Review: "The Conjuring" Conjures Goose Flesh

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Conjuring (2013)
Running time:  112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of disturbing violence and terror
DIRECTOR:  James Wan
WRITERS:  Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes
PRODUCERS:  Rob Cowan, Tony DeRosa-Grund, and Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John R. Leonetti (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Kirk M. Morri
COMPOSER:  Joseph Bishara

HORROR

Starring:  Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, and Sterling Jerins

The Conjuring is a 2013 supernatural horror film from director James Wan.  The film stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as fictional versions of real life, American paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.  In The Conjuring, Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

The film opens in 1971.  Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) and his wife, Carolyn (Lili Taylor), move into a dilapidated farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island with their five daughters:  Andrea (Shanley Caswell), Nancy (Hayley McFarland), Christine (Joey King), Cindy (Mackenzie Foy), and April (Kyla Deaver).  Strange things begin to happen almost immediately upon the family moving into the farmhouse.

Soon, what can be called paranormal disturbances, occur, and the family soon finds itself under various forms of physical attack.  Carolyn seeks the help of noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga).  The couple reluctantly agrees to conduct an initial investigation, but soon finds that the Perrons are in more peril than they imagine.

The Conjuring is an old-fashioned scary movie, using mood, atmosphere, imagery, lighting, and sound effects to elicit scares.  The plot is always ratcheting up the dread, as if the story is proud of its heritage that harkens back to films like The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, and Poltergeist.  It is gleefully creepy, as I found myself laughing and shivering, often at the same time.  It’s also a howler, as some of the scenes in which the “bad spirit” gets physical with the Perrons are funny and scary.  Watching someone dragged across the room by an unseen force made me laugh and squeal.

The filmmakers smartly deliver the scares, but the movie never takes itself too seriously.  The Conjuring does things that made me freak-out, and those are often things that other horror movies have done, but those other movies made me roll my eyes in disdain.  The acting is good, if not great.  The actors, adults and children, are quite good at making you sympathetic of their respective causes.  I felt like I was right there with them – suffering through supernatural shenanigans.

The Conjuring works, and I think it may remain a Halloween favorite for some time to come.  Or it may be just what the voodoo doctor orders when you need a scare or two.

7 of 10
B+

Thursday, February 06, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Sony Pictures Classics to Distribute Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight"

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES WOODY ALLEN’S NEXT FILM "MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT"

Film marks seventh collaboration with the filmmaker and Sony Classics

Sony Pictures Classics announced that they have acquired all North American rights to Woody Allen’s upcoming film, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT from Gravier Productions. Like BLUE JASMINE, the film is produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum and Edward Walson. The film was shot by Darius Khondji (MIDNIGHT IN PARIS) with Production Design by Anne Seibel (MIDNIGHT IN PARIS).

Once again, Woody Allen has put together a stellar cast including Eileen Atkins, Colin Firth, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Emma Stone, and Jacki Weaver. MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT is a romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. The film is set in the south of France in the 1920s against a backdrop of wealthy mansions, the Côte d’Azur, jazz joints and fashionable spots for the wealthy of the Jazz Age.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 31 Academy Awards® (27 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 135 Academy Award® nominations (109 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

Review: "Vampire Hunter D" Bizarre and Unique

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 88 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kyuketsuki Hunter D (1985) – animation and video
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Japan; Language: Japanese
DIRECTOR:  Toyoo Ashida
WRITER:  Yashushi Hirano (based upon the novel Kyuuketsuki Hatana ‘D’)
PRODUCERS:  Hiroshi Kato, Mitsuhisa Koeda, and Yuko Nagasaki
COMPOSER:  Tetsuya Komuro

Vampire Hunter D – English adaptation
Running time:  80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Carl Macek
WRITER:  Tom Wyner

ANIMATION/HORROR/SCI-FI/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Kaneto Shiozawa, Seizô Katô, Satako Kifuji, Motomu Kiyokawa, Yasuo Muramatsu, Ichirô Nagai, and Michie Tomizawa

(English voices) Michael McGonnohie, Barbara Goodson, Jeff Winklers, Edie Mirmar, Kerrigan Mahan, Steve Kramer, and Steve Bulen

The subject of this movie review is Kyuketsuki Hunter D (Vampire Hunter D), a 1985 Japanese animated straight-to-video film.  This science fiction, fantasy, and vampire film was originally released as an OVA (original video anime).  This movie is based on the 1983 Japanese novel, Vampire Hunter D Volume 1, written by Hideyuki Kikuchi with illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano.

Kyuketsuki Hunter D or Vampire Hunter D was an animated Japanese film or “anime” that had one of the largest cult followings in the U.S. for anime in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.  The film was not a theatrical release in the Japan, nor was it initially in America.  As a home video release, this anime traveled as well or maybe even better than it would have as a theatrical release.

The film takes place in the far-flung era of 12,090 A.D.  Vampires plague earth, and rule over small pockets of civilization in a mockery of ancient feudal land baronies; in fact, humans travel, once again, by horse and buggy.  In a small village, Doris Rumm (voice of Barbara Goodson) hunts vampires and monsters, but she is also the object of affection of a local vampire ruler, Count Magnus Lee, who wants Doris to be his bride.  Doris’ salvation takes the form a mysterious vampire hunter known only as “D,” so she offers herself to the hunter in exchange for his eradicating the local vampires and their boss, the Count.  “D” must fight through a horde of demons, vampires, and assorted supernatural assassins to rescue Doris from wedlock with Count Lee.

The quality of the animation isn’t very good; it’s about the quality of TV anime like the “Dragonball” series that has run for so long on the Cartoon Network.  However, the character designs are very imaginative, especially the design of “D,” which was done by Yoshitaka Amano, one of the best known Japanese fantasy illustrators, animation character designers (“Genesis Climber Mospeada”), and video game conceptual artists (the Final Fantasy series).  Visually, bizarre images fill the film, as well as some bizarre nudity; in fact, the film creates a sense of anticipation as we wait to see what is the next weird thing that is going to fill the screen.

The voice acting is fairly good, but the English dialogue moves the story along quite well.  The music, a sweeping electronic score, is very nice and sets the appropriate mood.  Savvy viewers might catch similarities with New Line Cinema’s Blade film franchise, but Vampire Hunter D is more horror and fantasy, whereas Blade is an action/horror film.  While I have misgivings about the quality of the animation, Vampire Hunter D’s entire package is one of a highly imaginative film that should please fans of vampire horror, fantasy, and anime.  It has a steady rhythm of visual surprises that not only make it unique, but also exceptionally fun to watch when compared to most horror films.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, June 20, 2005

Updated: Friday, February 07, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Vampyr" is Imaginative and Striking

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 160 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey (1932)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  France/Germany; Language:  German
Running time:  72 minutes (1 hour, 12 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Carl Theodor Dreyer
WRITERS:  Christen Jul and Carl Theodor Dreyer
PRODUCERS:  Julian West and Carl Theodor Dreyer
CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Rudolph Maté and Louis Née
EDITOR:  Paul Falkenberg
COMPOSER:  Wolfgang Zeller

FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz, Jan Hieronimko, Henriette Gérard, Albert Bras, N. Babanini, and Jane Mora

The subject of this movie review is Vampyr or Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey (Vampire: The Dream of Allan Grey), a 1932 French-German horror film from Danish director, Carl Theodor Dreyer.  The film is based on elements taken from the short story collection, In a Glass Darkly, by author J. Sheridan Le Fanu.  The film is noted for being financed by the star of the film, Nicolas de Gunzburg, who acted under the name, “Julian West.”  Vampyr follows a traveler, who is obsessed with the supernatural, as he visits a village that is under the curse of a vampire.

Allan Gray (Julian West), a holiday reveler, stops in the eerie European village of Courtempierre, where he takes a room at a small inn.  Later that night, an elderly gentleman awakens Allan when he enters Allan’s room and leaves a parcel.  He writes on the package, “To be opened in the event of my death.”  Gray later witnesses the man’s murder, so he opens the package and discovers several pages of writings on the “vampyr.”  Gray later learns that a strange supernatural killer is on the loose, and that the culprit may be someone highly respected in the village.

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr –Der Traum des Allan Grey (or simply, Vampyr) is still considered by some film aficionados to be one of the great cinematic horror movies.  The film’s one big flaw is that it was shot cheaply using an experimental sound process, so the quality of the soundtrack leaves so much to be desired.  Still, the dreamy-like photography combined with the surreal, illusory and trancelike imagery more than make up for sound deficiencies.

Vampyr contains some truly creepy and skin-crawling visuals, including an extended sequence in which the hero witnesses his body in a coffin being carried past the massive old village church and into the graveyard.  Julian West’s performance, which sees him spend much time either listless or in a somnambulant state, adds to this film’s otherworldly quality.  Vampyr is a must see for movie buffs who love horror flicks, especially vampire films.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Updated: Friday, February 07, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Keep" Plays Keep-Away with Audience

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 154 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Keep (1983)
Running time:  93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR:  Michael Mann
WRITER:  Michael Mann (from the novel by F. Paul Wilson)
PRODUCERS:  Gene Kirkwood and Howard W. Koch Jr.
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Alex Thomson (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Dov Hoenig and Chris Kelly with Tony Palmer
COMPOSER:  Tangerine Dream

HORROR/FANTASY with elements of a thriller

Starring:  Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Jurgen Prochnow, Ian McKellan, Gabriel Byrne, and Robert Prosky

The subject of this movie review is The Keep, a 1983 horror-fantasy film from writer-director Michael Man.  The film is based on the 1981 novel, The Keep, by author F. Paul Wilson.  The Keep the movie focuses on a group of Nazis and the Jewish historian they turn to for help after they inadvertently free an ancient demon from its prison.

During World War II, the German army is sent to guard a Romanian mountain pass.  The soldiers take up residence in an old, mysterious and uninhabited fortress, The Keep.  They unwittingly unleash an ancient evil that begins killing them.  Thinking that the deaths are the result of rebellious locals, Nazi commandos arrive to deal with the trouble.

However, the Germans eventually summon an ailing Jewish historian, Dr. Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellan), from a concentration camp.  The professor arrives with his daughter, Eva Cuza (Alberta Watson), to solve the mystery.  Arriving right behind them is a stoic stranger (Scott Glenn) with mysterious powers and who obviously knows something about what’s going on in the Keep.

I imagine that the novel from which this film is adapted is lively and wildly fantastic, but the movie is short and dull.  Apparently, the original version of this movie ran nearly three hours in length.

Director Michael Mann would eventually produce the seminal television series, Miami Vice, and would direct well regarded films like Manhunter, Heat, and The Insider.  With The Keep, he gives us lots of smoke, glaring lights, and an extended laser show.  There is little story and no plot, and the cast, which is very talented, is lost in a maze of nothing.  This movie is, at best, a series of vaguely related scenes taped together into something coherent but really, really boring.  The saddest thing is that this film really has the basic material to make an entertaining horror and fantasy film.  What happened?

2 of 10
D

Updated: Friday, February 07, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

2014 Black Reel Award Nominations - Complete List

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Black Reel Awards annually honor African-Americans in feature, independent and television film.  The awards also take notice of the work in film of people of color throughout the African Diaspora.  The awards were launched in 2000, and this is the 13th year the awards will be handed out.  The Black Reel Awards are now given out by the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF).

The official Black Reel Awards blog describes 2013 as the most competitive year in Black film.  That may be true as three films:  12 Years a Slave, Fruitvale Station, and Lee Daniels’ The Butler received 9 nominations each – a record for the Black Reel Awards.

It does seem that 2013 is a noteworthy year for these awards.  For instance, all five of the “Outstanding Motion Picture” nominees are based on real individuals:  baseball pioneer, Jackie Robinson; slain Bay-area resident, Oscar Grant; recently deceased political icon, Nelson Mandela; former-slave-turned-author, Solomon Northup; and long-time White House butler, Eugene Allen.

Black Reel Award records:

The Weinstein Company received a record-breaking 24 nominations.  [On the television side, Lifetime led with 10 nominations.]

A record 17 actors received multiple nominations.

With his nomination for “Outstanding Television Director” for the HBO documentary, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, Spike Lee received his 24th nomination, making him the most nominated person in Black Reel Awards history.

The 14th Annual Black Reel Awards winners will be announced Thursday, February 13, 2014.

The 2014 / 14th Annual Black Reel Awards nominees (for the year in film 2013):

Outstanding Motion Picture:
• 12 Years a Slave | Brad Pitt, Steve McQueen, Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, Arnon Milchan
• 42 | Thomas Tull
• Fruitvale Station | Nina Yang Bonogivoi & Forest Whitaker
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom | Anant Singh & David M. Thompson
• Lee Daniels’ The Butler | Lee Daniels, Pam Williams & Laura Ziskin

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture:
• Chiwetel Ejiofor | 12 Years a Slave
• Idris Elba | Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Michael B. Jordan | Fruitvale Station
• Isaiah Washington | Blue Caprice
• Forest Whitaker | Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture:
• Halle Berry | The Call
• Rosario Dawson | Trance
• Danai Gurira | Mother of George
• LisaGay Hamilton | Go for Sisters
• Nia Long | The Best Man Holiday

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture:
• Barkhad Abdi | Captain Phillips
• David Oyelowo | Lee Daniels’ The Butler
• Nate Parker | Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
• Tequan Richmond | Blue Caprice
• Keith Stanfield | Short Term 12

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture:
• Melonie Diaz | Fruitvale Station
• Naomie Harris | Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Lupita Nyong’o | 12 Years a Slave
• Octavia Spencer | Fruitvale Station
• Oprah Winfrey | Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Outstanding Director, Motion Picture:
• Ryan Coogler | Fruitvale Station
• Lee Daniels | Lee Daniels’ The Butler
• Malcolm D. Lee | The Best Man Holiday
• Steve McQueen | 12 Years a Slave
• George Tilman Jr. | The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), Motion Picture:
• Ryan Coogler | Fruitvale Station
• Malcolm D. Lee | The Best Man Holiday
• Kasi Lemmons | Black Nativity
• John Ridley | 12 Years a Slave
• Michael Starburry | The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Outstanding Documentary:
• 20 Feet From Stardom | Morgan Neville
• Free Angela and All Political Prisoners | Shola Lynch
• God Loves Uganda | Roger Ross Williams
• The Trials of Muhammad Ali | Bill Siegel
• Venus & Serena | Maiken Baird & Michelle Major

Outstanding Ensemble:
• 12 Years a Slave | Francine Maiser
• 42 | Victoria Thomas
• The Best Man Holiday | Julie Hutchinson
• Fruitvale Station | Nina Henninger
• Lee Daniels’ The Butler | Leah Daniels & Billy Hopkins

Outstanding Foreign Film:
• Better Mus Come | Jamaica
• Home Again | Canada
• Nairobi Half Life | Kenya
• Storage 24 | UK
• War Witch | Canada

Outstanding Score:
• Stanley Clarke | The Best Man Holiday
• Ludwig Goransson | Fruitvale Station
• Mark Isham | 42
• Rodrigo Leao | Lee Daniels’ The Butler
• Hans Zimmer | 12 Years a Slave

Outstanding Original Song:
• “Desperation” from 20 Feet From Stardom | Written & Performed by: Judith Hill
• “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 | Written & Performed by: Pharrell Williams
• “In the Middle of the Night” from Lee Daniels’ The Butler | Performed by: Fantasia Barrino; Written by: F. Barrino, K. Washington, A. Terry & K. McMasters
• “Queen of the Field (Patsey’s Song)” from 12 Years a Slave | Written & Performed by: Alicia Keys
• “You and I Ain’t No More” from Lee Daniels’ The Butler | Performed by: Gladys Knight, Written by: Lenny Kravitz

Outstanding Breakthrough Actor Performance
• Barkhad Abdi | Captain Phillips
• Chadwick Boseman | 42
• Skylan Brooks | The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
• Tequan Richmond | Blue Caprice
• Keith Stanfield | Short Term 12

Outstanding Breakthrough Actress Performance
• Melonie Diaz | Fruitvale Station
• Danai Gurira | Mother of George
• Lindiwe Matshikiza | Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Lupita Nyong’o | 12 Years a Slave
• Tashiana Washington | Gimme the Loot

Outstanding Voice Performance
• Keith David | Free Birds (Relativity Media)
• Snoop Dogg | Turbo (20th Century Fox)
• Samuel L. Jackson | Turbo (20th Century Fox)
• Beyonce Knowles | Epic (20th Century Fox)
• Maya Rudolph | Turbo (20th Century Fox)

INDEPENDENT

Outstanding Independent Feature:
• An Oversimplification of Her Beauty | Terence Nance
• Blue Caprice | Alexandre Moors
• Go for Sisters | John Sayles
• Mother of George | Andrew Dosumu
• Things Never Said | Charles Murray

Outstanding Independent Documentary:
• Africa: The Beat | Javier Arias Bal, Polo Vallejo, Pablo Vega, Manuel Velasco
• I Want My Name Back | Roger Paradiso
• Lenny Cooke | Benny & Joshua Safdie
• The New Black | Yoruba Richen
• Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights | Nev Nnaji

Outstanding Independent Short:
• African Cowboy | Rodney Charles
• Black Girl in Paris | Kiandra Parks
• A Different Tree | Steven Caple Jr.
• Sweet Honey Child | Talibah Newman
• They Die by Dawn | Jeymes Samuel

TELEVISION

Outstanding Television Documentary
• Dark Girls | Bill Duke & Dr. Channsin Berry
• Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin | Bob Smeaton
• Made in America | Ron Howard
• Venus vs. | Ava DuVernay
• Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley | George Schlatter

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Being Mary Jane | Claire Brown
• Betty & Coretta| Yves Simoneau & Jacqueline Lavoie
• Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story | Bill Diggins, Lyyn Hylden, Maggie Malina, Rozonda “Chili” Thomas, Tionne “T-Boz Watkins”
• Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth | Emily Cohen
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham | Philip Kleinbart, Tonya Lewis Lee, Nikki Silver

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Keith David | Pastor Brown
• Chiwetel Ejiofor | “Dancing on the Edge”
• Omari Hardwick | A Christmas Blessing
• Ernie Hudson | Pastor Brown
• Mike Tyson | Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Angela Bassett | Betty & Coretta
• Keke Palmer | Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story
• Anika Noni Rose | The Watsons Go to Birmingham
• Gabrielle Union | Being Mary Jane
• Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Pastor Brown

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Richard Brooks | Being Mary Jane
• Danny Glover | Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
• Omari Hardwick | Being Mary Jane
• Wood Harris | The Watsons Go to Birmingham
• Ernie Hudson | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Loretta Devine | Saving Westbrook High
• Audra McDonald | The Sound of Music
• Nicole Ari Parker | Pastor Brown
• LaTonya Richardson | The Watsons Go to Birmingham
• Octavia Spencer | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Salim Akil | Being Mary Jane
• Rockmond Dunbar | Pastor Brown
• Spike Lee | Mike Tyson: Undisputed: Truth
• Kenny Leon | The Watsons Go to Birmingham
• Charles Stone III | Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story

Outstanding Screenplay (Adapted or Original), TV Movie or Mini-Series
• Mara Brock Akil | Being Mary Jane
• Rhonda Baraka | Pastor Brown
• Caliope Brattlestreet, Stephen Glantz & Tonya Lee Lewis | The Watsons Go to Birmingham
• Kate Lanier | Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story
• Kiki Tyson | Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

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http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/

Grammy-Winner Pharrell Williams to Perform at Oscars

Pharrell Williams To Perform On The Oscars®

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Singer-songwriter-producer Pharrell Williams will perform his Oscar®-nominated song “Happy” at the Oscars®, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Sunday, March 2, live on ABC.

“Happy,” which Williams wrote and produced for “Despicable Me 2,” is nominated for Original Song. The three other nominated songs are "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," "Let It Go" from "Frozen" and "The Moon Song" from "Her."

Pharrell Williams has won seven Grammy Awards®, two (in 2004 and 2014) for Producer of the Year. Named Billboard’s Producer of the Decade in 2010, his productions have sold over 100 million copies. Williams collaborated on two of 2013’s most ubiquitous anthems: Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” which he co-wrote and produced and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” which he co-wrote and also sang.  As a solo producer and as part of the prolific producing team The Neptunes, Williams has played a key role in creating a string of hits over more than two decades, including Jay-Z’s "I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me)," Nelly’s "Hot in Herre," Gwen Stefani’s "Hollaback Girl," Snoop Dogg’s "Drop it Like it's Hot," Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U” and Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.”

Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.