Do I like PT Anderson

 Sometimes I feel the need to put disclaimers about how self-involved this thing is, but then again, it's my blog so of course it's what I'm thinking about or doing, sheesh.

The last two movies I've seen (Titane -which I keep thinking is called Tartine, and Lamb - dumb) both had the preview for PT Anderson's new movie Licorice Pizza. It doesn't look particularly intriguing and I was distracted by the Haim and trying to figure out how old she is and how old she is supposed to be in the story. That is why celeb casting can be annoying!

Anyway, it got me thinking - do I really like PT Anderson or do I just think I do? Note that I'm not saying "is he good?" that is too lofty and I'm not qualified. Love movies but not a film nerd.

So I decided to watch them all in a row. Naming his movies with smiller I bet he might be the only director where I can think of all his movies but I did forget Hard Eight. Smiller was like "Boogie Nights can't be the first!" He was right.

Hard Eight came out in 1996 and I went to see it in the theater. I would have been 22 or 23. Reader, I walked out. I probably theater-hopped to something else. Gwyneth annoyed me, and the casino plot did not grab me.

I watched it the other night. I'm pretty sure this is the only time I've seen the ending. Gwyneth still annoyed me. Seeing her prep school ass play a Reno sex worker is just irritating. It was weird seeing it close after The Card Counter because it had so many similarities. Men, searching for daddies and sons, in seedy casinos. Card counting mentioned in the beginning, and then never again. 

It didn't really feel like a PT Anderson movie yet, although I guess the hotel room scene is the signature scene. I know there was some issue with the movie getting cut by the studio and then recut by him, so maybe they tried to cut out his auteur stuff. 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman has a poignant cameo, and he uses the laugh-to-hide-crushing-insecurity laugh that he would employ as Scott in Boogie Nights.

Casting Samuel Jackson a couple years after Pulp Fiction gives the scenes between him and Philip Baker Hall a Tarentino-esque feel, which is definitely weird for Paul Thomas Anderson.

Overall, it's ok but I'm sure after my walk out I had no thought I would go to see his next movie. I wish the Reno Peppermill still looks the way it does in the movie. I mean, maybe it does but I doubt it.