1) "Hard Eight" (1996) - Fun, bouncy little pseudo-noir, the kind of movie you stay awake for on Showtime at 3 a.m., and wake up the next day, flipping through your cable guide, trying to find out what the name of it was. Quirky, pleasing take on the theme of surrogate families/parents.
2) "Boogie Nights" (1997) - Enjoyable, if overlong, conscious widescreen epic. In a rise-and-fall-of, look-at-specific-era-of-American-culture sorta way. Again, surrogate families/parents, by way of "Nashville". The world of porno gone "GoodFellas". The guys I went to film school with at the time claimed that the final scene even TIMED OUT to the same length as DeNiro's closing mirror monologue in "Raging Bull".
3) "Magnolia" (1999) - "Parents need to be nicer to their kids. We all need to be nicer to each other". NO SHIT. Julianne Moore: "fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck... FUCK..."
4) "Punch Drunk Love" (2002) - A quirky, edgy, tense, full-to-its-psychological-brim take on modern love. The sad, frustrated loser beneath Adam Sandler's "Waterboy" routine... OK, cool. When you come up with the SECOND DRAFT of the script, it should be exactly what all the critics were wetting their panties over.
You guys?
― absolute skittles, Monday, 28 April 2003 18:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― hstencil, Monday, 28 April 2003 18:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nick A. (Nick A.), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― absolute skittles, Monday, 28 April 2003 19:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― chaki (chaki), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
amen, brotha! It sickens me, as a film geek, to see the magazines and critics and such hailing some guy with 2 credits under his belt as the "next Kubrick, next Scorsese"... hell, the "next Tarantino, even". Perhaps the long-range effects will be akin to strangling an artist's precious room for growth, for change, for risk-taking, for DARING to make a film that doesn't have the same "razzle-dazzle" as his/her "last one". It's a cliche, but it's true: Go back and look at the very first films of many old-time directors: See how many of THOSE feature glimpses of the directorial style/genius those people would come to be known for. Yet, on the basis of today's critics/hipsters/audiences, Hitchcock would be a horrible failure -- after all, he didn't really hit a stylistic "stride" until after a decade or so into his career.
― absolute skittles, Monday, 28 April 2003 19:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
the context in which directors like walsh, ford, hitchcock, etc. honed their skills doesn't exist any more. hollywood simply doesn't make as many films anymore, so there's less chance for directors to apprentice on low-risk pictures. also because of the whole culture of film schools and film buffs, there are 1000x more prospective directors, all of whom feel like they need to make a name for themself. So there's a repertory of "impressive" effects that they employ to do so. PTA has mastered these effects with admirable thoroughness and has even gone beyond them. But i still think he fits into that watch-what-I-can-do culture.
if the opporunity for apprenticeship exists it's in television. but directors who move from television are often ridiculed.
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ryan, Monday, 28 April 2003 19:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ryan, Monday, 28 April 2003 20:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
He's definitely indulgent (someone needs to tell him that Philip Baker Hall isn't as great an actor as PTA seems to think), and it's unfortunate that he's determined to put some Mamet in with his Altman. But I'm glad to see someone is doing something with the Altman-esque form, ESPECIALLY if he uses actors like Phil Hoffman and John C. Reilly.
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 28 April 2003 21:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― JesseFox (JesseFox), Monday, 28 April 2003 21:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
yeah it was a melodrama but it was so honest in its misery and meloncholy, and so difficult to watch it, the frogs seemed to be nessecary to alleviate the tension.
― anthony easton (anthony), Monday, 28 April 2003 21:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 21:52 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ryan, Monday, 28 April 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
amateurist=the film Geir? ;)
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
strangely, the first thing that comes to mind is the laughable scene in "Dressed to Kill" where the black thugs at the train station exist solely to menace Nancy Allen and chase after her purty lil' white booty... i.e. their blackness is used as shorthand for "menacing strangers"... and this from a guy who howls at reruns of "All in the Family", okay!
― absolute skittles, Monday, 28 April 2003 22:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― anthony easton (anthony), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ryan, Monday, 28 April 2003 22:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 28 April 2003 22:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:12 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:35 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
god that is so ILM
― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
it's been around for like six hours dude.
― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:52 (twenty-one years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
At least he's better than Aronofsky, imo, who is even more entrenched in flashy filmschooly formalism at the expensive of character development.
― Vic, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 03:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 04:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
hah expense, sorry
― Vic, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 04:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
something about tarkovsky's supa long takes makes them more tolerable. i think its because they seem to be just images with a real aesthetic quality to them, whereas bela tarr just had very long shots of people walking, for like, 7 minutes. sometimes it owkred, but as i got more tired, i got less patient. and it seemed to be underlong in some places: the point where the looters find the old man in the bath could have dwwelt a bit longer on the scene...
― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 08:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
WTF?? There are only six or seven threads (!) and at least three of them are just me waffling about nothing. I'm not sure if Amateurist is being funny when he gets like this. Or is he just 1 BIG hata? :p
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 09:09 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 09:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 09:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 09:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 June 2004 16:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 June 2004 16:39 (nineteen years ago) link
uk ilxors, magnolia is on ch. 4 tonight, 11pm.
― cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 29 August 2004 18:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― henry miller, Friday, 7 January 2005 12:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― papa november (papa november), Friday, 7 January 2005 12:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― peepee (peepee), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― peepee (peepee), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― henry miller, Friday, 7 January 2005 14:41 (nineteen years ago) link
So now then...
http://www.ptanderson.com/featurefilms/magnolia/articlesandinterviews/magessay.htm
― peepee (peepee), Friday, 7 January 2005 14:46 (nineteen years ago) link
Boogie Nights and Magnolia are both overweening Grand Statements -- saying what, I couldn't tell you. Tho the frogs ALMOST saved Magnolia.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link
but the vvv enjoyable scorsese-altman fest 'boogie nights' is not a big statement. it's just a lot of fun.
― henry miller, Friday, 7 January 2005 16:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 7 January 2005 16:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― henry miller, Friday, 7 January 2005 16:21 (nineteen years ago) link
PDF of new Esquire feature on PTA's early years: http://www.cigarettesandredvines.com/news/?p=197
― caek, Friday, 19 September 2008 00:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Nice read!
― Nhex, Friday, 19 September 2008 05:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Good! I haven't actually read it myself yet.
― caek, Friday, 19 September 2008 10:12 (fifteen years ago) link
Is there a 'There will be blood' thread on here? Finally saw this the other day and I need the ILE assessment.
― sam500, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 01:18 (fifteen years ago) link
for starters:
daniel day lewis is the most important person in the world
― pro bowl was fun (omar little), Tuesday, 24 February 2009 01:21 (fifteen years ago) link
anticiapte "There Will Be Blood" by paul thomas anderson
― meme economist (special guest stars mark bronson), Tuesday, 24 February 2009 01:21 (fifteen years ago) link
cheerz. need to brush up on my searching technique.
― sam500, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 01:22 (fifteen years ago) link
Paul Thomas Anderson set to shoot his Scientology film
Paul Thomas Anderson set to shoot his Scientology film Paul Thomas Anderson, director of Magnolia and Boogie Nights, is set to start shooting a movie about a science fiction author who founds a religion. Called his "untitled Scientology film," it will star Philip Seymour Hoffman as the "master."
This movie, nicknamed The Master by fans, has been in the works for a while and has had a number of cool actors attached. But now the Cigarettes and Red Vines blog has gotten confirmation from Anderson himself that the movie starts shooting soon. Anybody who has seen Magnolia - with that scene where the motivational speaker character screams, "RESPECT the COCK!" - knows that Anderson's the right director to do this thing.
The Playlist got its hands on an early script for the movie, and reports:
"The Master" is the story of a charismatic intellectual (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who hatches a faith-based organization that begins to catch on in America in 1952 called The Cause. The core dynamic centers on the relationship between The Master and Freddie Sutton, (would be absolutely perfect for Paul Dano) an aimless twenty-something drifter and alcoholic who eventually becomes the leader's loyal lieutenant. As the faith begins to gain a fervent following, Freddie finds himself questioning the belief system he has embraced, and his mentor.
Apparently there are enough parallels between the life story of L. Ron Hubbard and the "master" character to make it abundantly obvious what this movie is about. Even though, for legal reasons, you won't hear the S-word mentioned.
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 17 July 2010 04:06 (thirteen years ago) link
(would be absolutely perfect for Paul Dano)
ok so this sez exactly what the dynamic must be btwn the characters and wants it to be twbb 2 i guess
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 17 July 2010 04:07 (thirteen years ago) link
I am stoked for this!
― could be a bad day for (Abbott), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:07 (thirteen years ago) link
I hope there is a Jack Parsons guy in it.
― could be a bad day for (Abbott), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:08 (thirteen years ago) link
^^^^oh man YES
― Major Lolzer (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:12 (thirteen years ago) link
Also johnny crunch idk that I's worry about it being There Will be Blood 2" bcz that really bad writer who wrote that piece isn't doing the casting, I bet.
― could be a bad day for (Abbott), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:14 (thirteen years ago) link
xpost -- There'd better be. Hell, a Jack Parsons movie would be enough.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 July 2010 22:14 (thirteen years ago) link
booooo
http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2010/09/paul-thomas-andersons-untitled.html
― paying AFFECTIONATE homage to his somewhat exaggerated teeth (history mayne), Monday, 20 September 2010 13:31 (thirteen years ago) link
that sucks
― dude (del), Monday, 20 September 2010 13:46 (thirteen years ago) link
also, i thought somebody was making a jack parsons biopic, but maybe i am making that up?
― dude (del), Monday, 20 September 2010 13:47 (thirteen years ago) link
Conspiracy theory in the comments -- interesting.
― Excluding Skits and Such (Eazy), Monday, 20 September 2010 13:58 (thirteen years ago) link
given that pta and psh have both collabed with tom cruise, i was surprised by this project tbh
― paying AFFECTIONATE homage to his somewhat exaggerated teeth (history mayne), Monday, 20 September 2010 14:02 (thirteen years ago) link
Back on.
― more horses after the main event (Eazy), Monday, 9 May 2011 20:26 (twelve years ago) link
Megan Ellison: the over privileged heiress it's ok to like
― Number None, Monday, 9 May 2011 22:49 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFzJXQMgCE
― fancy cure from all alarms (☆), Sunday, 24 June 2012 21:46 (eleven years ago) link
We've been talking about the trailers to death over here:
THE MASTER (2012) P.T. Anderson's film on the origions of Scientology (sort of), Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, and Laura Dern
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 24 June 2012 21:47 (eleven years ago) link
Been a while since I saw a picture, but ... old!
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/09/28/arts/28INHERENT/28INHERENT-master675.jpg
Happens to the best of us.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/movies/paul-thomas-anderson-films-inherent-vice.html
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:02 (nine years ago) link
A 180-degree turn from Mr. Anderson’s relentless oil odyssey “There Will Be Blood,” “Inherent Vice” is his most comedic and anarchic film since “Boogie Nights.” It’s a stoner detective film so overstuffed with visual gags and gimmicks that the filmmaker said he was inspired by slapstick spoofs like “Top Secret!” and “Airplane!”
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:03 (nine years ago) link
Feeling that. Joanna Newsom narrating is...interesting
― Number None, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:22 (nine years ago) link
she's pretty perfect for Sortilége though
― Number None, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:23 (nine years ago) link
is this a marked tonal shift from Pynchon's book?
Anderson is only 44, obv has spent too much time in the sun.
― son of a lewd monk (Dr Morbius), Friday, 26 September 2014 14:27 (nine years ago) link
the book is pretty wacky
― Number None, Friday, 26 September 2014 14:31 (nine years ago) link
I have wariness about PTA doing wacky, just from the Sandler abomination. Still Phoenix, Benicio dT, Eric Roberts and Martin Short in the same cast.
― son of a lewd monk (Dr Morbius), Friday, 26 September 2014 14:37 (nine years ago) link
Awaiting the trailer.
― the man with the black wigs (Eazy), Friday, 26 September 2014 14:44 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZfs22E7JmI
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 14:03 (nine years ago) link
PTA's "Big Lebowski?"
Treating the book like a ZAS sketch is the best approach, but I dunno if this guy has it in him.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 14:07 (nine years ago) link
Trailer seems like it's got the ZAZ timing down!
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 14:08 (nine years ago) link
Looks like jackie brown too. Anyway. I don't see the point in movies anymore.
― Raccoon Tanuki, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 14:35 (nine years ago) link
good, we're trying to get all of you out, esp the rep theaters
― son of a lewd monk (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 16:07 (nine years ago) link
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, September 30, 2014 10:03 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I was about to post the same thing, but I have a feeling it's more the trailer than the movie.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 16:09 (nine years ago) link
But you know, Hollywood being Hollywood. Literally impossible to market a movie without trying to convince people it's like some other movie they've already seen.
― my jaw left (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 16:10 (nine years ago) link
I dunno, stoner shaggy dog So Cal detective story? Got its similarities no matter what. Though given his MO surely PTA had "The Long Goodbye" in mind.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 16:14 (nine years ago) link
jeez, PTA looks like he's aged ten years since PSH died. he looks pretty gaunt compared to those photos from february of him at the funeral
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 19:10 (nine years ago) link
http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/files/2014/02/anderson.jpg
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 19:24 (nine years ago) link
2012:
http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Paul+Thomas+Anderson+Philip+Seymour+Hoffman+wyhPLfcvfL4l.jpg
he still smokes, yea?
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
didn't bother with the book but this looks great
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 19:31 (nine years ago) link
i had no use for the book but ripping good trailer
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:06 (nine years ago) link
I literally took a shit on the book but can't wait for the movie.
― Portly Backgammon (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:07 (nine years ago) link
geez toilet paper isn't THAT expensive
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:10 (nine years ago) link
it and Lot 49 are the only Pynchon I can stand.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:11 (nine years ago) link
i.e. read it – it's fun
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:12 (nine years ago) link
xp i liked the book, it was pretty fun.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:12 (nine years ago) link
books should be fun!
Lot 49 is def my favorite - found V a slog and Vineland sort of stupid but Inherent Vice is working in a vein I have a fondness for
xp
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:12 (nine years ago) link
book was great fun, and made me think of big lebowski a lot so not surprised at any similarities.
To get a grip on the project, he adapted the entire 384-page novel sentence by sentence. “I basically just transcribed it so I could look at it like it was a script,” he said. “It looked like a doorstop. But I can understand this format. As big as it was, it was easier for me to cut down.”
kinda wished he just filmed the whole thing as a mini-series.
― mizzell, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:18 (nine years ago) link
kind of loved the book tbh
― mattresslessness, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:24 (nine years ago) link
it's fun
― mattresslessness, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 20:26 (nine years ago) link
Josh Brolin looks like exceedingly good value in this. My enthusiasm dissipated when I saw Owen Wilson though.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:14 (nine years ago) link
his skin doesn't look good in that photo up above, but his hair looks good
― I dunno. (amateurist), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:18 (nine years ago) link
i feel like that NYT photo was just an exceedingly bad picture following quite closely on from the death of his pal.
he should shave that beard thing though.
― Acting Crazy (Instrumental) (jed_), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:23 (nine years ago) link
PTA used to be pretty cute
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:24 (nine years ago) link
can't fathom hatin on the Butterscotch Stallion
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:25 (nine years ago) link
i love that this is where this thread is at. he has made some pretty good movies but he mainly exists in my head as just such a handsome guy. the nyt picture's taken under that tunnel on central park west, somewhere in the sixties, isn't it? all blustery. i am p sure there will be a nyff premiere pic at which he looks his usual dapper salt & pepper ruggedly urbane self & we will all be able to stand down & not worry so much. even if we are in an autumn of paul thomas anderson's handsomeness, it is still a while until wintertime.
― schlump, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:27 (nine years ago) link
My enthusiasm dissipated when I saw Owen Wilson though.
Right? I had the same reaction.
Oh, wow, this looks grea...oh, uh huh.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 16:28 (nine years ago) link
http://41.media.tumblr.com/2da8d04916414e3fed0abb86148845a6/tumblr_mjplw2womU1s2u10mo1_400.png
― slam dunk, Monday, 19 January 2015 12:43 (nine years ago) link
you get what you give
― example (crüt), Monday, 19 January 2015 13:31 (nine years ago) link
shave + bucket hat = no longer looks 60
― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Monday, 19 January 2015 14:30 (nine years ago) link
(or is that from 1998?)
― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Monday, 19 January 2015 14:31 (nine years ago) link
That's got to be old, when he was dating Fiona.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 19 January 2015 15:14 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, uh, Fiona herself looks like she's been suffering through some tough times, if the recent pictures I've seen of her are anything to go by.
― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 19 January 2015 18:51 (nine years ago) link
man, that photo. he's wearing sandals on the red carpet! should be a crime IMO.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Monday, 19 January 2015 19:52 (nine years ago) link
http://www.vulture.com/2015/07/paul-thomas-anderson-will-write-rdjs-pinocchio.html
― Number None, Thursday, 2 July 2015 14:47 (eight years ago) link
was hoping that would be the other RDJ
― lil urbane (Jordan), Thursday, 2 July 2015 15:01 (eight years ago) link
New documentary out today, who knew?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLhSyy6UM94
― I know some Civil War re-enactors you might want to talk to (Eazy), Monday, 12 October 2015 02:06 (eight years ago) link
yeah they've been emailing me about it and yet i have no desire to bother
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Monday, 12 October 2015 03:18 (eight years ago) link
A local rep started a PTA series tonight: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood.
First time I've seen Hard Eight in 15 years--I watched it at home not too long after Boogie Nights. Didn't like it at all at the time; not surprisingly, I wanted to see The Father of Boogie Nights. Tonight's print, as the series host pointed out, looked like it had never been screened. (He also said you can't get it on DVD at the moment.)
I liked it more tonight than I did then, but I still see Boogie Nights as a quantum leap forward. (I'll put that to the test next week, but I have no reason to believe I'll change that viewpoint.) Hard Eight was more interesting to me than compelling. Thought it built pretty well for the first half, then you have that endless scene in the hotel room where things go bad. It regained its footing after that, and offered some credible backstory to Philip Baker Hall's character (which I'd completely forgotten, so I was again "I don't get this guy at all"). I think there's one fantastic performance--not Hall, and not Philip Seymour Hoffman (he's good, but he's there and gone in the blink of an eye), but Sam Jackson. It's nestled in there between Jungle Fever/Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown--he was so unbelievably good during that run. As tedious as I found the hotel room scene between Hall, Baker, and Reilly, I thought the long scene where Jackson set Baker straight balanced the scale. (And Baker sitting waiting in the chair could very well have been on Tarantino's mind when he made Jackie Brown.)
Besides the cast (extending to Robert Ridgely and Melora Walters), there are a couple of unmistakable links to Boogie Nights. The main theme--this weirdly still bit where it sounds like a bell is being rung--is used again in Boogie Nights when Wahlberg hooks up with that guy in the parking lot. And when Jackson harangues Hall about the old-time gangsters, he mentions Floyd Gondolli; that's Hall's character in Boogie Nights (who may or may not be the same Gondolli).
If you think Hard Eight is better than Boogie Nights, I'm guessing you're someone who's content with the direction Anderson started to take with There Will Be Blood. I thought of Truffaut's famous quote on the way home tonight, about all great movies either being about the joy or the agony of making cinema. (Flowery, I know, but memorable.) Boogie Nights is the one film of PTA's that is completely--well, give or take a couple of scenes during the Hello-'80s meltdown--about the joy. And it's still far and away my favourite. (Before the film, they had a trailer for the series cut from all four films, scored to Three Dog Night's "One." The trailer got an ovation and deserved to.)
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 December 2017 05:18 (six years ago) link
You can't get it cheap, but you can get it:
http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Eight-Special-Samuel-Jackson/dp/B00000K3D3/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1513402441&sr=8-2&keywords=hard+eight
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 December 2017 05:34 (six years ago) link
Supposedly Criterion is working on an edition of Hard Eight/Sydney.
― Never Learn To Mike Love (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 16 December 2017 07:41 (six years ago) link
As tedious as I found the hotel room scene between Hall, Baker, and Reilly
Better than if I'd written "between Philip, Baker, and Hall," but what I meant was Hall, Paltrow, and Reilly.
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 December 2017 16:00 (six years ago) link
If you think Hard Eight is better than Boogie Nights, I'm guessing you're someone who's content with the direction Anderson started to take with There Will Be Blood.
How so? I don't much like There Will Be Blood but like Hard Eight. The Master and Inherent Vice are his best.
I regard Hard Eight as a one-off chamber piece, an exercise by a young filmmaker testing his limits.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 16 December 2017 16:11 (six years ago) link
What I meant was that Hard Eight is dark and brooding and slow, that Boogie Nights is anything but (except for those couple of scenes from the 1980 section), and that that's where his films have resided since There Will Be Blood at least. (Inherent Vice was probably an attempt to loosen up some again--I think it's the least interesting film he's ever done.) If you take his career from start to finish, Boogie Nights is the anomaly. And, for me, the best.
― clemenza, Saturday, 16 December 2017 16:36 (six years ago) link
70mm screenings of PT's PT
http://www.indiewire.com/2017/12/phantom-thread-70mm-screenings-1201905384/
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 18 December 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
You could have bought that film print yourself, too.
― shackling the masses with plastic-wrapped snack picks (sic), Tuesday, 19 December 2017 02:04 (six years ago) link
Before the Boogie Nights screening tonight--a 35mm print that Warners supposedly gave them a hard time over, suggesting they play a Blue-Ray instead--Brendan, host of the series, brought a friend with guitar up and they played "Feel My Heat." Pretty funny.
Notwithstanding that I have watched it too many times (not for quite a while, though), the film still amazes me. Even the dark, slow section, where I can understand the argument that it seems layered on--things fall apart now, because they have to fall apart--the way PTA cuts between Wahlberg in the parking lot and Reynolds/Graham in the limo, and then links both of those scenes to Cheadle in the donut store, all of that is masterful (punctuated by immediately going into the spectacular Alfred Molina scene). And I love everything after that: Wahlberg's apology, and the beautiful--except for the Colonel--grace note of the last five minutes. Really, the '80s third of the film is no less great, I'd say, than what comes before it.
― clemenza, Saturday, 30 December 2017 04:17 (six years ago) link
Looks like the new one doesn't have a credited cinematographer, yet again--I wonder what happened between him and Elswit.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 20 April 2021 19:20 (three years ago) link
He turns 71 in a few days, maybe he wants to just chill idk
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Tuesday, 20 April 2021 19:25 (three years ago) link
If Anderson and his crew enjoyed the collaborative experience on Phantom Thread, makes sense to carry on and develop that. Being 90% shot in the same environment was probably a good training-wheels experience for lighting?
...though I just went to check my memory on that and found that Elswit said (on a Mission Impossible podcast) that reuniting for Inherent Vice didn't feel so good:
“God, I don’t know what it is anymore. It’s like a bad married couple. Unpleasant.”Asked whether he could see them collaborating again, Elswit didn’t sound optimistic. “I don’t know. Probably not. You know, it depends on how he feels. I would do it again…I didn’t enjoy myself on ‘Inherent Vice’…It was a combination of me and Paul just not getting along, and I can be as immature as him.”
Asked whether he could see them collaborating again, Elswit didn’t sound optimistic. “I don’t know. Probably not. You know, it depends on how he feels. I would do it again…I didn’t enjoy myself on ‘Inherent Vice’…It was a combination of me and Paul just not getting along, and I can be as immature as him.”
And when he was asked about Thread for Adam Nayman's PTA book:
“Well, I know how he did it, because it’s the same people I work with, it’s the same crew. He just threw a lot of smoke in the room. Which he never would let me do, he never let me smoke a set. Not that I wanted to — I mean, he wanted it for a scene. But I think he shot tests and he knew enough that he didn’t know enough. But with the modern stocks you can do minimal low lighting and you can lower the contrast and shoot all the detail you want, just by adding smoke. I can’t imagine I would have done it that way and I probably could have talked him out of it if he wanted to.”“But yeah it was a period film, it was okay and had really good locations. I enjoyed the film. I just…if I’d shot that movie I would not be happy with it ending up looking like it looked, that’s all. But I liked the movie. I actually like it better than anything else I’ve done or he’s done with me or without me. I like it more than “The Master” and I like it more than “Inherent Vice.”
“But yeah it was a period film, it was okay and had really good locations. I enjoyed the film. I just…if I’d shot that movie I would not be happy with it ending up looking like it looked, that’s all. But I liked the movie. I actually like it better than anything else I’ve done or he’s done with me or without me. I like it more than “The Master” and I like it more than “Inherent Vice.”
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Tuesday, 20 April 2021 19:58 (three years ago) link
He turns 71 in a few days
Really? Wow--had no idea. I would never have guessed that Boogie Nights was made by someone almost 50; always thought PTA was around 30 at the time.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 20 April 2021 21:02 (three years ago) link
PTA is 50 now, he's referring to Elswit.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 20 April 2021 21:05 (three years ago) link
I'm laughing at myself...that makes sense.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 20 April 2021 21:12 (three years ago) link
Lol, I pointed that because I also misread it at first but realized that couldn't possibly be right.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 20 April 2021 21:13 (three years ago) link
Just watched Phantom Thread the other day and wow what a film... why do I have such a love/hate relationship with PTA? Couldn't stand Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and Inherent Vice but I adored Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and now Phantom Thread. What a weirdo.
― octobeard, Tuesday, 20 April 2021 21:35 (three years ago) link
https://x.com/JarmuschMood/status/1752353224860827696?s=20
― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Tuesday, 30 January 2024 20:28 (three months ago) link
yeah, they're shooting that up in Humboldt County. A bunch of PA's went into a thrift store multiple times to buy clothes for the extras, they're stoked
― Andy the Grasshopper, Tuesday, 30 January 2024 20:35 (three months ago) link
Vineland? Holy Shit! Is that confirmed?
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Tuesday, 30 January 2024 23:17 (three months ago) link
More details... they're being cagey about what they're filming
https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/leonardo-dicaprio-eureka-arcata-movie-filming-bc-18636090.php
― Andy the Grasshopper, Tuesday, 30 January 2024 23:44 (three months ago) link
DiCaprio in a bathrobe and scenes of paramilitary forces would definitely fit.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Wednesday, 31 January 2024 12:53 (three months ago) link
the thing i saw said the movie had a "contemporary" setting
― circles, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 13:25 (three months ago) link
Disappointed Leo isn't wearing the party dress and carrying the ladies' chainsaw.
― Piedie Gimbel, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 13:57 (three months ago) link
More cast announced: Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy)https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/paul-thomas-anderson-alana-haim-teyana-taylor-1235813631/
― jaymc, Saturday, 3 February 2024 05:13 (two months ago) link
Chase Infiniti does already feel like a Pynchon name tbh
― Piedie Gimbel, Saturday, 3 February 2024 10:10 (two months ago) link
PTA was shooting in downtown Sacramento on Saturday :D Sacramento Bee included this v bitchy aside in the report “The film is reportedly based on the Thomas Pynchon novel "Vineland." In a biting Associated Press review that ran in The Sacramento Bee on March 4, 1990, Mario Szichman called the novel "a sea of boredom, sailed by hardly recognizable characters." “Noted. Thx for that lmao “biting”
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 01:10 (two months ago) link
I know you'll recognize this: "It's a honor to leave the Chronicle and go work for the Sacramento Bee. Dare to dream, right, Robert?"
― clemenza, Tuesday, 6 February 2024 01:40 (two months ago) link
looool yes I loved that line lmao
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 01:41 (two months ago) link
Lol
― Marten Broadcloak, mild-mannered GOP congressman (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 12:38 (two months ago) link