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‘A Star Is Born’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Sean Fennessey

February 11, 2019 · A Star Is Born (2018) · Drama · Music · Romance · 1:32:48

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 28:34Agrees with the discussion, particularly endorses 'I'll Always Remember Us This Way' song and shares anecdote about Instagram engagement from posting the Super A grocery store location
Bill Simmons▶ 27:22Agrees 'Shallow' performance is the clear winner ('one of the best seven minutes of this century'), then discusses multiple runner-ups: drag bar scene, 'Maybe It's Time' performance, parking lot scene, Gaga's first song on stage, Cooper-Elliott fight, 'I'll Always Remember Us This Way', Grammy scene, and final Cooper-Elliott scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 27:18The performance of 'Shallow' by far is the most rewatchable scene, also highlights the cop bar flirting scene as 'one of the great flirting scenes in the history of movies'

What's Aged the Worst

Amanda Dobbins▶ 50:54Agrees on Dave Chappelle scene problems and the pop transformation issues, noting both the bad song and visual transformation from piano-based musician to generic pop star with choreography
Bill Simmons▶ 47:33The second hour being a grind compared to the first hour, the Dave Chappelle scene feeling unmotivated despite good performance, the bad pop song 'Why Did You Do That', and questioning whether Jackson had to kill himself in such an explicit way
Sean Fennessey▶ 52:21Agrees on the Dave Chappelle scene issues and discusses how the movie doesn't show Ally's artistic transformation convincingly - cuts from good songs to the bad pop performance without showing the sellout process

Casting What-Ifs

Amanda Dobbins▶ 55:52Tom Cruise — Discusses Tom Cruise could work as washed up pop star if music aspect figured out, questions clarity of film's music orthodoxy decisions
Bill Simmons▶ 55:22Tom Cruise — Discusses various casting alternatives including Tom Cruise as 'biggest travesty' for Jackson Maine role, Cooper-Beyonce pairing, and Andrew Dice Clay being selected over De Niro/Turturro/Travolta
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:56Beyoncé — Beyonce can't act - cites Dreamgirls, Carmen hip hopper, Austin Powers 3 as evidence she would have been naturally stilted in the role

Dion Waiters Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 59:05Andrew Dice Clay
Bill Simmons▶ 59:26Andrew Dice Clay
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:18Andrew Dice Clay

Half-Assed Internet Research

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:01:49Corrected the 'no makeup' claim, explaining Lady Gaga used 'no makeup makeup' technique with basic foundation for filming under lights, not truly barefaced
Bill Simmons▶ 59:31Provided filming locations: Coachella for opening scenes, The Virgil for Blue Blue drag bar, Super A Foods in Glassville Park for supermarket scene, The Greek for Ally's debut song, Jackson Maine's home in Montanito/Calabasas sold for $2M
Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:20Bradley Cooper had full body spray tan daily and menthol around eyes to look bloodshot; Lady Gaga remained barefaced with only lip balm and moisturizer; Cooper spent a year learning to lower his voice by a full octave
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:50The Shortstop was the cop bar location; Cooper says '11 elegant elephants' 100 times before performing as vocal exercise from The Elephant Man training

Apex Mountain

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:10:01Started to say it was personal apex mountain but was corrected that apex mountain is objective, then didn't give a clear position
Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:55Bradley Cooper — Yes for Bradley Cooper - 'It's the apex of his crowd. I would say a thousand percent.' For Lady Gaga, tentative yes if she wins Best Actress, otherwise probably earlier in her career
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:56Lady Gaga — Tentative yes for Lady Gaga - credits her with the movie's success and international appeal, mobilizing her fan base. '1000% yes' if she wins the Oscar

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:44Anthony Ramos — Anthony Ramos (Gaga's gay friend who comes to the concert with her)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:11:23Ron Rifkin — Ron Rifkin (the old guy that Bradley Cooper talks to when he goes into rehab)

Best Quote

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:21:28Just want to take another look at you (acknowledges it's from the franchise but used nicely)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:14If I was no good, then why'd you steal my fucking voice? You have nothing to fucking say.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:59All you got to do is trust me (what he says before pulling her on stage)

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:23:00Detailed how the Grammy urination incident would play out over multiple days - internet meltdown, biggest Twitter moment ever, followed by substance abuse discussion backlash, patriarchy angles, and month-long media saga
Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:14Why didn't Bradley Cooper ever admit that he's doing an Eddie Vedder impersonation?
Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:42How big of a deal would it have been in real life if Jackson Maine pissed all over himself on stage at the Grammys?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:50Discussed the hypothetical impact at The Ringer if Jackson Maine urinated himself at the Grammys - would require emergency podcast coverage

Who Won the Movie

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:26:01Bradley Cooper — Agrees with Cooper choice, emphasizing the difficulty and risk of the star-director combination that paid off
Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:24Bradley Cooper — Bradley Cooper - 'I also vote for Cooper cause I think as actors, I think it's equal, but then the fact that he also directed it and conceived it and fought for Lady Gaga and all that stuff. This is a pretty easy one for me.'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:25:17Bradley Cooper — Bradley Cooper - 'I've been saying Cooper forever. It's Cooper. I mean, who now has a more anticipated follow up on his next movie than Bradley Cooper?'

Movies Referenced (27)

The Hangover (2009)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 14:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reality Bites (1994)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Sniper (2014)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 15:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 3:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dances with Wolves (1990)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:26:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 14:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Limitless (2011)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 15:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Panther (2018)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Green Book (2018)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 2:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phantom Thread (2017)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Play Misty for Me (1971)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wedding Crashers (2005)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 14:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Clint Eastwood

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 16:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Todd Phillips

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Joker, Due Date, Old School▶ 24:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gavin O'Connor

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Accountant, Pride and Glory▶ 1:28:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 12:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 24:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David O. Russell

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for American Hustle, Three Kings, Silver Linings Playbook▶ 18:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alfonso Cuarón

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Gravity, Children of Men▶ 1:32:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ruby Stillwater

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 1:26:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (49)

Bradley Cooper

72 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Star Is Born, Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper▶ 1:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lady Gaga

47 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Star Is Born, House of Gucci▶ 5:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dave Chappelle

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for A Star Is Born▶ 47:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Vedder

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Into the Wild, Big Fish▶ 11:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Rock

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Top Five, The Longest Yard▶ 9:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Elliott

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for A Star Is Born, The Hero, Hulk▶ 28:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Dice Clay

7 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Blue Jasmine, A Star Is Born▶ 35:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peg Christopherson

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 9:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rami Malek

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bohemian Rhapsody▶ 1:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 55:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 54:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barbra Streisand

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Funny Girl▶ 19:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Leonard Bernstein

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for West Side Story▶ 1:28:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam McKay

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Don't Look Up, The Other Guys, Vice▶ 1:07:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joan Didion

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for A Star Is Born▶ 8:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗