See what the critics are saying in front ofLa La Lands Dec. 16 theatrical bow in the excerpts below. Chris Nashawaty (EW) There have been a handful of lavish, big-studio musicals in recent years. But for the most part, theyve been bloated Broadway adaptations full of sound and fury. Credit: Dale Robinette And some moviegoers may, no doubt, feel a little tentative about the genre. ButLa La Landis the anti-whatever those are....

‘We never wanted anything to be fully happy or fully sad,’ composer Justin Hurwitz tells EW. Thirteen years ago, Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz became friends during their freshman orientation at Harvard. And both are only in their early 30s. Credit: Dale Robinette (Multiple tunes from the same movie can be nominated in the Best Song Oscar category.) And thats sort of a dirty word that Damien uses. And what he means really is that its too emotionally straightforward....

If you choose links we provide, we may receive compensation. I love Griffith on a very personal level, director Damien Chazelle says. Griffith sits atop a hill as if its in its own world. Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images That speaks to the sprawl and the spirit of Los Angeles. Its totally, authentically, ironically its own thing. L.A. traffic freaked me out before I even visited L.A., he says. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images...

Romance doesnt seem real without a little touch of the blues. (Listen to the movies transporting theme song, City of Stars, sung by Gosling,here.) Musicals allow you to forgo logic in favor of emotion and beauty and thats what we hoped to do. Credit: Dale Robinette And though the film is set entirely in Los Angeles, Chazelle loved this images autumnal feel. Plus the river reminds me ofAn American in Paris, when Gene Kelly and Leslie Carondance by the Seine....

Every once in a while, you come out of a movie theater feeling like youre walking on air. It doesnt happen often, but when it does, it restores your faith in the power of cinema. Damien Chazelles dreamy neo-retro musicalLa La Landis one of those rare films. Credit: Dale Robinette Its stunningly ambitious and thrillingly alive the way the best movies are. With just his third feature, its safe to say that Chazelle is a major American filmmaker....

Damien Chazelle, who previously wrote and directed 2014sWhiplash, wanted to whip up some Old Hollywood magic. It could have been a disaster. Instead, its one of the most original and beautiful movies of the year. But when it doesnt, there is nothing as embarrassing. It has taken six years and one Oscar-winning movie to getLa La Landto the screen. And that proved to be an exercise in perseverance. He had to keep describing it up until we were shooting....

I always start at the piano before I orchestrate anything, he explained. I spent about two years composing the music before we even shot the movie. Audition (The Fools Who Dream) is really special for me, he revealed. Credit: Dale Robinette I really connected with what it was about. Its the composition that Im proudest of, but it also came out the most quickly. He added that it was Emma Stones performance of Audition that really transformed it into something powerful....

But thats nothing compared to the movies incredible first scene. He had two basic ideas. I wanted it to feel like a city bustling with music, like inMean StreetsorTaxi DriverorRear Window. Youre hearing Italian opera coming from one apartment window and Frankie Vali from another and jazz from another. But this is Los Angeles. The cacophony of sounds is coming out of cars. And I loved the idea of presenting the soundscape of the city that way....

If you press links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 2016 critical favoriteMoonlightfailed to drum up much attention from BAFTA voters despite receiving eight Oscar nods in January. In the supporting actor category,Lionstar Dev Patel pulled off a surprise win over critical favorite Mahershala Ali. Credit: Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock The pair previously squared off at the SAG Awards, though Ali emerged as the guilds victor.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary ofLabyrinth,and in addition to BOOM! Studiosthree commemorative comic collections, Insight Editions is also releasingLabyrinth: The Ultimate Visual Historynext month. Check out an exclusive preview fromLabyrinth: The Ultimate Visual Historybelow. The book is in stores Oct. 18 and can be preorderedhere.

Theyre like comfort food, says Chabert, who says shes as obsessed with Christmas as her characters are. So, whats the secret recipe for a deliciously delightful holiday movie? This one I loved because I was pregnant thats obviously very personal. Ill always be able to show my daughter and tell her she was in mommys belly. It was such a sweet script, and it really captured the essence of the holidays, says Chabert....

We made a conscious decision to do everything in our power to prevent that. Giving ourselves this creative reset is going to propel us way further moving on." Now, they’re readying for the release of their sixth studio album,Heart Break, due Friday. Credit: The Green Room And today, EW is thrilled to share a new video for standout track “Think About You.” ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The group took the first hiatus of its career last year....

The first secret show kicks off Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, and will be streamed on Bud LightsFacebook Livefeed. Gaga will premiere a newJoannecut, Million Reasons, as part of the Oct. 5 show. Credit: Bud Light Subsequent performances are scheduled for Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. This record was about me trying to understand my father, and his grief. Its also a record about me trying to understand myself and wondering where Im going next in life....