The Master - Spoiler-Free Thread

polkablues · July 19, 2012, 12:10:01 AM

Quote from: KarlJan on July 18, 2012, 08:03:48 PM
the striking image of a glass (or bottle) half full.

Huffington Post needs some new glasses. That's clearly something partially submerged or floating, not a half-full container.

72teeth · July 19, 2012, 01:25:19 AM

is The Master the name of his ship?

"All aboooard The Mast-ahhhh!"

i could totally hear that in a pta picture

©brad · July 19, 2012, 10:10:42 AM

Awesome P.

In other news, The Daily fucking Beast read an early draft of the screenplay and wonders "Is 'The Master' Based on Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard?" Ugh.

If this movie really is "the biggest fictional middle finger ever flown [Scientology's] way," nothing would make me happier.

matt35mm · July 19, 2012, 10:32:26 AM

The Master page on Facebook has said that the official trailer will debut tonight online and on Entertainment Tonight, at 8pm Eastern Time. Dig it.

MacGuffin · July 19, 2012, 05:57:13 PM

E-Meters and Liquid Schisms: Auditing the First Poster for The Master
By Dante A. Ciampaglia, Movieline

In the latest installment of One-Sheet Wonder, a column going deep on the best, worst, weirdest and other milestones of contemporary movie-poster art, Movieline takes a look at the new poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. — Ed.

The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson's enigmatic follow-up to There Will Be Blood, has been trailed by speculation and assumption for months — Is it about Scientology? Is Philip Seymour Hoffman portraying L. Ron Hubbard in a biopic capacity? — and every question has been met with denials and mystery. But each new marketing piece sheds more light on what we'll get. After two beautiful, beguiling teaser trailers, a beautiful, beguiling one-sheet for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master debuted today over at Ain't It Cool News. But like the clips before it, the poster tells us almost nothing about the movie. (Or do they?)

The first trailer was peppered with Scientology-ish personality questions, and this poster seems based on an abstraction of an e-meter, the device used in Scientology auditing.

The close-up of a barreled piece of silver metal seems like an unfinished soda can. But take a look at the tubes in this photo (pictured right) and it's not a far leap to see the poster as a macro view of one of those e-meter tubes. But then what's that dirty, flat-champagne-like liquid draining out of the poster (notice the drops at the top)?

It could reference Hubbard's Naval background and his life on a yacht, and there's a vague nautical element to the fonts. Or it could refer to the flushing of alcohol that comes with the Scientology auditing process. Whatever the case, it creates a nice refraction in the word "MASTER," bisecting it and putting the halves increasingly off kilter as you go from left to right, a reflection of the schism hinted at in the second trailer ("Just say something that's true!").

This probably won't be the only poster for The Master, but don't expect a second one-sheet to bathe the plot in sunlight. There Will Be Blood had two domestic one-sheets, and while the teaser was far more engaging than the final art neither gave the game away. Time will tell whether The Master follows suit, but like with TWBB the mystery surrounding the film — encapsulated in this excellent first poster — makes the wait to see it interminable.

Dante A. Ciampaglia is a writer, editor and photographer in New York. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and, occasionally, his blog.

http://movieline.com/2012/07/19/the-master-paul-thomas-anderson-scientology-poster/

Kellen · July 19, 2012, 05:58:54 PM

malkovich · July 19, 2012, 06:29:56 PM

oh my god. the direction. cinematography. the score. the acting. all of it, flawless.

©brad · July 19, 2012, 06:42:02 PM

Holy shit.

polkablues · July 19, 2012, 06:43:27 PM

For the new page:

Quote from: Kellen on July 19, 2012, 05:58:54 PM

Just Withnail · July 19, 2012, 06:51:59 PM

my! i love that wonder-invoking fifties score, Freddie stumbling into the enticing unknown. and when you expect it to go balls out crazy in the last third, it stays gentle, showcasing what might be the biggest threat the film presents: that Freddie finds peace and calm, but peace and calm based in lies.

Plenty of gorgeous visual continuity between this and TWBB. Freddie in center of frame extending arms like Daniel ordering the detonation. Freddie running whilst the camera speeds away from him on a rail like it speeds away from Daniel running towards the oil derrick.

polkablues · July 19, 2012, 07:02:14 PM

Where's Laura Dern, I wonder? Unless I missed her.

polkablues · July 19, 2012, 07:55:57 PM

Ah, stupid gutless youtube pulled it.

Watch it at shitty Yahoo Movies instead.

SIDE NOTE: I can't do a screencap at the moment, but if you look around the 0:45 mark in the trailer, the name of the boat ("ALETHIA") seems to be in the same font as "THE MASTER" on the poster.

DocSportello · July 19, 2012, 08:15:59 PM

Totally awestruck. It makes you realize how little he put in the teasers. This radiates with a much fuller, richer aesthetic. This is above and beyond, once again. After all this time it`s finally on it`s way.

malkovich · July 19, 2012, 08:39:32 PM

It's here, too. This seriously looks incredible, even by PTA's standards..

cinemanarchist · July 19, 2012, 08:44:56 PM

Quote from: RegularKarate on July 18, 2012, 11:29:53 AM
I have an inside source that told me that a couple weeks ago Paul was in Austin testing the sound for the Master in a theater at the Alamo Drafthouse. He had some guys with a soundboard set up testing levels etc...

A) I'm kicking myself for finding out too late to stalk him and force him into handshakes and pictures.
B) This particular location is where Fantastic Fest happens in September. There's a good chance this gets shown there.
C) So pissed that I don't have VIP badge for Fantastic Fest this year.

He's definitely been in Austin. A friend sent me this back in March.