A Star is Born (2018 - Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga) (2 Viewers)

[Jake Lipson]

My guess is that they would like to get the movie into the top ten films released in 2018. It's currently at $213,097,381 in 13th place, but #10 is Bohemian Rhapsody with only $214,545,8584, so the margin separating them is very tiny.

Interestingly, Solo, Venom and (currently) A Star is Born are all at $213 million, with the difference between their grosses coming down to the numbers at the end of their grosses.

It would be really nice for the team behind A Star is Born to make just a smidgen more, decisively hit the top ten, and if they did that, they would outgross their release week competitor Venom in the process. So I'm thinking that's the goal now. It won't take much to do it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Music from the film returns to the top of the charts this week, with "Shallow" taking #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the film's soundtrack album taking #1 on the Albums chart.

It's Lady Gaga's first #1 since 2011 ("Born This Way") and the first time her music has ever topped both charts simultaneously (though she has had several #1 songs and albums at different times).

Funny that every album other than her debut hit #1 but the debut's the one that sold the most!

(It peaked at #2...)

Rant: I'll go to my grave perplexed that "Applause" wasn't a bigger hit. Yeah, it got to #4, but that seemed like a "soft #4" based more on momentum/name value than popularity.

And I'll never get that. "Applause" is a killer pop song - arguably my favorite Gaga tune of all. I'll never understand why it wasn't a bigger smash - maybe the "Gaga fatigue" that struck around that time?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

My guess is that they would like to get the movie into the top ten films released in 2018. It's currently at $213,097,381 in 13th place, but #10 is Bohemian Rhapsody with only $214,545,8584, so the margin separating them is very tiny.

Interestingly, Solo, Venom and (currently) A Star is Born are all at $213 million, with the difference between their grosses coming down to the numbers at the end of their grosses.

It would be really nice for the team behind A Star is Born to make just a smidgen more, decisively hit the top ten, and if they did that, they would outgross their release week competitor Venom in the process. So I'm thinking that's the goal now. It won't take much to do it.

I love Gaga and I hated "BR". You know what I want to happen here!

 

[Malcolm R]

Rant: I'll go to my grave perplexed that "Applause" wasn't a bigger hit. Yeah, it got to #4, but that seemed like a "soft #4" based more on momentum/name value than popularity.

And I'll never get that. "Applause" is a killer pop song - arguably my favorite Gaga tune of all. I'll never understand why it wasn't a bigger smash - maybe the "Gaga fatigue" that struck around that time?

Agreed. And I have similar thoughts about "Judas".

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Agreed. And I have similar thoughts about "Judas".

I get why that one wasn't a bigger hit, though - it's not quite as "listener friendly", IMO...

 

[JohnRice]

I finally watched "A Star is Born" last night, and I was left a little flat. Around 1/3 of the way through, I actually said out loud, "I think I'm really going to like this movie", but sometime after that, it seemed to turn into a series of 5 minute vignettes. I felt like it was just checking off items from a thematic list without actually connecting them.

I'm pretty sure the Grammy debacle caused me to mentally roll my eyes. Oh, come on. Seriously? I know that's a fundamental story element from the entire, extensive history of the story, but come on. Finally, looking back, I think I was seeing Jackson as more than a bit of a gaslighter, and probably subconsciously hating him, just enough to make the most important element in the story not work.

Those were the things that didn't work for me.

I loved Stefani. I know who she is, but I know absolutely nothing about her music. There were several times while watching her when I just said "Wow!" I was thoroughly convinced by her being the character she played.

I plan to watch it again soon to see if it works better the second time around. I frequently need a second viewing.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Finally, looking back, I think I was seeing Jackson as more than a bit of a gaslighter, and probably subconsciously hating him, just enough to make the most important element in the story not work.

I can definitely see how Jackson's actions in the second half of the film could be seen as gaslighting, but to me gaslighting is a conscious campaign of psychological manipulation. Whereas Jackson was an alcoholic who was projecting his own insecurities and hangups onto her; on some level, he saw himself as a fraud, so he felt the need to impose his narrow vision of authenticity onto her.

 

[JohnRice]

I can definitely see how Jackson's actions in the second half of the film could be seen as gaslighting, but to me gaslighting is a conscious campaign of psychological manipulation. Whereas Jackson was an alcoholic who was projecting his own insecurities and hangups onto her; on some level, he saw himself as a fraud, so he felt the need to impose his narrow vision of authenticity onto her.

That's a valid observation, and manipulation is always a prickly issue. Manipulators always feel justified in their actions, and gaslighters are always in complete denial of their gaslighting. Throw in years of substance abuse and it gets even murkier. Regardless of presence or lack of awareness, the result is the same regarding the damage to others. I guess that's my main point.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I loved Stefani.

Let me guess - you call Bono "Paul" and Ringo "Richie", don't you?

 

[JohnRice]

Let me guess - you call Bono "Paul" and Ringo "Richie", don't you?

Just one of my quirks. I see Lady Gaga as a stage persona, and not who acted in the movie. My understanding was that originally she was going to be credited as Stefani Germanotta, but I don't know if that's true or who changed it. In fact, I recall someone I know seeing a very early, rough cut viewing where she was credited that way. I have been known to refer to Sting as Gordon and Whoopi as Caryn, just to confuse people.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Just one of my quirks. I see Lady Gaga as a stage persona, and not who acted in the movie. My understanding was that originally she was going to be credited as Stefani Germanotta, but I don't know if that's true or who changed it. In fact, I recall someone I know seeing a very early, rough cut viewing where she was credited that way. I have been known to refer to Sting as Gordon and Whoopi as Caryn, just to confuse people.

I'm a huge Gaga fan, but I honestly don't know what friends/family call her. I'm guessing it's a mix of "Stefani" and "Gaga".

I think pretty much all friends/family of Sting and Bono call them by those names.

Anyway, she's billed as Gaga in the movie, so that's how she should be referred to in discussions.

Work for you, Ricey Jack?

 

[JohnRice]

You're not the boss of me.

 

[TonyD]

My wife and I finally watched this and Bohemian Rhapsody last week.


One was a beautiful heartbreaking story of life and love.
Had great acting and made me feel for the characters.
Was about getting that big break and making it to the top of the music scene and had great music.

The other one also had great music and was a story about getting to the top of the music scene
This one didn’t make me feel anything for the characters.
The acting was fine but it was like watching caricatures
Of the people the movie was about.
This movie felt hollow. It left me wondering where the rest of the story was. Left me wanting to see the real story of these people not this embellished fictionalized version of the story.


The movie that was all fiction felt more real then the one that was actually about real people.

One is now one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen
The other is a rather pedestrian movie that I’ll probably never watch again.