La La Land is the 197th episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Joe Starr, Dan Murrell and Andy Signore. It parodies the 2016 romantic musical comedy-drama film La La Land, though it later shifts focus to the 2016 drama film Moonlight in reference to the former accidentally being named Best Picture instead of the latter at the 89th Academy Awards. This video takes the format of a musical episode of Honest Trailers and features parody songs by un-credited performers.
It was published on May 2, 2017, to coincide with the film's release on home video and Blu-ray. It is 4 minutes 40 seconds long. It has been viewed over 4.2 million times. It is one of the most critically well-received Honest Trailers of all time, with The Observer writing it was an "Honest Trailers masterpiece" that "proves ‘Honest Trailers’ is the best YouTube series."
Watch Honest Trailers - La La Land on YouTube
"Guys, guys! Ugh, no, I'm sorry. No, there, there's been a huge mistake. I... Moonlight, you guys are this week's Honest Trailer. This is not a joke, guys. Moonlight, this is your Honest Trailer." ~ Honest Trailers - La La Land
Script
From the filmmaker (Damien Chazelle) behind the movie about the jazz guy who likes jazz so much, he ends up alone (Whiplash), comes a movie about a jazz guy who likes jazz so much, he ends up alone. Man, what did jazz do to Damien Chazelle? La La Land.
Witness one of the most Oscar-nominated films of all time that will have future generations saying "A musical about show business? Well, no wonder the Academy lapped it up.", in this tale of passion, love, and ditching all that nonsense when your career takes off, as two ambitious people follow their Hollywood dreams until romance almost gets in the way. Phew, dodged that bullet. You two almost had to compromise.
Journey to a fantasy version of Los Angeles, where the landmarks are never crowded, no one takes their phones out before jumping in the pool, and gridlock is just a chance to free a jazz quartet from human traffickers. (shows a moving truck being opened on a crowded freeway, revealing a jazz quartet playing inside) Don't start playing; now's your chance! Run!
Meet Sebastian and Mia; she loves acting and wants to be an actress, he loves jazz and wants to be a...jazzicist? Watch as these two hotties pursue their goals with single-minded ambition and complete disregard for anything that isn't them, whether it's their neighbors (shows Sebastian loudly honking his car horn in a quiet neighborhood), theater audiences (shows Mia walking up in front of a movie screen) -- down in front! -- this business (shows Sebastian hitting a sign on the front of a jazz bar), the jobs that pay them to live, the fourteen people on this email chain she didn't Bcc (shows Mia sending an email to several recipients), or these guys trying to put on a concert.
Sebastian (to Mia in a jazz bar as a quartet plays): It's brand new every night. It's very, very exciting.
Maybe if you want her to like jazz, you shouldn't talk the whole time they're playing! Gaw, you are so lucky you look like Ryan Gosling.
Settle in for a film that...*ahem*..."borrows" from the great musicals of the past (shows clips comparing La La Land with other musical films) that proves it's easier to teach a world-class singer (John Legend) how to act than two world-class actors (Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone) how to sing, as Ryan and Emma's relationship radiates with effortless chemistry and their dancing radiates with a general lack of effort. C'mon, J. K. (Simmons), throw a cymbal at their heads! They're rushing! They're dragging! They're...doing whatever that is (shows Mia dancing awkwardly)!
So sing along for a beautiful-looking film that goes down sweeter than a cake made entirely out of frosting, featuring unforgettable songs like "The Los Angeles Song"...
(sung to the tune of "City of Stars")
Sebastian: City of cars,/Half your time spent here driving,/Stuck in your car/Yelling tons of awful things.
Guys, guys! Ugh, no, I'm sorry. No, there, there's been a huge mistake. I...(sighs) Moonlight, you guys are this week's Honest Trailer. This is not a joke, guys. Moonlight, this is your Honest Trailer. But all we have left is another La La Land song. Uh, are, are we seriously gonna do this? Uh, uh-oh, okay.
(sung to the tune of "Another Day of Sun")
Male Singer: I think about that night/I got a sandy handy/from my friend in the moonlight./Mahershala Ali taught me to swim and to be good,/Helped me grow up the way I should;/This ain't Boyhood./And though I grew up to deal drugs,/My childhood friend still gives me hugs./My cultural identity's a complex topic.
Singers: It's not easy being black or gay/Or having a mom who's on craaaaaaack (and a dead dad)./It's a good true story (Oh, yes, that's one good reason),/Emotional complexity (Yes, that's another reason),/Mahershala Ali: those are the reasons Moonlight won.
Starring All of These People Who Would Have Been Thanked Had That Guy from PricewaterhouseCooper Not Been Too Busy Taking Selfies to Keep Track of the Envelope: Alex Hibbert (as Child Chiron), Ashton Sanders (as Teen Chiron), Trevante Rhodes (as Adult Chiron), Jaden Piner (as Child Kevin), Jharrel Jerome (as Teen Kevin), André Holland (as Adult Kevin), Janelle Monáe (as Theresa), Naomie Harris (as Paula), and Mahershala Ali (as Juan). Did I say it right? Score!
Singers: That's the reason Moonlight won.
Honest title for La La Land (Moonlight) - Big Trouble in Little Chiron. Title design by Robert Holtby.
Big Trouble in Little Chiron
Y'know, it's frustrating that these two great movies will always be stuck together. Wait, we're not helping, are we?
Trivia
- Screen Junkies has produced Honest Trailers for several other musicals including A Star is Born, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, The Greatest Showman, Frozen,The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Aladdin, the animated Beauty and the Beast, the live-action Beauty and the Beast and many, many more. See the musical episode page for more.
- An Honest Trailer Commentary for this episode was recorded and was available on the Screen Junkies Plus until the website/app was discontinued. Screen Junkies don't currently have any way of releasing the video.
Reception
Honest Trailers - La La Land has a 96.0% approval rating from YouTube viewers. Critical reception was universally positive, with many sites noting that the switch to Moonlight mid-way through the video was an unexpected surprise. The Observer called the video an "Honest Trailers masterpiece," and said it "proves ‘Honest Trailers’ is the best YouTube series." The Observer went onto write, the choice to "summarize the plot of Moonlight to the tune of La La Land‘s “Another Day of Sun," was "definitely a risky proposition, "but it's amazing." The Observer said, "never change, Honest Trailers." Mashable lauded the Honest Trailer, saying that Screen Junkies "really went that extra mile." Mashable also praised the choice to switch trailers mid-way through and name every actor by their real name. Cosmopolitan also praised the Honest Trailer for naming "every actor in the movie by their real name rather than a joke name — thus flawlessly giving them some well-deserved credit after they were robbed of their moment at the Oscars." Screen Rant highlighted the Honest Trailers' parody lyrics, noted that the Moonlight actors were given their real names, and said the switch between movies was "well played."
Production credits
Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - La La Land
Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey
Title design by Robert Holtby
Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner
Executive Producer - Andy Signore
Producers - Dan Murrell, Spencer Gilbert, Michael Bolton, Christina Kline
Written by Spencer Gilbert, Joe Starr, Dan Murrell & Andy Signore
Edited by Kevin Williamsen and TJ Nordaker
External links
- The Honest Trailer for La La Land Is Hilariously Savage - Cosmopolitan article
- La La Land Gets An Honest Trailer With a Surprise Twist - Screen Rant article
- 'La La Land’ Honest Trailer: Sorry, There’s Been a Mistake - SlashFilm article
- ‘La La Land’/’Moonlight’ Mashup Proves ‘Honest Trailers’ Is the Best YouTube Series - Observer article
- This Honest Trailer about 'La La Land' says what everyone is thinking about 'Moonlight' - Mashable article
- ‘La La Land’ Honest Trailer Mocks Best Picture Gaffe With ‘Moonlight’ Crossover (Video) - The Wrap article
- 'La La Land' Honest Trailer Gets Oscars-Style Interruption - The Hollywood Reporter article
- ‘La La Land’ Honest Trailer Pokes Fun at Epic Oscar ‘Moonlight’ Mix-Up — Watch - IndieWire article