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

I guess this touches on the post ww2 era of people having serious ptsd that everyone likes to pretend never ever happened

they're looking real kraftwerky in that poster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Col9wnE_E

ok so they're talking about "processing," doing word clearing and and a bunch of other Scientology stuff. Could be about the Process Church, but that would be... unexpected.

Process Church dudes started off as Scientologists tho

This was really good, I thought. Phoenix's drawl is impenetrable at times, and it has a sort of dreamlike rhythm that might seem bullshitty to people who hated Tree of Life or There Will Be Blood, but I love those movies so ymmv. Lots of great images that deserve to be viewed as large as possible.

any thoughts on the soundtrack?

It was not as outre as TWBB's. It felt informed by the period.

How is it that you saw it, polyphonic? I thought it wasn't opening for a few weeks.

There was an advanced screening at the Castro Theatre that benefited The Film Foundation. In 70mm. Also no trailers and no credits, and no speeches. It was blissful.

damn

Yeah Chaki said something about that last night. I am beyond envious of you bastards.

so there were tix at the door after all!

Nah, my friend who needed the ticket was outta luck. Huge line of people at 6, and apparently they mostly went home unhappy.

Couple of Venice reports:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/venice-the-master-and-joaquin-phoenix-draw-raves-but-pic-is-hard-nut-to-crack-trailer-scenes-missing/

http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/venice-paul-thomas-anderson-philip-seymour-hoffman-talk-the-master-joaquin-phoenix-not-so-much/

Curiously, a scene that was part of one of the original trailers for The Master in which Phoenix’s Freddie Quell screams at Dodd, “I know you’re trying to calm me down, but just say something that’s true!” was not in the version screened in Venice this morning. Nor was a scene in which Quell is being questioned about “an incident.”

this is making me lol

http://i.imgur.com/NkxLf.jpg

Phoenix didn't realise that PTA was doing a twofer, filming 'Popeye' at the same time.

Just like his hero Altman.

DCilxors: will be screening in 70mm at the AFI Silver

Aye, starting on the 21st of September. 70mm screenings will only be on the weekends though.

Look again; it's 70mm weekends and weekday evenings

aaah. good news.

Yessssssss

is it just me or does joaquin look like joe pesci in that pic gr8080 posted?

i was trying to think who it reminded me of! totally a pesci expression.

didn't realise he'd called the master's wife mary sue, just like l ron's "main wife".

Peripherally related, when I went to Star Wars Celebration last weekend, I attended a panel on sound design and editing with Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood and David Acord of Lucasfilm. Someone in the audience asked what their favorite non-Lucas, non-sci fi projects to work on had been, and Wood and Acord said "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master," respectively. (Wood was nominated for an Oscar for TWBB.) Doing sound for P.T. Anderson must be a rewarding experience.

good reviews at venice

Can't win 'em all in Venice:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-controversy-jury-yanks-top-the-master-368892

bureaucracy gone mad. this country!

film festival rule reform now!

I can't tell if this is the best or the worst thing ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5bBOhxhea0&feature=player_embedded

haha

lol

That has to be the Best Actor clip on Oscar night.

cut to the interviewers clipboard, its covered in drawings of pussies

pieta was awful

i'm not really clear what happened here but if the jury had wanted the master to win they would have made it win and demoted the actors prizes since they know that the best picture prize is the only prize that has any kind of cachet, surely.

ya

Long profile:

I point out, Kubrick managed to direct eight features in his first 16 years as a director, whereas he has managed only six. To which a visibly unamused Anderson responds: "Oh, fuck off. It's been no fault of my own!"

http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-09-05/film/paul-thomas-anderson-the-master-s-master/

six is only two less than eight

Worst alternate Chicago song title.

I didn't recognize the cinematographer's name, Mihai Malaimare Jr. He's done all the shiny recent Francis Coppola movies, tho I've still only caught Tetro.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/Versions_of_the_Master.png/250px-Versions_of_the_Master.png

In which Anthony Lane throws up his hands.

This is probably the most excited I have ever been for a film.* Haven't watched any of the footage releases since the trailer.

* I recall being pretty stoked for Pokémon: The First Movie

I wouldn't expect to like this, even tho There Will Be Milkshake was the first PTA film I SORTA dug since Hard Eight.

Crtitical roundup (Edelstein's description of Phoenix's performance is a howl):

http://www.fandor.com/blog/daily-venice-toronto-2012-ptas-the-master

Nick Pinkerton not real impressed, but sees George Stevens in its DNA:

http://blog.sundancenow.com/uncategorized/bombast-58

LOL, yeah, I can't put my finger on it, but I've been thinking Kubrick is definitely not the first precedent for whatever phase PTA's in now.