Review of A Star Is Born (2018) by Hankwmardukas — 28 Nov 2018

An Open Letter to Dave Chappelle:

Dear Dave, My name is Hank Mardukas. You probably don’t know me. I am but a longtime fan of your work. I have been a fan of yours since I first saw Half Baked in my college dormitory. As we watched you asAn Open Letter to Dave Chappelle:

Dear Dave,.

My name is Hank Mardukas. You probably don’t know me. I am but a longtime fan of your work. I have been a fan of yours since I first saw Half Baked in my college dormitory. As we watched you as Thurgood have a conversation with yourself as “Sir Smokes-a-lot”, I said to my roommate Seven, “That guy right there… He is going to be a star”. Sure enough, it was written in the stars. I am writing you today concerning a disturbing quote I read from you regarding your new movie A Star Is Born. I saw in an interview after a screening at The Toronto International Film Festival a couple months back, you were quoted as saying A Star is Born was the first “good ass movie” you’ve been in. I sir, vehemently disagree with your modest analysis of your underrated acting career.

In my very first issue of THE PURITAN POST, I reviewed one of my all time favorite movies, You’ve Got Mail. You can go read for yourself, if you’d like, Dave, highly recommend it. Issue No. 1 of THE PURITAN POST. In this issue, I talk about how your performance in that film is one of the main contributing factors to its success. That, along with fantastic performances from its two leads as well as a smart and timeless script by the late, great Nora Ephron. But I digress. My point is, Mr. Chappelle, that you shouldn’t sell yourself short in your acting career.

This isn’t a knock against A Star is Born. It’s only like the fifth Oscar-Baity remake of A Star is Born to come out in the last century. I feel like that’s not that many. Bradley Cooper is only mildly cringeworthy in it, and no, it doesn’t kill me at all that this is the movie getting him awards buzz after deserving Oscars for stirring and emotional turns in both Silver Linings Playbook and American Sniper. These things don’t bother me, Dave. They don’t bother me at all. You’ve Got Mail isn’t your only good ass movie in this writer’s opinion. The aforementioned Half Baked is stoner comedy gold. Your performances in Con Air and Robin Hood: Men in Tights are both scene stealers. Chi-Raq isn’t Spike Lee’s best, but it’s solid, as are you in it. Finally, a film you wrote and starred in, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, directed by Michel Gondry, I believe to be one of the best documentaries ever made. You see, Mr. Chappelle, your acting career is full of good ass movies. In fact, I would contend that you almost exclusively make good ass movies. That is, aside from A Star is Born. Thanks for reading, Dave!


Sincerely, Hank W.