‘La La Land? I only made it through 20 minutes’

HOLLYWOOD veteran Samuel L. Jackson is an Academy Awards voter — and he’s happily spilling the beans on which films he loved (and hated).

HOLLYWOOD veteran Samuel L Jackson is a one of the select few who get to vote for the Academy Awards — and he’s not one to keep quiet about his choices.

The respected actor, who has been a member of the academy since receiving his first Oscar nomination for Pulp Fiction in 1995, opened up about which films he liked — and hated — in a chat with the LA Times over the weekend.

And while the colourful musical La La Land has scored a record-tying 14 nominations, Jackson admitted he couldn’t even make it to the end of the film.

Sorry Emma and Ryan, Samuel L. Jackson switched you off. Picture: AP

“The movie everybody’s so hyped on, I only made it through 20 minutes. I mean, I like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” he said, cleverly referencing the film without actually naming it.

Acclaimed family drama Manchester By The Sea also left a little to be desired for Jackson. The film, featuring a brooding central performance from Casey Affleck, is “an interesting story up to a point. But I want to see dude smile once about something. Something!

Mahershala Ali, left, and Alex Hibbert in a scene from, Moonlight. Picture: AP

So what are Jackson’s picks of the 2017 Oscars crop? He loved Moonlight, particularly the three performances by actors Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes who play the lead role through three different ages.

“I like the kids. Mahershala [Ali, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film] is great, but I like everybody who played that kid.”

Samuel L. Jackson will basically show you his Oscar ballot papers if you ask nicely enough. Picture: Frederick M. Brown/Getty

And Jackson makes no secret of his vote for Best Actor: Denzel Washington for his powerhouse work in Fences.

“I don’t think anyone did a better job than Denzel,” he said.

Back in December, Jackson slammed what saw as a current trend in Hollywood ‘Oscar bait’: films released solely to impress critics and the Oscar academy, without regard for audiences.

“The politics of what happens during this time of year is very interesting in Hollywood. The movies they choose to say are amazing and great, you know — Manchester by the Sea, oh my god, you must see it, it’s an amazing film! But, ehh, I guess it is — to somebody,” he said.

Originally published as ‘La La Land? I only made it through 20 minutes’