November 30, 2018

"Lady Gaga’s ‘Shallow’ From ‘A Star Is Born’ Looks Unbeatable for Best Original Song."

A headline I'm blogging only because the first 2 posts of the day suggest the theme is "shallow." I googled the word "shallow," and until just now I had no idea it was the title of song that is phenomenally popular right now.

The linked article has something like a spoiler about this movie I don't care about:
But the biggest story about “Shallow” is how it evolved from a song about drowning and transcendence into the powerful anthem about love and filling the void personally and professionally. “Gaga was writing from the standpoint of Ally as an end credit song, because in the original script Bradley’s character drowns,” said co-writer Mark Ronson.
So... if you're in water, drowning, but it's shallow water... stand up and walk out. But I'm reading the lyrics, and "shallow" appears in only in the negative: "I'm off the deep end... We're far from the shallow now."

24 comments:

Henry said...

Vaults
Plunges
Drowns

The "plunges" in Marooned on Love Island is echoed darkly by "drowns" in a Star is Born.

* * *

And garnered, for once, gets a pass.

rhhardin said...

Austalian folk singer Penelope Swales has Swallow, that I like.
player at top of page

https://penelopeswales.bandcamp.com/track/swallow

Ralph L said...

in the original script Bradley’s character drowns,” said co-writer Mark Ronson.

In the new version of movie, he doses himself with gasoline and fails to get his lighter to work.

Ralph L said...

Off-brand lighter.
crap.

rhhardin said...

Swales is a lawyer.

rhhardin said...

Swales follows Bernard Bolan in folk and law.

Dave Begley said...

Green Book is a better movie.

A Star is Born is way over-hyped.

Hollywood needs some new content, say, a super great comedy shot in Omaha.

Leland said...

It is still a shame that "Remember Me" from Coco beat any song from The Greatest Showman, which not only had memorable songs but had the number 1 selling album for several months. Alas, The Greatest Showman was about P.T. Barnum, so couldn't be allowed to win anything, while Coco is another slapdash Disney product from OMG its Pixar, which hasn't been the same since most creative talent was fired and replaced by H1B visa holders "doing the job Americans supposedly won't do".

WK said...

Mark Ronson has an interesting background. Produced a few songs with Amy Winehouse.
From NPR site:

Ronson grew up in the music world. His stepfather Mick Jones co-founded the band Foreigner, and wrote its hit "I Want To Know What Love Is" for Ronson's mother.

Ronson was born in London, but his family moved to New York when he was 8. He says he was allowed to hang out in the studio with Foreigner, and that sometimes Jones would bounce ideas off of him. Jones would come home the same time Ronson was leaving for school.

tcrosse said...

Hollywood needs some new content, say, a super great comedy shot in Omaha.

Something heteronormative, verging on dystopian

Ann Althouse said...

"And garnered, for once, gets a pass."

I saw it, but just declined to clutter the post with saying that I saw it. And look, I've got you seeing it, so maybe my work is done.

hombre said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

My wife and I went to see A Star Is Born, but it was sold out, so we saw Bohemian Rhapsody instead. Then the next night we saw A Star is Born.

Both of us liked Bohemian Rhapsody much more. Neither of us is a Queen fan. This movie simply was a better movie.

A Star Is Born lasts 2:15 hours. About a half-hour should have been cut out.

Lady Gaga acted superbly. She has a very compelling screen-presence.

Mike Sylwester said...

hombre at 9:08 AM
Like Deadpool, however, it is a vehicle for the “f-word.” Unnecessary and off-putting.

I agree with this criticism of A Star Is Born. The f-word is in the dialogue at least 100 times.

hombre said...

(Revised from earlier) I saw the movie and enjoyed it. The lead actors were excellent, although white. Like Deadpool, however, it is a vehicle for the “f-word.” Unnecessary and off-putting.

Mike Sylwester said...

A couple days ago, I watched the 1972 movie Man of La Mancha for the first time in my life.

It is one of the best movies I ever have seen in my life.

rhhardin said...

I liked Deadpool. Deadpool II was too awful to watch. The script was in on the joke, which was not true in the original.

SeanF said...

...co-writer Mark Ronson.

That's co-writer of the song, not co-writer of the movie. Threw me for a second because I thought it meant the movie (since the quote made explicit reference to the script), and was surprised that the "Uptown Funk" guy was apparently a screenwriter.

But he's not, so I'm not confused anymore.

Wince said...

And the winner is...

Harvey Weinstein, for Best Original "Score".

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

I love the word sparrow (in fact I even like it as a first name) but hate the words shallow and swallow. Weird, hunh?

tim in vermont said...

“White liberals may unwittingly draw on negative stereotypes, dumbing themselves down in a likely well-meaning, ‘folksy,’ but ultimately patronizing, attempt to connect with the outgroup,” argues the paper, titled “Self-Presentation in Interracial Settings: The Competence Downshift by White Liberals.”...

This has been an observation made by countless conservative blog commenters.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Jennifer Lawrence played Sparrow. She’s an actress, so some think she is Shallow. Does she swallow? Asking for a friend...

Bill Peschel said...

"Does she swallow? Asking for a friend"

Judging by the leaked photos, no, but that may have been a choice on the part of the [strike]director[/strike] partner.

Agree about Deadpool 2, although it did have some good scenes.

"Hollywood needs some new content, say, a super great comedy shot in Omaha. "

Thanks to the NYT magazine, we got started on Melissa McCarthy's movies shot by her production company in Atlanta. "Tammy" was a pretty good road movie with Susan Sarandon, about a deplorable woman (obviously trailer park trash, working at a hamburger joint) and how she grows up.

Now we're moving on to "The Boss" where she plays a different type of woman, a polished Martha Stewart businesswoman. Ever since "Spy" (one of the great comedies, in my opinion), she's becoming one of my favorite comic actresses.

Fritz said...

tim in vermont said...
“White liberals may unwittingly draw on negative stereotypes, dumbing themselves down in a likely well-meaning, ‘folksy,’ but ultimately patronizing, attempt to connect with the outgroup,” argues the paper, titled “Self-Presentation in Interracial Settings: The Competence Downshift by White Liberals.”...

This has been an observation made by countless conservative blog commenters.


I have the same reaction to liberals.