Book about PTA - Paul Thomas Anderson: From Hard Eight to Punch-Drunk Love

[children with angels]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/383832255X?tag=cigsandredvines&camp=211493&creative=379981&linkCode=op2&creativeASIN=383832255X&adid=0AM5VMHZF7VQ7H0KKFM0&

Paul Thomas Anderson: from Hard Eight to Punch-Drunk Love



Description: This book is the first full treatment of the life and cinema of American film director Paul Thomas Anderson. Beginning with his entry into filmmaking, this work spans each of his first four feature films - Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love - and follows his rise to the pinnacle of the indie circuit. As a major filmmaker in the studio independent filmmaking scene of the 1990s, Anderson has proven himself to be an exceptional storyteller and technician in the art of cinema. This work examines the continuity and similarities that exist in each of Anderson's films - his themes, his vision of life and his depiction of the self. It focuses primarily on how the filmmaker uses structural elements - e.g. cinematography, music, lighting, dialogue and tone - as methods of communicating his vision. A must-have for anyone interested in his work, and a great read for those who like independent cinema!


Has anyone read, or even heard of, this? I only just learned about it through an automatic ad on cigs & red vines. I'm intrigued, of course, but unfortunately it costs $74 for what is apparently a 64-page paperback. Add to this the worst cover in the world and the fact that the author is an American Studies PhD student, and I'm inclined to assume this isn't going to be great. However, that could just be jealousy speaking: I always secretly hoped to publish a PTA book at some point.

[Pubrick]

it's just some douche bag's thesis turned into something resembling a readable text. i see things like this all the time for kubrick, usually in pdf format. i don't expect it to reveal much but if anyone finds a copy do type it up so i can see how many of my posts they STOLE.

[children with angels]

Speaking as some douche bag who will soon be trying to turn his thesis into something resembling a readable text, I resent the implication that all PhD theses are not eminently deserving of your time...!

However, some research throws up the fact that this guy hasn't even finished his PhD yet, so this is likely to be a Masters dissertation at best (as the length suggests). Furthermore, the publishing house that owns the company who put this out, VDM publishing, get their authors by trawling university sites and making offers without even reading the text - I know this because they actually approached me about my thesis! So they have little-to-no discernment about quality. That's not to say the book won't be good, only that it's more unlikely than if this thing had actually had to get through any kind of peer-review process.