Has anyone here ever met PTA? Tell us your stories....

[Drenk]

That question about Tom Cruise was fucking dumb—and his issue was that he had answered it many times and everyone knew the answer. But he has been asked the same question in the Charlie Rose show and stayed polite. But this is a great exemple of him showing this side in public. Then: come on, everyone tries to act good in front of a camera. That's human.

[jviness02]

Quite frankly, all these stories just paint the picture of real dude. He's not a saint, but I also don't think he's some horrible guy who always treats people like shit.  There's too many stories and first hand accounts of him being super cool to fans and his co-workers etc. Like many have said, it is weird(and honestly unhealthy) to hero worship, but to me it is equally weird to be like "oh we have proof he's not perfect and has been an ass at times? Fuck him, his films were always trash anyway".

[Rooty Poots]

Yeah he doesnt owe anybody anything but I'd rather there be no fascade.

So because he can be an asshole sometimes, he should be an asshole all the time?

[Tdog]

 No he can be however he wants. I guess I'm just surprised to hear he can be the polar opposite to how he conducts himself in promo situations and also because I had heard from past Cigs And Red Vines administrators that he was a genuinely nice guy when they met him (think it was Modage). But people can be many things, I'm sure he can be friendly and other times pissy, everyone is and it was naive of me to think he might be otherwise. It makes sense though considering the work.

He's human and he makes great art about troubled complicated people so I suppose I shouldnt be surprised that he might be the same. As has been mentioned before he's REALLY GOOD at hiding where his ideas come from. For instance David Lynch and Tarantino characters talk like those directors but it's hard to say that PTA's characters sound like him or possess his thoughts/feelings because he becomes so vague and slippery in interviews. The most you can get about Paul is that he makes emotionally resonant works but also loves fart jokes. Even that comes from a second hand source. It's in the work too of course, his movies are hilarious!

Its hard to find details on things. I remember a late Phillip Seymour Hoffmann interview where he talked about meeting Paul and Paul's new girlfriend, who he was in love with, in a restaurant. And Paul grabbed him and started wrestling with him in the middle of the restaurant just like Master and Freddie when they reconcile after the prison scene. The point being there are probably really personal moments and feelings going into his work but he never discusses it publicly and talks broadly about things so it becomes easy for me to think that a lot of the work might be imagined.

There's also the conflict with the theme of something like Magnolia. He said on WTF "It's about my Dad" with a lot of effection in his voice. And he's always talks about how much he loves his Dad, how great a guy he was. But then he makes an entire movie about Dad's being the biggest pieces of shit! What?

[Rooty Poots]

I agree with all that, but back on the idea of PTA being an asshole to his fans, I can probably come off the exact same way right before I give a lecture after little to no sleep—and I’m generally regarded as a gregarious, friendly and generous guy. Also, I’m in an environment where I’m often crowded by people I don’t know wanting to talk to me. I used to patiently take time to chat with everyone. I slowly learned I had to give that up—I can’t just chat with everyone, it takes forever. But in avoiding chatting with people, I haven’t found a way to do it where I don’t come off as an asshole. And I’m not even a celebrity or a renowned director who has to deal with this *constantly*.

Still, even on my worst days, when I come in grumpy and don’t want to deal with anyone, I can turn off the attitude *like that* if I need to, like for an interview or whatever.

[Tdog]

Despite treating his fans APPALLINGLY, I grabbed a quick pic w/ Paul Thomas Anderson at the NY Q&A. @cigsandredvines pic.twitter.com/g6JbvAeRfe

— Bride & Groom Films - Richard Finlay (@Richard_Finlay_) October 6, 2014

?s=17

It seems to be true. This is the guy and his pic with an undercover PTA.

[Jeremy Blackman]

A-Paul-ingly

[Something Spanish]

He's a filmmaker, not Jimmy Fallon. I've meet him twice and seen him at five different events, never detected a shred of assholery, but even if I saw what was described I wouldn't feel appalled or let it shape my perception. Judge the man by his work, as long as he's not sexually harassing anyone he's a-ok.

I was so jazzed to meet him in a 2003 showing of PDL (BAM put together a little fest of 2002's best) that upon learning the venue added an additional screening of the film, this one to be introduced by PTA and PSH as opposed to the Q&A that was to follow the original screening I copped tickets to, I left in the middle of the movie to see him intro in the auditorium next door, hanging out in the back. When he finished I ambushed him in between both auditoriums and shook his hand telling him I left in the middle of the movie because I had to meet him to which he replied something like, "well get back in there and watch", which was a really sweet was to shake me off as he darted right into the theater to watch some himself. Spoke to him twice more that night, for probably a total of 60-seconds notwithstanding my Q at the Q&A and left thinking he's one of the nicest guys I've ever meet. He was surprised I had the PDL DVD early because it was a few days away from release, but I bought one at Kim's Video which always had stuff a bit early. Still own the DVD with his and Hoffman's sig.

[BigSock]

Friends of mine have seen him or met him personally at various NYC functions

Someone I know got a picture with him, while during another instance PTA declined photos at NYFF for Inherent Vice and was in a rush

I suppose it just depends on the event and timing naturally since most fan encounters are awkward scrambles for all involved

What's more important is that he doesn't appear to be some horrible person with abusive secrets

[Tdog]

He said in a Boogie era interview that he used to do tons of coke while working a job pre "Sydney". Can't remember what the job was, might have been a courier or some sort of delivery job. You'd need to go through the Boogie interview archive on Cigs and Red Vines for more info.

[Something Spanish]

[axxonn]

Some of us must remember this:

Although Anderson is one of the most autobiographical filmmakers of his generation, drawing heavily on his childhood in the San Fernando Valley, most stories about him offer some variation on "very little is known about his early years" or "little is known about Paul's childhood." He has stopped talking to most of his friends from those years, and none of them can say whether he just moved on naturally or broke with his past for some secret reason.

"When he did Magnolia," Stevens says, "I sent word through someone who worked with him to tell Paul it would be great if he could come back for a visit. I'd love to see him. And the answer came: 'Paul doesn't go back.'"

'The Secret History of Paul Thomas Anderson' - Esquire

I've heard a LOT of jokes being made in film circles about him being addicted cocaine etc and going to rehab. Never got a source on that.

Isn't there a moment in That Moment when you can sort of see Paul snort some coke? Think it's during the filming of the diner scene (which was a stressful reshoot, right?)

[Robyn]

I actually met Paul at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

[polkablues]

[Rooty Poots]

“to prevent any electrical infetterence,”

There's our next marquee quote, is what I'm thinking.

But seriously, folks.  What an....interesting story.  I'm really not sure what to make of that.  Without some context (what was his day like before that, etc), it's kind of a head-scratcher.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-saw-flying-lotus-in-a-grocery-store-copypasta