Paulsen, Todd Stashwick, Frances Conroy, Laraine Newman, Stephen Root, Kath Soucie, Andrea Martin, James Monroe Iglehart, Spike Brandt, and Jye Frasca

Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz is a 2016 direct-to-video animated film starring the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.  Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it is a sequel to Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz, a 2011 animated direct-to-video film.

Both these films take inspiration and source material from the 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz, and places Tom and Jerry (who began as MGM cartoon characters) alongside Dorothy, Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the rest of the characters from that beloved classic film.  Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz is also the first sequel in the Tom and Jerry direct-to-video film series.  [Back to Oz is also the final work of noted animation voice actor Joe Alaskey who died of cancer on February 3, 2016, and this film is dedicated to his memory.]

Back to Oz opens on the Gale farm.  Dorothy Gale (Grey Griffin), Auntie Em (Frances Conroy), Uncle Henry (Stephen Root), Toto, the three farm hands, and Tom and Jerry are still cleaning up the damage caused by the twister that wrecked the farm in the first film.  The Gales are on the verge of losing the farm because of a lawsuit brought by neighbor, Lucius Bibb (Jason Alexander).  Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and the three farmhands immediately set out to find jobs that can help them get money to pay off the damages Bibb is claiming they brought on his property (a prized watermelon patch).

Dorothy is left behind because the adults consider her too young to work.  While cleaning up, Dorothy, Toto, and Tom and Jerry are attacked by flying monkeys, which had once served the Wicked Witch of West.  During the attack, Dorothy's companions from the Land of Oz:  Scarecrow (Michael J. Gough), Tin Man (Rob Paulsen), and the no-longer-cowardly Lion (Todd Stashwick) arrive to inform her that Oz is under attack again.  This time, Ruggedo the Nome King (Jason Alexander) is taking over the Emerald City, so Dorothy is once again off to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Joe Alaskey) in a bid to save Oz.

Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz is not as good as its predecessor, Tom and Jerry & the Wizard of Oz.  However, a return to the Oz that was created by filmmakers, cast, and crew of MGM's 1939 The Wizard of Oz, even a cartoon version of it, is welcomed – at least by me and some others.  There are apparently a lot of us, or at least enough to create a sequel to the first Tom and Jerry Oz.

Honestly, that is the explanation for whatever success this film, Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz, has – its connection to a truly classic American film, one of the best movies of all time.  I won't be fake and deny it.  I hope Tom and Jerry go back to that Oz, again.

6 of 10
B

Friday, March 31, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------------

Movie Review: "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" is an Average Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was posted on Patreon.]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Running time:  151 minutes (2 hours, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG - 13 for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR:  Zack Snyder
WRITERS: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer; based on characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger (Batman) and Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman)
PRODUCERS:  Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Larry Fong (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  David Brenner
COMPOSERS:  Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot, Scoot McNairy, Tao Okamoto, Harry Lennix, Michael Shannon, Ezra Miller, Joe Morton, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, and Kevin Costner

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 superhero drama and action-fantasy film from director Zack Snyder.  The film unites DC Comic' two most famous superheroes, Superman and Batman, in an epic conflict.  In the film, Batman battles Superman for fear of what the Man of Steel might do if his actions are left unchecked.  DC Entertainment boss, Geoff Johns, and director of “The Dark Knight Trilogy, Christopher Nolan, are two of the film's executive producers.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens 18 months after the events depicted in the film, The Man of Steel (2013).  The destructive battle between Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon) left much of the city of Metropolis in ruins and made Superman a controversial figure.  People were also killed and maimed in the battle between Superman and Zod, including employees working for Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck).

Wayne has operated in Gotham City as the vigilante, Batman, for nearly two decades, but he sees Superman's activities as a threat to humanity.  Conversely, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) a.k.a. Superman sees Batman as a dangerous vigilante who has taken the law into his own hands, and Kent wants to expose Batman via a series of articles in the newspaper for which he works, the Daily Planet.

Now, it seems that Batman and Superman are destined to clash, but there is a threat to both of them.  LexCorp mogul and wunderkind, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), is formulating a dark plot to destroy both costumed superheroes.  Can Batman and Superman stop fighting each other in time to save the world, the lives of their loved ones, and their own lives?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has such high-end production values that it could be mistaken for a sumptuous costume drama headed for Oscar glory.  Batman v Superman has gorgeous photography with colors so rich that you might want to dine on them.  The budget-busting visual effects and CGI are mesmerizing.  The spectacular urban vistas will make you want to move to Metropolis, and the action set pieces will make your heart pound.  There is a chase scene with the Batmobile that rivals anything in The Fast and the Furious franchise.

That said:  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice does not quite come together.  It is filled with good scenes, but this film seems like two movies – one about Superman and the other about Batman – that are forced together so that they will be a single movie about both Batman and Superman.  The movie does sell the notion that these two heroes could be adversaries, but when it tries to sell them as allies, that does not quite work.  There was too much versus in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for these two headliners to suddenly turn friendly towards each other.

Jesse Eisenberg is terrible as Lex Luthor.  I don't know if it was his decision or that of the studio to make Luthor Superman's Joker, but it is just wrong.  Gal Gadot is pretty, but her Wonder Woman is not that good, either.  When Wonder Woman first appears in costume in the big battle scene, I was excited to see her, but the fact that Gadot is so stiff in her acting made me lose my joy for Wonder Woman.

Ben Affleck is equally stiff as Bruce Wayne and only a tiny bit better as Batman, but not by much, though Lord knows he tries.  I want to give him credit for that, in spite of myself.  Henry Cavill actually convinced me that he is the right man to play both Clark Kent and Superman.  I think Amy Adams is excellent as Lois Lane, but she needs more screen time.  It is the same with Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet.

Jeremy Irons, who is good as Bruce Wayne's “butler,” Alfred Pennyworth, has said in press interviews that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's biggest problem is that it lacks drama.  Yeah, this film has no dramatic heft.  As good as it looks, it's all visual sound and fury with a narrative that signifies practically nothing.  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is watchable, but it should have been something more than the average, loud, big-budget, star-laden, event movie it is.  In a way, I think Warner Bros. wanted it to be nothing more than that.

5 of 10
C+

Sunday, September 11, 2016


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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2017 Independent Spirit Awards; "Moonlight" Wins "Best Feature of 2016"

Film Independent’s Spirit Awards (formerly known as the Independent Spirit Awards) were founded in 1984 and are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers.  Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and also the Los Angeles Film Festival.

The 2017 / 32nd Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 25, 2017.  [Nominations were announced November 22, 2016.]  The awards ceremony was held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, just north of the Santa Monica Pier.  The show was broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 2:00 pm PT/ 5:00 pm ET.

2017 Film Independent Spirit Award winners:

BEST FEATURE – Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.
Moonlight
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski

BEST DIRECTOR
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

BEST SCREENPLAY
Moonlight - Barry Jenkins; Story By Tarell Alvin McCraney   

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Isabelle Huppert - Elle

BEST MALE LEAD
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Molly Shannon - Other People

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Ben Foster - Hell or High Water

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Moonlight - James Laxton

BEST EDITING
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders - Moonlight

BEST FIRST FEATURE – Award given to the director and producer.
The Witch
Director: Robert Eggers
Producers: Daniel Bekerman, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Rodrigo Teixeira

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
The Witch - Robert Eggers

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

Spa Night
Writer/Director: Andrew Ahn
Producers: David Ariniello, Giulia Caruso, Ki Jin Kim, Kelly Thomas

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

Moonlight
Director: Barry Jenkins
Casting Director: Yesi Ramirez
Ensemble Cast: Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex Hibbert, André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monáe, Jaden Piner, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders

BEST DOCUMENTARY – Award given to the director and producer.
O.J.: Made in America
Director/Producer: Ezra Edelman
Producers: Deirdre Fenton, Libby Geist, Nina Krstic, Erin Leyden, Tamara Rosenberg, Connor Schell, Caroline Waterlow

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM – Award given to the director.
Toni Erdmann (Germany and Romania)
Director: Maren Ade

20th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 20th annual Producers Award, sponsored by Piaget, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Jordana Mollick

23rd ANNUAL KIEHL’S SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 23rd annual Someone to Watch Award, sponsored by Kiehl’s Since 1851, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Kiehl’s Since 1851.

Anna Rose Holmer
Director of The Fits

22nd TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 22nd annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Nanfu Wang
Director of Hooligan Sparrow

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2017 / 89th Academy Awards Announced; "Moonlight" Named Best Picture... for Reals

The Academy Awards is an American film accolade.  It is best known as the “Oscars,” and is an annual awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements primarily in the American film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette that is officially called the “Academy Award of Merit,” but has become commonly known by its nickname, the “Oscar.”   The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The Academy Awards are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

The 89th Oscars nominations were announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.  Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2016 were presented on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center.  The ceremony was televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

2017 / 89th Academy Award winners (for film achievements in 2016):

Best Picture
Moonlight - Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers

Directing
La La Land - Damien Chazelle

Actor in a Leading Role
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea

Actress in a Leading Role
Emma Stone - La La Land

Actor in a Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali - Moonlight

Actress in a Supporting Role
Viola Davis – Fences

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Moonlight - Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Manchester by the Sea - Written by Kenneth Lonergan

Animated Feature Film
Zootopia - Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

Cinematography
La La Land - Linus Sandgren

Costume Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Colleen Atwood

Documentary (Feature)
O.J.: Made in America - Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow

Documentary (Short Subject)
The White Helmets - Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Film Editing
Hacksaw Ridge - John Gilbert

Foreign Language Film
The Salesman - Iran

Makeup and Hairstyling
Suicide Squad - Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Music (Original Score)
La La Land - Justin Hurwitz

Music (Original Song)
City of Stars from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Production Design
La La Land - Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Short Film (Animated)
Piper - Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Short Film (Live Action)
Sing - Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy

Sound Editing
Arrival - Sylvain Bellemare

Sound Mixing
Hacksaw Ridge - Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

Visual Effects
The Jungle Book - Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon

---------------------------

"Moonlight" Wins "Best Picture of 2016" Oscar

Best Picture

Nominees
Arrival - Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers

Fences - Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers

Hacksaw Ridge - Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers

Hell or High Water - Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers

Hidden Figures - Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers

La La Land - Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers

Lion - Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers

Manchester by the Sea - Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers

Moonlight - Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers - WINNER

Emma Stone Wins "Best Actress" Oscar

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees
Isabelle Huppert - Elle

Ruth Negga- Loving

Natalie Portman - Jackie

Emma Stone - La La Land - WINNER

Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

Casey Affleck Wins "Best Actor" Oscar

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea - WINNER

Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling - La La Land

Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic

Denzel Washington - Fences

Damien Chazelle Wins "Best Director" Oscar

Directing

Nominees
Arrival - Denis Villeneuve

Hacksaw Ridge - Mel Gibson

La La Land - Damien Chazelle - WINNER

Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan

Moonlight - Barry Jenkins

"Moonlight" Wins "Best Adapted Screenpaly" Oscar

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Nominees
Arrival - Screenplay by Eric Heisserer

Fences - Screenplay by August Wilson

Hidden Figures - Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

Lion - Screenplay by Luke Davies

Moonlight - Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney - WINNER

"Manchester by the Sea" Wins "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Nominees
Hell or High Water - Written by Taylor Sheridan

La La Land - Written by Damien Chazelle

The Lobster - Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou

Manchester by the Sea - Written by Kenneth Lonergan - WINNER

20th Century Women - Written by Mike Mills

"City of Stars" from "La La Land" Wins "Best Original Song" Oscar

Music (Original Song)

Nominees
"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

"Can't Stop The Feeling" from Trolls; Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

"City of Stars" from La La Land; Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul - WINNER

"The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story; Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting

"How Far I'll Go" from Moana; Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

"La La Land" Wins "Best Original Score" Oscar

Music (Original Score)

Nominees
Jackie - Mica Levi

La La Land - Justin Hurwitz - WINNER

Lion - Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka

Moonlight - Nicholas Britell

Passengers - Thomas Newman

"La La Land" Wins "Best Cinematography" Oscar

Cinematography

Nominees
Arrival - Bradford Young

La La Land - Linus Sandgren - WINNER

Lion - Greig Fraser

Moonlight - James Laxton

Silence - Rodrigo Prieto