Music Box offers first 70mm fest, thanks to ‘The Master’ - Chicago Sun-Times The Music Box owes its first-ever 70mm Film Festival to a bit of serendipity set into motion by Paul Thomas Anderson. The festival, which opens Friday and runs through Feb. 28 at the historic movie house, offers cinephiles a rare opportunity to see nine classic films projected in the 70mm format. Among the titles: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958), recently named the best film of all time in the British Sight & Sound poll; Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968); Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise’s “West Side Story” (1961), and Jacques Tati’s “Playtime” (1967). But the film that made it all possible is “The Master,” which Anderson decided to shoot in 65mm. In the pre-digital era, most films intended for theatrical release were made in the 35mm format, and in the late ’40s and ’50s, in part to combat the advent of television, the 70mm-era began. (“70mm” is a misnomer: frames are 65mm, with the remaining 5mm devoted to sound data.) Though filmmakers have rapidly moved to digital, some directors prefer actual celluloid, and 70mm offers maximum visual clarity. The Oscar-nominated “The Master,” a fictionalized drama inspired by the origins of Scientology, was the first major U.S. studio release in 16 years to be filmed entirely in 65mm. (The last was Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 version of “Hamlet.”) Because of its cost, the format has fallen out of favor. Like Anderson, Doug McLaren, the Music Box’s chief projectionist, loves 70mm. “It has such a brighter, sharper image, free of the image distortion sometimes seen in 35mm wide-screen formats,” he said. “There’s always a wow factor.” It’s the theatrical equivalent of Blu-ray, “only times 20. There’s a big difference. When you look at the frames, you can fit four 35mm images in the space of one 70mm.” The Music Box is one of the few remaining U.S. movie houses equipped for 70mm projection. So when Anderson’s reps asked Music Box programmers if they would like to present “The Master” in a sneak preview before the film’s commercial release last September, they jumped at the chance. Continued at www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/18149936-421/music-box-offers-first-70mm-fest-thanks-to-the-master.html
From the student newspaper of the University of York in the UK: Oscars 2013: Did Scientology ruin The Master’s hopes for the Oscars? Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master was undoubtedly one of the most profoundly affecting films of 2012. Although it was partly based on the formation of the Church of Scientology by L Ron Hubbard, its focus ranged from the consequences of war on the mental health of soldiers, alcoholism and depression, and perhaps most poignantly, the intense and inexpressible love shared between the two principle figures. The acting was simply sublime, subsumed with gravitas but also exquisitely poised and nuanced. An initial interview scene between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix resonates in the mind long after the end of the film due to the impactful nature of the actors’ performances that present real and tangible emotions for the viewer in a way that very few other films were able to do in 2012. Therefore, it is perhaps surprising when one realises that The Master has done relatively poorly in the Oscar nominations. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams are nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively, and Joaquin Phoenix is nominated for Best Actor, but no credit was given to Paul Thomas Anderson for his directing or script, both of which were phenomenal, and the film failed to appear in the Best Film nominations list. Also, unforgivably, Jonny Greenwood’s haunting yet mesmerising sound track was denied its rightful nomination in the Music, Original Score category. This is perhaps more shocking when considering the fact that Anderson’s previous film, There Will Be Blood, which The Master stands beside resolutely and proudly, was nominated for 8 awards, and for all of the most sought after categories. In a year of excellent films The Master still manages to hold its head above the water and more frequently than not push others beneath the surface. It seems obvious, therefore, that it is the film’s ‘sensitive’ subject matter that has caused it to suffer in the eyes of the Academy. It is perhaps inevitable that a film that openly discusses or reveals the more unusual or cruel practices of a Church, or more accurately of an organisation that bears resemblance to a Church, so well routed within Hollywood society, is going to be side-lined in favour of less politically volatile films. No doubt the Academy or Hollywood in general would wish to avoid incurring the wrath of an organisation that houses so many of its successful stars, but this does not detract away from the fact that The Master has been cheated of its nominations. It is evident that Anderson’s film has been hampered since its inception because of its subject matter. Harvey Weinstein, the manager of the studio that produced the film, said in a BBC article how he and Anderson were repeatedly told to abandon the project by colleagues and how a certain religious organisation was putting pressure on the studio to stop production. The Church of Scientology, of course, denies all these claims, and the very fact than the film was still made is indicative of the waning influence of the Church in Hollywood. However, it is not unreasonable to presume that a film that has such a subject matter, even if it is still only loosely based on actual events, is going to be denied the publicity it deserves through nominations in the Oscars. Of course, the Oscars have never really been truly representative of the best films of the year, often opting for big names rather than better films, but it does seem curious that a film that has both big names and critical worth has been left by the wayside. When looking at the current Best Picture nominations, The Master contends with the best of them, and there really does seem to be no other reason for its scarcity other than the zealousness of certain individuals in Hollywood. The film is undeniably excellent if slightly hard-going and despite its relative absence from the award ceremonies is essential viewing. Source, and open comments: www.nouse.co.uk/2013/02/14/oscars-2013-did-scientology-ruin-the-masters-hopes-for-the-oscars/
I finally got to see it... Watched it twice. I thought it was great, and was almost like a screen capture of certain scientological moments from the early days.
Megan Ellison, the most powerful new force in Hollywood | The Guardian As she arrives for the Oscars, the producer of The Master and Zero Dark Thirty is no longer the mystery she was By Danny Leigh "As a film lover, I think she's a godsend," says Ted Hope, the veteran indie producer whose CV includes a long relationship with director Ang Lee. "She's the only one out there putting reasonable budgets behind adventurous movies for adults that are 100% their directors' visions." More at www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2013/feb/18/megan-ellison-producer-the-master
looking forward to finally getting to see it. Everyone buy a copy and get those DVD sales stats up there!
Overlooked screenplays this Oscar season - Chicago Tribune By Michael Phillips, Movie critic Excerpt: This year's Academy Award for adapted screenplay is either heading toward "Lincoln" or to the favorite to win Best Picture, "Argo." Should playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner win for "Lincoln," that plus "Django Unchained" will make for a fascinating set of bookends: America in the time of slavery. Two contrasting solutions to injustice. Both come from writers who really write. Both have found a big audience. And the scripts that should've been nominated? Each year, the overlooked un-nominees in the screenwriting categories have little in common except this: They tend to care a little less about rooting interests and audience identification. They're more like a stimulating novel or a play, even if they're not based on either a book or a stage script, than a highly processed slice of Hollywood cheese. I keep coming back to "The Master," writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's confounding portrait of a lost soul in post-World War II America, and the self-appointed religious leader who takes him into a Scientology-like fold. This novelly film is typical for Anderson, in that it's roomy and, by design, incomplete, untidy. Early teaser trailers for "The Master" contained moments and whole sequences not found in the final cut. The forthcoming DVD/Blu-ray release gathers some of the deleted scenes together, tantalizing the viewer with varying shades and implications. Early drafts of Anderson's screenplay hit the Scientology parallels pretty hard; as he went through the drafts prior to shooting, and then into the editing, either for legal reasons or aesthetic ones, he eased up on the parallels. In the film's release version scenes emerge, mirage-like, without the sort of pretext or context we're used to, even from Anderson. And that's part of the film's magic: It is a dream, not a literal-minded chronicle with a traceable dramatic arc. While Anderson might be the first to acknowledge he has trouble finding his endings, he writes and shoots and reaches like no one else in American movies. And unlike Tarantino, he directs like a born director, a seer, as opposed to a flamboyant screenwriter in a position of directorial power. A poetic master of the dying fall, Anderson never was a probable candidate to land one of the five original script nominations. "The Master" misbehaves too flagrantly (it's like protagonist Freddie Quell) to fit in, the way Tarantino's act manages to fit in and play to any room, anywhere. More at www.chicagotribune.com/features/books/ct-prj-0224-screenplays-oscar-missed-20130222,0,2059135.column
Here's what Tony Ortega posted on Facebook this afternoon: OSCAR NIGHT LIVE-BLOGGING: Scientology is on the hot seat at this year's Academy Awards show, with three big nominations for 'The Master,' and John Travolta presenting. Also, if we're going to get through this bloated catastrophe of a broadcast again this year, we're going to need all the help we can get. So please join us in the Bunker as we make fun of what's happening on stage! Show and live-blogging starts at 8:30 pm Eastern. OSCAR NIGHT LIVE-BLOGGING: Scientology on the Hot Seat with John Travolta and ‘The Master’ « The Underground Bunker When you tune into the Academy Awards show tonight at 8:30 pm Eastern, please join us as we provide a Scientology watcher’s view on the proceedings. This is the biggest Oscars night for Scientology in many years, and we have been assured by sources who would know that the show will be watched at the International Base by the church’s “Sea Org” members. http://tonyortega.org/2013/02/24/os...e-hot-seat-with-john-travolta-and-the-master/
Watch 20 Minutes of Deleted Material from “The Master”: They May Explain the Movie | Showbiz411 By Roger Friedman Here are twenty minutes of deleted scenes from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master.” Some of it explains more about the characters. We even get to see a little more of Laura Dern. When you’re editing a film you never know if you’ve cut something important. But there will be a big argument that some of this would have helped explain this enigmatic, brilliant film. The last couple of minutes is an actual outtake, and very funny. But I should make it clear that this movie was under PTA’s control. He showed it to Scientology advocate Tom Cruise early on. Was this material that Cruise was uncomfortable with? Maybe. From www.showbiz411.com/2013/03/04/watch-20-minutes-of-deleted-material-from-the-master-they-explain-the-movie
Geoff Cox DVD reviews: The Master - Dunstable Today What was the biggest Oscar snub of 2013? Probably for THE MASTER, given best acting nominations for Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, but failing to pick up a single gong. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, who gave us oil-rush epic There Will Be Blood, conjures up another superb American period drama. Postwar optimism and material upswing in the early 1950s have bypassed demobbed, mentally damaged sailor Freddie Quell (Phoenix). After a chance meeting on a yacht, he’s taken under the wing of Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), the persuasive leader of psychobabbling self-help organization The Cause. Phoenix is spellbinding as the tongue-tied, short-fused alcoholic who still has enough charisma to explain the mentor-pupil relationship that drives the story and causes friction with Dodd’s strait-laced wife (Adams). The Scientology-style movement develops into a cult and questions are asked of the self-righteous Dood by skeptics, the police and even his own son. Despite the final act being rather unsatisfying, it remains an important character-driven piece of film-making. From www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/news/geoff-cox-dvd-reviews-the-master-1-4874180
What Does The Ending Of The Master Mean? By David Braga Overall, The Master is a film about how we try to understand and make it through our own lives. Do we need meaning? Purpose? Or are we simply animals searching for the comfort (however temporary) that our nature drives us to find? http://whatculture.com/film/what-does-the-ending-of-the-master-mean.php
So far, there's been no mention of Narconon. Report: Philip Seymour Hoffman leaves detox for heroin use Philip Seymour Hoffman has left a detox center that he entered to get ahead of drug problems that are said to have been spinning out of control, according to reports. www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-philip-seymour-hoffman-detox-heroin-drugs-20130531,0,7985528.story Philip Seymour Hoffman Checked Into Detox For Narcotic Abuse Philip Seymour Hoffman just got out of detox for a drug problem that was spinning out of control - a problem he desperately wanted to nip in the bud - and he's already back doing a movie. <snip> He says he was at the facility for 10 days and checked out last Friday. Hoffman credits what he calls "a great group of friends and family" for helping him seek the treatment he needed to get better. And at least for now, it seems it worked, because Hoffman is clean and back on a movie set in Europe. www.tmz.com/2013/05/30/philip-seymour-hoffman-detox-narcotics-heroin-drugs-abuse/
Outtakes from The Master: http://strangerintown.podcastpeople.com/posts/51058 and here: http://cigsandredvines.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-master-deleted-scenes.html
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- First Public Event After Heroin Detox Philip Seymour Hoffman was all smiles at the 2013 Envision Awards in NYC yesterday, the first major event the actor's attended since leaving detox for narcotic abuse 3 weeks ago. www.tmz.com/2013/06/12/philip-seymour-hoffman-public-event-awards-nyc-heroin-detox/
For anyone near northeast Wales, here's an upcoming event at Gladstone's Library: Films of Faith & Doubt 4 — 7 November 2013 An opportunity to view and reflect on classic and contemporary films of faith and doubt. This year's selection includes F. W. Murnau’s silent classic morality tale Sunrise (1927). From 2012, we are considering what many people consider to be the best film of the year Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, which shows the dark side of the American dream and is perhaps based on L. Ron Hubbard and his Scientology cult. From www.culture24.org.uk/am31811 More at www.gladstoneslibrary.org/courses2013/filmsfaithanddoubt/
Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead of an apparent overdose — in the bathroom with a hypodermic needle still in his arm — inside a Greenwich Village home on Sunday morning, cops said. http://nypost.com/2014/02/02/philip-seymour-hoffman-found-dead-in-his-apartment/
That's sad. A real waste. It's always particularly painful when the talented ones leave. https://www.google.com/search?q=Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in New York, reports the Wall Street Journal By Tony Ortega http://tonyortega.org/2014/02/02/ph...-in-new-york-reports-the-wall-street-journal/
I am motherfucking pissed at him. Fucking IDIOT. He threw his life away, and unfortunately for the world, it was one well worth keeping.
This is also just so fucking typical. It is the most fucking common event in the world for someone's first heroin relapse to be an overdose. People quit smack and then they fucking do their normal dose when they relapse. And they should fucking well know their tolerance is gone and that their "normal" dose is now an overdose. But they fucking don't, and then they die. Holy shit. Fucking idiots.
