For all his character’s hostility, vulgarity and slovenliness, Billy Bob Thornton has great looking hair in Bad Santa 2 (Broad Green, 11.23).  Finely unkempt, exquisitely barbered, uncombed but perfectly styled — it’s the kind of haircut only rich guys can afford. Billy Bob’s hair is the same length and color as Elizabeth Warren‘s, but the style is more uptown. This is what I love about Hollywood films — they keep you in a lulled state of mind by making sure that the actors, regardless of the ethical or moral constitution of the people they’re portraying, always look good in certain ways. On top of which Billy Bob gets to ram it to Christina Hendricks in a back alley.

During last night’s Gold Derby party I spoke to La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz, who’s a longtime friend and collaborator of director Damien Chazelle. Hurwitz also composed the score of Chazelle’s Whiplash (’14) as well as Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (’09), a musical that resembles La La Land in some ways, and which served as a kind of early training exercise. I enjoyed the fact that La La Land‘s most recognizable songs– “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” — are heard a couple of times each, and that this repetition allows the melodies to sink into your system. As you might expect, Hurwitz is a cool, friendly guy. GD’s Tom O’Neil and I were telling him that La La Land is far and away the favorite film of the blogaroonies. The test will come when it opens commercially, of course, and especially when the schlubby-dubbies in the Academy and guilds have a look-see. It’s all well and good for a film to be championed by the blogaroonies and film festival elites, but the 60-and-older crankies and slowboats have to go for it also.

La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz — apologies for the low light but that’s part of the charm of Eveleigh, the Sunset Strip restaurant that hosted last night’s Gold Derby party.

In a just-posted NBC/Wall Street Journal poll more people say Donald Trump is more honest and trustworthy than Hillary Clinton, 41% to 31%. What the respondents are saying, I think, is that however stupid or ignorant Trump’s statements may be, he’s more candid and blunt-spoken. He edits himself less. Hillary is more knowledgable and rational but she always sounds like she’s being less upfront — she edits herself heavily, seems to rarely speak from the gut. Honestly? I agree with this. Trump is more honest in terms of not editing himself and carelessly shooting from the hip, but he’s a monster. In general terms Clinton is leading Trump 43% to 37%.

I hate Zach Galfianakis but he handled things pretty well in this “Between Two Ferns” chat with Hillary Clinton. His impudence burns the fabric. President Obama’s chat was wittier, but the hostility levels are better with Hillary. She’s a good sport (“I’m really sorry I agreed to do this.”) Doing this was an okay move.

HE respects Kathy Miller, the now-removed chair for Donald Trump‘s Mahoning County campaign, for brazenly laying her ignorant beliefs on the line — no ifs, ands or buts. In so doing she reminded those who haven’t been paying attention where most Trump voters are coming from in terms of racial/domestic matters.

The Trump campaign has gotten her to resign, but not before she said (a) there was “no racism” before President Obama’s administration, (b) Black Lives Matter is “a stupid waste of time”, (c) lower voter turnout among African Americans could be related to “the way they’re raised”, and (d) “If you’re black and you haven’t been successful in the last 50 years, it’s your own fault…you’ve had the same schools everybody else went to, benefits to go to college that white kids didn’t have…you had all the advantages and didn’t take advantage of it [so] it’s not our fault, certainly.”

Miller’s remarks were captured on video in a 9.22 Guardian piece by Paul lewis and Silkverstone.