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

how clever of pta to invert the norm

i love this guy btw i'm just talking

I need to avoid this thread for 10 days or so…

anybody know what the release platform is gonna be for this? i'm near philly and don't see it playing around there at least for the next week or so.

you either do it for a billion years or you don't do it at all

not here till the 21st either

guess i'm off this thread for a week too

are his movies really considered "stupendously awful" by more than a few high-brow critics/writers (this is at 90 @ metacritic btw)

A'ight, I was being a little overly-provocative upthread. All I really meant is that he's not a people-pleasing director following an obvious template, so it's unsurprising when his films are divisive (and that directors who follow a "surefire critical acclaim" template often churn out trash that doesn't stand the test of time). TBRR, though, ILX is the only place that I've ever encountered people who actively dislike his work.

ILX is the only place that i've encountered people who actively dislike x

Hard Eight > Boogie Nights >>>>>>>>>>>>> TWBB

The other two reek.

i only like the other two, straight up.

well i haven't seen hard 8.

magnolia's probably my favourite, but TWBB is the funniest.

I was pretty meh about PDL for a long time, but the last time I saw it I thought it was great. Conversely, I was blown away by TWBB the first time I saw it but downgraded it to 'quite good' after rewatching it. Hard Eight has consistently maintained a 'quite good' with me. Magnolia is the only one I haven't seen recently enough to judge one way or another (thought it was good if disjointed at the time). Boogie Nights is probably the best movie ever made (maybe tied with The Muppet Movie).

i loooooved magnolia at the time, but the time was 20 years old and emo as hell

dude gets points for using terrific actors and stealing from the greats in a way that suggests he actually understands what makes them great, but that's about all i can say for him now

how involved was he w/ altman's prairie home companion?

I still don't know what to make of TWBB but Boogie Nights is kinda terrific and terrible at once. But maybe that's too harsh--there's just something callow about it despite some really imaginative set pieces and writing.

I think he was just the back up director for insurance purposes on PHC. AFAIK he hung around the set but didn't really do much.
xp

But maybe that's too harsh--there's just something callow about it despite some really imaginative set pieces and writing.

it's like half altman and half anchorman

which i def understand the appeal of

people, Metacritic and RT scores always include that 40% of robotic whores who will sign off on any studio film that is hyped in any way whatsoever, not all of whom rhyme with Meter Dravers.

lol yes, but a score of 90 will still be among the highest rated films of the year, including all the other hyped studio films

my point anyway was that metacritic is a collection of middlebrow critics who all obviously like the new pta movie

lol at Meter Dravers

Teeter Brahearse

Skeeter Slavers of Trolling Crone Magazine calls The Master "A heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat, non-stop thrill ride of a searing, soulful dramedy with lots of heart for the whole family!"

so, I think this movie is really just 'punch drunk love' with joaquin phoenix in the place of adam sandler and PSH in the place of emily watson.

sold!

i was just wondering aloud earlier today what punch drunk love would have been like with a real lead actor

lol

Bret Easton Ellis ‏@BretEastonEllis

God, I wish P.T. Anderson would spend his huge talent on something trashy and sexy and fun. The current movie suggests an ominous dead-end.

Bret Easton Ellis ‏@BretEastonEllis

The Master: Yeah, whatever: I haven't made the great movies P.T. Anderson has, but you don't need to be a chef to know if a meal tastes bad.

is pot/kettle/black too obvious of a pun here?

Bret Easton Ellis's desperate cries for attention are kind of the most pathetic thing going right now, dead heat with the Romney campaign

Yeah he's totally wrong: Anderson has never made a "great" movie. (Haven't seen this one yet.)

God, I wish P.T. Anderson would spend his huge talent on something trashy and sexy and fun.

whats boogie nights???

half a movie

Rex!

http://observer.com/2012/09/the-master-rex-reed-philip-seymour-hoffman-joaquin-phoenix-paul-thomas-anderson/

i think my favorite part of that was Rex's decision to put "freaky" in front of Todd Solondz's name

the-master-rex-reed

Just saw this in 70mm--still digesting but I liked it about as much as I liked TWBB, which is a lot with reservations.

Strangely (or perhaps not) it reminded me a lot of Gregory Bateson's thesis about alcoholics and their obsessive need for self-control--basically the dialectic that both Freddie and Dodd seem to struggle with.

this is a fantastic movie without a script

rex reed is funnier to read than armond. in his TIFF report he called this movie "the latest hyperthyroidal discharge from paul thomas anderson".

removing bookmark from thread because i'm not seeing this until next thursday

hyperthyroidal discharge? gross

this is a character study of joaquins face

^OTM.

I really liked it.

I don't get the "...but what it's all ABOUT?" criticisms. Seems a backwards way to approach this movie.

have to decide between seeing this or the Rodriguez doc on Tuesday

Saw a trailer for this at the Rodriguez doc.

This kinda reminded me of Raging Bull in a weird way.

i think the "what's it about?" questions are kinda off base too but there's definitely a feeling (at least after a first viewing) that watching it feels a bit desultory and stultifying.