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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Stefen

Everyone who saw this movie are a bunch of dickheads. There should be a billion comments about the film for those of us who weren't able to see it.

I hope you all go blind and deaf and the only way you can experience another movie is to read a review of it written of braile.

:.:: ..: <------ FUCK YOU.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Sunrise

Quote from: Stefen on November 06, 2007, 03:20:45 PM
Everyone who saw this movie are a bunch of dickheads. There should be a billion comments about the film for those of us who weren't able to see it.

I hope you all go blind and deaf and the only way you can experience another movie is to read a review of it written of braile.

:.:: ..: <------ FUCK YOU.

I would offer the suggestion to relax, but I'm not sure if it would help.

Stefen

Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Fernando

I'm kind with Stefen on this one, why can't the guys who saw it comment about it in a spoiler free way (here!)?

You can say a million things to hype it more (if that's even possible), but so far the ppl who've seen it only post in the child board and I won't be reading that one til I see it no matter when that happens.

I actually kind of regret making fun of the nyc ppl, pretty sure at least mod would already be chering the blood with us unprivileged xaxers; anyway, where the hell is Pozer's hype?


ok, I don't wish anyone to go blind but seriously, share the love here damn it.

john

I posted this earlier in the secret-spoiler-heavy thread, by accident.

So here it is again:

I want to write something, but everything I want to share seems like it would possibly spoil something. I think anything is going to spoil something, but I'll avoid plot, dialogue, performances, and shots... lets see where that gets us...

The movie:

What struck me watching this film is that PTA is a director filled with influences, but he never mimicks them. For all the talk of McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Days of Heaven, neither of those films are similiar to TWBB. In fact, there were moments of this film that were wholly original. Moments where I felt like I've never seen anything like it and it excited me more than anything I'd seen in years. PTA doesn't want to emulate his heroes, he just constructs in a voice just as valid and as exciting as them.

The sound design, again, was incredible. Probably the best use of sound in a PTA film yet - which, I think, is saying quite a lot. It's very restrained, and very loud when it needs to be. PTA has always made me "feel" exactly what I'm hearing and here he uses that trick masterfully. The score is fantastic, too. And, listening to Greenwood's work, after working almost specifically with Jon Brion, it reminded me how much of a collaborative effort the score is between PTA and his composer. He seems to get musicians to articulate exactly what he needs while still providing their own sound. There were moments where the music felt similiar to Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. Not derivative, mind you, but certainly coming from the same part of the brain.

Before the film, when talking about the John Burton foundation, PTA mentioned that John Burton had a role in the film, but it was cut due to time. I haven't read the script yet, so I'm not sure how much else was cut. The film never feels indulgent in it's length, or truncated... but I still would have liked it to be longer. The last twenty minutes felts a bit rushed compaired to everything that had happened before.

But that is the smallest of quibbles - one that I'll probably reject on further viewing. This film is a rush. It's big, scary, and potent. As enthusiastic as I was going into it. As excited as I was to see a new PTA film, I still tried to reserve my praise for it. I didn't want to unabashedly claim genius because I love the director. Rehardless of any of that, this is a spectacular film. If this was his first film, and there were no expectations attached to it, it would still be magificent. But it is certainy a film no other director could have made. It is unique and new and, no matter what you expect, it will surprise you.

The screening:

When PTA introduced to the film, he said something to the effect of the Castro being one of the finest, if not best, theaters in America. I'm inclined to agree. Whoever books it's schedule is certainly enthusiastic enough. But there are enthusiastic bookers in most towns. It's the theater that speaks for itself. I also forget how fucking huge the place is. I'm not sure if the screening sold out, but I am sure that tickets were available for a longer time than I would have guessed. It wasn't an empty theatre, by any means, but it seemed to take a little effort to fill up the place. Which is good, because these goddamn AMC auditoriums seem content on getting smaller and smaller - it's nice to see a movie in a real, honest-to-God movie theater.

The film wasn't spoiled by the unitiated, even though I heard, more than once, onversations to the effect of, "I don't even know what this movie is, but it doesn't come out for, like, months."

The film wasn't even ruined by the dude who sat in front of me, apparently a Castro "regular", who smelled of garbage and sweat, carried two paper bags filled food and bottles of Clorox, and would occassionally reamrk to the similiarly crazy fella next to him about what was happening on screen. I did talk to this guy afterwards, and he seemed very adament that Daniel-Day Lewis reminded him "A LOT" of Tom Selleck. He also ate cake with his hands.
Maybe every day is Saturday morning.

ponceludon

Quote from: john on November 06, 2007, 05:04:43 PM
The film wasn't even ruined by the dude who sat in front of me, apparently a Castro "regular", who smelled of garbage and sweat, carried two paper bags filled food and bottles of Clorox, and would occassionally reamrk to the similiarly crazy fella next to him about what was happening on screen. I did talk to this guy afterwards, and he seemed very adament that Daniel-Day Lewis reminded him "A LOT" of Tom Selleck. He also ate cake with his hands.

Oh man, you sat behind THAT guy?? I would have moved.

My seating situation did affect how I felt about the movie a little teeny bit, but it was mostly the sound. The Castro has some weird acoustics, and I felt that I was so close to the speaker that every sound was incredibly grating, from the sound of pickaxes on rock to the INCREDIBLY cacophonous moments of the score, which I probably would like better if I could hear it a little less abrasively. I was also a little too close to the screen and got a neck kink which made me feel the length of the movie, but mostly from my own physical discomfort rather than poor pacing, which it did not have.

However, I thought it was very good. I didn't join this website from the PT Anderson forum, and I am not his most die-hard fan; I am far from it, in fact. I like most of his movies, but I only loved one of them (Boogie Nights) prior to seeing There Will Be Blood, so I went into this without elevated expectations. But enough about me. This was so completely different from the rest of Anderson's movies that I was really surprised to not find his favorite actor buddies and to not see his usual gimmicks like extremely long takes. There were some long takes, but they didn't feel uniquely long; rather, they fit the needs of the movie and the story very, very well. The acting was excellent, but I don't think anyone would think any less from Daniel Day Lewis. Every time I see him, I forget sometimes that he's an actor, or that he ever played different roles in his life, because he commits so much to each character.

The movie was very detailed, in ways that I'm sure I will only catch from seeing it again. The editing was very intelligent, and there were cuts between scenes that revealed a lot of information, as Xerxes said to me, and I agree with him. The relationship between Plainview and his son and some of the other characters in the film provide a sort of irony to the the title "There Will Be Blood," which I thought was very clever. It is a much more mature film than his previous ones, and while before I could imagine knowing the kind of guy who would make those films, with this one, it seemed like a film by a true professional. I am running out of things to say without revealing anything.

It was kind of funny to see everyone in the theater sticking around, expecting a Q&A. I wonder how many people would have sat through the credits if they knew that PT Anderson took off right after the movie started. I am a credits watcher, and it was sweet to see that he dedicated it to Robert Altman. That got a lot of applause from the audience. However, they also applauded Skywalker Sound, which was kind of silly.

I Don't Believe in Beatles

Quote from: ponceludon on November 06, 2007, 05:52:07 PMIt was kind of funny to see everyone in the theater sticking around, expecting a Q&A. I wonder how many people would have sat through the credits if they knew that PT Anderson took off right after the movie started. I am a credits watcher, and it was sweet to see that he dedicated it to Robert Altman. That got a lot of applause from the audience. However, they also applauded Skywalker Sound, which was kind of silly.

PTA was still there.  Or, if he didn't stay for the screening, he came back later, as my friends and I saw him coming down the stairs from the balcony as we were leaving and one of my friends got his frog signed.  (We were too surprised to run into him to ask about the commentary.  Sorry, Mac.)
"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." --Stanley Kubrick

Stefen

I thought this thread would be hopping by now.

Next time something like this happens, different people should go.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Pubrick

for anyone who's curious, the H.W. board is talking about the ending right now.

SO DON'T GO THERE.

i took one for the team.

also, turns out no one from the board said hi to anyone else. the ny crowd would be telling a different story right now, i reckon.  at the very least there would be anecdotes of cbrad and mod playing "keep-away" with samsong's crackpipe.. again.

Quote from: Fernando on November 06, 2007, 04:41:22 PM
chering the blood

that was brilliant, btw.
under the paving stones.

©brad

Quote from: Pubrick on November 06, 2007, 09:09:00 PM
at the very least there would be anecdotes of cbrad and mod playing "keep-away" with samsong's crackpipe.. again.

at the very least. you cali guys are lame. i was already seriously considering a pre-cwbb screening keg party at my apartment for all you nyc xixaxers i have yet to meet, to be immediately followed by a parade of strippers and blow at the hustler club. that's just one idea i had tho, mod what are your thoughts?

john

If it makes anyone feel any better, as I was leaving I saw a very small, defenseless woman carrying the print of the film downstairs and across the lobby.

I briefly flirted with the idea of knocking her down and making a break for it. San Francisco citizens are passive motherfuckers, man... I coulda done it.

But I didn't.

I could have taken it from town-to-town... been an underground film folk hero for two months.

Hope that helps.



No? Well, fuck.

Maybe every day is Saturday morning.

Stefen

Quote from: john on November 06, 2007, 10:04:31 PM
If it makes anyone feel any better, as I was leaving I saw a very small, defenseless woman carrying the print of the film downstairs and across the lobby.

I briefly flirted with the idea of knocking her down and making a break for it. San Francisco citizens are passive motherfuckers, man... I coulda done it.

But I didn't.

I could have taken it from town-to-town... been an underground film folk hero for two months.

Hope that helps.



No? Well, fuck.



haha, that would have been awesome. And we could decide who to let in to see it. I could watch it by myself because I don't like my friends if I wanted.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Pozer

CHERE-MAS-BLOOD

pozer here from the road back to LA.  just wanted to chime in and say that i cant get the movie out of my head.  mill chere more tomorrow... chust a bit more.

Stefen

Well, at least Pozer has an excuse since he was on the road driving back from the screening.

But the rest of you? SHAME ON YOU.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Stefen

This vomitus of praise is doing nothing but getting my hopes up!!!

If I had seen it, I would make a thread titled "Ask Stefen anything about CMBB and he will answer it!" and I would do it.

But that's just me.   :yabbse-wink:
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.