Xixax Film Forum

The Director's Chair => Paul Thomas Anderson => Topic started by: TheVoiceOfNick on December 12, 2003, 05:38:14 PM

Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: TheVoiceOfNick on December 12, 2003, 05:38:14 PM
Ok, so PTA is definetly one of our favorite directors, but how do you think he compares to other directors?  Better in some ways but worse in others?  He's great, but does he have what it takes to go against the likes of Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc.?  Before posting something like "they're different, you can't compare the two", think about it for a minute, and post what you feel is different... i'm sure there will be some that will find similarities as well.

Ok, i'll start...

Since its no fair to compare PTA to Robert Altman, since i'm convinced that they are both one and the same, I think that PTA has lots of similarities to Spielberg.  For one, they both like to touch on emotional connections between people.  Sure, PTA's movies usually gross around 30 million while Spielberg's gross around 300 million, they still have similar themes... families broken apart and left to deal in the aftermath (Elliot's mom is divorced, the family is left to cope without a father in the house... Frank Mackey's dad leaves while he is left to care for his mom while she dies).  Although Spielberg likes to play up the special effects, his stories are really about the characters, just like in a PTA movie, sans the special effects (well, not counting the frogs).
Title: Re: PTA vs. The World
Post by: ono on December 12, 2003, 05:50:50 PM
Quote from: TheVoiceOfNickOk, so PTA is definetly one of our favorite directors, but how do you think he compares to other directors?  Better in some ways but worse in others?  He's great, but does he have what it takes to go against the likes of Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc.?  Before posting something like "they're different, you can't compare the two", think about it for a minute, and post what you feel is different... i'm sure there will be some that will find similarities as well.
Re: Magnolia, PTA is Altman + Heart.

Re: Boogie Nights and Hard Eight, PTA is Scorsese + Heart.

Re: Punch-Drunk Love, PTA is Kubrick + Godard + Tati + Heart (and sure, what the hell, maybe a little Fellini, too, for good measure).

Basically, I love PTA's film so much because of that big beating heart, that soul, that emotion, that beats out of each film's chest.  His films are not timid, and they're not ironic, and that's what's so great about them.

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

PTA and Tarantino, well, they're like two different sides of the proverbial film geek.  But Tarantino is a cocky ass, and that gets annoying after a while.  I love how humble PTA is, though who knows if that's just an act.

As far as Kubrick goes, there is no other.  Kubrick is the best filmmaker of all time, and at this pace, PTA is well on track to match the master.
Title: Re: PTA vs. The World
Post by: cowboykurtis on December 12, 2003, 08:05:09 PM
Quote from: Onomatopoeia
Quote from: TheVoiceOfNick
Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

this quote lowers my opinion of you.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Pubrick on December 13, 2003, 12:18:12 AM
pta is good.

but like, if he read this, he'd say.. "please may i hav my nuts back".

i think he's as tired of analysing himself as a lot of us are. deify him if u like, i got over this 3 years ago.

who am i kidding, if i HAD to do a guy, i'd do johnny depp.. but i'd be thinking of pta.
Title: Re: PTA vs. The World
Post by: cine on December 13, 2003, 01:30:34 AM
Quote from: cowboykurtis
Quote from: OnomatopoeiaSpielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.
this quote lowers my opinion of you.
Unfortunately I must agree with this. :(
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: ono on December 13, 2003, 01:44:55 AM
Okay, then enlighten me.  No wait, don't, I've been part of this argument before, and I never really learn anything new.  But I never knew so many people had any sort of high opinion of me, and that opinion could be lowered by expressing my distaste for certain people who are detrimental to the art of filmmaking.  I doubt I'd get such a knee-jerk reaction for expressing my dislike of Larry Clark, but then again, perhaps my reaction is a knee-jerk one to the rah-rah patriotism (well, only for Saving Private Ryan -- yuck) and Peter Pan syndrome, and happy-ever-after endings pervading Spielberg's films.  Basically, pretty much anything godardian says on this matter, I agree with.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: cine on December 13, 2003, 01:52:30 AM
Quote from: Onomatopoeiaexpressing my distaste for certain people who are detrimental to the art of filmmaking.  
When I read this, I think of George Lucas. NOT Steven Spielberg.

Just one man's opinion, folks.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Pubrick on December 13, 2003, 02:15:21 AM
Quote from: CinephileWhen I read this, I think of George Lucas. NOT Steven Spielberg.

Just one man's opinion, folks.
make that one and a half.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Gamblour. on December 13, 2003, 09:29:33 AM
Quote from: P
who am i kidding, if i HAD to do a guy, i'd do johnny depp.. but i'd be thinking of pta.

Haha...found a new signature.

And I really respect Spielberg, I mean the guy's gotten so good at making movies, he's a man who's perfected his craft. Mind you, this doesn't mean he's the best or most artistic, but he does know what he's doing and he's proved it over and over again. He's made some of the best horror, sci-fi, adventure, war movies out there. He likes to entertain people, what's wrong with that? It's not like he's not making Bad Boys over and over again for the money.

I hope for the day when PTA makes a movie that I don't like, it'll prove that he's human.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: SHAFTR on December 13, 2003, 02:06:30 PM
i hate when people beatup on Spielberg...often because he ushered in the blockbuster.  Well, truth is coppola (godfather) is just as guilty.

People have a hard time accepting that popular art and high art can be the same thing.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Chest Rockwell on December 13, 2003, 04:28:24 PM
How can you not have respect for the Big S? Granted, I'd never be caught saying he's my favorite director by any means, but you have to have respect. He's made some bona fide classics, no doubt. Sure, a lot of his movies are drivel by my standards, but hell, he's still out there making some entertaining fucking drivel.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: NEON MERCURY on December 13, 2003, 06:01:42 PM
PTA is good ..but not as good as Jared Leto.....
Title: Re: PTA vs. The World
Post by: SoNowThen on December 13, 2003, 08:46:25 PM
Quote from: OnomatopoeiaSpielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Pubrick on December 13, 2003, 10:52:04 PM
Quote from: Gamblor du JourHaha...found a new signature.
at last, Slobh's reign of terror is over.
Title: Re: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Alethia on December 14, 2003, 12:37:58 AM
Quote from: OnomatopoeiaSpielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

when did he tell you this???
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: TheVoiceOfNick on December 16, 2003, 05:59:53 PM
Quote from: Chest RockwellHow can you not have respect for the Big S? Granted, I'd never be caught saying he's my favorite director by any means, but you have to have respect. He's made some bona fide classics, no doubt. Sure, a lot of his movies are drivel by my standards, but hell, he's still out there making some entertaining fucking drivel.

Yeah... Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies of all time... and it makes my sound system go "boom"!!! I wonder what we'd get if PTA was a little more Spielberg-ish and vice-versa?  Magnolia meets Jurassic Park... where we follow 12 dinosaurs around during a mass mental breakdown...
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: cine on December 16, 2003, 06:37:08 PM
Frank T-Rex Mackey
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: Link on December 16, 2003, 08:22:06 PM
PTA rocks my hizzy.

So does Kubrick.

Spielberg aint too shabby (AI's one of my favorite)

I also like Mamet.  He's cool.

I like movies, sometimes.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: The Silver Bullet on December 27, 2003, 02:31:34 AM
Quote from: Pdeify him if u like, i got over this 3 years ago.
I like that, P. Nice.

I went from thinking of him as the Lord to not within three months. I like where I am now more than where I was then. He's a good filmmaker. I look forward to his next film with great zeal.

I have no desire to touch his private parts.
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: cine on December 27, 2003, 02:47:07 AM
Quote from: The Silver BulletI have no desire to touch his private parts.
Why the fuck not, huh? You think he's not loaded with a "silver bullet" like you, huh, Siiiilver Bullet!?

Arrogant ass....
Title: PTA vs. The World
Post by: The Silver Bullet on December 27, 2003, 04:51:23 PM
Quote from: CinephileArrogant ass....
Yeah. I'm being arrogant.