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• HuffPost Ariana DeBose is making her (movie) name with the musical resurgence: Hamilton Live, The Prom, and West Side Story

More after the jump including ranking the films of David Fincher, EW's Entertainers of the Year, an imaginary Ratatouille musical, new Emmy rulings, and more...

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1987: Best Cinematography Oscar Race

by Cláudio Alves

The year of the next Supporting Actress Smackdown is quite an impressive Oscar vintage. Despite the sweep of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, which won all nine of its nominations, the 60th Academy Awards showcased a remarkable variety of films and artistic approaches. The Best Actress lineup, for instance, is one for the ages, and, across the board, there was a rare openness to honoring the excellence of comedies, mainstream entertainment, and even European arthouse.

In the so-called "below the line" categories, Best Cinematography deserves particular praise. The legendary Vittorio Storaro conquered his third and final trophy for the opulent lensing of The Last Emperor. However, his competition was none too shabby, representing some of the greatest cinematographers ever who, along with the Italian victor, helped shape and perfect the art of cinema, taking it to new peaks of visual marvel. Come meet these masters and their masterworks…

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The beauty of Emmanuel Lubezki's cinema

by Cláudio Alves

Before saying goodbye to our celebration of 2005, we must finish our look back at that year's Best Cinematography nominees. First up, we talked about the chromatic madness of Dion Beebe. Then, there were Rodrigo Prieto's cinematic elegance, the steely coldness of Wally Pfister's movies, and Robert Elswit's wide-angled wonders. Finally, we arrive at Emmanuel Lubezki, one of the past decades' most influential directors of photography. His free-flying camera movements, the masterful of natural lighting, and control of color are beyond description, so great is their beauty. No wonder AMPAS has fallen in love with the cinema of Emmanuel Lubezki, giving him eight nominations overall and three consecutive wins…

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The beauty of Robert Elswit's cinema

by Cláudio Alves

Our odyssey through the 2005 Best Cinematography Oscar nominees is reaching its end. After Dion Beebe, Rodrigo Prieto, and Wally Pfister, we've arrived at the filmography of Robert Elswit.

Mostly known for his collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, Robert Elswit is a master craftsman whose control of the camera is virtually unparalleled. Whether in choreographed motion or stately stillness, his images sing with meaning and ravishing beauty. More specifically, he's got a penchant for expressive dolly shots, wide-angle lenses, and shoots sunlight in ways that make it bleed white while his shadows, especially at night, glow in hues of blue and even purple. Usually, when you see Elswits name on the credits, you can expect a handsome movie regardless of the rest of the project's quality.

Here are 10 highlights from Robert Elswit's filmography…

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The beauty of Wally Pfister's cinema

by Cláudio Alves

After looking at Dion Beebe and Rodrigo Prieto's filmographies, it's time to consider another of 2005's Best Cinematographer nominees. Our subject today shall be the man whose gloomy visual idioms helped redefine the superhero genre and its aesthetic possibilities – Wally Pfister.

The Chicago-born cinematographer was, for some years, synonymous with Christopher Nolan's cinema and, more specifically, The Dark Knight trilogy. Weirdly enough, Wally Pfister never considered himself a big fan of Gotham's brooding protector. His favorite iteration of the character wasn't even the comics, but the campy 60s TV show whose visuals are at complete odds with what Pfister would devise for the 21st century Batman. Still, his career is not all caped crusaders, and the director of photography has established a personal style that transcends genres. Wide lenses, low angles, steely palettes, horizontal motion, and visible light sources are his calling card. At least, they were, before he abandoned the craft of cinematography to try directing.

Here are 10 highlights from Wally Pfister's influential career…

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