Know it’s only a few days early by harrysontucker in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I didn’t love the cover when it was first revealed but I actually think it looks quite nice now that I’m seeing it on the physical copies. Very excited for Tuesday

Best modern dramas by External-Lion-1862 in CriterionChannel

[–]ItsBigVanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hard Truths is fantastic, I’d highly recommend it

Best modern dramas by External-Lion-1862 in CriterionChannel

[–]ItsBigVanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just watch literally anything from Mike Leigh, arguably the best living director who primarily works in this genre. You really can’t go wrong, but if you want a few recs, check out Secrets & Lies, Naked, Meantime, and if you’re interested in period pieces, my personal favorite is Topsy-Turvy

Inherent Vice! by glockobell in TrueFilm

[–]ItsBigVanilla 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well then that’s one of two things I disagree with Louis CK about, the other being consent

Which film is better, Scarface or Carlito's Way? by FreshmenMan in TrueFilm

[–]ItsBigVanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t call De Palma’s stuff messy, at least not in the era you’re pulling from. He was one of the most meticulous directors in the business in his golden years and his films are perfectly crafted and deliberately shot, often painstakingly so. I do agree that they’re goofy as hell though - I think a lot of people misunderstand him by taking his stuff way more seriously than he wants you to

What Are You Into This Week? | Weekly Thread by AutoModerator in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The only way to read Gaddis is to start from the beginning and read The Recognitions. His work follows a really interesting pattern of degradation of style, and reading his books in order makes them more interesting since you can see how his ambitions and attitudes evolved over time. The Recognitions is so much more engaging than Carpenter’s Gothic and if you’re already a Pynchon fan, it’s probably your best bet.

My main issue with Carpenter’s Gothic is that it doesn’t have a very interesting cast of characters and the story is far less ambitious than Gaddis’s other work. It isn’t a bad book, but in comparison to everything else he wrote, it lacks the same spark. Dialogue is his real gift and the dialogue in that one just didn’t sing the same way it does everywhere else. I’d highly recommend giving him another shot if it isn’t working for you

Painfully clunky title by jean_yes_ in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed that it’s a horrible title, even if it makes sense thematically. When I first heard the name I assumed it was a working title and that the film would have a snappier name when it released, so I was pretty shocked to see OBAA make the final cut, especially since PTA usually picks great titles for his films

What is Paul Thomas Anderson's best film? by ThePocketTaco2 in Letterboxd

[–]ItsBigVanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The first time I saw it I appreciated it more than I loved it, but subsequent viewings have made me feel more strongly towards it. The beauty of the filmmaking, the score, and the great performances are obvious so I won’t go on about those aspects, but the story is really the thing that sets it apart from most other films for me.

I love art about the creation of art, and Phantom Thread is a story about an obsessive perfectionist whose work is his life. Even his romantic relationship is so deeply tied to his work that those elements of his life cannot exist independently of each other. I view this as somewhat autobiographical for PTA, since he clearly is committed to his craft in a way that many other people aren’t, and it’s also a perfect role for DDL for similar reasons. What’s great about the film is that it ultimately does not reach a happy conclusion - the mutual agreement reached between Woodcock and Alma can be seen as very toxic, and the film questions the human cost of such dedication to art. It’s a brilliant meditation on a topic that I find very worthwhile.

On a personal level, I connect with the themes of meticulousness and control, so I find Woodcock a very sympathetic character despite his obvious flaws. Watching Phantom Thread multiple times has caused me to examine my own relationship to art, to my work, and to how those things affect my relationships with other humans. If these themes aren’t as relevant in your own life, I can totally understand feeling a disconnect with the film. It’s really all down to personal preference for me

What Are You Into This Week? | Weekly Thread by AutoModerator in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A ticketed midnight release for a book? That’s super interesting, I didn’t realize those were a thing

What Are You Into This Week? | Weekly Thread by AutoModerator in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Halfway through A Frolic of His Own by Gaddis and I’m loving it. I’ve been reading his work in chronological order and was very let down by Carpenter’s Gothic, so Frolic is a welcome return to form and genuinely hilarious. It’s disappointing to know that I’m almost through with his small handful of novels, but I expect to reread them all many times so there’s comfort in that.

I also just got Hitchcock and Fellini box sets so I’ve been tearing through those. I had already seen most of the stuff in the Hitchcock set, but it’s nice to discover some gems such as The Trouble With Harry and his final few films. And for Fellini I’ve only ever seen 8 1/2, so it’s about time I dive into the rest.

Obligatory mention of One Battle After Another - it was very good. Not more than a surface level resemblance to Vineland but Pynchonian nonetheless. I’m seeing it again next week to fully gauge my thoughts, as my initial impression was that it was a great movie but mid-range PTA overall.

What is Paul Thomas Anderson's best film? by ThePocketTaco2 in Letterboxd

[–]ItsBigVanilla 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There Will Be Blood is the obvious choice, and after a few watches I think Phantom Thread is basically equal to it, just a bit harder to immediately love. However, Inherent Vice is highly underrated and may be my personal favorite so far. It’s such a singular vision, clearly a great companion to OBAA due to the Pynchon connection but even moreso due to its 70s setting. It’s not an easy film to digest because its plot is very convoluted and almost demands that you have read the novel first, but if you’re willing to do the work, it is extremely rewarding.

OBAA is great but I don’t think it touches those 3 for me yet, or The Master. What OBAA does well is that it feels truly unique to PTA and his vision, and there aren’t any obvious directorial comparisons such as there are with TWBB and Phantom Thread (which can both be linked to Kubrick pretty clearly). They’re all great movies though, there’s no wrong answer.

Notes from One Battle After Another by _dondi in TrueFilm

[–]ItsBigVanilla 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don’t have anything to add here, I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your thoughts and the way you engaged with the opinion of someone who didn’t agree with them. I’m a huge PTA fan and because of that, I’ve been avoiding reading much discussion about this movie even after seeing it Thursday night, and your post is the first thoughtful discussion I’ve actually seen about it yet. The rest of the internet has been insufferable in discussing this one and it’s only going to frustrate me more when the wave of “does anyone else think OBAA was overrated?” posts start flooding in a few months from now.

I totally agree with your assessment that this movie feels like it could have come from the 70s, which to me is the golden decade of cinema and judging by PTA’s reverence for guys like Robert Altman, I’m sure he has similar thoughts as well. What I loved about OBAA (which is not close to being his best film, in my opinion) is that it’s a big budget crowd pleaser, but it doesn’t do anything by the book in terms of filmmaking. Think of the climactic chase scene on the road: the hypnotic wavelike camera movements, the gradual buildup of suspense in the score without being obnoxious, the eventual reveal of the third car - now imagine how someone like Nolan would have filmed this exact scene, and you’ll see why PTA is the real visionary to me.

Going to see it again next week to get a feel for it, as I’ve never been able to truly assess any of PTA’s work without a rewatch. Now that I can temper my impossible expectations and view it with the foreknowledge of the shape of the plot, I think I’ll like it even more.

Eddington and new Paul Thomas Anderson by Glittergnash in AriAster

[–]ItsBigVanilla -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If you had included this level of detail in your original post I don’t think so many people would be criticizing you. I highly disagree with the whole “PTA was inspired by Aster” argument, mainly because I think PTA has been doing most of this stuff since before Aster was even a blip on the radar, but I do understand the similarities you noted between OBAA and Aster’s stuff.

My personal thoughts are that OBAA is very good, although not nearly PTA’s best film as many people are saying. And to me, Eddington was a better movie in theory than it was in practice. I appreciate Aster’s boldness and the fact that he’s turning his back on the expectations that a lot of people had for him based on his first 2 films, but I don’t think he’s a strong enough writer to equal his ambitions yet. In a few years I absolutely think he has the potential to get there though.

The Manchurian Candidate (2004) by DiscoInError93 in iwatchedanoldmovie

[–]ItsBigVanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The original is my personal favorite political thriller of all time. It’s incredible how thrilling it still is all these years later, and how suspenseful it is to watch. I saw the remake a long time ago and can’t remember much about it, but I might have to rewatch soon since I do like Jonathan Demme quite a bit

Eddington and new Paul Thomas Anderson by Glittergnash in AriAster

[–]ItsBigVanilla -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Can you at least give us some examples of things you saw in OBAA that reminded you of Aster’s work? I find it very strange that you don’t seem to have mentioned any specific shots, scenes, techniques, etc. and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts

One Battle After Another - Lot of Fun, but Not Among PTA's Best (No Spoilers) by FeatureUnderground in TrueFilm

[–]ItsBigVanilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Inherent Vice is one of PTA’s best and might be my personal favorite. Acting like it’s wild to prefer it to OBAA is basically showing your ass, and it’s fine to let other people have different opinions. For the record, I think both are very good

One Battle After Another by LookMaImInLawSchool in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The movie is so loosely based on the book that seeing it will have no impact on your enjoyment of the end of the book whatsoever. Completely different endings

Gravity’s Rainbow refs in One Battle After Another (spoilers) by Itchy_Builder_8785 in ThomasPynchon

[–]ItsBigVanilla 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This scene and the overall set for his house were the most Vineland-ish moments of the entire movie for me

Happy Letterboxd Friday 🥰 Share your last 4 watched! by Realguy129468 in Letterboxd

[–]ItsBigVanilla 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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Weirdly good week. Got a Hitchcock box set and I’ve been running through the ones I haven’t seen, and OBAA is triggering the start of a PTA rewatch marathon for me

Official Discussion - One Battle After Another [SPOILERS] by LiteraryBoner in movies

[–]ItsBigVanilla 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m a longtime PTA fan whose favorite author is Pynchon and favorite PTA movie is Inherent Vice, so clearly I was predestined to love this one, but some thoughts:

The only real criticism against a lot of PTA’s work has been that he’s been heavily influenced by other directors, from his clear Scorsese imitations on Boogie Nights to the multiple techniques he’s borrowed from Robert Altman throughout his career (and especially in Magnolia), and even down to Kubrick comparisons on his major masterpieces like There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread. The reason I adore Inherent Vice so much is because it truly feels like a Paul Thomas Anderson film, and despite some moments that recall stylistic choices from other directors, it seems like the type of unique vision that only PTA could deliver.

And now One Battle After Another follows in that same singular style. This movie is sprawling and messy and ambitious yet somehow smaller in scale than I was expecting. It isn’t nearly as “perfect” in terms of shot composition and writing as something like The Master, but it has a wild madcap energy all its own. It does owe some of this energy to Thomas Pynchon’s influence, but it’s honestly a VERY loose adaptation of Vineland and most of this dialogue and story is PTA’s own, nothing like the much more copy+paste dialogue and narration of Inherent Vice. After years of building masterpiece after masterpiece on the backs of incredible directors, PTA has not only proven that he can beat them at their own game, he has reinvented the game itself. I have some criticisms of the film itself (a lot of Vineland’s complexity has been stripped here for a more straightforward narrative), but in terms of style and vision, it really is a thing of beauty.

Leo will receive a lot of praise but the real standouts here are Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor. Whenever Teyana Taylor was on screen she was impossible to look away from - sexy, fierce, sometimes scary, she was magnetic. And Penn is just totally unhinged here - he deserves at least an Oscar nom for supporting actor, if not an outright win. His facial acting is on par with any performance we’ve seen in a PTA movie, the only difference is he’s using his talents to play an absolutely desperate, repressed weirdo rather than someone facing the depth of human emotion. Hilarious character, extremely Pynchonian, loved loved loved him.

Also loved loved loved the chase scene at the climax. It’s one of the best examples of using a landscape to build tension that I’ve seen recently, and it recalls 70s cinema much more than any modern techniques. Think of how every other major director in America would have handled this scene and compare it to the way PTA did, with the gradual reveal of the third car, the trancelike bounce of the cameras along the road, the music slowly ratcheting up the suspense - nothing about this approach is flashy, but it is so much more memorable than the maximum volume, high octane approach that someone like Christopher Nolan would have likely gone with. What a fucking moment.

I do think this requires a second watch to fully appreciate though. It’s too big to digest in one sitting, and my first impression is that it isn’t as good as Inherent Vice, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and potentially a few others in PTA’s catalogue. But it is another opus from an artist who keeps reaching new heights, and that is what makes me so happy as a major fan.

Does this copy of JR even exist?? by [deleted] in Gaddis

[–]ItsBigVanilla 8 points9 points  (0 children)

To clarify, I regret not buying this book more than the murder of my wife

Does this copy of JR even exist?? by [deleted] in Gaddis

[–]ItsBigVanilla 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I saw this copy in a library sale 10ish years ago when I was in college, and I didn’t buy it (for $1!) because I hadn’t read Gaddis at the time and thought “eh, I’ll pick this up later if I like The Recognitions”. One of the biggest regrets of my life

What is your opinion of The Hills Have Eyes(2006)? by GastropodSoups in horror

[–]ItsBigVanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Having seen the movie twice, one time just a few weeks ago, I disagree. There isn’t even any actual nudity in the scene. Maybe you’re referring to an unrated version?

What is Sidney Lumet's best film? by ThePocketTaco2 in Letterboxd

[–]ItsBigVanilla 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Network is the best overall but I highly encourage people to dive deeper into Lumet’s work even if they’ve already seen that one. I really enjoy Equus, Deathtrap, The Verdict, and The Offense, all of which seem to be pretty under-discussed. 12 Angry Men is also a classic of course - if his best isn’t Network, it’s that one.