There Will Be Blood - now with child/partner forum we call H.W.

Started by depooter, March 27, 2005, 02:24:56 PM

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Pubrick

uh, i'm willing to bet my balzac that he won't modernize it. (cine knows how much that's worth)

he has the opportunity to tell a very unique "birth of a nation" type story about a defining moment of his beloved state, why would he cater to idiots by stripping away all subtlety and making it about today? if ppl wanna draw parallels that's basically what subtext is about, i can't believe anyone can honestly consider it. i mean, PDL wasn't that great, but he didn't become a RETARD. sheesh.

i'm not saying he won't make any changes to it, but to set it today would be a real let down.
under the paving stones.

soixante

Quote from: Pubrickuh, i'm willing to bet my balzac that he won't modernize it. (cine knows how much that's worth)

he has the opportunity to tell a very unique "birth of a nation" type story about a defining moment of his beloved state, why would he cater to idiots by stripping away all subtlety and making it about today? if ppl wanna draw parallels that's basically what subtext is about, i can't believe anyone can honestly consider it. i mean, PDL wasn't that great, but he didn't become a RETARD. sheesh.

i'm not saying he won't make any changes to it, but to set it today would be a real let down.

Setting Oil in the present day would be like setting Chinatown in the present day.  Chinatown deals with corruption at a very specific time in L.A.'s history, and the parallels to the world of 1974, when the film came out, were self-evident.
Music is your best entertainment value.

Find Your Magali


classical gas

has anyone been to the imdb message boards for pta?  i usually avoid them because their full of fools and this is a prime example, a guy claims that he is good friends with orlando jone's assistant and pta's next film will star jone's as oj simpson.  he's pretty persistent and awfully confident throughout the thread.  oh, and he says ptanderson.com is run by fan boys.  what a dumb shit.
anyways: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000759/board/nest/17275639

sorry for such an utterly pointless post, but then again, it'll probably fit right in.

Sleuth

I like to hug dogs

Pubrick

Quote from: SleuthI have a gut feeling that he's telling the truth! :violin:
i hav a gut feeling i'll be punching u in the gut!
under the paving stones.

Weak2ndAct

I'm surprised that after I revealed the title to the flick, there was pretty much a non-response.  Perhaps my upcoming script review will shake things up.

SHAFTR

Quote from: Weak2ndActI'm surprised that after I revealed the title to the flick, there was pretty much a non-response.  Perhaps my upcoming script review will shake things up.

I just saw your title reveal.  What is your source?
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Pubrick

Quote from: SHAFTR
Quote from: Weak2ndActI'm surprised that after I revealed the title to the flick, there was pretty much a non-response.  Perhaps my upcoming script review will shake things up.

I just saw your title reveal.  What is your source?
himself, obviously.
under the paving stones.

Weak2ndAct

Quote from: SHAFTR
Quote from: Weak2ndActI'm surprised that after I revealed the title to the flick, there was pretty much a non-response.  Perhaps my upcoming script review will shake things up.

I just saw your title reveal.  What is your source?
My copy of the script.

SHAFTR

Quote from: Weak2ndAct
Quote from: SHAFTR
Quote from: Weak2ndActI'm surprised that after I revealed the title to the flick, there was pretty much a non-response.  Perhaps my upcoming script review will shake things up.

I just saw your title reveal.  What is your source?
My copy of the script.

Where did you acquire a copy of the script?
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Weak2ndAct

Dude, I'm not gonna blurt that out on the 'net and bite the hand that feeds me.

SHAFTR

Quote from: Weak2ndActDude, I'm not gonna blurt that out on the 'net and bite the hand that feeds me.

Was it Space Ghost?
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Weak2ndAct

Okay.  So here's the deal:

'There Will Be Blood' is not a contemporary-Bush-slamming treatise.  It's set firmly at the turn of the century.  It's not a Magnolia-esque ensemble piece.  It's a Father/Son story, plain and simple (and yes, set in Southern California).  Daniel (a nod in the script to Day-Lewis?) is a down-and-dirty, hard-working prospector.  He struggles and gains some success.  One of his early endeavors kills a partner, which leaves him the responsibilty of taking care of the man's son, H.W.  Cut to a few years later.  Daniel is a respectable oil man, and H.W. is his right hand, illiterate and wise for his age.  Daniel is presented with a choice prospect by a young man, and despite his reservations, pursues it.  

The prospect is the young man's family homestead.  The family is fanatically religious and quite dim.  They sell the rights to drill to Daniel, and at first, things seem okay.  The land is fertile, and success seems eminent.  But troubles arise when the family's devotion to Christ gets in the way (which entails beating children).  The eldest son (who fanices himself a healer) wants to bless the drill bit.  And renovate the church.  Daniel scoffs at this.  And then disaster strikes.  To whom, I will not reveal here, but it propells much of the story.

For 130 pages, it's a great script.  Compelling and page-turning, there are graphic descriptions of how oil-drilling works and what happens when it goes awry (read: graphic deaths).  It reads like any PTA script, save for any curses or debauchery ('cept for one moment, where Daniel's sex life is brought up).  Everything is great... until the last 20 pages.  We jump 15 years ahead... and it all fallls to shit.  The narrative momentum has been derailed.  The punch is not there.  And with some bad casting, some scenes at end could turn out down right laughable (here's a hint: Stacy Edwards in 'In the Comapny of Men,' that's a fine line).  

Honestly, as is, I do not see this movie getting made anytime soon.  It's too big, too sprawling, and too depressing (not to mention the outright contempt that's displayed towards organized religion).  There is no humor here.  It's a straight-up, hard-core drama about the need for family connections, yet a contempt for humanity (my favorite scene has Daniel explaining how he hates, well, everyone).  

P.S. The title has to do with baptisms.

P.P.S.  I'm wondering at this point if this script has anything to do with Sinclair's 'Oil!'  I have not read the book, but from what I've gathered, apart from the time period and the drilling stuff, it's quite a different story (and btw, the script makes no mention of any adaptation).

Pubrick

Quote from: flagpolespecialbut weak2ndact don't be offended that people don't believe you because nothing is confirmed as yet. i'm still somewhat sceptical but believe, if you are lying, you've done a good of suckering me in, to a degree.

but like i say. it wouldn't surprise me at all now if what weak2ndact is saying true.

let the speculation frenzy begin.
wtf dude? there's no reason to think w2a is lying about what he's said.

especially when he writes:
QuoteP.P.S. I'm wondering at this point if this script has anything to do with Sinclair's 'Oil!' I have not read the book, but from what I've gathered, apart from the time period and the drilling stuff, it's quite a different story (and btw, the script makes no mention of any adaptation).
he obviously has a script in his hands. the legitimacy of this script (and the draft number?) remains in question, he himself admits that.
under the paving stones.