Licorice Pizza - SPOILERS!

HACKANUT · December 27, 2021, 10:20:51 AM

two viewings under my belt.

for starters: I liked it. But, it's pretty difficult to organize my thoughts on this one so I'm just gonna ramble.

Spoiler: Show

Alright. That's it for now.

Looking forward to another slice soon.

wilberfan · December 27, 2021, 10:26:06 AM

My new best friend.

jzakko · December 27, 2021, 01:15:22 PM

Love the detailed response Hackanut!

The running scene set to Sonny and Cher does feel like it starts off forced, but it redeems itself for me for the pure joy of it all.

It's really that first cut, from the reflection shot to her taking his hand and running, it feels like he needs to get to the next music-driven setpiece and the cut didn't quite work in the end.

For some reason my feeling is that Alana was improvising a bit with the 'did you kill someone?' part, and PTA liked it, but it didn't cut too well into the run but he liked it enough to accept that.

We also found in a recent interview that the running was going to have a bunch of dialogue as they ran, which he took out. That's fascinating to me as he often tells his actors to do a take like charades where they act out the dialogue, but that's usually just an exercise to get somewhere for when they bring the dialogue back in.

Also, after 5 viewings, I'm starting to think I won't ever really like the final shot/line.

Finally, in a long list of pitch-perfect takes, you prefer the movie would be 1.85?! I can't see it personally, does anyone else wish this were 1.85?

HACKANUT · December 27, 2021, 01:31:03 PM

Thanks, glad you got something out of it.

I've always strongly preferred flat ratios. 1.66:1 is my favorite because of the extra head room

I'm fascinated with portraiture and you can much more naturally frame a face in ratios that are taller. Widescreen is cool, but not my favorite.

wilberfan · December 27, 2021, 01:45:30 PM

Benny Safdie Talks With Joel Wachs, Whom He Plays In Licorice Pizza, About Life in the Closet in '70s LA

Paul Thomas Anderson's new film is a love letter to '70s LA, but the longtime councilman explains to the actor why his memories are more complicated.

jviness02 · December 27, 2021, 06:42:34 PM

Quote from: jzakko on December 27, 2021, 01:15:22 PM
Love the detailed response Hackanut!

The running scene set to Sonny and Cher does feel like it starts off forced, but it redeems itself for me for the pure joy of it all.

It's really that first cut, from the reflection shot to her taking his hand and running, it feels like he needs to get to the next music-driven setpiece and the cut didn't quite work in the end.

For some reason my feeling is that Alana was improvising a bit with the 'did you kill someone?' part, and PTA liked it, but it didn't cut too well into the run but he liked it enough to accept that.

We also found in a recent interview that the running was going to have a bunch of dialogue as they ran, which he took out. That's fascinating to me as he often tells his actors to do a take like charades where they act out the dialogue, but that's usually just an exercise to get somewhere for when they bring the dialogue back in.

Also, after 5 viewings, I'm starting to think I won't ever really like the final shot/line.

Finally, in a long list of pitch-perfect takes, you prefer the movie would be 1.85?! I can't see it personally, does anyone else wish this were 1.85?

I've only seen it once, but the cut from her scolding him to them running is the only thing that really bugged me. It feels so jarring to me.

Yes · December 27, 2021, 06:44:13 PM

I love the running after prison scene for so many reasons. It's operating on many different levels.

The film is about finding temporary catharsis whenever you can as an escape from darkness in the world. In this case literally escaping prison.

jzakko · December 27, 2021, 06:55:25 PM

Also, am I crazy, or was Gary hesitant in leaving the jail because he wet his pants while being roughed up by the police and was embarrassed to get up only for Alana to embrace him anyway?

Sorry if this is super obvious and everyone saw it, but every time I rewatched the movie I looked for it and we don't see a wet spot from the front when he gets up, but then when he runs off with Alana we see he has a Soggy Bottom, right?

WorldForgot · December 27, 2021, 07:10:49 PM

You're right. It's a very soggy bottom. I read it the way you did, but maybe he only sweats out the back.

HACKANUT · December 27, 2021, 11:15:04 PM

Interesting interpretation of the chronology. If it really is 71-73, it makes sense given how the episodic structure feels.

"I wondered about this, as we see them bump into each other at the Teen-Age fair after not talking for a while, how long exactly was that? Reviews all say the film takes place during 1973, but I think it's actually 1971-1973. I think the picture day and trip to NY is fall '71, The Teen-Age Fair is Easter '72, the water bed business takes place through until the gas crisis which would have been fall of '73.

I know there is some fudging and some things are fake versions of real events, but when Gary discovers the waterbed in that store he's never really heard of them before. The waterbed was patented in '71 so it wouldn't make sense for someone like him to have not heard of one in '73 and get in on the "ground floor." The market was already saturated at by then. There are a lot of things that would take some time to happen (going from just getting an agent to being in a meeting with a director for example) that I the movie has to be a couple years long."

https://www.reddit.com/r/paulthomasanderson/comments/rh6pf5/comment/hopa6yv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

jviness02 · December 28, 2021, 01:57:18 AM

Quote from: HACKANUT on December 27, 2021, 11:15:04 PM
Interesting interpretation of the chronology. If it really is 71-73, it makes sense given how the episodic structure feels.

"I wondered about this, as we see them bump into each other at the Teen-Age fair after not talking for a while, how long exactly was that? Reviews all say the film takes place during 1973, but I think it's actually 1971-1973. I think the picture day and trip to NY is fall '71, The Teen-Age Fair is Easter '72, the water bed business takes place through until the gas crisis which would have been fall of '73.

I know there is some fudging and some things are fake versions of real events, but when Gary discovers the waterbed in that store he's never really heard of them before. The waterbed was patented in '71 so it wouldn't make sense for someone like him to have not heard of one in '73 and get in on the "ground floor." The market was already saturated at by then. There are a lot of things that would take some time to happen (going from just getting an agent to being in a meeting with a director for example) that I the movie has to be a couple years long."

https://www.reddit.com/r/paulthomasanderson/comments/rh6pf5/comment/hopa6yv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Gary still can't legally drive pretty late in the movie, judging by Alana's reaction when he takes the car by himself, so I think PTA just fudged the numbers a bit.

HACKANUT · December 28, 2021, 07:15:40 AM

I took her reaction being severe because she wants Gary to have to depend on her. He's definitely old enough to drive by that point since he tells the cops He's nearly 16 earlier in the film.
There's something with driving = power in Phantom Thread too when Alma tells Reynolds to let her drive for him.

pynchonikon · December 28, 2021, 07:49:21 AM

Quote from: HACKANUT on December 28, 2021, 07:15:40 AM
I took her reaction being severe because she wants Gary to have to depend on her. He's definitely old enough to drive by that point since he tells the cops He's nearly 16 earlier in the film.
There's something with driving = power in Phantom Thread too when Alma tells Reynolds to let her drive for him.

I liked this observation.

Drenk · December 28, 2021, 10:49:56 AM

Spoiler: Show

Pringle · December 28, 2021, 12:02:23 PM

Quote from: Yes on December 27, 2021, 06:44:13 PM
The film is about finding temporary catharsis whenever you can as an escape from darkness in the world. In this case literally escaping prison.

This is a great analysis