The Favourite

Theatrical release poster

The Favourite is a gorgeous and haunting 18th century period-piece detailing the love-power-friendship triangle between Anne, the Queen of England (played deliciously by Olivia Coleman), Sarah, her childhood friend and most trusted confidante (Rachel Weisz), and Abigail, the new variable to the story who tries to win the Queen’s favour (Emma Stone). 

The film is based on real events that occurred around 1706 during Britain’s controversial war with France over Spain’s succession. There are politics and power-plays all around the monarchy, but this story does well by focusing mainly on these three woman, each demonstrating incredible depth of character. Queen Anne is not well physically or mentally so she relies on Sarah to act as the leader of the government. Although she’s in a very vulnerable position, she still wields power over those around her as she still expects those around her to cater to her whims and desires. Olivia Coleman plays her beautifully, adding in the perfect amount of humor at the right times to bring a little levity to what could be a dark, dark movie. Rachel Weisz is stunning as Sarah who is loyal to her friend and lover (Anne), but who is weary of the constant struggle she presents. Emma Stone’s Abigail has lost her former-station in life and enters the castle as a scullery maid, but she’s Sarah’s cousin, which gives her an in and sets her into position to ally with Anne, squeezing Sarah out in the process. 

Olivia Coleman won The Favourite’s only Oscar, but the film was nominated for 10 awards, tying Roma for the most nominations of any film. Of course, Weisz and Stone were nominated for their grand supporting actress turns. I’m surprised that it didn’t win for Costume or Production Design, or even Best Screenplay. However, The Favourite was a clear favourite at the BAFTAs, taking home seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Weisz), Best Screenplay and Costume Design among them.

This was an excellent film, as the plethora of awards indicates, and it was one of my top 2 or 3 picks for the Best Picture Oscar this year. But the field was very close this year and I couldn’t decide. The three starring ladies stole the show for sure! I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves a great character study, especially when based on real people and events. You won’t regret watching it! The Favourite is rated R and can be purchased on DVD or viewed on streaming services.

A Star Is Born (Review)

Theatrical release poster

A Star is Born is the third remake of the original movie from 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Names and settings change, of course, but the message is so timeless that this story has resonated with audiences for over 80 years. After the original film, each of the remakes have been musicals, including this rendition. 

A Star is Born tells the story of Jackson (Bradley Cooper), a musician and singer nearing the end of a successful career, who discovers the talented Ally (Lady Gaga) and not only helps boost her career to stardom, but falls in love with her in the process. They have their ups and downs as a couple and career-wise as Ally’s star is shooting up fast but Jackson’s is fading perhaps even faster. Eventually, Jackson turns back to alcohol to cope which ends up threatening their marriage and diminishing some of the light from Ally’s career. Like the three other movies of the same name before, things end tragically for Jackson and Ally, but not before they establish that theirs is a great love story for the ages. 

This film surprised me because it showed a different side to its stars, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. This was Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut and what an amazing freshman outing! Although he didn’t win any major awards this time, he was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for directing. His acting didn’t surprise me. I’ve seen what he can do in other movies like American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. But this man can sing, too! He’s definitely got talent by the buckets-full. Conversely, everyone knows Lady Gaga can sing, but she was amazing in this stunning debut. Both Bradley and Lady Gaga were nominated for Best Leading Actor/Actress awards from the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG, arguably the top most prestigious awards in the film industry. 

A Star is Born won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Shallow,” a duet by Cooper and Gaga, which also won them Golden Globes and BAFTA awards. Besides the dynamic duo of Cooper and Gaga, Sam Elliot was recognized with many award nominations for Best Supporting Actor as well. Suffice it to say, this movie is teaming with talent!


This movie is romantic and funny and tragic all at once - all the ingredients for a great movie right in one place! Seriously, I highly recommend this for a movie with your sweetie or just with some wine. The chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga will melt the rest of your world away as you watch their magic. A Star is Born is rated R and available on DVD and streaming services as well. Go see it! You’ll be glad you did!

Metropolis - Science Fiction and Social Justice Pioneer

Original 1927 theatrical release poster

Metropolis is considered by many a pioneer in science fiction motion pictures. It was the first feature-length film of the genre, released in 1927 as a silent movie, directed by German filmmaker, Fritz Lang. The story takes place in the future (2026) in an urban dystopia, Metropolis, where there is a great divide between the wealthy upper class and the working lower class. The film tells how Freder (played by Gustav Fröhlich), the wealthy son of the city’s leader, and Maria (played by Brigitte Helm), an inspirational leader of the working class, work together to bridge the gap between the divided classes. 

According to Patrick McGilligan, author of Fritz Lang: The Nature of the Beast, although Metropolis received mixed reviews when it was released, the main criticisms were of the film’s long length and its basic, simplistic plot. However, the film was celebrated for its stunning visuals and groundbreaking special effects. Metropolis filmmakers employed innovative techniques to achieve the acclaimed special effects and visuals. They used a complex grouping of mirrors to make miniature-sized sets seem larger than life around the actors as they performed many of the city scenes. Another technique saw filmmakers filming shot after shot of the glowing rings surrounding the robot as it comes to life. Those shots were then superimposed on each other up to 30 times in order to achieve the desired look of an aura of rings of energy constantly moving around the robot. Visual effects this complex were unheard of up to this point.

In addition to the film’s technical achievements, the overall theme of the film is as timeless as it is important: class disparity, or the growing gap between the upper class and the lower class of society, only leads to conflict and destruction. The “haves” cannot simply ignore and abandon the “have-nots” of the world and expect society as a whole to flourish. This cautionary tale for social justice is particularly applicable in the United States right now as the middle-class has been steadily shrinking in the past 30 years, while the top 1% of the rich get richer, and the number of families in poverty is increasing accordingly. Respected American film critic, Roger Ebert, noted that "Metropolis is one of the great achievements of the silent era, a work so audacious in its vision and so angry in its message that it is, if anything, more powerful today than when it was made." 

In 2010, Metropolis ranked 12th in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema." In 2000, it ranked second in a list of “The 100 Greatest Films of the Silent Era.”  In 2012, the British Film Institute called Metropolis the 35th-greatest film of all time. Metropolis can be viewed on Amazon Prime starting at $2.99.

BlacKKKlansman (Review)

Theatrical release poster

BlacKKKlansman is the incredible true story of a black police officer who goes undercover and infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. For a movie about such a dark subject, it’s uproariously funny. I was laughing pretty much throughout the whole movie. 

BlacKKKlansman is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, played beautifully by relative Hollywood newcomer, John David Washington. Set in Colorado Springs, CO, in the early 1970’s, the hero of the story, Ron, becomes the first African American police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department. At that time, racism is rampant throughout the department, and Stallworth struggles to find a way to make a name for himself. Eventually, he is tasked to go undercover at a rally put on by the local college which featured a popular speaker spreading the message of racial equality. It is at this rally that Ron meets Patrice (played by Laura Harrier from Spiderman: Homecoming), the leader of the college’s Black Student Organization, who becomes his romantic interest for the duration of the film. Back at the office, Ron decides to answer a newspaper ad that is covertly recruiting members to the Ku Klux Klan. After talking over the phone to one of the members, he’s asked to meet in person to start the vetting process to become a member. Ron recruits Detective Flip Zimmerman, played by the marvelous Adam Driver, to be the frontman of the operation while Ron spends time on the phone drawing them out. Eventually, Ron ends up striking up a fake-friendship with David Dukes, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Through that friendship, Ron (through Flip) is asked to become the leader of the Colorado Springs KKK chapter. Eventually, violence erupts and covers are blown, but not before Ron and Flip gather quite a body of evidence, enough to close down the local chapter and put some people in jail. Ron and Flip, but especially Ron, is hailed as a hero by his police department and with Flip’s help, he’s even able to put away several of the most racist, crooked cops in his department.

Spike Lee and the cast did a great job of balancing out this film, contrasting edge of your seat suspense with side-splitting humor. It’s such a dark subject, and this movie doesn’t dance around that fact at all. But it does accentuate the humor in an underdog totally pulling one over on the establishment. And the romance with Patrice did a great job of demonstrating the duality of Ron’s life that he was living at the time.  

BlacKKKlansman received 6 Academy Award nominations: Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director (legendary Spike Lee), Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver), and Best Film Editing. It won Best Adapted Screenplay, as it was based on the book written by Ron Stallworth himself, Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime.

I enjoyed this movie so much, it may just be my favorite out of the 8 Best Picture nominees this year. Ron Stallworth has been added to my list of heroes for sure. BlacKKKlansman should be added to your must-see movie list! The film is rated R and out on DVD and streaming services now. Go get it!

1980's Music Revolution - The Sony Walkman

Image by fernando zhiminaicela via Pixabay

The 1980’s was a big decade for the music industry. Several very important products came out using cutting edge technology that shaped the future of the music industry. For example, the four-track cassette recorder, called the “Portastudio,” brought multitrack recording to the home studio, something that was very cost prohibitive before, thus ushering in a revolution in independent music. Other technological advances came at the hands of the Akai S900 Sampler, which expanded hip-hop and electronic beat-making possibilities, and also the Commercial Compact Disk, or CD’s, which upon release in 1982 had storage capacity far greater than a personal computer’s hard drive. The product having the biggest impact on the future of music for consumers was the Sony Walkman.

The Walkman came out in July of 1979 and provided consumers with “a convenient, fashionable way to make an already portable innovation even more portable,” according to Rolling Stone Magazine. People no longer needed to be bogged down with large, heavy boom boxes. Now they could make a statement with their slim, lightweight, fashionable (the original was blue), and portable cassette player. Since the Walkman was too large to fit in a pocket, it became a fashion statement representing a hip lifestyle choice to have your Walkman clipped onto your belt or jacket pocket.

The Walkman changed the way people in our society interacted with one another. Once a person put on their headphones in a public place, they symbolically closed out the rest of the world, thus ushering in what Rolling Stone referred to as “an era of casually neglecting passersby on streets, buses and in airplanes.” The Sony Walkman was “the first popular invention to create a dynamic in which - for better or worse - social participation and interaction took a backseat to personal enjoyment,” according to a Vogue article on technology that changed music.

This highly individualized music experience made a person’s Walkman much more personal (think child/special blanket). The Walkman was marketed as a form of self-expression and personal identity. Without this magnetically strong draw between a person and their Walkman, the personal audio player may never have broken out as successfully as it did.

Sony claims to have sold over 400 million Walkman devices. They were hugely successful for a time. But technology is always moving forward. Eventually the CD took the place of cassettes and then music turned to digital formatting, ushering in the era of the iPod, which turned out to be even more successful than Sony’s Walkman. Now that cell phones are so small, many people don’t even carry a separate music playing device. Instead they stream their music using their phones, bypassing the digital download altogether.

What’s the next step? Let me know your future prediction in the comments!

Image by wikipedia via Pixabay

Entertainment Weekly and the Evolution of Print

Entertainment Weekly (EW) published its first print magazine in February of 1990. Today, EW boasts over 22 million consumers of its digital media, more than double the 9 million print consumers. EW covers topics such as movies, music, television, Broadway theater, books, and pop culture. Its digital audience is mainly Generation X and Millennials, including those who are somewhat tech savvy and who tend to be budget conscious and environmentally aware. 

While the EW print magazine is among the most popular magazines in the United States, the publication’s digital media (mainly its website) offers many features that cannot be found in the hard copy itself, including breaking news and exclusive content. 

Although EW is published weekly, we, as entertainment consumers, don’t always want to wait around that long for a story. So being able to break a story in real-time on the EW website is invaluable. For example, the Oscars will be handed out this upcoming Sunday evening. Who would want to wait a week or two to find out who wins in this day and age? I personally won’t be able to watch the Oscars, but you can bet that I’ll be checking the EW website for up to the minute results and behind the scenes coverage throughout the evening.  

Besides breaking news, the EW website is able to offer consumers exclusive content that is not in their print edition. With virtually unlimited space in the digital arena, EW offers readers many more photos, including behind the scenes photos of movies and tv shows, more interview, photo shoot, and candid photos of celebrities and their lives and work. Videos are, of course, impossible in print media, so being able to share movie trailers, outtakes, acceptance speeches and other content in video format via the EW website is an important expansion beyond print editions.  

The EW website is able to personalize the reader’s experience in ways that print never could. Readers are invited to sign up for daily emails in different categories of their choosing. They can pick from emails regarding movies, television, books, and more. At the end of each article, EW gives recommendations on other content that a person might be interested in, based on the article they just finished. Also, everyone gets an opportunity to pick a response emoji to show how they feel about the article (similar to facebook’s choices on posts). Further, readers can give their input on each story via the comments section found at the bottom of each article. 

EW website consumers tend to be just slightly younger than EW print consumers. The millennials are more accustomed to getting most, if not all, of their news and information from the internet since that’s how they’ve done their schoolwork since they were young. However, older consumers often prefer to hold a physical magazine in their hands, since that’s more what they’re used to doing. 

Eventually, Entertainment Weekly will have to stop producing its print magazines. As most things do, ultimately, that decision will boil down to money. As the earth’s environment is depleted of its resources, trees will become scarce. This will drive up the price of paper, and, with increasing prices and more and more people turning to digital media, it will not be cost-effective to print EW magazine, or most other magazines that are not highly specialized or play a critical role for society in general. Until then, enjoy your Entertainment Weekly magazine using whichever method you feel most comfortable with, print or digital.  

About Me

Hello friends!

My name is Sarah Watters and I’ll be your host here at Red Carpet Review.  If you’re looking for a
fashion blog, you’re in the wrong place.  Here, I want to talk about movies, specifically, movies that
are critically-acclaimed.  Movies who might be nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards,
and maybe even People’s Choice Awards.  I’ll also be discussing actors, directors, and all that goes
into making a production for the big screen.  

Why would I want to do that, you might ask… Like so many others before me, I secretly want to be
a movie critic - an actual Movie Critic.  That seems like a dream job, right up there with food or
restaurant critic and sports car tester.  My husband I are both movie buffs together.  We agree on
a lot of things, but we don’t always agree on what constitutes a decent movie.  Over the last few
years we’ve become sort of movie-snobs, for lack of a better term.  We’ve started seeking out movies

that have won awards, been nominated for awards, or have created award-buzz at least. We still see

many other movies - there is not a Marvel movie that I have not seen at least twice -

but we go out of our way to seek out the critically-acclaimed ones.

Besides being a wife, I am a mom, a sister, a daughter, a grandmother, friend, student, perfectionist,
activist, and, of course, all-around movie buff!  I like many different genres of movies including (but
not limited to, I assure you) comedy, drama, romance, rom-com, superhero, action, mystery,
adventure, western, foreign, documentary, musical, family, award-worthy, award-repellent, sci-fi,
biopics, blockbusters, flops, independent, and more!

Grab your popcorn and let’s talk movies!