Lady Gaga is shutting down rumors that she and her “A Star Is Born” co-star and director Bradley Cooper are engaged in a real-life romance after a sultry performance of the Oscar-winning song “Shallow” during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.
When Gaga stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wednesday night to show off her Oscar trophy, the host brought up the topic we all wanted to hear about: “We were watching it at home and wondered, ‘What’s going on between these two?’”
“First of all, social media quite frankly is the toilet of the internet and what it has done to pop culture is abysmal,” she said after rolling her eyes.
“And yes, people saw love, and guess what, that’s what we wanted you to see. This is a love song … the movie is a love story.”
She highlighted how Cooper oversaw every detail of the performance, from the stagehands pushing out the piano on stage to the lighting.
“From a performance perspective it was so important to both of us that we were connected the entire time,” she said.
And if people saw romance in it? “I’m an artist and I guess we did a good job… fooled ya!” she laughed.
As good as Cooper’s directing skills are, his singing is what made Gaga truly gush. “Bradley is a musician,” she declared. “My favorite thing about the whole experience — I was so excited for everyone to see him sing live.”
Fresh off its Oscar win for Best Original Song, the acclaimed movie is returning to more than 1,150 theaters with 12 minutes of new footage starting this Friday.
The special “encore” edition of the film, directed and co-starring Bradley Cooper, contains extended performances of the songs “Black Eyes” and “Alibi,” as well as of Lady Gaga’s impromptu a cappella performance of the Oscar-winning “Shallow.”
Other fresh footage includes Ally singing “Is That Alright?” to Jackson Maine during the wedding sequence; Jack in his studio singing “Too Far Gone”; and Jack and Ally writing a new song called “Clover.”
“A Star Is Born” was a big hit after opening in October, earning $425.4M at the global box office. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Other Oscar winners are also returning to theaters. Best Picture winner “Green Book” will up its theater count to 2,641. Best Animated Feature winner “Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” will jump from 743 locations to 2,350. And “The Favourite,” starring Best Actress winner Olivia Colman, will go from 288 theaters to 725.
After years of falling ratings — and a historic low tally in 2018 — this year’s Oscars telecast scored a double-digit percentage increase in viewership over last year’s ceremony. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the broadcast notched 29.6 million viewers, which is up 11.5 percent from the 2018 event’s 26.54 million viewers.
As for ratings share, that also saw a significant increase versus 2018’s numbers. This year’s ceremony scored a 7.7 percent share, an increase of 13 percent from 2018’s 6.8 percent share.
Of course, as THR notes, those still aren’t great numbers, especially considering that the show is still rebounding from all-time low totals. But it’s a promising start for the Oscars, which weathered an insane amount of controversy in the lead-up to the broadcast, and still managed to pull off an exciting, breezy, and pretty unpredictable night of television.
While all the behind the scenes chaos probably did play a role in piquing audience curiosity, it probably didn’t hurt that several of the films up for the night’s biggest prizes were also huge hits, with devoted fan bases eager to tune in. And despite the controversy that’s still swirling today over the new Best Picture champ, we have a feeling that the Academy is probably pretty pleased with the overall results.
We’ll see if the sequel in 2020 can live up to 2019’s promise.
Even without a host, the 91st Academy Awards proved memorable — perhaps because it didn’t have a host. It was a ceremony filled with incredible musical numbers, thanks to the two of the nominated films. And host or not, the producers did a good job of pairing certain presenters together.
So, no, we didn’t miss a host. But maybe we did miss a sense this might’ve been a significant year in movies, despite the “unique talents” who presented the Best Picture nominees.
Hey, at least there wasn’t a “let’s surprise unsuspecting moviegoers” bit?
Queen’s Opening Number
“Bohemian Rhapsody” was already set to have a good night, as a frontrunner and eventual winner in multiple categories. But it cemented its status as one of the year’s most enjoyed (if not critically acclaimed) movies with an out-and-out rockin’ number by the new Queen, with original members Brian May and Roger Taylor and fronted by Adam Lambert in place of the late, incredibly great Freddie Mercury. Later on, Rami Malek won the Best Actor award for playing Mercury.
No matter what you might have to say about the movie, Queen’s songs are … amazing: We are the champions.
Did you know Spike Lee had never even been NOMINATED for an Oscar prior to this year? (In a competitive category)
Maybe you did know, since you are reading a movie website, but you might’ve forgotten over his three-decade career. Anyway, finally, he did get nominated, and wow, he finally (censored) won. Holy (more censored)! (Censored) yes!
And of course, he accepted his trophy in the most Spike Lee way possible, with a call to arms for all of us to “do the right thing.”
And … AND … of course, he did not hold back in his press room comments after his win:
(Footnote: Look up the Oscars for movies in the year 1989.)
“Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
For all the hullabaloo about which Original Songs would be sung at the Oscars, just like the “Categories That Will Be Presented During Commercial Breaks,” it ended up being mostly a non-issue. (Except: “All the Stars” from “Black Panther, but if Kendrick Lamar didn’t want to show up at the Grammys, why would he go to the Oscars).
But as lovely as the rendition of “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” was, just as expectedly wonderful was Jennifer Hudson’s “RBG” song “I’ll Fight,” this was “Shallow’s” to lose.
Still, Gaga and Cooper’s duet was beautifully emotional and breathtaking. There have been quite a few thinkpieces on what went wrong with this movie’s awards season-ing, but their performance sealed the “they wuz robbed” deal.
After Queen’s rousing opening number, the Oscars audience was treated to a delightful and sharp repartee among Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler.
“We are not your hosts but we’re gonna stand here a little too long so that the people who get USA Today tomorrow will think we hosted,” Fey joked.
Rudolph followed up, “There is no host tonight. There won’t be a popular movie category, and Mexico is not paying for the wall.”
But … why WEREN’T they our hosts? Fey and Poehler hosted the Golden Globes (to much acclaim) numerous times. Anyway, let’s the start the petition for them to host next year.
Excellently paired presenters
Look, we all know ABC has its own agenda for pairing presenters. But maybe because there wasn’t a host, the producers were extra careful about it this year because there were multiple pairing gems. Awkwafina and John Mulaney? Comedy gold. Even the super-obvious Disney/ABC/Marvel super-corporate plug of Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson? Delightful.
But no one can top Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry presenting Best Costume.
The fact that “Black Panther” was even nominated for Best Picture was a big deal. And sure, we would all have been partying like crazy if it had won. But at least we can toast to two historic wins: Ruth E. Carter became the first black person to win Best Costume Design and Hannah Beachler became the first black person to win Best Production Design. Both worked on “Black Panther.”
Wakanda forever.
Bette Midler, Queen
So, Midler is still one Oscar short of an EGOT. What can we do to remedy this?
This video has nothing to do with her performance of that “Mary Poppins” song on the Oscars, but like, seriously, can you watch this and not tear up:
Complete this woman’s EGOT!
No commercial break awards
Literally nobody (except for some people on the Academy’s board, maybe?) wanted awards shunted off to the commercials. Even though the Oscars have become a Big Television Spectacular, it started out and still is about craft. So, the joyous and delightful speeches from all the shorts winners reminded us that … hey, THIS IS ABOUT THE CRAFT OF MOVIEMAKING. But the most joyous and delightful of them all were the winners of Documentary Short, “Period. End of Sentence”:
“I’m not crying because I’m on my period — I can’t believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!”
An Iranian American won an #Oscar in the Best Documentery Short. Rayka Zehtabchi for “Period. End of Sentence.” pic.twitter.com/rmlC51jxBT
In a wide-open field at the 91st Academy Awards, the dramedy about an unlikely friendship between a white driver (Viggo Mortenson) and a black classical pianist (Mahershala Ali) won the top prize in movies.
“Green Book” was beset by controversy over its depiction of racism, but managed to overcome it. It also won Best Original Screenplay.
“We made this film with love, and we made it with tenderness and we made it with respect. It was all done under the direction of Pete Farrelly,” said producer Jim Burke.
Farrelly then took over the microphone: “It’s about loving each other despite our differences and finding out about who we are … The same people.”
In a sign that 2018’s movies divided Academy members as much as moviegoers, Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for “Roma,” seen as a heavy favorite for Best Picture before the ceremony.
The boundary-pushing, iconoclastic, and absolutely unique filmmaker Spike Lee won his first Oscar after a decades-long career. He took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his film “BlacKkKlansman.”
The movie was nominated for six awards, including Lee’s first as Best Director and Best Picture.
Lee gave an acceptance speech that was fiery and passionate as he’s been known to be. And it had a distinctly political bent.
“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize, let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right the thing! You Know I had to get that in there.”
The talent behind the scenes of “Black Panther” made history at the 2019 Oscars.
Ruth E. Carter became the first black person to win Best Costume Design and Hannah Beachler became the first black person to win Best Production Design. Both worked on “Black Panther.”
Their wins were not just a huge sign of support for the year’s biggest movies, but historic and a sign that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is changing.
Carter’s win was a long time coming, as she referenced in her acceptance speech.
“Wow, wow.. I got it. Wow, this has been a long time coming. Spike Lee, thank you for my start.”
She continued, “Marvel may have made the first black superhero, but through costume design we turned him into an African king.”
Beachler took time to effusively thank “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler.
“I stand here with agency and self-worth because of Ryan Coogler, who not only made me a better designer, a better storyteller, a better person.”
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel and Kevin Willmott) (WINNER)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins)
A Star Is Born (Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters and Eric Roth)
Best Original Screenplay
The Favourite (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara) First Reformed (Paul Schrader)
Green Book (Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga) (WINNER)
Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
Vice (Adam McKay)
BlacKkKlansman (Barry Alexander Brown)
Bohemian Rhapsody (John Ottman) (WINNER)
The Favourite (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)
Green Book (Patrick J. Don Vito)
Vice (Hank Corwin)
Best Cinematography
Cold War (Lukasz Zal)
The Favourite (Robbie Ryan)
Never Look Away (Caleb Deschanel)
Roma (Alfonso Cuaron) (WINNER)
A Star Is Born (Matty Libatique)
Best Production Design
Black Panther (Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart) (WINNER)
The Favourite (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton)
First Man (Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas)
Mary Poppins Returns (John Myhre and Gordon Sim)
Roma (Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez)
Best Costume Design
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Mary Zophres)
Black Panther (Ruth E. Carter) (WINNER)
The Favourite (Sandy Powell)
Mary Poppins Returns (Sandy Powell)
Mary Queen of Scots (Alexandra Byrne)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Border
Mary Queen of Scots
Vice (WINNER)
Best Visual Effects
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
First Man (WINNER)
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Best Original Score
Black Panther (Ludwig Goransson) (WINNER)
BlacKkKlansman (Terence Blanchard)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell)
Isle of Dogs (Alexandre Desplat)
Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman)
Best Original Song
“All the Stars,” “Black Panther”
“I’ll Fight,” “RBG”
“The Place Where Lost Things Go,” “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Shallow,” “A Star is Born” (WINNER)
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings,” “Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Best Sound Mixing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody (WINNER)
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born
Best Sound Editing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody (WINNER)
First Man
A Quiet Place
Roma
Best Documentary Short
Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence. (WINNER)
Best Animated Short
Animal Behavior
Bao (WINNER)
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends
The Oscars are reaching out beyond Hollywood to honor the best films of the year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 11 “unique talents” will introduce the Best Picture nominees throughout Sunday night’s ceremony. They are:
Chef José Andrés
Dana Carvey
Queen Latifah
Congressman John Lewis
Diego Luna
Musician Tom Morello
Mike Myers
Trevor Noah
Amandla Stenberg
Barbra Streisand
Serena Williams
“Movies connect us all,” Oscars producer Donna Gigliotti and director-producer Glenn Weiss said Wednesday in a statement. “They move us, and they create moments and memories that unite us. We are thrilled to assemble this well-known array of film lovers to introduce and share their reflections on the Best Picture-nominated movies.”
The Academy did not clarify who would introduce which films, but we can hazard a few guesses. Streisand will almost certainly introduce “A Star Is Born,” having headlined the 1976 version herself and previously bestowing her blessing on the Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s take. Some outlets are reporting that Williams will also speak about the romantic dramedy.
Luna, an actor originally from Mexico, seems a sure bet to introduce “Roma.” Congressman Lewis is likely to introduce “BlacKkKlansman”
And of course, Myers and Carvey must be having “Wayne’s World” reunion and introducing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is desperately trying to win back some public goodwill, after a disastrous few weeks of poor decision-making surrounding the Oscars telecast. And one way it’s hoping to mend some fences is by inviting a bunch of awesome people to serve as presenters at the ceremony.
This week, the Academy revealed another round of stars who will hand out awards at the Oscars, which will air without a host for the first time in 30 years. It remains to be seen how that choice will affect the broadcast, but at least the banter between presenters should be pretty solid, if this lineup is any indication.
The latest batch of presenters is:
Elsie Fisher, Danai Gurira, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Helen Mirren, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd, and Michelle Yeoh.
Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson, and Constance Wu.
The group from round two:
Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson.
And the previously snubbed — but thankfully finally invited — acting winners from last year:
