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Lady Gaga

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A Star Is Born poster
A Star Is Born

Apex Mountain

A Star Is Born The Rewatchables

This is Bradley Cooper’s career apex; Lady Gaga is debated and receives only a tentative yes unless an acting win follows.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:51Read transcript
  • The film is called Cooper’s unquestioned career apex.
  • Gaga had already achieved exceptional global pop fame before the film.
  • Her fan base is credited with much of the movie’s worldwide commercial reach.
  • The panel gives Gaga a tentative apex verdict, becoming certain only if she wins Best Actress.
A Star Is Born poster
A Star Is Born

Half-Assed Internet Research

A Star Is Born The Rewatchables

Research covers Los Angeles performance locations, Jackson’s house, Cooper’s makeup and voice work, Gaga’s screen makeup, live singing, songwriting, sound, improvisation, and visual foreshadowing.

In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:18Read transcript
  • The opening concert footage was shot at Coachella.
  • The drag bar is identified as the Virgil and the cop bar as the Short Stop.
  • The supermarket was a Super A in Glassell Park and Gaga’s big debut was filmed at the Greek Theatre.
  • Jackson’s Calabasas-area house had sold for about two million dollars after filming.
  • Cooper reportedly used a daily spray tan and menthol to create Jackson’s red, bloodshot appearance.
  • The panel disputes the publicity claim that Gaga wore only lip balm and moisturizer, distinguishing “no-makeup makeup.”
  • Jason Isbell wrote “Maybe It’s Time.”
  • Cooper trained for a year to lower his speaking voice by an octave.
  • The “ugly” line was ad-libbed and Gaga’s shocked reaction was reportedly genuine.
  • Lukas Nelson wrote several songs and Cooper’s own dog Charlie played Jackson’s dog.
  • Gaga reportedly persuaded Cooper to record the music live rather than lip-sync.
  • Sound editing and mixing make unfamiliar live performances feel populated and immediate.
  • Gaga performed the final song soon after learning that a friend had died.
  • Much of the drag-bar material was improvised.
  • A billboard with four nooses beside Jackson is presented as early death foreshadowing.
  • Blue and red lighting join Jackson Maine and Lady Gaga visually and recur in the police lights after his death.
A Star Is Born poster
A Star Is Born

Casting What-Ifs

A Star Is Born The Rewatchables

Earlier versions involved Clint Eastwood, Beyoncé, Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Ray Liotta, and several alternate Ally-father choices.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:43Read transcript
  • Cooper reportedly had to show Warner Brothers an iPhone duet with Lady Gaga to win approval for her casting.
  • A 2011 version paired Beyoncé with Clint Eastwood before her pregnancy interrupted development.
  • Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, and Tom Cruise were approached during development.
  • A brief 2015 configuration paired Cooper and Beyoncé.
  • The panel doubts Beyoncé’s acting based on earlier films while acknowledging her stature as a pop star.
  • Ray Leota was reportedly considered for Jackson’s manager before that role disappeared.
  • Andrew Dice Clay was selected over Robert De Niro, John Torturo, and John Travolta for Gaga’s character’s father, though the panel questions how literal that account is.
A Star Is Born poster
A Star Is Born

What’s Aged the Best?

A Star Is Born The Rewatchables

Sam Elliott’s driveway reaction, Jackson’s speech about truth and having legs, the inherited franchise line, the ending, and the soundtrack are the leading choices.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:23Read transcript
  • Sam Elliott’s silent tear and the brothers’ inability to speak directly are expected to remain a durable meme and emotional truth.
  • Jackson’s “dig deep in your soul” speech to Lady Gaga about truth and having legs is treated as inspirational.
  • The ending improved on rewatch because Gaga’s performance cuts back to Bradley Cooper creating the song.
  • The soundtrack is expected to endure because its two musical personas both have convincing songs.
  • “I just wanted to take another look at you” moved from punchline to sincere and memorable franchise line.
A Star Is Born poster
A Star Is Born

Most Rewatchable Scene

A Star Is Born The Rewatchables

The live performance of “Shallow” wins by a wide margin; the cop bar and parking lot lead a deep field of alternatives.

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:58Read transcript
  • The panel calls the live “Shallow” performance the clear winner and one of the century’s best seven-minute sequences.
  • The drag-bar introduction works through Bradley Cooper watching Lady Gaga and then singing “Maybe It’s Time.”
  • The grocery-store parking lot is praised as an intimate songwriting and courtship scene.
  • The Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliott fight is praised as an amazing compact scene.
  • “Always Remember Us This Way” is treated as Gaga’s last great musical moment before the pop-star turn.
  • The Grammys sequence becomes darkly comic on repeat viewing even though its humiliation remains difficult to watch.
  • The final Cooper and Elliott scene became a durable meme and emotional payoff.
  • The cop-bar conversation is praised as an unusually specific and believable flirting scene.
  • The supermarket sequence sustains the early romance through mundane details and the leads’ chemistry.
  • Dice and the drivers watching the viral video provide a charming family-comedy interlude.
  • The parking-lot scene is the preferred runner-up because Bradley Cooper recognizes Gaga writing a song in real time.
  • The opening concert introduces Jackson’s addiction, charisma, and physical mess without dialogue.
  • Ally’s bathroom introduction establishes a separate crisis and character with equal economy.
  • The “Shallow” scene is praised for every checkpoint Lady Gaga crosses before stepping onto the stage.
  • Bradley Cooper’s supportive reactions communicate love, belief, and encouragement, making that support a major part of his performance.
Displaying all 6 discussions

Films in the archive

A Star Is Born

2018

Rewatchables episodes featuring their films

A Star Is Born poster

A Star Is Born

2018 film

Bill Simmons · Amanda Dobbins · Sean Fennessey

Aired February 11, 2019

Displaying 1 episode