13 Nights of Shocktober: The Hitcher

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober.  So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some scary movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 3: Rutger Hauer Memorial Night
“I’m going to sit here, and you’re going to drive.”

The Hitcher (1986)

The great actor Ruger Hauer passed away earlier this year after a long career delivering great performances in a variety of genres. He played heroes and romantic leads in Paul Verhoven’s European films (Soldier of Orange, Turkish Delight), but in American films he usually played a villain in thrillers, action movies, and horror movies, like one of my favorites, The Hitcher. This horror-thriller has a simple plot (a young man picks up the wrong hitchhiker), follows slasher movie tropes, at times goes over the top, then way over the top, but works, even when it doesn’t, thanks to a steely, menacing performance from Rutger Hauer—one of his best in my opinion, after his most famous role, the replicant Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.

C. Thomas Howell is the young man, Jim, who on a rainy night driving through West Texas, picks up a hitchhiker played by Rutger Hauer. The Hitcher says his name is John Ryder, the perfect name for a psychotic hitchhiking killer. He does not put up any façade of normality whatsoever; right away he acts totally creepy and intense. Jim escapes only to be relentless pursued by Ryder and his trail of murder and mayhem. Jim befriends a waitress at diner named Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and she, naturally, gets dragged into the pursuit. The picturesque West Texas landscape provides a desolate and picturesque backdrop for the suspense and carnage that ensues.

There is no reason why the Hitcher latches on to Jim to hunt and torment. The Hitcher has no motivation, ethos, or history; he exists only to cause mayhem and murder. Originally, the screenplay by Eric Red explored the Hitcher’s origin, but Hauer thought explaining what warped and twisted the character into a killer actually made him tragic since that kind of thing, unfortunately, happens in real life. Hauer said he wanted to play the Hitcher like he was the human version of the shark from JAWS. At one point, Hauer hums “Bicycle Built for Two,” like another famous nonhuman villain, HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey. When Jim asks the Hitcher why he is doing this, Hauer takes two pennies, licks them, and places them on Howell’s eyes. Then he gives Howell bullets for an empty revolver so they can continue their deadly game. Allegedly, Howell was legitimately afraid of Hauer on set.

The Hitcher aims to be a mix between an action film, a slasher film, and a Hitchcockian thriller. Though at times it is predictable, it is no less enjoyable. There are some outlandish moments, like the Hitcher shooting down a helicopter with a revolver, or wearing his duster even after the cops capture him, or the sound of lion roaring when he leaps from one car to another. Still, those scenes don’t seem too farfetched because this movie doesn’t mean to represent reality. I will admit there is one element to the story that is never convincing: the symbiotic, sadomasochistic relationship that is supposed to develop between the Hitcher and Jim in the final act.

When The Hitcher was released in 1986, it was reviled by critics for its grizzly and sadistic violence (though, of course, it seems tame by current standards of horror violence). Siskel and Ebert included it on their worst of the year lists. Ebert gave the film a 0 star review, writing: “…on its own terms, this movie is diseased and corrupt.” Hauer thought critics didn’t understand the film. In an interview he said, “Actually, the film was an allegory. The passenger represented evil. That’s all it was.” I’m not sure I entirely agree with Hauer on the allegory angle. Of course, I certainly don’t agree with Siskel or Ebert on this one. I end up watching this film every few years or so, and while it is undoubtedly violent and dark, I never get tired of watching Rutger Hauer’s incredible, enigmatic performance. He conveys so much while staying subtle. He stays quiet, moves slowly, and uses body language like stares and smirks to make his whole presence radiate evil and dread. The Hitcher is like a wild campfire story or urban legend put on film.

13 Nights of Shockotber: Freaks

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some scary movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 2: Classic Horror Night
“We accept her, we accept her. One of us, one of us. Gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble.”

Freaks

The cult classic horror film Freaks remains as controversial today as when it was first released in 1932. The film was so reviled, even by MGM, the studio that produced it, that it effectively killed the career of director Todd Browning, who only a year before directed the horror classic Dracula. Browning had directed Dracula for Universal, so MGM production chief Irving Thalberg wanted him to create a horror hit for MGM and gave him complete creative freedom. No one expected anything like Freaks.

It should be made clear upfront that Freaks is a horror movie because of its murder/revenge plot, not because of its cast of real-life circus sideshow performers with disabilities. The film opens with a circus barker introducing a new sideshow “freak.” He explains that she was once a beautiful trapeze artist, but she violated the code of the “freaks”: offend one, and you offend them all. The plot centers on Hans (Harry Earles), a wealthy little person, who becomes totally infatuated with Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), a beautiful trapeze performer. He leaves Frieda, his fiancé, for Cleopatra, who is only interested in his money. In fact, she plots with the circus strongman, Hercules, to kill Hans. When Hans becomes suspiciously ill immediately after the wedding, his fellow sideshow performers plot revenge against Cleopatra and Hercules.

Though Freaks is a Pre-Code film (made before movies were subject to extremely strict, puritanical censorship), 30 minutes of footage was ordered cut by MGM studio head Louis B, Mayer, who hated the film, leaving the final runtime at just over an hour. Some of the scenes cut were deemed too shocking or disturbing, like the fate of the strongman, who is castrated and becomes part of the sideshow as a soprano singer. No one knows for sure the content of the rest of the cut scenes, but it is likely they were just more scenes of the lives of the sideshow performers. As it is, most of Freaks focuses on the close-knit sideshow community, with the murder/revenge plot kicking in only in the final act.

It may be only an hour long, but Freaks takes its time building characters and giving them inner lives. We spend a little time with each member of the sideshow, allowing some to show off their act. The most memorable act has to Randion “The Living Torso” lighting his own cigarette despite not having any limbs. The conjoined twins Violet and Daisy get along well, but Daisy’s fiancé and Violet do not, leading to some amusing moments. The most famous scene from Freaks is their tradition of “The Loving Cup.” After Hans and Cleopatra’s wedding, the sideshow members take turns drinking champagne from a large bowl while chanting “We accept her, we accept her.” When it is Cleopatra’s turn to drink from the bowl she reveals her true nature and disgust for them.  

This was likely the first time that people with disabilities were actually cast in a Hollywood production. Some of the performers later expressed regret at being in the movie or ended up hating the film. Unfortunately, during production the disabled performers were treated nearly as poorly as their characters in the movie. Wallace Ford as Phroso the clown and Leila Heims as Venus the seal trainer, the only able-bodied circus performers that are kind to the sideshow performers, received top billing though they are more supporting players. Worst of all, the disabled performers were not allowed to eat at the studio cafeteria since their appearance might upset the other MGM staff, so they had to eat outside under a tent set up just for them.

Freaks will likely always be controversial—does it have sympathy for its subjects throughout, or does it squander that sympathy by having them be violent and vengeful? The final scene seems like it was tacked on as an attempt to give the movie a happy ending. It only half works. This is a dark film but also a very interesting one deserving of classic status.

13 Nights of Shocktober: The Mummy (1959)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 1: Hammer Horror Night

“He who robs the graves of Egypt dies!”
The Mummy (1959)  

Beginning in the late 1950’s, the British film production company Hammer began making a series of horror films that were essentially remakes of the Universal Monster movies of the 1930’s. The Hammer films had different storylines and monster designs, however, being in technicolor and showing more explicit violence and sexuality is what made them a distinct brand. The Curse of Frankenstein kicked off the Hammer Horror cycle in 1957, followed by Dracula (released in the U.S. as Horror of Dracula) in 1958, and tonight’s recommendation, The Mummy in 1959. Each film spawned numerous sequels—some more entertaining than others—but none matched the first in their respective series, all of which were directed by Terence Fisher and paired the great actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The plot is pretty straightforward. In the 1890’s, a father and son archeologist team discover the tomb of the legendary Princess Ananka. The son, John (Cushing), has a broken leg, so he is not present when his father reads from a mysterious scroll and witnesses something that drives him mad. An Egyptian man named Mehemet (George Pastell), a disciple of the god Karnak, follows the father and son to England to exact revenge for desecrating Ananka’s tomb. Mehemet’s weapon of choice is... you guessed it, a mummy.

The Hammer Horror films usually cast Peter Cushing as the protagonist and Christopher Lee as the monster. When Lee began his acting career, he had difficulty getting good roles because of his imposing size, a commanding 6’5”. It’s easy to understand why he was cast as Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula (his best horror role), and the mummy. While the mummy is a thrilling screen presence, he is not a very interesting monster since he is just the tool for Mehemet’s revenge. When the mummy sees that John’s wife, Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux), resembles the Princess Ananka, he begins to act on his own will. The mummy’s silent, lumbering nature leaves Lee only his eyes to act with and he does a pretty good job when he gets a close up. In a flashback narrated by Cushing we see that the mummy was a priest named Kharis that was obsessed with Ananka and attempted to bring her back to life. Lee gets to use his voice and whole body in the flashback. It’s a brief scene but it’s good to see Lee really play a character. Thanks to Lee’s large size, it is easy to believe that this mummy could pick up someone by neck with one hand or burst through doors and windows, the only way the mummy enters a room. When he and Cushing fight, it doesn’t seem like much of a contest—thankfully, just then the mummy catches sight of Isobel.

Cushing and Pastell have a good scene together when John visits his suspicious new neighbor. Mehemet is the main antagonist of the movie, more so than the mummy, but his revenge is not without good reason. He is not wrong that English archaeologists are desecrating sacred tombs and disregarding another culture’s customs, just so people can stare at relics in the British Museum. John’s counter argument is that nothing would be known of the ancient Egyptian people or their culture if it were left sealed and buried. However, everything else he says is purposefully condescending and insulting as he is trying to provoke Mehemet.

Like all Hammer Horror movies, the period sets and costumes, especially the ancient Egyptian sets and costumes, look obviously fake. However, this only helps create the movie’s fantasy atmosphere. The bog nearby John’s country estate is a fun set. Seeing the mummy in the dark, soupy water is a great sight. The look of the mummy is pretty spooky—wrapped in bandages that are dirty and tattered and look a thousand years old—especially with Lee’s eyes behind the costume. Though, I’m pretty sure you can the line for a zipper on the back of the mummy in certain scenes. 

The top tier Hammer Horror films, in which I would include The Mummy, are great Shocktober viewings because they are fun horror entertainment, but not so scary as to be intimidating. Whether you are a bit squeamish or a die-hard horror fan, the Hammer Horror version of The Mummy will help you have a great Halloween.

Long Shot (2019) review

by A.J.

Long Shot (2019) 

The summer movie season is a time of big budget special effects heavy superhero movies, action movies, sequels, remakes, and reboots, but, also, a high-profile comedy or two. This summer’s high-profile comedy is the very R-rated Long Shot starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. This unlikely romantic comedy is as solidly entertaining and smart as it is funny and raunchy. Movies for grownups don’t get made too often these days, so when one comes along and it is as good and funny as this it is a treat. Charlize Theron plays Charlotte Field, the popular and successful Secretary of State for idiot President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk), who won the election because he used to play the president on TV. The President tells her that he’s not seeking reelection so he can pursue a film career and he plans to endorse her for president once she gets a global environmental agreement off the ground.

After being informed by a PR firm that people find her lacking a sense of humor, Charlotte hires a crusading journalist, Fred Flarsky, played by Seth Rogen, who recently quit his job because his news outlet was bought up by an unscrupulous conservative media conglomerate to punch up the humor in her speeches. Fred and Charlotte actually grew up in the same neighborhood and she was his babysitter who he very much had a crush on. They reconnect at a fundraiser featuring Boyz II Men where Rogen takes the first of a few slapstick tumbles. Schlubby Fred is jetted of to Stockholm, the first of many global destinations, bringing nothing with him but a garish windbreaker, awkward tapered cargo pants, and some illegal narcotics. He’s a fish out of water to say the least.

Long Shot's screenplay is written by Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah and directed by Jonathan Levine. Seth Rogen is only credited as a producer, but any movie featuring Rogen, whether he wrote it or not, sets up certain comedic expectations. To be specific, an irreverent, raunchy, juvenile, foul mouthed, stoner sense of humor. That certainly describes Long Shot’s comedic sensibility, but its comedy is mostly verbal, though there is one gross out sight gag that the climax of the film hinges on (so be forewarned about that). All of the humor, even the gross out gag, is firmly rooted in the characters, so no joke or gag feels artificially tacked on for shock value

As Charlotte and Fred spend more and more time together so he can get to know her better to add more of her personality into her speeches, they begin an unlikely and entirely believable romance. "Long Shot" refers to Charlotte as a presidential candidate, but it also refers to Fred as a romantic partner for the beautiful high-profile politician. Rogen and Theron are an unlikely pair but they have great chemistry. Rogen delivers his signature clever slacker character and comedic style, but Theron is far and away the star of this picture. She’s done heavy drama, dark comedy, broad comedy, action, and now clever, raunchy comedy, and she’s done them all extremely well. Hopefully Long Shot doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of big budget summer blockbuster spectacles because it is definitely worth seeking out. This foul mouthed, big hearted romantic comedy is bound to delight.

My Fosse/Verdon Favorites

by Lani

Last week the first episode of Fosse/Verdon premiered on FX and for me, a superfan of both Broadway and Hollywood musicals, this was the most exciting thing to happen in entertainment this year. The eight episode series centers on the personal and professional relationship between celebrated choreographer and director Bob Fosse and legendary dancer and Broadway leading lady Gwen Verdon. 

In anticipation of the second episode, I wanted to revisit some of my favorite moments of Fosse and Verdon on film, as well as other dancers interpreting his choreography. If you are a fan of great dancing, if you want to see what the fuss is about, or if you just need something to brighten your day, please enjoy!

Here's Fosse in one of his rare film roles dancing alongside Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, and Bobby Van in 1953's Kiss Me Kate with choreography by Hermes Pan. Pan, Fred Astaire's longtime collaborator, recognized that Fosse had his own style, even when doing another person's choreography, and he even let Fosse choreograph one dance for the film, a duet for himself and Carol Haney. 



Two years later, Fosse got to choreograph all the dances in My Sister Eileen. The Alley Dance is a dance-off between stylish showman Fosse and the athletic technician Tommy Rall.



Unfortunately, there are very few film clips of Fosse and Verdon performing together. So it is lucky that this dance from Damn Yankees is so good, showcasing so many of the things Fosse would be known for - body isolations, hat work, synchronicity - as well as both dancer's skill and ease with each other. The song makes no sense and has no bearing on the plot of the show, so don't even worry about it. I'm not sure why, but my favorite part is when Verdon rolls up in a ball and Fosse pulls her offstage by one leg.



Verdon's most prominent film role was in Damn Yankees as Lola, the Devil's helper sent to corrupt Joe Hardy and convince him to sell his soul. I have heard both Fosse and Verdon talk about how the key to the Lola character is that she is not a sophisticated seductress, she's a "little fat girl" who sold her soul to the Devil to be beautiful, accepted, and wanted. This clip showcases Verdon's ability to sing, act, and dance as her character simultaneously, most people can only do one of those things at a time, if at all.
 


Fosse directed the Broadway production of Sweet Charity (starring Verdon) and the film version was his first chance to direct for Hollywood. I think Sweet Charity is a flawed musical, but taken on their own, the musical numbers are undeniably fun. This one featuring Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera, and Nancy Kelly is not the most famous song or dance sequence in the film, but I love it for its vulnerability and hopefulness. 



Fosse and Verdon separated as husband and wife while never actually divorcing, though remained closely linked personally and professionally. After Verdon, Ann Reinking was Fosse's most notable partner and protegee. In the thinly-fictionalized Fosse biopic All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, Reinking plays the dancer girlfriend of director/choreographer Joe Gideon. After watching this charming dance it is hard not to be a little bit in love with her, too.



Fosse's friend and movie-musical legend, Stanley Donen, coaxed Fosse into his last great on-screen performance as the "snake in the grass" in 1974's The Little Prince. I remember seeing specifically this part of the film when I was pretty young. Fosse's snake character creeped me out so much that to this day I have never seen the whole film. 



While combing YouTube for clips, I stumbled upon my new favorite thing: a duet, circa 1982, between Debbie Allen and Verdon from Season 1 of Allen's TV series Fame. They are clearly having fun riffing on different dance styles, referencing the traditional jazz style of Jack Cole, Verdon's first mentor, and the controlled simplicity of Fosse. Allen is sharp, fast, and sassy; Verdon (in her mid-50s) is smooth as silk and totally at ease. A few years later, under Verdon's guidance, Allen would star in a Broadway revival of Sweet Charity.



And if after watching these clips you're still not sure what is "Fosse" and what is "not Fosse," let the indomitable Jillian Chizz (a.k.a Christina Applegate) explain. Ka-konk!

Best Pictures #54: 2018 (91st) Academy Awards: My Pick for Best Picture

by A.J.

Best Pictures #54: 2018 (91st) Academy Awards

My Pick for Best Picture

The 91st Academy Awards for films released in 2018 was held on February 24th, 2019 and will be remembered as the year that the Academy tried to change things up to reach a larger audience. In order to boost ratings (even though the Oscars are the highest rated non-sports event on TV), the Academy and Oscars telecast producers proposed ideas such as cutting out performances by the Original Song nominees, giving out awards during commercial breaks, and, most notoriously, adding the category of Best Popular Film. After massive backlash from people in the film industry and Oscar fans, all of these decisions were rolled back. Actor-comedian Kevin Hart was set to host, but he and the Academy caught heat for Hart's years old homophobic jokes on Twitter. The Academy wanted Hart to formally apologize, Hart refused, and dropped out as the host. So, the Oscars would air without a host for the first time since 1989. The final hiccup for the telecast happened when, after announcing that all of the Original Song nominees would perform, Kendrick Lamar announced just days before the ceremony that he would not be performing "All the Stars" from Black Panther. 

The ceremony itself was no more or less eventful than previous ceremonies with hosts (excluding the year the wrong movie was read for Best Picture). Queen (with Adam Lambert singing) opened the show, presenters had mostly amusing banter, and, of course, eye-catching gowns and dresses. Alfonso Cuaron won his second Oscar for Best Director and, as a fan and Latin/Hispanic person, his award had a special meaning for me. In 2013 (Cuaron's Gravity), 2014 (Inarritu's Birdman), 2015 (Inarritu's The Revenant), 2017 (Del Toro's The Shape of Water), and now 2019 (Cuaron's Roma) the winner of the Best Director award has been a Mexican filmmaker. Glenn Close was the odds-on favorite to take home Best Actress, but The Favourite's Olivia Colman took home the award and no doubt upset the ballots of people trying to win their Oscar pools. My ballot was thrown off too, but I was very happy she won. Spike Lee finally won an Oscar for his work on BlacKkKlansman's adapted screenplay. Samuel L. Jackson, who presented Lee with the award, was almost as excited as Spike Lee, who jumped and hugged his friend. 

Samuel L. Jackson's reaction to Green Book winning Best Original Screenplay could not have been more radically different; he stuttered over the names of the winners as he did a double take in disbelief. This was the reaction had by everyone at my Oscar party when Green Book won Best Picture. After a progressive step forward last year with the unconventional The Shape of Water as Best Picture, the Academy took a giant leap backwards by giving Best Picture to a mediocre, bland, conventional, and unchallenging movie like Green Book. Green Book will now have the distinction of joining Crash and The Greatest Show on Earth as one of the worst films to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. If ever there was a year that made the case for going back to just five Best Picture nominees, this was that year. Of the eight nominees, there were five solid, quality pictures (Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, The Favourite, Roma, and A Star is Born) and three that belonged nowhere near any conversation about the best movies of the year (Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book, Vice). Of those five quality pictures, there is one for me that stands out as the actual best picture of 2018.

My Pick for Best Picture of 2018: A Star is Born 

Long before the fourth version of A Star is Born hit theaters, critics were singing its praises and raving about it non-stop. This always makes me skeptical about a movie. By the time a regular filmgoer like me gets to see the movie, will it be hyped out? Were the critics suffering from a bad case of festival fever (liking a movie too much because you saw it before anyone else)? In the case of La La Land: yes. A Star is Born, however, completely justifies the praise it has received. No other movie in 2018, not even Roma, affected me quite like the characters and pathos in Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born. I have no doubt that this was a passion project for Cooper; you can tell that care and thought went into every scene. While I'm happy Alfonso Cuaron won Best Cinematography for his excellent work in Roma, I would have given that award to Matthew Libatique for A Star is Born. Consider the image of Jackson performing "Pretty Woman" while extremely drunk. The camera sways slightly, but the angle is canted so we see him from below, cast in shadow and harsh stage lights, while the rest of the musicians wait anxiously for him to play the opening riff. The image of Cooper, head tilted down, wearing a cowboy hat and suit accompanied by his badass distorted electric guitar should be a very cool image. Instead this is one of the most tense moments in the movie. From the choice of angle and the lighting, you feel that he may fall flat to the floor (and on top of you) at any moment. It is thoughtful cinematic touches like this that work on a subconscious level that set Cooper's A Star is Born apart from not only its predecessors, but, for me, every other film in 2018.

Best Pictures #53: 2018 Academy Awards Best Picture Nominee: A Star is Born

by A.J.

Best Pictures #53: 2018 Academy Awards Best Picture Nominee

A Star is Born

“We’re Far From the Shallow Now”

I was skeptical when I saw the trailer for A Star is Born; it seemed like just a big budget vanity project for Bradley Cooper who stars, co-writes, directs, and sings. When I finally saw A Star is Born, I was more than pleasantly surprised. Before the credits rolled, this film had me so thoroughly entertained and moved, I knew this was the kind of experience I hope to have (and so rarely get) when I go to the movies.

This is the fourth version of A Star is Born. The previous versions were made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, 1954 with Judy Garland and James Mason, and 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. In 2018, Bradley Cooper plays Jackson Maine, an alt-country singer-songwriter who can still pack auditoriums but is deep into alcoholism and substance abuse. One night, at what Jackson is too drunk to realize is a drag bar, he meets a talented young waitress and singer named Ally played by Lady Gaga. He immediately recognizes her talent, invites her to his next concert, drags her out on stage to sing the song she sang for him the night before, and overnight, yes, a star is born.

The music in A Star is Born is good enough to justify the success of the fictional musicians. Jackson Maine’s songs are just the right blend of country and rock to have mass appeal. The break out hit from the soundtrack is “Shallow” sung by both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. It would be a complete and utter shock if it did not win the Oscar for Best Original Song. As a performer, Lady Gaga is famous for her over the top and outlandish theatrics that for me always distracted from her voice and music, which I quite enjoy. Here, her voice and skills as a songwriter are front and center. As an actress, she, unsurprisingly, has a great screen presence and proves that she is not just a musician trying to be a movie star. She is the emotional center of A Star is Born. We believe and never question her love and loyalty for Jackson despite his alcoholism. Lady Gaga's nomination for Best Actress is well earned. 

Bradley Cooper plays one of the most believable drunks I’ve seen on screen. When playing an alcoholic any actor or actress has the temptation to go for big showy scenes of sloppy behavior. Cooper, wisely, and more accurately, plays Jackson as someone that is a little drunk all the time. The people closest to Jackson as aren't worried about him flying off the handle as they are about keeping him on his feet. He remembers that alcohol is a depressant, so his outbursts are as sleepy as they are soul crushing and regrettably memorable. Sam Elliott turns in a great performance, of course, as Jackson’s older brother and is nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I found a particular delight in watching Andrew Dice Clay play Ally’s father because he is playing a character we so rarely see on film, a believable loving and supportive father.  

A Star is Born has picked up 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but shockingly Cooper did not receive a Best Director nomination. Retelling A Star is Born was a passion project for Cooper; he held on to the project until he was the right age to play Jackson Maine. Finding a compelling and engaging way to tell a story that has been told three times before is no easy feat. I watched all 3 previous versions recently and it is amazing how A Star is Born 2018 hits so many of the same beats, and even has the some of the same dialogue as the previous versions but does not feel like a tired rehash. The approach Cooper the director and cinematographer Matthew Libatique take toward the material makes every scene look and feel fresh even as we move down a familiar path. 

A Star is Born is something almost nonexistent today: a movie for grown-ups from a major studio. This film does not condescend to its audience and allows its characters to behave to like real people dealing with serious problems. This is a sentimental picture but that sentiment is earned. Jackson and Ally’s romance is believable because of the hard valleys we see them experience as well as the peaks. A darkness looms over Jackson, but Ally does what she can for him, and for herself, because that’s what you do for someone you love. A Star is Born works as love story, a drama, a fantasy and cautionary tale of stardom, and a story about substance abuse all wrapped up in a soundtrack of great music. Even if you know where the story is going it is so well executed that every moment and every emotion is still gripping and affecting. There may be another A Star is Born made 20 years from now, but I think this one will remain as the stand out.

Nominees: Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor, producers

Director: Bradley Cooper

Screenplay: Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters; based on A Star is Born by William A. Wellman and Robert Carson

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott

Production Companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Live Nation Productions, Gerber Pictures, Peters Entertainment, Joint Effort

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: October 5^th, 2018

Total Nominations: 8, including Best Picture

Other Nominations: Actor-Bradley Cooper; Actress-Lady Gaga; Supporting Actor-Sam Elliott; Adapted Screenplay-Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters; Cinematography-Matthew Libatique; Original Song-Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt for "Shallow"; Sound Mixing-Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic, Jason Ruder, Steven Morrow