Paul Thomas Anderson Wants to Direct Big-Budget Film Like "The Dark Knight"

No. This guy is an artist. He makes special, unique films, films other people couldn't make, films that transscend commercial crassness and SFX crudity. Leave making "big budget films" to the loud hacks like Bay, Nolan and Lin.

Next thing I'll read, Picasso will come back from the dead to paint those mass-produced paintings you see at Wal-Mart, and then bitch because machines in Mexico are doing the work instead.

"they don't come to me with those. And that's alright."

Uh, that's because you don't appeal to the brain-dead masses, Anderson, so why the f*ck are you complaining?

The grass is always greener with these extremely lucky and luxuriated people. Don't understand it. God help them if they ever have to work a regular job like everyone else.

How about no

Maybe he can do justice with a Green Lantern film sequel, something that doesn't happen with Martin Campbell!

Good PT, put the word out that you want in. I'm a big fan of him, and the one thing about his films is that they aren't easily digestable. He doesn't compromise his vision to win points with the mainstream audiences.

That being said, I was rather underwhelmed with his
direction for The Master. I liked the film, but there
wasn't a lot of technical bravado on display from
Anderson. He framed the shots, then let Phoenix and Hoffman do their thing within those frames. Essentially it was a film about big performances, and he let those performances shine without mucking it up with technical wizardry. But he is capable of being a mad genius visually. Just go back and watch one of his first films-Boogie Nights. There are so many visually clever, perfectly edited scenes in that film. The Master really was a minimal approach by Anderson, and I was really wanting more from him. I would love to see him do a big budget film, because he is capable of the. Micro as well as the macro approach to filmmaking.

"He framed the shots, then let Phoenix and Hoffman do their thing within those frames."

I think that was the entire point, Cress.

A film like The Master, based at least loosely on the psychological interplay between Hubbard and his neophyte acolyte(s), is going to be nearly entirely character driven, thus by choosing to do a quasi-historical film, he hemmed himself in, whereas with other films, e.g. Magnolia, he chose to explore, experimentally, whatever cuts and transitions he desires, and thus that's part of the essence of the given film, sharing the space between frames with the quirky, idiosyncratic characters and story.

Thus I don't believe Anderson suddenly went lax with The Master, and instead I think he traded his rather typical visual compunction for the momentum of character compulsion

"You look at what Christopher Nolan did with Batman, that's the meeting of the highest level of artistic skill, commerciality and appeal to a wide range of people."


I don't see why he's so impressed. It's like someone took a porno and did it art house style. Did they not think that Batman could be rendered in any palette other than Burton and Schumacher? Why is everyone so damned surprised? Low expectations?

I really need to work on maintaining consistent tense...jesus.

That's what I said mink.

"Essentially it was a film about big performances, and he let those performances shine without mucking it up with technnical wizardry."

But it was almost too vanilla. Save for one montage of Phoenix's "processing", it lacked any real visual punch, which I think could've have helped even out the narrative. It dragged at times, and not even Phoenix's awesome performance was enough to hide that fact.

I don't know why he just didn't do it on Scientology itself, instead of a loosely based fictional tale which The Master was. Those parts of the film were fascinating, but not enough of them. Is f*cking Scientology and the ghost of L. Ron that powerful that you can't address their preposterously obscene beliefs outright?

Havent seen any of those films above
But i plan on seeing The Master

I was too busy to see BoogieNights now its like, eh
Just never got around to There Will Be Blood
Never been depressed enough to see Punch Drunk Love

I hear ya. Just seemed like you were expecting more, and perhaps Anderson wasn't trying to give more.

I haven't see it myself to be honest, but I do know what kind of film Anderson was trying to deliver, and I do wonder though about perspective, because if you go back a few decades, most films lacked "visual punch", which to me seems more of a gimmick these days used by a director to separate himself from the herd, and I have to wonder if Anderson simply felt he had nothing to prove here, no compelling reason to set himself apart from his peers.

Now, if you say there were scenes that actually demanded a certain look, given the content, and that look was absent, I can understand that more.

"I don't know why he just didn't do it on Scientology itself, instead of a loosely based fictional tale which The Master was. Those parts of the film were fascinating, but not enough of them. Is f*cking Scientology and the ghost of L. Ron that powerful that you can't address their preposterously obscene beliefs outright?"

Is that a rhetorical question?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_and_the_legal_system

Addendum:

In the years since its inception, the Church of Scientology's lawsuits filed against newspapers, magazines, government agencies (including the United States tax collecting unit, the IRS), and individuals have numbered in the thousands. In 1991, Time magazine estimated that the Church spends an average of about $20 million per year on various legal actions,[6] and it is the exclusive client of several law firms.

Good link mink

Yeah, probably wise on his part to do what he did w/The Master. Someday, someone will do a dissection of L. Ron on film.

^^I'd kill to just see an undercover video doc*mentary released anonymously on Youtube.

"...which to me seems more of a gimmick these days used by a director to separate himself from the herd, and I have to wonder if Anderson simply felt he had nothing to prove here, no compelling reason to set himself apart from his peers."

I do think Anderson has throttled back on the style aspect of his filmmaking to a more substantive approach. His earlier
work showcased his visual wizardry, but
he seems more content nowadays to let
his fellow "classmates", if you will, be the visual wizards. Directors like Aronofsky and Fincher, all "born" in the 90s alongside Anderson. There Will Be Blood really showed what direction he was headed in, although it wasn't until I saw The Master that I had this suspicion
confirmed.

There will be blood was, IIRC, pretty damned minimalist, although I suspect The Master is even more so.

Seems to be where Anderson's trending. Dunno if he's getting "lazier" or if he feels he has less reason to compensate now that he has established himself.

In the beginning he might have done what he did to differentiate himself and to garner attention, and not that he has it, now that his name is up there with more artistically revered directors, perhaps he just feels he doesn't have to dedicate himself to that level of labor.

Maybe he just feels he can do as much with less, visually speaking.

I do recall that he has said emphatically he would not, could not, ever do a film as good as Magnolia, and perhaps that says it all...

Oh. Sorry. @cress.



And isn't it about time for a remake of The Towering Inferno?

Minkowski says yes.

@Porn. You should check them all out.

Still haven't seen Boogie Nights in its entirety. Stupid me.

I would love to see what PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON can do with DAREDEVIL , it's really dark material that I know he can make emotioanal and action packed. But I would also like to see what he can do for a BATMAN film.

The Towering Inferno? Maybe OJ will be paroled by then, and he can make a cameo.

I haven't seen Magnolia in so long, and under the right circ*mstances, that I vaguely recall anything about it. And here I profess my love for PT Anderson. I suck.

^^You should watch Magnolia again. It's pretty innovative and inventive film-making for sure. I was impressed again watching it recently. Very.

"Maybe OJ will be paroled by then, and he can make a cameo."

lol, f*ck, you remember he was in there huh? Damn.

The Towering Inferno. lol. Perfect name for OJ in full-on rage mode.

LOL.

Yep, think I'll try to hunt Magnolia down this week.

I think he'd be good to adapt the Sandman series.

There will be blood was a goddamn masterpiece. He should be offended if someone asked him to direct a Transformers or other piece of crap "blockbuster"...

Let's see what the man can do.

Thx fellas
Will get back to you folks about your recommendations
In a few days
I respect your opinions and insight

..and I'm loaded and that was for CRESS

WE MAKE HOLES IN TEETH

CRUZ also

perhaps its time for Paul to move on to bigger but not neccessarily better things

Magnolia is one my favourite movies of all time. Glad to see you guys appreciating film for once ;-) And I have to agree with Mink on this one: leave the sfx ridden bullcrap to Bay and co, PT.

maybe himself
and day lewis could remake batman begins
(the script darren aranofsky wrote)

it was gonna start
with Jim Gordon sticking a gun in his mouth
now that is DARK

I agree like a motherf*cker with Mink on this one and with Cress too somewhat.

When I saw The Master it felt a lot like a David Mamet film like Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo and so on. A slow burn version of that but it felt like a play to me in many ways.

I would even dare say that a touch of Requiem For A Heavyweight with Tony Quinn had an influence as well as to the tone of the film. If PTA never saw these movies I would be very surprised.

I don't think he should ever direct a blockbuster intended movie. PTA is a genuine auteur that puts a lot of thought into his work and that's why I respect him indelibly as a filmmaker. TWBB is my favorite movie I have seen in 20 years.

Also Mink, the DVD of Boogie Nights is under $10 on amazon if you order a used snap case version and it might be like $2 but lol order it and watch it all the way through. Luis Guzman ftw.

idk green arrow mabye

*maybe

I thought boogie nights was good, he's an exceptions director he shouldn't look for the blockbuster