The 2017 American Music Awards, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, took place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles tonight!  The show aired on ABC.  Bruno Mars was the big winner of the evening. 

Bruno Mars

Below is a list of winners.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars -- WINNER
Ed Sheeran

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
James Arthur
Niall Horan -- WINNER
Julia Michaels
Post Malone
Rae Sremmurd

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, “Despacito” -- WINNER
DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne, “I’m The One”
Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Don’t Wanna Know”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, “Starboy”

TOUR OF THE YEAR
Garth Brooks
Coldplay -- WINNER
U2

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, “Despacito”
Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like” -- WINNER
Ed Sheeran, “Shape of You”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Drake
Bruno Mars -- WINNER
Ed Sheeran

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Alessia Cara
Lady Gaga -- WINNER
Rihanna

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons -- WINNER

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Drake, More Life
Bruno Mars, 24K Magic -- WINNER
The Weeknd, Starboy

FAVORITE SONG – POP/ROCK
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, “Despacito” -- WINNER
Ed Sheeran, “Shape of You”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Keith Urban -- WINNER

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood -- WINNER

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY
Florida Georgia Line
Little Big Town -- WINNER
Old Dominion

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Jason Aldean, They Don’t Know
Chris Stapleton, From a Room:, Vol. 1
Keith Urban, Ripcord -- WINNER

FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Back Road”
Jon Pardi, “Dirt on My Boots”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color” -- WINNER

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Drake -- WINNER
Kendrick Lamar
Migos

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Drake, More Life
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN. -- WINNER
Migos, Culture

FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP
DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne, “I’m The One” -- WINNER
Kendrick Lamar, “Humble.”
Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Childish Gambino
Bruno Mars -- WINNER
The Weeknd

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Beyonce -- WINNER
Kehlani
Rihanna

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Childish Gambino, Awaken My Love!
Bruno Mars, 24K Magic -- WINNER
The Weeknd, Starboy

FAVORITE SONG – SOUL/R&B
Khalid, “Location”
Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like” -- WINNER
The Weeknd, “Starboy”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Imagine Dragons
Linkin Park -- WINNER
Twenty One Pilots

Shawn Mendes

FAVORITE ARTIST - ADULT CONTEMPORARY

Bruno Mars

Shawn Mendes -- WINNER
Ed Sheeran

FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN
Luis Fonsi
Daddy Yankee
Shakira -- WINNER

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Lauren Daigle -- WINNER
MercyMe
Chris Tomlin

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
The Chainsmokers -- WINNER
Calvin Harris
DJ Snake

TOP SOUNDTRACK
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2
Moana -- WINNER
Trolls

Justice League Takes Its Case To The World

By Darlene Donloe

The fans of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash, will all be thrilled to see their favorite hero in a film alongside some of the best crime fighters in the business.

It was only a matter of time before the DC comic’s league of heroes banded together to save the world. At least they had the decency to wait for it to happen in a good movie.

The movie is Justice League and it stars Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman,

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Mamoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Henry Cavill as Superman, and Ezra Miller as The Flash.

The league of superheroes comes together because, of course, something evil is trying to destroy the world.

So, Bruce Wayne (Affleck), who has a renewed faith in humanity after Superman’s selfless act, enlists the help of some of his colleagues – who actually need some convincing to come on board with the notion of death looming large.

But Batman and Wonder Woman finally convince the others that the planet, with all its faults, is worth saving.

Once they encounter the awakened enemy, for much of the film the superheroes are getting their hats handed to them by this bad guy of all bad guys. They get whipped up one side and down another. This guy is evil, he’s strong, he’s mad and he’s been awakened. That’s a helluva combination for a foe. You know what it’s like when someone disturbs your sleep? You’d be evil too!

Once this enemy is unleashed, mayhem ensues. I mean loud, raucous, crashing, chaotic, helter-skelter takes place in this action flick. There is so much of it that at times the storyline gets muddled.  Wait! What’s the storyline again?  Just kidding!  All that mayhem is to be expected of a superhero film. It’s what the diehard fans depend on to get them through their tub of buttered popcorn.

TRAILER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_6yBZKj-eo

Although Wonder Woman is a badass and has a rather large role in this film, there is a lot of testosterone in this movie.  Mamoa, who reveals his tattoos, isn’t bad to look at. He doesn’t disappoint. He has some comical moments and some moments that just leave the female fans saying, aah!  Ezra Miller brings the comedy with his short and tight deliveries. A buffed up Affleck has a raspy, mysterious voice. It’s clear he has a thing for Diana the Amazonian (Wonder Woman) but is mos def playing it cool. Cyborg clearly has an attitude, which starts with his dad (Joe Morton) botching his operation.

There are some hits and misses with this film. But, remember, this is all about having fun and suspending belief for two hours.

Justice League, directed by Zack Snyder, stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Mamoa, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Joe Morton, Amber Heard, J.K. Simmons, Connie Nielsen, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams.

Justice League (Time Warner’s Warner Bros is currently in theaters. 

PG-13; Running time: 2h 21m

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent),  Justice League gets an E (excellent).

Spamilton Spoof Turns Hamilton Upside Down

By Darlene Donloe

The West Coast premiere of Spamilton lives up to the hype.

Hilarity ensues as soon as the actors take the stage for the parody of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly-successful Hamilton, currently playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through the end of December. 

Thankfully, so much has been written or talked about Hamilton that even if you haven’t seen it, the jokes in this send-up won’t be lost.

L-R: Zakiya Young, Wilkie Ferguson III, William Cooper Howell,
John Devereaux and Dedrick A Bonner

The show, which paints a vivid picture of the founding fathers, revels and lampoons the Broadway hit. A cast of five, including four men and one woman - sing, act, dance and joke their way through 80-minutes of sidesplitting material.  

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Spamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda are blessed and highly favored.

This spoof doesn’t disappoint.  By now everyone knows that Hamilton deals with the American Revolution and what are or are not flagrant lies told throughout history.

That being said, the show is fun, fun and more fun as the five actors in rapid-fire succession deliver witty, silly and amusing prose.

L-R: John Devereaux, Wilkie Ferguson III, and Zakiya Young

No one is spared in this spoof. There are black people in wacky afro wigs, a big black man dressed as Annie, an actress portrays Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Glenn Close, and there’s even a Michelle and Barack Obama.  The charm of this show is that it is reverential, coupled with good-natured fun. For instance: in one of the Hamilton signature songs, the lyrics include:  “I am not throwing away my shot.” But, in Spamilton, the lyrics say: “I am not gonna let Broadway rot.”

Of course, that’s not the only song to get a bit of the Alessandrini magic. There's more where that came from.

This is truly an ingenious piece of work by Alessandrini.  He laughs at and sends kudos to Lin-Manuel Miranda at the same time.

Willian Cooper Howell

The cast is spectacular.  Each one brings their individual brand of joviality and Spamilton magic to the show. There is no weak link in the bunch. They do their tight white pants and black boots proud. Their delivery is quick and solid. And with very little, if any, props they make the audience believe they are watching a full production, complete with all the bells and whistles.

Spamilton is created, written and directed by Gerard Alessandrini. It stars Glenn Bassett, Becca Brown, William Cooper Howell, Susanne Blakeslee, John Devereaux, Elijah Reyes, Dedrick A. Bonner, Wilkie Ferguson III and Zakiya Young.

Spamilton, Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232; Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. No Monday performances; exceptions: No 8 p.m. performance on Thursday, November 23. Added 8 p.m. performance on Monday, December 18. No 1 or 6:30 p.m. performances on Sunday, December 24;

through Dec. 31, 2017; $25-$70; For information: CenterTheatreGroup.org, by calling Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles) or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office two hours prior to performances. Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information and charge, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/ACCESS.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Spamilton gets an E (excellent)

Taraji P. Henson's 'Proud Mary' Opens January 12

In anticipation of the upcoming action film starring, Taraji P. Henson, Screen Gems has released new film posters for Proud Mary in theaters January 12.

Taraji P. Henson will star as Mary, a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston, whose life is turned around when she meets a young boy Danny (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), whose path she crossed when a professional hit goes bad. The film also stars Billy Brown (How To Get Away With Murder), Neal McDonough (Captain America: The First Avenger), Margaret Avery (The Color Purple), Xander Berkeley (The Mentalist) and Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon).

Watch trailer HERE

#ProudMaryMovie.

The Signs Are All There In 'Three Billboards'

 

Frances McDormand

By Darlene Donloe

"It seems to me the police department is too busy torturing black folks to solve actual crimes." 

----Mildred Hayes

Frances McDormand could easily be arrested for stealing every scene in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.  McDormand is not alone. Many in the cast deliver stellar performances, making them awards hopefuls. They include Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Clarke Peters, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage.

The film, which opened nationwide November 10, 2017, is a master class in acting and story development.

The dark, comedic drama from Academy Award® winner Martin McDonagh (In Bruges), takes place after months have passed without a suspect being arrested for the murder of Mildred Hayes’ (Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand) daughter.

In a move to step up the efforts of the small, Ebbing, Missouri police force, Mildred buys three billboards on the outskirts of town and proceeds to embarrass law enforcement into doing a better job of trying to find the killer.

Woody Harrelson and Frances McDormand

The messages on the billboards are aimed at William Willoughby (Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson), the town's chief of police. His second-in-command, Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), is none too happy with the billboards.  Dixon, a momma’s boy who lives at home with his mother, is a violent sort who likes to take matters into his own hands.

This is a dark film with comedic undertones played masterfully by everyone in the cast. Martin McDonagh’s (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) script is tight and nearly flawless.  He draws the audience in with subtle nuances and then lets them dangle a bit on the possibilities.

McDormand’s character, Mildred Hayes, is a tough cookie who doesn’t take guff from anyone, including her former husband, her children (who call her a cunt), the local cops and even strangers who threaten her with harm.  Who wouldn’t understand a mother’s grief?  To bring attention to the case, Mildred does the unthinkable.  It makes those audience members who were clearly on her side begin to rethink their allegiance.

Mildred’s quick anger comes from frustration at not having a conviction for the rape and murder of her daughter. It’s a case that seems to have eluded local law enforcement.

Mildred blames the town’s sheriff (Woody Harrelson) and his cohorts for fumbling the case.  She doesn’t care that he’s suffering from a rare form of cancer.

Each one of the characters in this film is well-defined.

This film, while it has many variables is, at its core, about a mother's grief! It's not easy to watch. McDormand peals back the many layers that go along with that grief - which, at times, could reveal itself comically. 

Frances McDormand and Peter Dinklage

McDonagh has assembled a sturdy cast to showcase this quirky drama. Three Billboards is one of the best films of 2017. The film is an emotional piece that keeps you entangled in its engrossing storyline.

Three Billboards premiered in Venice and won the People’s Choice Award at the  Toronto International Film Festival.

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jit3YhGx5pU

Three Billboards, written and directed by Martin McDonagh and produced by Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and McDonagh, stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving with John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage

Three Billboards (Fox Searchlight Pictures) is currently in selected theaters.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Three Billboards gets an E (excellent)