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Page 8 The Skanner February 22, 2017 News Oscars cont’d from pg 7 utes. But he al- ways cuts such a mesmerizing presence that he could have just as easily been nomi- nated for Hidden Figures, Kicks or Free State of Jones. Best Supporting Actress Will Win: Viola Kam predicts ‘La La Land’ to win Best Picture Davis (“Fences”) Deserves to the Best Original Screenplay category Win: Viola Davis by both the British Academy and the Overlooked: Greta Gerwig (“20th Writers Guild of America? Century Women”) and Janelle Monae Predictions for the Balance of the (“Moonlight”) Categories Comment: Viola Davis finally gets Animated Feature: “Zootopia” the Oscar she deserved for “The Help.” Foreign Language Film: “Toni Erd- This go-round, she strategically avoid- mann” ed a head-to-head showdown with Documentary Feature: “13th” Meryl Streep by downsizing her star- Cinematography: “La La Land” ring role into a support performance. Costume Design: “La La Land” Best Original Screenplay Production Design: “La La Land” Will Win: “La La Land” Film Editing: “La La Land” Deserves to Win: “La La Land” Makeup and Hairstyling: “Star Trek Overlooked: “Loving” Beyond” Comment: “La La Land” manages to Original Score: “La La Land” squeak by “Manchester by the Sea,” a Best Song: “La La Land” (“City of critical win on an historic night. Stars”) Sound Editing: “La La Land” Best Adapted Screenplay Sound Mixing: “La La Land” Will Win: “Moonlight” Visual Effects: “The Jungle Book” Deserves to Win: “Moonlight” Animated Short: “Piper” Overlooked: “Deadpool” Documentary Short: “Extremis” Question: Why was “Moonlight” Live-Action Short: “Ennemis Inter- nominated for the Best Adapted ieurs” Screenplay Oscar, but nominated in FILM REVIEW: Temperamental Teacher Challenges Nerdy Colleague to Duel in ‘Fist Fight’ By Kam Williams For The Skanner News D o you remember how, when you were growing up, if a couple of class- mates came to blows on the schoolyard, they would be quickly sepa- rated to the suggestion that they settle their dif- ferences off campus at the end of the day? That was the point of depar- ture of “Three O’Clock High,” a 1987 comedy about a bully with a short fuse who chal- lenges a mild-mannered milquetoast to a duel af- ter school. Ostensibly inspired by that teensploitation clas- sic, “Fist Fight” is a slight variation on the theme which flips the script by having a couple of teach- ers squaring-off instead of students. Otherwise, the basic idea remains intact. The movie co-stars Ice Cube and Charlie Day as Ron Strickland and Andy Campbell, respec- tively, colleagues at Roo- sevelt High. Intimidat- ing history teacher Ron cuts a sharp contrast to nerdy English teacher Andy, and much of the humor revolves around their difference in tem- perament. The action unfolds on the last day of.school Tracy Morgan in ‘Fist Fight’ which is when we find seniors running a muck and pulling a variety of outrageous pranks like kicking the spout off a water cooler and rock- ing the ineffective se- curity guard’s (Kumail Nanjiani) golf cart while he’s still sitting in it. De- spite the insanity, the faculty is doing its best to maintain decorum. Nevertheless, Mr. Campbell’s lesson on why words matter is interrupted by the an- tics of class clowns. He’s able to handle the dis- ruption far better than Mr. Strickland who pro- ceeds to blow his cork. The plight thickens when both teachers are summoned to Principal Tyler’s (Dean Norris) of- fice to explain why Ron chopped a disrespectful pupil’s desk in half with an ax. The upshot of the meeting is that Ron loses his job because of Andy, so he challenges him to a fight after school. Consequently, fraidy cat Campbell spends the rest of the afternoon try- ing to find a way to avoid the confrontation. Too bad, the ensuing buildup to the big show- down between the ad- versaries proves to be less entertaining than the promising premise. For, the two share few funny moments follow- ing the setup. Luckily, this kitchen sink come- dy continues to deliver courtesy of such student stunts as hiring a mari- achi band to follow the principal around the halls. The movie marks the feature film debut of actor-turned-director Richie Keen, who also makes a cameo appear- ance as a computer store employee. And the sup- port cast includes the scene-stealing Tracy Morgan, whose quirky trademark mannerisms are put on full display. Note, “Fist Fight” is a relentlessly-profane romp which might have set a record for the use of the F-word. Since the closing tableau sets up the sequel, might I sug- gest that the next install- ment cut down on the curses in favor of more jokes. Good HH Rated R for sexuality, nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity Running time: 91 min. Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures To see a trailer for Fist Fight, go to TheSkanner. com. View movie trailers at TheSkanner.com