November 29, 1999

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

More Entertainment Weekly Tidbits

Magnolia partially graces the cover of the November 26th issue which proclaims 1999 - The Year That Changed Movies. This article has many comments from Paul and is a definitive must read.

In addition, I have collected the rest of the highlights of the issue below:

They rank Magnolia as one to see for the rest of the year and into 2000:

After 1997's electric Boogie Nights, director Paul Thomas Anderson delivers an Altmanesque epic intertwining the lives of a guru (Tom Cruise), a cop (John C. Reilly), a salesman (William H. Macy), a dying father (Jason Robards) and other denizens of the San Fernando Valley. (Dec. 17 - L.A./NY)

They also list the new directors for the next millennium. The entire article is here, but this is what they had to say about Paul:

PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON: Hard Eight (1997) and Boogie Nights (1997) are the work of a Valley Boy full of nerve and verve gunning for the deluxe adrenaline rushes of Scorsese.

Lastly, they review various movie posters and here's what they had to say about the theatrical poster for Magnolia"

MAGNOLIA C

What's New Line's solution to selling a three-hour-plus drama with eight plots that are only tangentially related, and a superstar, Tom Cruise, reluctant to overshadow his fellow thespians? The Magic Eye route: Tom is tucked behind two petals near one o'clock. (You'll need to look at the real poster to find him.) While hiding Cruise's mug is risky business, the studio gets extra credit for referencing the movie's inexplicable plague-of-frogs scene with a Kermit in the corner.

Mike De Luca Article

Here's a nice article on Mike De Luca, president of New Line from Newsweek. It has a nice summary of his career and the fact that he is finally putting his "bad boy" image behind him.

 

The Latest Rumor on Paul's Next Movie

The latest rumor about Paul's next project seems to be the most unlikely to me. This scoop comes from the wonderful UK film magazine Total Film:

Southern book Blue Movie – detailing how a brother and sister form an American acting dynasty decide to make a porn film as an expression of high art – is looking like the next project for Paul Thomas Anderson to direct, reuniting Boogie Nights’ Mark Wahlberg and Heather Graham.

Courtesy of Total Film Magazine - November 1999

I find this rumor very far fetched as Paul has been down the porn road before, and I doubt he's ready to revisit it. 

November 25, 1999

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

Entertainment Weekly Tidbits

They ran an article recently on holiday movies with long running times. Of course, they mentioned Magnolia. Here's what Paul had to say:

"Magnolia was three hours and 20 minutes, and I'd been cutting like crazy," sighs director Paul Thomas Anderson of his sprawling L.A. drama, whose final running time is just under three hours. "If you're asking someone to give that kind of time, you have to be sure it's for a good reason."

Another article on holiday movies and their Oscar chances. Here's what they said about New Line and Magnolia's chances:

NEW LINE: Can the only major never to score a Best Picture nomination make history with Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up to Boogie Nights? If nothing else, MAGNOLIA should provide Tom Cruise with better Oscar chances than Eyes Wide Shut.

November 17, 1999

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

Magnolia Screening with Paul on December 10th

Here's the info from the Independent Feature Project and their website:

This month, IFP/West is proud to present an Independent Focus with Paul Thomas Anderson. Hard Eight, Mr. Anderson's debut film, was acclaimed for its complex performances and fascinating glimpse into the human condition. His next film, Boogie Nights, furthered his acclaim, garnering three Academy Award nominations. Magnolia is his third and most ambitious film to date. Following a preview of his new film, host Elvis Mitchell will lead an in-depth interview with this director, who is known for his extremely personal and distinctive cinematic vision.

Magnolia takes place on a random day in the San Fernando Valley, as a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host, and an estranged daughter each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, all linked to one story. Through a collusion of coincidence, chance, human action, shared media, past history, and divine intervention, they each weave and warp through each other's lives on a day that builds to an unforgettable climax. Magnolia is a mosaic of American life that through a series of comic and poignant vignettes presents a striking portrait of a lonely city sometimes called up short on love. Written, directed, and produced by Mr. Anderson, the film has an outstanding cast that includes Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards, and Melora Walters.

After the success of Boogie Nights, Mr. Anderson originally wanted to write something "small and intimate" that could be shot in 30 days, but his plans went askew as the story blossomed into a complex tale of human frailty and universal chaos. Although nine stories are intertwined, each character is painted with intimacy and emotion. "I still think that Magnolia is small and intimate," says Anderson. "It just took 200 pages and 90 days to get the right amount of small and intimate."

The Independent Focus presentation screens at the Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, in Hollywood.

December 10, 1999 @ 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available for $15 IFP/West members and $25 for the general public. Please note: due to the length of the film, we will be starting the screening at 7:00 p.m.

For reservations, please call 310/475-4379, ext. 10.

I can't wait! I have reserved my tickets and I am searching for a good deal on airfare, etc. I would love to get together with the readers of the site and go see the screening. Please email me, if you would like to do this. I also heard that they are showing Boogie Nights in L.A. at a midnight showing (I'm not sure which theater). It would be great to see that again on the big screen while I'm down there!

I am also trying to set up a meeting with Paul while I'm down there for an interview, so if you have any questions you would like me to try and ask, please let me know.

 

New Aimee Mann Video from Magnolia is Out

You can download Paul's great new music video for "Save Me" at the official Magnolia website. It was shot during the filming of Magnolia and if you missed the great Billboard article on this, please see the Update below from November 13. 

November 13, 1999

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

PTA Speaks on Magnolia 

The first PTA interview I have seen regarding Magnolia. The big news here is that Paul says that he is writing a script for his idol Jonathan Demme, but it's top secret! 

The Patriot Ledger (MA) - 11/99

 Magnolia Soundtrack, Aimee Mann, and another new PTA Music Video

I have just finished posting two new Magnolia soundtrack (which is due to be released on December 7) articles. One is dedicated to the creation of the Soundtrack, how it affected Paul's writing of the screenplay, and the new music video he directed for the first single, "Save Me". The second talks more specifically about Aimee Mann (who has 9 of the songs on the soundtrack) and her trials and tribulations. Both articles will be available in the growing Filmography - Magnolia section (of the website).

November 8, 1999

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

1st Magnolia Interview

Here's a great interview with John C. Reilly from the Sunday Edition of the LA Times. There is quite a bit about Magnolia as well as John's entire career. Some funny stories are shared about Paul and John and some of the wacky things they do. Check it out. 

Trailer Talk

A very funny and sarcastic take on the Magnolia trailer from my local paper, The Seattle Times: 

We don't really know what this is about, but it's got the director and the cast of Boogie Nights and one raggedy-looking Tom Cruise. He's grown out his hair - does this mean he can act? The camera spins from character to character, and each says, "I'm (fill in the character's name)." What they really should say is, "I'm (fill in character's name) from Boogie Nights, but now I have more facial hair." Except for Julianne Moore.

The Farrelly Brothers?

Entertainment Weekly recently concluded their Online Poll to coincide with the unveiling of their 100 Greatest Entertainers (1950 -2000). These online polls should be taken with a grain of salt (Seth Green from Buffy the Vampire Slayer won best TV actor), but I was interested in how the Best Movie Director category would shake out. Without further adieu, here's the results:

1.  Kevin Smith, 18.9%
 

2.  Quentin Tarantino               16.7%
 

3.  Tim Burton                           14.3% 


4.  Bobby & Peter Farrelly         7.3% 

5.  Andy & Larry Wachowski     5.0% 


6.  Paul Thomas Anderson        4.2% 

7.  John Singleton                       3.9% 


8.  David Fincher                        3.8% 


9.  Sam Mendes                         3.5%
 

10. M. Night Shyamalan             3.3%

Magnolia the Underdog 

Ten Underdog fall movies you shouldn’t miss by Peter Travers

1.  Magnolia - 
Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights) wants to keep this personal drama under wraps until it opens, but here’s what to expect: Anderson tracks 10 characters over one day in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, crafting an intimate epic that exposes the emotional highs and lows of life at the end of the century. And look for an unbilled Tom Cruise to win the best reviews of his career as a sleazy motivational speaker.

Courtesy of US Magazine - November 1999 Issue

PTA on Cruise

An interesting quote from PTA on Mr. Cruise which was also found in EW's 100 Greatest Entertainers issue (Tom was #52).

"He's like an animal for information. He was always asking questions. Really interesting, technical stuff about what sort of lens I was using, or what I was thinking when I wrote a particular scene. He's ferociously curious."

PTA Alums at the Box Office

Philip Baker Hall turns in another great performance in Michael Mann's new film The Insider. Hall plays a 60 Minutes executive producer and goes toe to toe with Al Pacino. As usual, he's not given enough screen time, but he energizes the film whenever he shows up.

Luis Guzman has a critical (but small) role in the #1 film this past week, The Bone Collector. He gets most of laughs in this thriller in the vein of Silence of the Lambs and Seven (it doesn't hold a candle to these two movies). 

It's good to see these great actors get some screen time in major studio films. 

Interview: USC Daily Trojan

USC-Daily Trojan, Written By David Jay Lasky
November 6, 1999

Director-Writer Anderson Worked Hard on Film

Magnolia is a character-driven drama with an exceptional musical sequence and amazing special effects in a long yet appropriate three hours. It is difficult to even imagine how it was pulled off successfully.