There Will Be Blood

[jesse_custer]

"There Will Be Blood": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2Ae2SIXac

P.T. Anderson looks as if he has struck oil himself. The trailer seems to imply that this movie is going to combine a classic film's overall mentality with the quirkiness of modern cinema. Day-Lewis, as usual, is stunning in this short preview. He has this amazing ability of taking melodramatic dialogue and making it seem more genuine than the heart of Mother Theresa.

Also, list out the films you think have been the best of 2007 thus far. Because I think they'll be down for the count when this movie is released:

Zodiac
The Host
Grindhouse
Rescue Dawn
3:10 to Yuma
No Country for Old Men (haven't actually seen this, but pretty sure it's a safe assumption)

[Lord of Denial]

No country for old men was great.

But this look really good.

[EZMOHR]

It's a renter....but I will still watch it.

My Top 5 of the Year So Far:

1. Zodiac (By a wide margin my favorite movie of 2007)
2. Knocked Up
3. 300
4. The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
5. The Lookout

[HomerJay]

People who have seen THERE WILL BE BLOOD have been calling Daniel Day Lewis's perofrmance one of the best of all-time. I've also actually heard CITIZEN KANE comparisons. We'll see.

I saw NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN this weekend and found it to be arguably better than FARGO which ended up taking home a handful of awards.

[Toku King]

Looks awesome! Can't wait!

My favorite movies of 2007 so far(in no order):

Transformers
The Simpsons Movie
Ratatouille
300
Spider-Man 3

[ultramandingo]

No Country for Old Men
Eastern Promises
The Host
Ratatouille
Grindhouse
Rescue Dawn
Hot Fuzz
Knocked Up
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Superbad

[DWEarhart]

I am looking forward to this movie probably most of all in the near future. From the trailer, Lewis' character feels like a man after my own heart - at least when push comes to shove.

I'm in.

[ultramandingo]

........... dig Daniel Day-Lewis " channeling " californias other great pshyco pioneer and crappy father Noah Cross - dead on John Huston . plus the best bowling scene since The Big Lowbowski

[Sean Whitmore]

So has anyone else seen this yet?

I don't want to get too specific, as I quite enjoyed going into this movie with no foreknowledge of the plot. But I will say that Day-Lewis' performance certainly lived up to all the praise it's been getting.

I like how jesse put it in the first post: a classic film's sensibilities with some modern-day flourishes. That's as good a way to describe the experience as any.


SEAN

[GRANT!]

This an odd movie. I enjoyed it but definately an odd movie. Not what I expected it to be. It's good to see Anderson coming more into his own as a filmmaker. This is first of his movies that doesn't quite feel like any of his obvious influences (Scorsese, Altman, Mamet). I don't know if anyone else could have made this movie. Ditto for Day-Lewis.

[Keaton]

I saw this today, and liked it very much. PTA is coming into his own. The film is a big departure from his first three, Altman-esque movies.

It lagged a bit towards the end, and I'm not sure what I think of the last scene... but it was just really powerful the way the first act unfolded. Greenwoods score is remarkable, it's definitely fantastic to look at, and the performances were perfect.

My top 10 of the year as of now:

1. 12:08 East of Bucharest
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
3. The Wind that Shakes the Barley
4. Atonement
5. I'm Not There
6. No Country for Old Men
7. There Will Be Blood
8. The Band's Visit
9. Ratatouille
10. The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

[ultramandingo]

This is first of his movies that doesn't quite feel like any of his obvious influences (Scorsese, Altman, Mamet). .
.......think i saw some kubrick in there , xpecialy towards the end

[anthony!]

Holy. Shit. That was an awesome film.

Best of the year, IMHO.

1. There Will Be Blood
2. No Country for Old Men
3. Lars and the Real Girl
4. Ratatouille
5. Into the Wild
6. Atonement
7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
8. 3:10 to Yuma
9. Hot Fuzz
10. ?

still need to see Juno and Zodiac...

Lots of good popcorn fair in Spider-man 3, Transformers, 300 and Stardust. Glad to see the comicbook medium providing good mainstream entertainment.

All in all, a good year for cinema I think.

[jesse_custer]

Glad to see that Blood ranks up there with No Country for some people. Thus far (to me) No Country ranks as the most innovative and important film of 2007. If Blood comes anywhere near that, I will be very happy.

[Jared_Humpherys]

As soon as this comes to KC(and it better, goddammit), I'm going to see it.

[Jared]

I just want assurances that it isn't like Magnolia.

[ultramandingo]

........ raining frogs would actually work in this one

[Tobias March]

I just want assurances that it isn't like Magnolia.

You're dead to me.

You and Graham Linehan. The traitor.

[Paul McEnery]

I just want assurances that it isn't like Magnolia.

Quite. I have difficulty believing the man's actually got a good movie in him.

Top Ten movies of 2007
1) Hot Fuzz.

And that's it. Everything else I've watched wasn't worth it. Unless you count anime, in which case:

2) Paprika
3) Tekknokikreet, or whatever the hell it's called.

Or straight to video in the US:

4) How much do you love me? Depardieu, Belluci. Hooker farce.

[Paul McEnery]

You're dead to me.

You and Graham Linehan. The traitor.

Ooh, could we take away PTA's moviemaking money and give it to Linehan instead?

[Tobias March]

Ooh, could we take away PTA's moviemaking money and give it to Linehan instead?

The man's a neurotic mess, he goes through several levels of Purgatory just to make an episode of Black Books....better leave him to do what he's good at.

Cannot wait to see this picture.

[jesse_custer]

So you guys didn't like "Boogie Nights" or "Magnolia?" What's the matter with you.

[Tobias March]

So you guys didn't like "Boogie Nights" or "Magnolia?" What's the matter with you.

I guess they don't like Supertramp.

[Jared_Humpherys]

Saw it. Loved it. Daniel Day Lewis is a god.

[MaxofSteel]

Saw this last night, and I must say I enjoyed it a lot.

The scenes where Eli interacts with Daniel Plainview were pretty hilarious, especially the final scene.

Now that I think about it, I've never seen any of Daniel Day-Lewis' other film's before, but the man has a pretty intense presence. His voice is great.

[jesse_custer]

And his voice varies a lot. Definitely check out "My Left Foot" and "Gangs of New York."

[mattx110]

Saw this last night, and I must say I enjoyed it a lot.

The scenes where Eli interacts with Daniel Plainview were pretty hilarious, especially the final scene.

Now that I think about it, I've never seen any of Daniel Day-Lewis' other film's before, but the man has a pretty intense presence. His voice is great.
The man knows how to grow the right mustache for a role. The acting is good too, but that facial hair...! ;)

[Siddon]

Though there are still a few films that haven't been released yet (I'm looking at you Persepolis) I would say my list for top ten

25. Michael Clayton
24. Kite Runner
23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phonenix
22. Lookout
21. Eastern Promises
20. Kingdom
19. Sweney Todd
18. 3:10 to Yuma
17. Hot Fuzz
16. Breach
15. Rescue Dawn
14. Zodiac
13. Grindhouse
12. Savages
11. Hairspray
10. Knocked Up
09. Lars and the Real Girl
08. Walk Hard
07. Once
06. There Will Be Blood
05. Atonement
04. Gone Baby Gone
03. Juno
02. No Country for Old Men
01. Into the Wild

[ultramandingo]

" Dillon Freasier's mother got curious about whom her son would be working with and drove 45 minutes to a video store where she asked if they had any films with this Daniel Day-Lewis. "She thought she better check out this bunch of people taking care of her son. ... So she got 'Gangs of New York,' " in which Day-Lewis played, of course, the aptly named Bill the Butcher. "Absolutely appalled! ... She thought she was releasing her dear child to this monster. And so there was a flurry of phone calls and somebody sent a copy of 'The Age of Innocence' "

........they shoulda given her My Beautiful Laundrette

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/LIFE/712300320/-1/ENTERTAIN02

[jesse_custer]

I saw this, and it was very powerful. Day-Lewis' performance is gigantic, like Welles' in "Citizen Kane." Dark humor appears in the strangest scenes. The soundtrack is as sprawling as the story, with no consistency in theme, no pattern you can follow easily or predict. P.T. Anderson's work is daring, original, odd, and different from anything he's done before. The camerawork and sheer technical audacity are almost unreal. The best dissolve shots I've seen in years. The dissolves were so goddamn incredible you could see two shots at one time, both as clear as you could want them. And they were used sparingly. The ending is not so much a puzzle as it is a puzzling spectacle. Everyone who had a hand in this film had balls as big as planets.

[IamtheRock3]

saw it

Surprising film. It basicly about two total bastards going at each other for years.


The church guy and the oil guy, Both hiding their hate with a smile

and odd dark humor

[DWEarhart]

From a different post from another thread

I know by moral normalcy, or what is decided by the greater numbers of society as normal, I shouldn't be rooting for Daniel Plainview, but I was, throughout most of the film. There were actions of his which I took issue with, but other than those few I liked the guy.

[twilight]

Great stuff.

The score was wonderful.

-Twi

[HomerJay]

This is first of his movies that doesn't quite feel like any of his obvious influences (Scorsese, Altman, Mamet). I don't know if anyone else could have made this movie.
Actually, I could see Stanley Kubrick ALL OVER this.
After finally seeing it this weekend, I mentioned to my wife that if Kubrick were still alive, this a film he would have made. She's not a "film buff" (although she has seen plenty of movies) and she said that she was thinking of Kubrick as early as the first shot.
The ambiguity, the pacing, the soundtrack, the unconventional story structure, the framing of the shots, the sparse dialogue at times, and the abrupt (yet extremely succinct) ending all made me think of Kubrick.

I saw this, and it was very powerful. Day-Lewis' performance is gigantic, like Welles' in "Citizen Kane." Dark humor appears in the strangest scenes. The soundtrack is as sprawling as the story, with no consistency in theme, no pattern you can follow easily or predict. P.T. Anderson's work is daring, original, odd, and different from anything he's done before. The camerawork and sheer technical audacity are almost unreal. The best dissolve shots I've seen in years. The dissolves were so goddamn incredible you could see two shots at one time, both as clear as you could want them. And they were used sparingly. The ending is not so much a puzzle as it is a puzzling spectacle. Everyone who had a hand in this film had balls as big as planets.
I agree with all points here.
This is probably a film that I'll like more the second time around. Usually, the first time I see a movie it's for entertainment & visceral impact. Rarely do I actually make an effort to completely dissect the thematic & artistic elements on the first pass. And boy, was there a TON going on here.

[jesse_custer]

Homer, I actually watched this a second time not too long ago and you do indeed get a lot more of it.

[GRANT!]

Actually, I could see Stanley Kubrick ALL OVER this.
After finally seeing it this weekend, I mentioned to my wife that if Kubrick were still alive, this a film he would have made. She's not a "film buff" (although she has seen plenty of movies) and she said that she was thinking of Kubrick as early as the first shot.
The ambiguity, the pacing, the soundtrack, the unconventional story structure, the framing of the shots, the sparse dialogue at times, and the abrupt (yet extremely succinct) ending all made me think of Kubrick.

Yeah after I posted that I immedietely thought of Kubrick. No one called me on it until now.

F*** you. :)

There's some Orson Welles in there too.

[HomerJay]

Yeah after I posted that I immedietely thought of Kubrick. No one called me on it until now.

F*** you. :)

There's some Orson Welles in there too.
Happy to help. :D
I'm a huge Kubrick nut which is probably a big reason why I noticed it right away. My wife is married to a Kubrick nut which is probably why SHE noticed it.

This is a movie that would have made both Kubrick & Welles nod & smile.

I do have a slightly spoilerish question about one of the most ambiguous things in the movie:
Was there actually a Paul Sunday? Did Paul become "Eli" when he became the prophet? Or was he just plain nuts?

[jesse_custer]

Homer, my response to that:

Paul and Eli were separate people. Remember when Daniel and Eli have their final confrontation? Daniel explains to Eli how Paul was the true prophet and how he took the money Daniel gave him to start his own business. So basically, after Paul told Daniel about the oil, he left his family and began his own enterprise. This strict interpretation also reinforces the general critique of capitalism that "There Will Be Blood" fashions.

[GRANT!]

Happy to help. :D
I'm a huge Kubrick nut which is probably a big reason why I noticed it right away. My wife is married to a Kubrick nut which is probably why SHE noticed it.

This is a movie that would have made both Kubrick & Welles nod & smile.

I do have a slightly spoilerish question about one of the most ambiguous things in the movie:
Was there actually a Paul Sunday? Did Paul become "Eli" when he became the prophet? Or was he just plain nuts?

It was kind of ambigous but considering that Eli's family seem to acknowledge Pauls existence and Daniel seem to know what was going on with Paul I'd say there was a Paul. But your theory could be correct. THe only way to confirm it is if Paul and Eli shared a scene together.

[HomerJay]

This strict interpretation also reinforces the general critique of capitalism that "There Will Be Blood" fashions.
Hmmm, I'm still undecided.
I'll definitely have to watch it again, but I really thought that Eli was the person that Paul created for himself to become this prophet, much like how today's televangelists create a persona that can do no wrong for the cameras while being someone very different behind closed doors (Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert).
When Daniel & H.W. showed up to "hunt for quail" and Eli greeted him, I took that exchange to have an unspoken subtext of "I'm full of shit, you're full of shit, let's dance". At the end, I thought Daniel was just (to not put too fine a point on it) fucking with him.

Like I said, I'm undecided.

[GRANT!]

According to imdb on the Paul/Eli thing.

In an interview on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," Paul Dano told Gross that he had originally been cast in the much smaller role of Paul Sunday, Eli's brother, and another actor had been cast as Eli. However, after Dano had already started filming his one scene as Paul Sunday, Paul Thomas Anderson decided to replace the actor playing Eli. Anderson then asked Dano to play Eli Sunday (a much bigger role) as well as Paul Sunday, and they decided to change the film to make the brothers identical twins. Anderson asked Dano to play Eli on a Thursday, and filming for the role began four days later, on the next Monday.

[ultramandingo]

..........yeah, i thought the same thing till i heard the fresh air interveiw - your tax dollars at work - when their not blowing stuff up or busting steroid use'ng millionaires

[Agent_Torpor]

Next idiot who says something about "drinking your milkshake" gets a well-placed kick in the nuts.

[Jared]

I probably won't be seeing this until it's on DVD, though I might reconsider it it pulls a surprise Oscar win, so I have to ask: what's the context for the line "I drink your milkshake"?

"I wish I knew how to quit you" didn't need any explanation. This...just has me scratching my head.

[Omega Alpha]

No, it's pretty clear that Paul and Eli are different people.and not only because they weren't even going to be twins at all, and only were because the actor that was supposed to play Eli was replaced. For one thing, Plainview always saw Eli for what he was, then wouldn't be fooled by Eli being Paul. Plus, at the scene in which Eli attacks his father, he mentions the brother Paul, and the father would of course ask who was he talking about. And in fact, there isn't really any evidence to say they are not brothers and/or are the same person

I think that people are so used to movies like Fight Club or the Sixth Sense, that they can't accept that a movie is simply straight-forward and there are no tricks or twists at all.

[MaxofSteel]

I probably won't be seeing this until it's on DVD, though I might reconsider it it pulls a surprise Oscar win, so I have to ask: what's the context for the line "I drink your milkshake"?

"I wish I knew how to quit you" didn't need any explanation. This...just has me scratching my head.

It has to do with a scene in the end of the film when Daniel Day Lewis' character and the "Eli" character have a talk.

To explain anything else about it would pretty much spoil the plot of the movie to a degree.

[jesse_custer]

Even though anyone who is somewhat alive will hear that milkshake phrase many times before watching the film, the line itself is actually much funnier and ironic when you hear Day-Lewis deliver it. Classic P.T. Anderson, probably the only part of the film that's overtly P.T. (as mentioned earlier, this film is heavily influenced by Welles and Kubrick).

[HomerJay]

I think that people are so used to movies like Fight Club or the Sixth Sense, that they can't accept that a movie is simply straight-forward and there are no tricks or twists at all.
That's not it at all, and EVERYBODY I've talked to that has seen the film has expressed at least some confusion.
PTA just made an odd choice in the narrative to have the character of Paul show up to set the plot in motion and then never return. If Paul & Eli were played by different actors, there would be no confusion whatsoever.

[Jmacq1]

That's not it at all, and EVERYBODY I've talked to that has seen the film has expressed at least some confusion.
PTA just made an odd choice in the narrative to have the character of Paul show up to set the plot in motion and then never return. If Paul & Eli were played by different actors, there would be no confusion whatsoever.

I was wondering whether they were two separate people or just a case of MPD right up until the final scene. But oddly enough once that final scene made it clear I didn't feel like this was any sort of intentional "twist" or whatnot. It felt perfectly organic to the film.

Very...odd movie. Excellent and utterly gripping, but odd. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it, but then again I'm not that big of a classic movie buff so the influences are inherently lost on me in a lot of cases. And yes, for being such a monster, Plainview still comes across as oddly sympathetic, even as he's expounding on his general loathing of his fellow man. Powerful performance, that.

[jesse_custer]

Well, although the film was obviously inspired by Kubrick and Welles among others, it's still pretty damn odd in its own right.

[Jmacq1]

Well, then I'm glad it's just as odd as I thought it was. :)

[jesse_custer]

Yeah, you have a good reason for seeing that. Compare the film to everything else that's been released since Pulp Fiction. Even when compared to P.T. Anderson's odd work beforehand (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and Boogie Nights), it still comes off as weird.

I'm extremely happy that during my lifetime a movie like this and No Country For Old Men were released in the same fucking year. Incredible. It's great to see American filmmaking reaching beyond our expectations again, as it did in the 1940s and 1970s.

[EZMOHR]

It's kind of sad, I had no want to to see this movie until I saw Bill Hader's I Drink Your Milkshake skit on SNL this weekend. Now I kind of have to see it. Hell, I'm just sad now that I will never buy DDL's interpretation of the character, cause Hader's will be in my mind. Damn. That, and the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song they were playing during the skit.

[Conn Seanery]

It's kind of sad, I had no want to to see this movie until I saw Bill Hader's I Drink Your Milkshake skit on SNL this weekend. Now I kind of have to see it. Hell, I'm just sad now that I will never buy DDL's interpretation of the character, cause Hader's will be in my mind. Damn. That, and the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song they were playing during the skit.
Hader was dead-on. I was dissappointed that the majority of my friends hadn't seen the movie, so I couldn't talk about this skit with them without ending it with "Eh, if you'd seen the film you'd think it was funny".

Forte telling Plainview to get his wife (Anton Chigurh) away from him was funny too.

[EZMOHR]

Hader was dead-on. I was dissappointed that the majority of my friends hadn't seen the movie, so I couldn't talk about this skit with them without ending it with "Eh, if you'd seen the film you'd think it was funny".

Forte telling Plainview to get his wife (Anton Chigurh) away from him was funny too.

That and McGruber are the only funny things Forte has ever done in his whole life.

And, it's gonna suck watching the movie now knowing the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song isn't in the movie. And not seeing the movie, but knowing the quote, and the fact Hader is just freaking funny, sold the skit for me.

[Conn Seanery]

That and McGruber are the only funny things Forte has ever done in his whole life.
I couldn't disagree more. I think Forte is and has been one of the funniest on the cast for years.

And, it's gonna suck watching the movie now knowing the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song isn't in the movie. And not seeing the movie, but knowing the quote, and the fact Hader is just freaking funny, sold the skit for me.
Just watch the movie. You're wrong about Forte, so it stands to reason you may be wrong about this too.

(Kidding. Sorta.)

[EZMOHR]

I couldn't disagree more. I think Forte is and has been one of the funniest on the cast for years.


Just watch the movie. You're wrong about Forte, so it stands to reason you may be wrong about this too.

(Kidding. Sorta.)

Anybody who watched The Brothers Solomon could not defend Forte with a straight face. Even GOB should be ashamed to have been that. Even Chi McBride, he of the, if it's got a paycheck, I'll do it mentality should be ashamed.

I don't know if I can trust a movie that has support from Forte Supporters (Kidding.....Sorta.):D

And dammit, PT needs to put the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song in the DVD release.

[Conn Seanery]

And dammit, PT needs to put the "I Drink Your Milkshake" song in the DVD release.
The Gold Box Twin Peaks Collection included Kyle McLachlan's SNL monologue and Twin Peaks skit, so you never know. Keep your fingers crossed, it's been done before.

[EZMOHR]

The Gold Box Twin Peaks Collection included Kyle McLachlan's SNL monologue and Twin Peaks skit, so you never know. Keep your fingers crossed, it's been done before.

Yeah, I know. I was a kid when I saw that skit, and boom, saw it with Peaks. Come on PT. Wait, does his woman still work their full time. I guess it could happen.

[Omega Alpha]

Yeah, you have a good reason for seeing that. Compare the film to everything else that's been released since Pulp Fiction. Even when compared to P.T. Anderson's odd work beforehand (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and Boogie Nights), it still comes off as weird.

I'm extremely happy that during my lifetime a movie like this and No Country For Old Men were released in the same fucking year. Incredible. It's great to see American filmmaking reaching beyond our expectations again, as it did in the 1940s and 1970s.

When seeing TWBB, I kind of got the same feeling I guess people had when seeing things like Citizen Kane, or Casablanca, Raging Bull, etc. Knowing you seeing a movie that will turn into a classic and be praised decades from now (when it still isn't being praised for years or decades and is not a classic yet) is a pretty good sensation. Sure, that's not the first time I watch a recent releaseI think will become a classic, but I've never had that feeling so clearly before.

[kmeyers]

That's not it at all, and EVERYBODY I've talked to that has seen the film has expressed at least some confusion.
PTA just made an odd choice in the narrative to have the character of Paul show up to set the plot in motion and then never return. If Paul & Eli were played by different actors, there would be no confusion whatsoever.
SPOILERS AHEAD........






First of all, this is the best movie I've seen for a very long time.

I kind of like the ambiguity of the whole, are Eli and Paul the same person question. Paul has similar mannerisms and speaks a lot like Eli. Paul asks Plainview what church he belongs to(for the opposite reason that Eli would want to know).

Also, where did Eli get the money to build his new church? Plainview never gave him any donation. It could have been from church member donations, but there's still that question.

But, it's very clear in the end that they are different people, or Eli is just batshit crazy. Plainview tells Eli that Paul was the chosen one, not him. That Paul gave him the tools to beat Eli. He also goes on to tell Eli that Paul was running a successful oil business.

The only thing that I was curious about, is that Plainview tells Eli that he paid Paul $10,000 "cash in hand." He didn't. He only paid Paul $500 for the information.

[kmeyers]

When seeing TWBB, I kind of got the same feeling I guess people had when seeing things like Citizen Kane, or Casablanca, Raging Bull, etc. Knowing you seeing a movie that will turn into a classic and be praised decades from now (when it still isn't being praised for years or decades and is not a classic yet) is a pretty good sensation. Sure, that's not the first time I watch a recent releaseI think will become a classic, but I've never had that feeling so clearly before.

I totally agree with you. That's almost exactly what I told my brother. I told him that this movie just felt like an instant classic, and people will be praising this movie for all time.

Also, the movie is over two and a half hours long, but it really didn't seem like it at all.

[Jettison]

Yeah....it was confusing. I thought they were gonna pull something when he first encounters Eli....its the perfect set up for a plot twist, but never pans out to anything.

[Jettison]

not so much confusing, but I was confused at why they didn't explore the Paul/Eli factor......

[twilight]

Some talking head on some music channel I was watching was saying she didn't want it to take out best picture at the Oscars because it's "the cliche,Oscar winning period piece".

Say what?

-Twi

[kmeyers]

Some talking head on some music channel I was watching was saying she didn't want it to take out best picture at the Oscars because it's "the cliche,Oscar winning period piece".

Say what?

-Twi

This is the first time you've heard someone on the radio say something stupid?

I'm actually really disappointed it didn't get Best Picture. I loved No Country For Old Men, but There Will Be Blood was just better in almost every way.

[Jettison]

Havn't heard music that eery since SHINING.

[kmeyers]

Havn't heard music that eery since SHINING.

That's another thing. The musical score of this movie is absolutely perfect.

[HulkSmash666]

Daniel Day Lewis, IMO, is probably the best actor of this generation, or at least in the top 3.

Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was one of the best characters I have EVER seen in a movie.
The intensity, the feircness, the dialogue, the look. Everything about Bill just commanded your attention.

"SPEAK ENGLISH!! WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THIS COUNTRY!! YOU SEE THIS KNIFE?!! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU SPEAK ENGLISH WITH THIS FUCKING KNIFE!!!"

Fuckin awesome.


And then 5 years later, he gives us Daniel Plainview.

Wow. The guy is a phenom.

As for the movie itself, I honestly can't fault it at all. Not a bit. A perfect movie, IMO.

Though, as far as Best Picture Oscar, I still enjoyed NCFOM. Best movie of 2008 so far. Hands down. I was absolutly enthralled in that movie.

Anton Chigurh is one of the greatest movie characters of all time. IMO, he comes a VERY close second to Bill the Butcher as best movie villain of all time.

Mind you, I was severely stoned when I watched NCFOM, and that helped me get completely immersed in this movie. I don't think I blinked the whole time it was on.

Fuckin mesmerising.

There Will Be Blood sucked me in mostly due to the interest I have in period movies, and I have never really given much thought to oil drilling in the 19th century or what it really entailed. I was just facinated from the very first scene and couldn't stop watching.

An aerial bombing raid could have gone on outside while I was watching this and all I would've done was yell out "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" and kept on watching.

[kmeyers]

Daniel Day Lewis, IMO, is probably the best actor of this generation, or at least in the top 3.

Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was one of the best characters I have EVER seen in a movie.
The intensity, the feircness, the dialogue, the look. Everything about Bill just commanded your attention.

"SPEAK ENGLISH!! WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THIS COUNTRY!! YOU SEE THIS KNIFE?!! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU SPEAK ENGLISH WITH THIS FUCKING KNIFE!!!"

Fuckin awesome.

That's hilarious. After watching There Will Be Blood, I had to go and Watch Gangs of New York again.


And then 5 years later, he gives us Daniel Plainview.

Wow. The guy is a phenom.
He wins the Oscar %50 of the time. Nominated 4 times, won twice. The guy is the definition of actor.

As for the movie itself, I honestly can't fault it at all. Not a bit. A perfect movie, IMO.

Though, as far as Best Picture Oscar, I still enjoyed NCFOM. Best movie of 2008 so far. Hands down. I was absolutly enthralled in that movie.

Anton Chigurh is one of the greatest movie characters of all time. IMO, he comes a VERY close second to Bill the Butcher as best movie villain of all time.

Mind you, I was severely stoned when I watched NCFOM, and that helped me get completely immersed in this movie. I don't think I blinked the whole time it was on.

Fuckin mesmerising.

There Will Be Blood sucked me in mostly due to the interest I have in period movies, and I have never really given much thought to oil drilling in the 19th century or what it really entailed. I was just facinated from the very first scene and couldn't stop watching.

An aerial bombing raid could have gone on outside while I was watching this and all I would've done was yell out "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" and kept on watching.

I agree, Chugirh was the best supporting character/villain, but I have to say Daniel Plainview is the best villain. Chugirh had the haircut, Plainview had the mustache.

Plainview was just a horrible bastard, but I couldn't help rooting for him.

[twilight]

There is one bad thing about Day-Lewis's acting.




He doesn't do more movies.

-Twi

[kmeyers]

There is one bad thing about Day-Lewis's acting.




He doesn't do more movies.

-Twi

The kind of acting he does, apparently takes a toll.
He actually becomes the character for months at a time. Apparently he was so intense that the original actor playing Eli couldn't handle it and quit.

[HulkSmash666]

LOL, that's true. He is a one-movie-every-five-years type of guy, but only cause he waits till there is a perfect role for him so he can get his head right and nail the part.

Which he does.

I compared him to the band TOOL. They are one of the few epic bands out there, and when they release an album, it's not just a simple release, it's more like an event.

Same with Daniel Day Lewis. You might only see him once or twice a decade, but it's well worth the wait.

Can't wait to see what he does next.

[HulkSmash666]

The kind of acting he does, apparently takes a toll.
He actually becomes the character for months at a time. Apparently he was so intense that the original actor playing Eli couldn't handle it and quit.

I don't blame him really. The guy is one scary fuckin dude when he gets going, which in contrast to his real life persona is even more spooky. The guy is a real likeable guy, from what I've seen of him in the media (which is not very much to go by).

His acceptance speech was not about him at all, as he paid tribute to Heath Ledger, which I found very noble and touching.

The guy is a fucking legend and has insured that I will go and watch any movie he's in till the day he retires.

[kmeyers]

I don't blame him really. The guy is one scary fuckin dude when he gets going, which in contrast to his real life persona is even more spooky. The guy is a real likeable guy, from what I've seen of him in the media (which is not very much to go by).

His acceptance speech was not about him at all, as he paid tribute to Heath Ledger, which I found very noble and touching.

The guy is a fucking legend and has insured that I will go and watch any movie he's in till the day he retires.

Oh, you're going to have a hard time finding people to badmouth Daniel Day Lewis.

The most amazing part about all of it? Is that he is one of the best actors around, but I never hear about the guy's personal life.

[HulkSmash666]

Oh, you're going to have a hard time finding people to badmouth Daniel Day Lewis.

The most amazing part about all of it? Is that he is one of the best actors around, but I never hear about the guy's personal life.

From what I've heard, he's extremelly reclusive, living in Scotland IIRC (I could be wrong) and basically just living quietly in this little village on a farm or property.

Definetly not a Hollywood mansion type of guy. A quiet family man who you wouldn't pick as the world's best actor if you saw him walking down a quiet country lane in a little Scottish village.

[kmeyers]

From what I've heard, he's extremelly reclusive, living in Scotland IIRC (I could be wrong) and basically just living quietly in this little village on a farm or property.

Definetly not a Hollywood mansion type of guy. A quiet family man who you wouldn't pick as the world's best actor if you saw him walking down a quiet country lane in a little Scottish village.



He could live in America, and no one would recognize him anyway. I bet if you asked 10 random USA people who Daniel Day Lewis was, you might get 2 people who could name a movie that he was in.

[HulkSmash666]

He could live in America, and no one would recognize him anyway. I bet if you asked 10 random USA people who Daniel Day Lewis was, you might get 2 people who could name a movie that he was in.

Wouldn't fuckin surpirse me. I just got through telling some fool from America that Australia and New Zealand are not the same country.

I had to explain that Australia and New Zealand are as different as America and Canada, or England and Ireland.

[StoneGold]

He could live in America, and no one would recognize him anyway. I bet if you asked 10 random USA people who Daniel Day Lewis was, you might get 2 people who could name a movie that he was in.

Wasn't he the original Shaft?

[HulkSmash666]

Wasn't he the original Shaft?

WTF?

Are you serious?

[StoneGold]

WTF?

Are you serious?

You're funny, I like you.


As for your Australia/New Zealand thing, that would all make sense, if Australia wasn't an imaginary country created for the sole purpose of boosting Paul Hogan's career. Paul Hogan, being actually a native of Detroit, Michigan.

[GRANT!]

You're just full of fun facts.

[Libaax]

I saw an interview with him talking about the main character of this movie and how he has been in character and have been playing him nun-stop almost 3 years. Only now as when he did the interview did he say he was getting out of character and being himself. Stopping to talk like Plainview.

The wierdest and coolest thing i have heard about Lewis is how he worked as a butcher 8 hours per day in a butcher shop almost a year before Gangs of New York. There was like a scene or two he actually needed to act like he was doing a butchers work.

No wonder he does so few movies per decade. It would finish early him if he had to jump in characters every year and have trouble getting out.

[jesse_custer]

Just in case there is any doubt, Day-Lewis IS the greatest actor alive right now. Hell, I would even recommend checking out the low-key indie flick, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, for his role. I have never seen him give a half-hearted or disappointing performance. I can't even say that about Al Pacino or Jack Nicholson. Day-Lewis is an acting artist if one has ever existed.

[kmeyers]

Just in case there is any doubt, Day-Lewis IS the greatest actor alive right now. Hell, I would even recommend checking out the low-key indie flick, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, for his role. I have never seen him give a half-hearted or disappointing performance. I can't even say that about Al Pacino or Jack Nicholson. Day-Lewis is an acting artist if one has ever existed.

There really is no question, he's easily the greatest of our time...and possibly the greatest of all time. He's almost a force of nature.

I can't think of a single actor alive that even comes close.

I do wish he would do more movies, but it's almost not possible considering how much research, time, and energy he puts into the roles that he becomes. And he does become those characters.

It's very telling that, the actor originally cast as Eli quit because Daniel Day-Lewis was just too intense for him.

[Omega Alpha]

Actually, DDL did much more movies in the 90's; he even made 3 movies in 2 years (The Last of the Mohicans, In the Age of the Innocence and In the Name of the Father), so he can make movies more freqüently. And I don't remember reading about a role he refused; I'm thinking part of the reason why he does so few movies is that directors and producers are afraid he'll just refuse the role, so they don't even offer him.

[kmeyers]

Actually, DDL did much more movies in the 90's; he even made 3 movies in 2 years (The Last of the Mohicans, In the Age of the Innocence and In the Name of the Father), so he can make movies more freqüently. And I don't remember reading about a role he refused; I'm thinking part of the reason why he does so few movies is that directors and producers are afraid he'll just refuse the role, so they don't even offer him.

Maybe. But isn't that true of most popular actors? They refuse roles all the time.

DDL picks his characters based on the scripts he is offered. DDL has proven that he picks the cream of the crop, and performs his characters to perfection.

[Jettison]

DDL as Logan.....

[Libaax]

Actually, DDL did much more movies in the 90's; he even made 3 movies in 2 years (The Last of the Mohicans, In the Age of the Innocence and In the Name of the Father), so he can make movies more freqüently. And I don't remember reading about a role he refused; I'm thinking part of the reason why he does so few movies is that directors and producers are afraid he'll just refuse the role, so they don't even offer him.

I have read in several places that in the early 90's he wasnt hardcore method actor he is now. When he became that and had trouble doing movies often, they pressured him too much that he took a long break and only made a comeback cause Scorsese asked for Gangs of New York.


Its understanble that they wanted to use his skills often seeing how praised his work almost all the time.

[Jettison]

It's very telling that, the actor originally cast as Eli quit because Daniel Day-Lewis was just too intense for him.

Really? Who was originally cast?

[kmeyers]

Really? Who was originally cast?

IMDB says Kel O'Neil was the original Eli.

New York Times article...

"Anderson realized that the second lead actor, who plays Plainview’s nemesis, was not strong enough. He was replaced by the versatile young actor Paul Dano, but three weeks of scenes with Day-Lewis needed to be reshot. During “Gangs of New York,” Day-Lewis would stay in character and deliberately glare at his co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, mirroring the contentious dynamic that these men had in the film. While DiCaprio withstood the pressure (and Dano thrived on it) there are reports that the first actor suffered from intimidation. “It just wasn’t the right fit,” Anderson explained diplomatically. "

[Omega Alpha]

The actor that had to be recast isn't the first to be intimidaded by Day Lewis on set. In Gangs of NY, several scenes had to be stopped because Cameron Diaz would begin to cry due to the fear she felt.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for her to be fire and recast...

I have read in several places that in the early 90's he wasnt hardcore method actor he is now.

Actually, he was. He would refuse to leave the character in My Left Foot, and had to be carried around on the set. He didn't abandoned it even when his agent went to visit him once.

[kmeyers]

The actor that had to be recast isn't the first to be intimidaded by Day Lewis on set. In Gangs of NY, several scenes had to be stopped because Cameron Diaz would begin to cry due to the fear she felt.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for her to be fire and recast...



Actually, he was. He would refuse to leave the character in My Left Foot, and had to be carried around on the set. He didn't abandoned it even when his agent went to visit him once.
That's true. Here's a pretty cool article I found that talks about that, along with why the original Eli was replaced.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb52/The_Playlist/kel_oneil.jpg&imgrefurl=http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2007/11/daniel-day-lewis-intimidates-there-wll.html&h=219&w=200&sz=12&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=ol9lsqVuBQVmhM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3DKel%2BO%2527Neil%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%2 6safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN
Daniel Day-Lewis Intimidates 'There Will Be Blood' Actor; PTA Replaces Him With Paul Dano

We're still catching up. The Band once sung, "they say everything can be replaced," and yes, they were right. We finally read the New York Times Magazine piece on The Hollywood Goes West/Daniel Day Lewis, "There Will Be Blood" piece.

Many have already read it, but what stood out to us what this juicy line of info (and yes others have observed this as well):

Halfway through the 60-day shoot, Paul Thomas Anderson realized that the second lead actor, who plays [Day-Lewis’s]nemesis, was not strong enough. He was replaced by the versatile young actor Paul Dano, but three weeks of scenes with Day-Lewis needed to be reshot. During “Gangs of New York,” Day-Lewis would stay in character and deliberately glare at his co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, mirroring the contentious dynamic that these men had in the film. While DiCaprio withstood the pressure (and Dano thrived on it) there are reports that the first actor suffered from intimidation. “It just wasn’t the right fit,” Anderson explained diplomatically.

So who was the actor, right? Inquiring minds want to know, well it appears from multiple reports that it was the lesser-known actor Kel O'Neil who was in the 2002 sex-causes consequences film "XX/XY" with Mark Ruffalo and has an upcoming role in Brian DePalma agitprop Iraq provocation "Redacted" (one can say O'Neil was redacted out of 'Blood'). According to some potentially specious reports, Dano was originally scheduled to play a lesser role, but then PTA expanded his role. We'll leave that one be for now.

But poor O'Neil, it sucks to be called out like that (and yes, we're contributing), but it is an interesting factoid. Daniel-Day Lewis can be a pretty terrifying and he obviously stays in character throughout his shoots which can be more than unnerving when he's playing a vicious bastard like the one he appears to be "There Will Be Blood."

How obsessive is Day-Lewis in his commitment to a role? During "The Last Of The Mohicans," he "built a canoe, learned to track and skin animals and perfected the use of a 12-pound flintlock gun, which he took everywhere he went, even to a Christmas dinner." During 1998 “My Left Foot,” Day-Lewis trained for eight weeks to master putting a needle on a record with his foot as if he was stricken with cerebral-palsy like the character in the film.

"I need to create a particular environment,” he told the Times about his slow and methodical approach to character immersion. “I need to find the right kind of silence or light or noise. Whatever is necessary — and it is always different. I know it sounds a little fussy and a little ridiculous, but finding your own rhythm is one of the most important things you can discover about yourself. And you have to observe it. As actors, we’re all encouraged to feel that each job is the last job. They plant some little electrode in your head at an early stage and you think, Be grateful, be grateful, be grateful. So, it’s not without a sense of gratitude that I work. But I couldn’t do this work at all unless I did it in my own rhythm. It became a choice between stopping and taking the time I needed.”

When Day-Lewis first signed on for 'Blood' (which took 2 years to finance - plenty of time for his obsessive research), director Paul Thomas Anderson told him to watch the sort-of existential western "The Treasure of Sierra Madre."

“It’s my favorite movie,” Anderson said. “All of life’s questions and answers are in ‘The Treasure of Sierra Madre’ - “It’s about greed and ambition and paranoia and looking at the worst parts of yourself. When I was writing ‘There Will Be Blood,’ I would put ‘Madre’ on before I went to bed at night, just to fall asleep to it.”

[Jettison]

wow....interesting indeed.

[Alex]

I still want to see this flick and haven't got around to it yet.
I haven't looked into it yet, but somebody told me they thought it was based on an Upton sinclair book, and having read The Jungle that didn't excite me much,but i couldn't find this book as a title he wrote.
Maybe it was just based on something he wrote and they changed the title, that would be ok, but i just get the feeling it would be some kind of preachy mess.
Oh well, still want to check the movie out since it's apprently great.

[twilight]

I haven't looked into it yet, but somebody told me they thought it was based on an Upton sinclair book, and having read The Jungle that didn't excite me much,but i couldn't find this book as a title he wrote.
Maybe it was just based on something he wrote and they changed the title, that would be ok, but i just get the feeling it would be some kind of preachy mess.


I believe it's loosely based on Upton Sinclair's Oil.

-Twi

[Ilash]

I have to say that I was totally bewildered by There Will Be Blood. I do think it's probably a masterpiece but beyond that, I honestly don't know what I think. It's been a long time that I've seen a film as overwhelming as this. The sheer ambition and deep symbolism of the film as well as its refusal to adhere to any generic conventions has thrown me to the point that I'm not even sure if I liked it.

I notice that the reaction here is overwhelmingly positive but I have to ask, did all of you really "get" this monstrous movie with your first viewing?

[Omega Alpha]

If you're not "getting" anything, you're most likely is just overthinking. It's a very straight-forward movie in the sense there isn't a catch or hidden meaning.

And the movie has pretty much nothing to do with Sinclair's novel, by all accounts.

[mattx110]

I think I wanna be an actor just so I can stand up to Day-Lewis and prove I'm a badass.

[Omega Alpha]

I think I wanna be an actor just so I can stand up to Day-Lewis and prove I'm a badass.

Standing up to Daniel Day Lewis nowdays is almost as good of a badass certificate as hanging out with Chuck Norris.

[kmeyers]

If you're not "getting" anything, you're most likely is just overthinking. It's a very straight-forward movie in the sense there isn't a catch or hidden meaning.

And the movie has pretty much nothing to do with Sinclair's novel, by all accounts.

I haven't read the novel, so I don't know how similar the two are, but it gets like, the second credit at the end of the movie, it says "based on "Oil!" by Upton Sinclair." It immediately follows, "Written for the Screen and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson"...

So even if it is very loosely based off of Oil! it still gets a pretty big credit.

[Omega Alpha]

I never read the novel either, but it's based only on the first 100 pages, according to PTA himself, and only the names of a few characters (not all; the oil man isn't named Daniel Plainview), the setting and some situations are the same as the book's.

[Ilash]

If you're not "getting" anything, you're most likely is just overthinking. It's a very straight-forward movie in the sense there isn't a catch or hidden meaning.

And the movie has pretty much nothing to do with Sinclair's novel, by all accounts.

Don't get me wrong, I understood the pure literal meaning of the film. Maybe I am overthinking it but I think its greatness lies in something other than its basic plot. It wasn't really a question of understanding it, so much as appreciating it.

[jesse_custer]

Ilash, you're right. The plot, as a series of events, is not what should be praised or recognized. It's the overwhelming emphasis on characters and ideas, not story, that makes "Blood" rise above so many films as of late. It's the visual manipulations on screen as if the director dominates matter itself. It's the brilliant dark humor amid biography and history and the film delivering the promise of its title on its own terms.

I've read many reviews of this film where the critics spend paragraph after paragraph describing the plot. This is not a service to readers but only a limp tradition clouding the merit of a great film.

By the way, the reason Day-Lewis has only done three films this decade is that he was very, very close to retiring at the turn of the century. Thank God he didn't.

[Ilash]

I've read many reviews of this film where the critics spend paragraph after paragraph describing the plot. This is not a service to readers but only a limp tradition clouding the merit of a great film.


Absolutely. I actually hate it when any film review spends more than a couple of lines on plot. Aside for the fact that I don't really want to know much about the details of a movie before I see it, the plot is often not really the point of a film.

The way you just described There Will Be Blood is really much more useful to me than a lengthy plot synopsis.

[Tobias March]

Finally saw it this evening. Wonderful film, wonderful score - although the ending made me laugh out loud

[kmeyers]

Finally saw it this evening. Wonderful film, wonderful score - although the ending made me laugh out loud
You say that like it's a bad thing.

The ending is great dark humor.

[Tobias March]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

The ending is great dark humor.

No I mean that people talk about this film as if it's this grand, reverential piece and yet it ended on a note of almost slapstick. Which I love. It's also why I love the frogs sequence from Magnolia.

[kmeyers]

No I mean that people talk about this film as if it's this grand, reverential piece and yet it ended on a note of almost slapstick. Which I love. It's also why I love the frogs sequence from Magnolia.

Ah, now I understand what you're saying, the "although" threw me off.

[LtMarvel]

Good film; probably will up my opinion on it upon rewatching. Thanks for all the backstory on the filming of the film...

[kmeyers]

I got the collector's edition, and there's a deleted scene on the extra disc that I can't believe got cut from the movie.

SPOILERS for the deleted scene.....









While they are drilling in Little Boston, the rope breaks, and they have to go "fishing" for it. They send a big spiked tool down repeatedly to try and grab a piece of the rope so they can pull the bit back up. They are not able to drill until they fish the bit out.

There has been three weeks of fishing with no drilling, and Abel comes to talk to Daniel, and tells him he's a backslider, on the wrong path, and if he were more honest with the holy spirit, some of this misfortune would pass. Also, that if Eli was allowed to bless the well Daniel wouldn't have the problems he's having with it.

Just then, the workers fish the bit out, and Daniel goes pure evil. He tells Abel that he thinks Eli is a lunatic, and that Abel is a weak little man and Daniel is happy to make a living off of his land(basically all the same things Eli said to Abel when he was covered in mud).

He then, basically tells Abel to leave him alone, go home, and stay there, that he'll know when the well comes in.

It's darkly hilarious. It's only about five minutes long, and would have been great in the movie, I wish they wouldn't have cut it out.

[Alex]

Finally saw it this evening. Wonderful film, wonderful score - although the ending made me laugh out loud

I HATED the score.
It really detracted from the movie, did they honestly need music during 75% of the film? During some of the most important moments of the film?
Distracting.
Movie was also a bit long, but good performances all around, and i liked it more than the book it was based on, but having read the book even saying its based on it is kind of a stretch.
So, yeah, i agree with everyone who liked it, except for tobias on the bit about the films score.

[Agent Helix]

The score was brilliant. It's a perfect musical analogue to the psychological isolation of the film. It's SUPPOSED to distract you a bit, and put you on edge, because you're dealing with a man that's arguably a sociopath.

[Omega Alpha]

The score was brilliant. It's a perfect musical analogue to the psychological isolation of the film. It's SUPPOSED to distract you a bit, and put you on edge, because you're dealing with a man that's arguably a sociopath.

Exactly. It was clearly inspired by The Shining in that.

[jesse_custer]

The score is the most original soundtrack for a movie in ... well, a long time.

kmeyers is also absolutely correct. The "fishing" scene is brilliant for a deleted scene.

[ultramandingo]

.............im sure anderson was going for a wendy - walter carlos thing - works for me - its on my i pod right next to the "the fountain" soundtrack

[The Punished]

You know, I went to see it a week ago at a $1 movie theater and the projector bulb blew about an hour and half into the movie. I have yet to see the rest but friends have told me I have to see the rest...

[Agent Helix]

Thanks for the update on movies you haven't finished watching.

[Ilash]

The score was brilliant. It's a perfect musical analogue to the psychological isolation of the film. It's SUPPOSED to distract you a bit, and put you on edge, because you're dealing with a man that's arguably a sociopath.

I'm sorry, arguably?