PTA-Directed Music Video For Fiona Apple's "Hot Knife" Surfaces

And just like that, not even an entire month after we themed a flashback friday after his work in this area, Paul Thomas Anderson has dropped a new music video. It's for "Hot Knife," the last track off Fiona Apple's latest (and quite excellent) effort The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver of the Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.

We remember hearing whispers about this back in June of last year, but figured maybe it was kaputt, at least while PTA was finishing up The Master. But here it is, and it is pretty stunning. Watch, watch, watch!

We know, we know, things have been very quiet with Inherent Vice as of late, but you'll just have to hang in there and keep checking in because you never know when the next big thing is going to drop...

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

FBF: Watch All of Paul Thomas Anderson's Music Videos

 Have a great weekend!

Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Fiona Apple - Hot Knife (TBD)

According to an interview with Fiona Apple in V Magazine in June of 2012, Paul started work on a video for the track "Hot Knife" off her record "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do."

“I have this weird thing where I’m friends with my ex-boyfriends, and I really care about them. I care about their lives with their girlfriends. I feel like maybe an annoying mother or something.” Among these exes are illusionist David Blaine, in whose office/apartment Apple crashes when in New York, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, who started to make a video for Apple’s new song “Hot Knife” before having to work on a movie, and most notably writer Jonathan Ames, the subject of one of the album’s sweeter tracks, “Jonathan.”

Whether the video will be completed or ever see the light of day is still unknown. For now you'll just have to close your eyes and imagine it.

PTA Began Work On A Video For Fiona Apple's ‘Hot Knife'

Fiona Apple's first album in 7 years -- The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do -- dropped this past week and we have had it on pretty constant rotation here at Cigs & Vines. With a sudden flurry of attention comes a deluge of interviews and some of them are really great too, like this one. If you follow us on Twitter, you already know Fiona has dropped a few mentions of Paul here and there, saying to Interview Magazine...

"I'm actually very goofy. I hate this feeling like I'm name-dropping, but Paul Thomas Anderson [the director and Apple's ex-boyfriend] told me that two of the funniest people he knows are me and Daniel Day-Lewis. He was like, "You're both hilarious, but everybody thinks you're awful."

 And from the aforementioned NYMag profile...

I assumed she wanted to talk about her album; she said she didn’t care. I told her I thought it was her best work; she said it was funny because she’d run into her ex-boyfriend, the filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, and “he remembers me as somebody’s who’s been down on themselves from years ago,” and when he’d asked about the album, she told him she felt “really, really happy, I felt like I can die now, I’ve done what I want, this is me.” 

So it appears the formal couple are still very friendly, which is good news for anyone who adored Paul's string of music videos for her back in the late 90s and hoped that one day he might return to the short format. According to an interview with Fiona in V Magazine, that may still happen.

“I have this weird thing where I’m friends with my ex-boyfriends, and I really care about them. I care about their lives with their girlfriends. I feel like maybe an annoying mother or something.” Among these exes are illusionist David Blaine, in whose office/apartment Apple crashes when in New York, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, who started to make a video for Apple’s new song “Hot Knife” before having to work on a movie, and most notably writer Jonathan Ames, the subject of one of the album’s sweeter tracks, “Jonathan.”

Exclusive Interview: Michael "Jocco" Phillips

Michael "Jocco" Phillips is a name you have probably noticed in the credits of a large number of Paul's films as well as many successful television series over the years. Upon discovering he checked in on the site, I contacted him with ten questions to get a fresh perspective on everything from Bones to Ballchewer.

C&RV: Introductions: Name, Current Project & Occupation

M"J"P: Michael "Jocco" Phillips, First Assistant Director BONES

C&RV: For those who may not know exactly what this job entails, can you sum up your daily tasks/responsibilities.

M"J"P: My job divides into two phases, prep and shoot. During prep I am responsible for breaking down the script into it's individual elements (cast, locations, props, etc) and then scheduling the filming in the most efficient way possible. On the set I run the day-to-day operations and make sure all of the elements are available at the right time so the director can maximize his/her shooting day.

C&RV: You've worked on Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. How did you get yourself embedded into The Family?

M"J"P: John Wildermuth and Adam Druxman, the assistant directors I worked for on my first big movie in LA (THE FAN) were hired to do BOOGIE NIGHTS and called me to ask if I wanted to work on their next movie. I said "yes!" immediately and drove to the production office in Hollywood to pick up the script. 

I read it when I got home and was terrified! What have I gotten myself into? I had only been in LA a few months from Texas and come from a rather conservative family. Pornos? "Joy Juice"? So after panicking for a few hours I read it again and was able to see beyond the salaciousness of the subject matter and realized this was an amazing script. 

When I met Paul his passion and energy were so overwhelming and I knew we were in good hands. One of Paul's greatest attributes is his accessibility to the cast and crew. His love for actors is well known but I was a green Production Assistant and we could talk and joke around like I was an old friend. 

Adam was hired to do both MAGNOLIA and PDL and so I was able to work on both of those films as well. It was a very special time in my life.

C&RV: What, if any, are some of the advantages to working on a production with Paul that you don't necessarily experience on other sets. 

M"J"P: Well, I partly answered this question in my previous one but Paul knew exactly what he wanted, especially on MAGNOLIA. We would be on the Tech Scout (where all the Department Heads travel to all of the locations) and he would walk into a room and say "24mm lens here... tracking across to here. Dolly track here." Four months later we are in that room to film and sure enough there was a 24mm lens here with dolly track there. It may not seem like a big deal but after 19 years in the industry you realize that that kind of vision and decisiveness is extremely rare. Another thing about Paul that I find unique is that everything is in the script. Shots, angles, ideas, his scripts are very visual.

C&RV: Best On/Off Set Story/Experience That Won't Get You In Trouble/Blacklisted, Go:

M"J"P: BOOGIE NIGHTS - We are shooting 16mm footage for the Brock Landers movies during prep (before principle photography) and Paul decides he needs more "bad guys" for a fight sequence to be shot later in the day. Adam is going to call extras casting but I say "Hey! I could be a bad guy! We can shave my head, give me a moustache or something!" Adam tells Paul and he says "Great!" 

Later that day, with a freshly-shorn cranium and big bushy 'stache I make cinematic history fighting with Mark and John C. smashing a bottle over my head (six times!) We develop a back story for my "character". He is a low-level thug that works for Ringo and his name is... Jocco. A nickname is born.

MAGNOLIA - When we finished principle photography Paul was generous enough to hire me as a personal assistant during the post-production process. When he decided to include the Frank TJ Mackey Infomercial on the dvd he allowed me to film a "product shot" and record voice-over for an end-tag to the actual commercial you see in the film. As with my stunt work in BOOGIE NIGHTS, Paul required a level of amateurism that you just can't fake. I delivered that level of amateurism.

Footnote: Paul sent MAGNOLIA to Harry Knowles' Butt-Numb-A-Thon with a video introduction to the film. I was PTA.

C&RV: Sandler, like PTA, is well known for repeating crews and cast. After Punch-Drunk, you had a solid string of work on Adam's films. I assume this stemmed from the two of you becoming friends during Paul's production?

M"J"P: Absolutely. I spent a lot of time in Basecamp on PDL and got to know Adam and his crew very well. They are some of the friendliest, generous, down-to-earth and loyal people it has been my pleasure to meet. I got my first big DGA feature credit on Adam's film FIFTY FIRST DATES. They even named the walrus in the film after me. I didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted. (I was flattered)

C&RV: You were not involved with There Will Be Blood. Was that due to scheduling or you just weren't involved?

M"J"P: A little of both. Paul had decided early on that he wanted to work with new assistant directors (Adam Somner, Spielberg's First Assistant). Once in production I was pleased to receive a call to come fill in for the second assistant director but unfortunately I was already in production of season two of PRISON BREAK.

C:RV& Speaking about graphic design briefly, you are co-responsible for one of my favorite cover designs ever: Fiona Apple's "When The Pawn..." What was the pitch/process/story etc -- have you done any design work for others as well?

M"J"P: Again a case of being in the right place at the right time. When I was working for Paul on MAGNOLIA he and Fiona were together. She had this idea that she wanted for the album artwork. 

I simply helped her with some photo & lyric layouts on the computer. It was great and pleasant surprise when the cd came out and she had included me in the liner notes. I was just a monkey at a keyboard. It is a testament to her kindness that my name is there and it is something I will always treasure.

(C&RV Note: Michael also mentioned he was the author and cover designer of the 6 Music Videos By PTA DVD that we originally gave out on the site many years ago)

C&RV: You seem t have migrated primarily into series television. Has this format evolved into your preference over film work, or do you go where the most appealing meal is?

M"J"P: I do enjoy the stability that comes from working on episodic television. I had a nice four-year run on PRISON BREAK and I'm just starting my second year on BONES. I was able to move up much faster in television than I would have been able to in features. That being said, I still have a great love for telling one story from start to finish. We'll see what the future holds.

C&RV: After initially scanning your IMDB profile and seeing "Black & White" I knew the plan would be to close with a question about Mike Tyson. Turns out you worked on a different "Black & White." Not one to give up on a plan: Do you have any thing to say about Mike Tyson? 

M"J"P: We were watching the Tyson-Holyfield fight at a friend's apartment on a television that was nearly as big as the room. I saw him bite that ear off in way-too graphic detail.

I'm sure he's a lovely man.

C&RV: What is coming next for you sir? Continued work on Bones? Plans to venture into directing or is that not something that appeals to you?

M"J"P: Had PRISON BREAK gone another season or two I definitely would have pursued a shot a directing an episode. I had a very intimate knowledge of the show creatively and from a production standpoint. My real desire is to eventually work as a creative producer. I want to find and develop good stories and assemble the creative team necessary to bring it to the audience. Show Business is one of the few industries in which you must take a pay cut to get a promotion but I will not rest until the sign on the hill says "JOCCOWOOD". ;)

I would like to publicly thank Michael for the interesting responses to my boring questions. You saved the day, sir. Michael also mentioned he was Assistant Director on all of Paul's music videos for Fiona Apple as well as "Couch" and "Ballchewer."

We may sort out a Part Two one day in the future as there aren't really any stories around about the production of the music videos. Oh, and I missed the last two Flashback Fridays. Sorry about that.

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Flashback Friday: Exclusive Mark Rance Interview

Today we take you back to August 21st, 2000 when our site first posted an exclusive interview called "Reliving 'That Moment'" that focused on Mark Rance. My own interview title offering featured on the banner. On topic: Mark was the filmmaker responsible for creating the feature length documentary following Magnolia from pre-production to projection that can be found on the newly released Magnolia Blu-Ray disc.

Reliving "That Moment" with Mark Rance

Mark Rance & his company, 3 Legged Cat has been a pioneer in creating supplemental footage for special edition releases. Mark made a name for himself working for Criterion on their LaserDisc releases such as Silence of the Lambs, This is Spinal Tap, El Cid & Lord of the Flies from 1991 - 1995. 

Mark then helped establish New Line with the ground breaking Platinum Series DVD’s. Mark was an integral part of many of the early releases including Spawn, Blade, Lost in Space, Nightmare on Elm Street Collection, Detroit Rock City, Austin Powers, Dark City, The Corrupter, Pleasantville & more.  

It’s Mark’s work with Paul Thomas Anderson that immediately comes to mind. He worked on the commentary tracks for both the Criterion LaserDisc of Boogie Nights & New Line’s first DVD Platinum Release. 

He followed that up with his work on the Hard Eight Special Edition for Columbia/Tri Star before tackling his most ambitious DVD project to date. That Moment, A Magnolia Diary, is a 74 minute intimate look at the creative process following PTA’s latest film from conception to creation. 

Not your typical promotional documentary or featurette,  That Moment shows you the highs, lows & especially the hard work required to make a film. I spoke with Mark about his relationship with PTA, making “That Moment” & his future projects. 

C&RV: When did you first meet PTA & get involved with the Boogie Nights releases on DVD & LaserDisc?

MR: I had already been given the assignment to work on the Criterion LaserDisc of Boogie Nights, when we met really briefly at the Los Angeles Film Critics Award luncheon. I went over to an apartment where he was living. I got there early so I was in the building sitting on the steps across the door from the apartment & he comes up carrying groceries. 

There's this young woman following him carrying groceries as well. "Hi I'm Paul, how are you doing?" I really didn't put two & two together until everybody sat down for the interview & I realized, "Oh, that's Fiona Apple." She sat there during the interview drawing pictures & listening. We did that in the living room of his apartment in January 1998.

C&RV: How did the Hard Eight DVD come about. Did PTA seek you out?

MR: Yeah. I was at a screening of one of my friend's films & we ran into each other. Paul says, "You gotta help with this thing". We began recording the tracks with Philip Baker Hall while he was still writing Magnolia. We probably did about six hours worth of recording. This is my tendency. I like these longer interviews & try to reduce them down to fit. Edit them to sound chatty without them being chatty. 

There was a lot to talk about on this film. When it was edited down, we had one full track & a half hour worth of material for a second track. We dedicated the first track to PTA & Philip on his first film & making the thing. The second was dedicated to isolating the soundtrack cues & talking about Rysher. I wanted to make the ultimate commentary about first films, bad experience & successful experience.

C&RV: Rumor has it that Columbia/TriStar was not happy with one of the commentary tracks that PTA did & his comments about Rysher. The word inflammatory comes to mind. Did anything have to be reedited for the release?

MR: Yes. When the thing was submitted to Columbia, they reviewed it with their legal department & asked us to take out all the stuff referring to Rysher. Around that time, MGM had been sued by a writer who did not receive proper credit on a commentary track. The suit went through & the guy won. 

That made some of the studios nervous about what people might say on these things. It's that whole issue when an opinion is libel. It took them months to decide this & Magnolia was in production. I came on the set & I was thinking exactly what Paul said. Let's go around & interview everybody that worked on Hard Eight.

C&RV: Whose idea was it to isolate the score on the second commentary track?

MR: I wanted to do that because I'm always fooling around with the format. I loved the score & sort of by accident put it up against the picture without any dialogue. I thought in that in a couple of cases, when you do that with a movie, it becomes a different movie in a good way. In addition, the soundtrack's not available, so it seemed like a good idea. 

C&RV: And include the alternate closing credits song [Aimee Mann's "I Should've Known"]?

MR: Yeah, it was a surprise because he was singing that song during one of the commentary recordings to loosen up. I knew the song really well & thought these lyrics are kinda cool for this movie. I had it better in a rough cut, the timing was cooler. 

They're was a better edit. It's off a few frames. The really interesting thing is that it's the exact running time of the original credit sequence. The great thing about working with Paul is that he lets you surprise him & I try to.

C&RV: Tell me about recording his commentary tracks. I know you prefer to do extensive interviews & then edit them coherently to the film? Is that what you did with the Boogie Nights & Hard Eight?

MR: There's a lot of stopping & starting. I'm a firm believer in not forcing people to watch the movies. It's the technique that a lot of studios have adopted because it's fucking cheap. But I also think it's the technique that's killing commentaries. 

That's why a lot of people don't want to do them anymore. There's so much resistance at this point from people who have heard all the dumb ones. There's more of those than the smart ones, that the idea of being trapped, having to come up with something as fast as the movies are generally cut is criminal. 

MR: In all of these cases & especially with Paul, I like just sitting & talking, seeing where he's at, trying to understand where he's coming from. Finding more if I can about the background to a particular movie, a particular scene, working with an actor, an idea in the film, films that he likes, what he admires in those films. Let those digressions take the conversation where it goes because often enough, it comes back.  

C&RV: It seems that PTA went from house to house doing segments with all the principal actors on Boogie Nights, were you involved with the recording?

MR: Paul & Dylan Tichenor did the original actors & I helped with the new additions of Melora Walters & Luis Guzman. When I got it, I made separate tracks with each voice. We dropped in the new interviews where Paul's solo commentary used to be since it duplicates the other commentary track. The new material will hopefully make the "Is Luis Guzman High?" joke pay off.

C&RV: Your condensed version of what happened to Exhausted?

MR: Paul toyed with the idea of including WADD: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes but decided to stay with the Exhausted footage from the Criterion LaserDisc. It ultimately came down to money & the director of Exhausted & New Line couldn't agree on a price.

C&RV: Moving to the Magnolia DVD, with PTA’s public comments about not wanting to do a commentary track for this film, did you explore other possibilities such as a cast & crew, actors, composer or film critic [Roger Ebert recorded one for New Line’s Dark City Platinum Edition]?

MR: No commentary period. No analysis.

C&RV: Did you guys explore other supplemental material such as the Charlie Rose Show, The "Cops" Footage or the Worm subplot?

MR: We did talk about all that kind of stuff, but he really didn't want any more of the deleted scenes on the disc. He was very specific about that. Paul's vision here was a simplified DVD with the fewest buttons to push. After Paul saw the work done on New Line's Detroit Rock City DVD, he called me up & said, "OK, Mark we got to talk about this. What the fuck were you doing?"

C&RV: I assume PTA chose the Magnolia 12 chapter stops as well?

MR: Yes, I think the beauty of it is that it emphasizes, as Julianne Moore says, the operatic structure. It's in movement, it's in passages. It's not in scenes. These scenes interconnect. There's an association building up between the characters, the lives they lead & the meaning of those lives. Paul is dead on about this & he told me that you could probably do it with one button or chapter. It's probably coming. Someone's gonna do that again.

C&RV: How did “That Moment” come to fruition?

MR: It was Paul's idea. He told me that I would be the only one on the set & "do my thing." He had seen a documentary I made called "Mom". He told me to try & document everything. It was that simple. There was no other direction or list of things to get.

C&RV: Tom Cruise, was noticeably absent from the film. Were there any limitations to your filming or access?

MR: Cruise's people asked that he not be filmed. The only limitations were my availability as I was working on multiple projects for New Line.

C&RV: It's surprising to see Tom Cruise in the outtakes then?

MR: We thought since we didn't have him in the documentary & Tom liked those outtakes, thought they were hysterical, & that they would represent his participation. Paul & Tom had a great relationship, so it really wasn't a stretch to include them.

C&RV: Was there every any tension on the set between you & the cast & crew?

MR: The only time that happened was when one of the actors was ready to start work & didn't want to be distracted. He made a good point that when the second camera is there, his peripheral vision would catch that & he's not sure where to play. It throws him & I understood that. The way that I was taught to make films is that it's not the camera, it's you. It's your job as a filmmaker to be human, to be present, to be the person you are. You just happen to have a camera. 

You do things to make them familiar with you holding the camera. In this way, you develop a more intimate relationship with everyone around you. Try to minimize the idea that they should feel like there's something different between you with the camera & without. That's just the whole style. Not to over analyze this, but interviews tend to separate you. The power switches from the star to the interviewer. In that imbalance, you get less. 

People are less willing to talk. They become guarded. If you show that you are not threatening them, then you get different kinds of footage. Like walking up to Bill Macy to ask him what he thinks about the script is sort of like walking up to Macy for the umpteenth time & asking him a stupid question. That's the way he talked to me all the time. If you needed a laugh, just go say something to Macy. 

C&RV: How much footage did you shoot?

MR: 128 hours. I had two very good people logging the stuff. We started thinking about structure & because we didn't have a lot of time to edit. I kept shooting. We decided on the most linear structure. It could been much more of a mosaic or organized in a different manner. The diary thing just became the guiding rule because there was no time to play with it more than once. The first edit was eight hours. The second edit was four. Then it hovered around 2:20 - 3:00 hours for a couple of weeks. I showed the cut to Paul three times after it was less than three hours. Paul gave me notes three times & we finally ended up at 74 minutes.

C&RV: Did you have complete freedom in what footage was ultimately included?

MR: Yeah. Paul did give me suggestions on where to trim it. There was plenty to choose from & that is always a problem. Throwing away a lot of good stuff early was kind of painful, but it was the only way. If you hang on to something, then you would have to hang on to two other things to explain it. You want to try to avoid adding voice over & let it evolve from the camera's point of view. 

C&RV: Was the very funny exchange between Paul/Fiona spontaneous or scripted? How did it come to pass?

MR: Spontaneous. I came upstairs & Paul said watch this. They did it again later in the evening at dinner. It wasn't quite as funny because she couldn't move around as much. They probably did some version of it at home. It was on the night it went into wide release (January 7th). We were about to get in a car & drive around to the various theaters & see the audience reaction.

C&RV: The last shot shows PTA listening to Aimee Mann’s Red Vines & working. Was this actual footage shot during the editing process?

MR: Paul was working on Fiona's Limp video. There was still this residue from the release of the film. Articles were lying around. There was just this feeling of exhaustion. I don't even know why I started shooting. I was just goofing around. I really love that song, too.

C&RV: What are your thoughts now looking back on the Magnolia Diary?

MR: The beauty of what Paul asked me to do...He's like the first person who really believed me as a filmmaker in ten years. I can't thank him enough. Making that thing for Magnolia was maybe the most challenging & the most fun thing I've had to do in all of this. As much as I like meeting all my cinema heroes & making these commentaries that is more meaningful to me. The fact that he liked it is even better.

C&RV: What future DVD projects can we expect from 3 Legged Cat productions?

MR: We're working on the Seven Platinum Series, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me & a John Waters box set for New Line. A Crow box set & Red, White & Blue for Miramax. I really want to do more work on foreign films but the market still isn't there yet. The market is still heavy into the science fiction films because they are the big sellers.

Tomorrow we will have details for an interesting upcoming screening of There Will Be Blood.

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Contest: Win "6 Videos By PT Anderson" DVD (Updated)

In an attempt to help spread the word about our new site location and (nearly completed) archives revival, I will bribe you with winning a copy of the extremely rare "6 Music Videos With PTA" DVD.

How to enter the contest is simple and you can do it two different ways:

Number One: From Your Twitter Account

Post a message anyway you like but it has to include @cigsandredvines (so i know you did it and can easily track the entries) and our address: www.ptanderson.info. A 'Follow Friday' mention will count as well, if you prefer to spam a bit more subtly. 

Number Two: From Your Facebook Account

Post a message anyway you like but it has to include a tag to our group page (@Cigarettes And Red Vines for the same reasons as above) and our address: www.ptanderson.info

Contest Entry Rules & Deadlines

Each time you do an update and tag us counts as one contest entry. Obviously you are not limited to only doing one or the other and you can enter as many times as you are willing to spam your friends and associates. 

The contest begins right now and will run until Midnight PST on Friday, July 30th, 2010. One winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. And part of the deal is I humbly request the winning party not be a knob and put copies up on Ebay.

Context: We were only ever given 5 copies back in the day when Paul printed them for us. I believe we gave away 3 of them to site readers and Greg and I kept one each.

My disc didn't come with cover art for some reason or another that Greg told me so unfortunately I will only be able to send you a copy of my copy in a basic case. The only thing you are missing out on is Paul burnt "Non Playable Side. Dummy" into the holographic information ring in the middle of the disc.

The videos are Michael Penn's "Try," Aimee Mann's "Save Me" and Fiona Apple's "Fast As You Can," "Limp," "Across The Universe" and, my favorite by far, "Paper Bag."

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Fascinating Update, 5:20pm:

This has been literally going on since 7am this morning, both averaging about a post every 15 seconds. In the blue trunks, hailing from Facebook: Max. In the red trunks, all the way from Twitter: Nigelfordham. Max's friend Ben got really pissed off at him for posting over 200 times by 1pm and is now trying to keep pace in an attempt to win it out of spite, which is hilarious. Thank you for the great response so far and entertaining the hell out of me along the way.

Fast As You Can Archives Complete

The archives for Fast As You Can has been completed and uploaded to our projects page complete with rare promotional items, quotes and a photo essay explaining a few of the effects in the video that have been asked about most by e-mail/visitors to the site. The news archives are continuing to grow daily as well (I think we are at August 2000 currently) and will be up in their entirety by the end of the week.

Also, please please help re-spread the word of the site's revival and/or address change. Additionally, the site exists on Facebook and Twitter for exclusive things and random discussions.

August 21, 2000

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

In some better late than never news, Ghoulardi's JoAnne Sellar will produce the new film for Fine Line entitled The Anniversary Party. It was co-written & will be co-directed by close PTA friend, Jennifer Jason Leigh. The ensemble cast may include John C. Reilly among others & should hit theaters in early 2001. Click here for the full press release.

Fiona Apple's latest import CD single for Paper Bag includes all three PTA directed music videos from her When the Pawn... release. These videos are playable on your PC & MAC. Here's the front & back cover.

The August PTA DVD Pick of the Month is now available to your left. Of course, this month, we would focus on the long overdue 70's classic Nashville. This is the first time it's been available in widescreen & includes a Robert Altman interview & commentary track. It's a can't miss. Just click on the cover, if you would like to order it from Express.com (a new affiliate of the site, if you can't tell...).

I'll return on Wednesday with a cleverly written "false" PTA news story & more!

August 14, 2000

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

I've discovered a great interview with John C. Reilly conducted in early 1997 for the release of Hard Eight. It's the first interview with John during that era on the site & it's a good one. There's also newly added hard to find reviews of the film by Bob Strauss (L.A. Daily News), Michael Medved (NY Post), Stephen Holden (NY Times) & J. Hoberman (Village Voice). You can check them out in the Hard Eight Critical Response section.

NBC will be showing the Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple Saturday Night Live rerun on Saturday, August 26th. This episode featured the PTA written & directed MTV FANatic short. For more info on the short, check out the Short Films section of the site

The Odds on Hard Eight

Actor John C. Reilly talks about how a little naiveté will go a long way

The title of the film "Hard Eight" is taken from a bet on a particular roll of the dice in craps; a "hard eight" is rolling double fours. In this film, a roll of the dice is also a metaphor for life.

"Hard Eight" is set entirely in casinos, restaurants and hotels, transmitting a feeling of transience that is reflected in the rootlessness of the characters. It opens in a coffee house where an aging, gentlemanly looking gambler named Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) meets young, down-and-out John (John C. Reilly). Sydney takes John under his wing - among other things, helping him arrange his mother's funeral - and two years later, they're together in Reno. There, Sydney befriends Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress and fledgling prostitute. Meanwhile, John is hanging out with Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), a fast-talking security guard who just doesn't get along with Sydney.

Reilly said his own life has some similarities to that of John, the character he plays. Reilly's father died just prior to shooting the film, and Reilly's best friend is a man in his 50s. Reilly also admits to going through a stage in his life like that of his unworldly, trusting alter ego.

"I still am kind of a naive person," he said. "But you know, a little bit of naiveté is good. [Filmmakers] keep seeming to cast me in these parts where I'm incredibly naive or innocent. I think I'm a pretty savvy customer. . . . It's probably because I usually take people at face value. I think it's positive, though, to be kind of naive. It makes it a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning, anyway!"

Although Reilly has had small parts in "Hoffa," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The River Wild" and "Dolores Claiborne," John in "Hard Eight" is his first major role.

"Hard Eight" is also the feature film debut of writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. Reilly met Anderson at the Sundance Filmmaker's Lab, a forum where first-time writer-directors work with professional actors and technicians. At this time, Anderson was "getting his [directing] feet wet," Reilly said.

"We'd take little trips up to Reno and Vegas, Paul and I," he said. "We'd have different read-throughs and rehearsals. Paul just loves to get me going, improvising one thing or another. Paul has a knack for capturing the little interesting details in people's behavior. He would take something I did and go, 'Oh that's great, that's great, what you just did,' and he would put it into the script. So I had to be careful, after a while, what I did in front of Paul."

After having worked with high-profile directors such as Woody Allen ("Shadows and Fog") and Brian DePalma ("Casualties of War"), Reilly described working with first-timer Anderson as "different in a good way."

"He's got a real freshness and energy," he said. "Part of that comes with it being his first time. He's a natural at directing. He has a real intuitive sense of the actors, and he's a very sensitive person. When it comes to emotional stuff he could sense what's going on. He could tell when he wanted to do another take - what to say, which is rare. Most importantly, he's a good audience. There has to be one person somewhere in that crowd or behind the camera who's really engaged in what you're doing and is really excited and listening, and Paul is definitely that. He loves to watch actors act."

Reilly has just wrapped up a role in Anderson's second film, "Boogie Nights," which is about the adult film industry.

In "Hard Eight," Reilly co-stars with seasoned actors like Jackson and Hall, as well as Paltrow, who plays his love interest.

"Gwyneth is a really fun person to be with," Reilly said. "She has so much energy and she's a very quick wit. She's one of those people [that] if you say something stupid, she'll nail you."

Although Paltrow has recently received much media attention for her role in "Emma" (among other things), she was a relative unknown when "Hard Eight" began filming. Of the seven films she had completed, only one had been released.

"At the time that we shot the movie it was a really exciting time for her [because] she was really just starting to come into her own," Reilly said. "The only film of hers that had been released at that point was, I think, 'Flesh and Bone.' So she was really just kind of exploding onto the scene at that point."

Reilly felt that the role of Clementine is one of the few Paltrow has had that is equal to her talents.

"A lot of people would get caught up in that stuff - the publicity, all the attention - but she, at the bottom of it all, is a really good actress and knows why she's in the business to begin with," he said. "And all this other stuff, this publicity and everything, I think just serves that purpose . . . that her acting is what it's all about."

Because he was the only bankable cast member at the time, Samuel L. Jackson helped the film obtain financing. Reilly described Jackson as a great storyteller.

"We traded back and forth location horror stories from making movies," he said. "He's just a very positive, easygoing person [and a] very funny actor."

Jackson's character, Jimmy, is a flashy gangster type who precipitates the film's explosiveness, and not only because his character is the only one who owns any firearms.

Knowledgeable, distinguished and well-spoken, John's mentor, Sydney, is the polar opposite of Jimmy. Sydney is played by Hall, a veteran of many television and film roles, including one in Robert Altman's "Secret Honor."

Reilly described Hall the person as very similar to Sydney the character: "After a while, he and I developed a relationship similar to the one we have in the movie. Philip is like the eye of the storm. When the shit is hitting the fan, Philip is the one calm person in all of it. It was like all these people running around trying to pull this miracle off, and Philip really relaxed people. He's a very wise person."

Given that "Hard Eight" is a writer-director's debut and features few high-profile stars, one could consider it a miracle that the film ever got off the ground. But Reilly disagreed that "Hard Eight" is a special case.

"Every film's a miracle," he said. "Every turn there's a million things that could go wrong, from the very beginning of the film to the very end."

July 12, 2000

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

Remember that little bomb I dropped a few days ago about a contest & a DVD? Well, to whet your appetite further, I'm providing some additional info about the DVD. PTA put a limited number of these together & I was fortunate to receive a few. (Thanks again PTA). The DVD includes all six music videos directed by Paul. Click to View: Front Cover, Back Cover & Disc

6 Music Videos by p.t.anderson

Michael Penn - Try
, Aimee Mann - Save Me
, Fiona Apple - Across the Universe,
Fiona Apple - Fast as You Can, 
Fiona Apple - Limp, 
Fiona Apple - Paper Bag

I will be announcing the contest for your chance to win very soon! I have only one requirement if you win, don't sell it on Ebay! These are to be shared & not to be sold to the highest bidder!

June 30, 2000

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

William H. Macy hosted the Atlantic Theater Company’s 15th Anniversary gala on Monday, May 22 at Chelsea Piers’ The Lighthouse. Guests on hand included company founders David Mamet & William H. Macy, as well as Rebecca Pidgeon, Kristen Johnston, Paul Reubens, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Felicity Hoffman, director Paul Thomas Anderson & Fiona Apple. (Thanks Anne!) Click here to see a photo of Paul & Fiona from that evening.  

June 14, 2000

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

Well it looks like "Paper Bag", the new PTA directed Fiona Apple music video finally debuted Monday on VH1! PTA's latest is another wonderful & whimsical film that looks nothing like the videos currently playing on VH1 or MTV. Once you see it, you will agree that it's only a matter of time before we see a musical from Paul. 

May 18, 2000

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

Where do I start? I had chance to catch up with PTA on the phone this past Tuesday. The main topics were all the various rumors about future projects & the upcoming DVD's. Here is the summary of our conversation:

Pixar Animated Fiona Apple Project

PTA thought this one was pretty funny. Yes, he has talked to many studios (including Pixar) about an animated project. He has various ideas/concepts but is still sorting through them. No, they don't involve Fiona Apple, but he promises that I will be the first to know when he has any additional news!

A Conspiracy of Paper

You might recall that various internet sources reported that PTA/Ghoulardi Films had purchased the film rights to David Liss's novel. In actuality, Miramax has purchased the movie rights & there is some truth to PTA's interest in making the film. Paul said that he is reading the book & enjoying it very much. This may be something to consider for the future..........

The Underworld

I think this was cleared up in PTA's email to Harry Knowles (see the May 15th update), don't you?

PTA does not have his next project set at specific studio. He loves working with Mike De Luca at New Line, but where he ends up is still undecided.

So what have we learned? As I have said repeatedly, most of the rumors have a shred of fact & lots of fiction. PTA has not yet made a firm decision on his next project. You can count on this site to provide you the real story on future developments in the world of Paul Thomas Anderson!

What about the DVD News? Oh yeah, I almost forget. The reason for the delay of the Magnolia & Boogie Nights DVD's was made by Paul. He wanted some extra time to ensure that the transfers were spot on. He also gave me some additional information (while still keeping a few things under wraps). PTA does not like to let the cat out of the bag & spoil things for those who want to wait and be surprised. He followed that philosophy with Magnolia, his last few Music Videos & his upcoming projects. Personally, I think it's a good thing to leave a few things to the imagination & keep the curiosity level high. Without further delay, here's the latest info:

Magnolia DVD

The "making of" documentary clocks in at 74 minutes & should satisfy all of you who were salivating for a commentary track. PTA promises some interesting & funny things will be included on the documentary. Paul is still hammering out whether this release will include both a Dolby Digital 5.1 & a DTS mix, but this should be decided in the next few days. 

As previously stated, other supplements include deleted scenes (I'm not telling which ones), trailers & the "Save Me" music video. Obviously due to the length of Magnolia & the documentary, this will be a two disc set.

Boogie Nights

PTA states that this will include all the supplemental material from the first DVD as well as the following:

Criterion LaserDisc commentary track! This track included PTA, Julianne Moore, Mark Wahlberg, Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle & Bill Macy! This is great news as Criterion rarely (if ever) lends their supplemental materials to other studios releases (unless they are co-producing the DVD, which New Line is not doing for this one).

Additional commentary by Luis Guzman (answering allegations made on the Criterion commentary track) & Melora Walters.

Something PTA has dubbed the "John C. Reilly Files". I have no idea what this will entail, but PTA promises that we won't be disappointed.

Additional deleted scenes (with PTA commentary) including the Becky Barnett subplot that PTA cut.

Again, this will be a two disc set due to all the supplemental material that will be included. Paul also said that he is "very happy" with the new Boogie transfer. 

Lastly, before I get flooded with emails, Paul had one last thing to say. Just buy the DVD's on August 29th, you won't be disappointed!

There will some additional extras (No "Dirk Diggler Story", "Cops Footage" or "Flagpole Special", so don't ask!) on both discs, but I will keep this under wraps until we get closer to the street date. I hope to be the first website on the Internet with reviews (but not spoilers) of both of these discs this summer, so stay tuned for further developments!

One more related DVD note, Paramount will be releasing Nashville this summer (June 27th) with a Robert Altman commentary track! More important is that I believe this will be the first time that it will be available in Widescreen (with an anamorphic transfer to boot).

One last thing. Don't forget to check out Total Request Live on MTV tomorrow for the premiere of PTA's new Paper Bag video from Fiona's incredible "When the Pawn" record. 

May 12, 2000

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

Great news today as Never is a Promise, the excellent Fiona Apple site, is reporting that PTA's music video for "Paper Bag" will debut on MTV's Total Request Live on May 25th (Check for local times in your area). MTV Latin America has already premiered the video on May 9th in Mexico, Argentina and Chile and it's been in rotation ever since. Fiona will be present to debut the video so you never know, PTA might be on (or at least there). It promises to be a "real special" video, so don't miss it!

March 29, 2000

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

In addition, PTA is in pre-production on Fiona's latest video, "Paper Bag" which should begin shooting next week.  Paul promises that it will be "a really special video". Hopefully they will decide to release a Fiona DVD Collection sometime later this year.

Finally to wrap up the music video news, it doesn't look like there will be a video for "Wise Up". Originally, I had heard there were plans to release the video using existing footage from the film. It sounds like those plans are off for now. I will post any updates to this as soon as I hear them.

March 19, 2000

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

Last night I had the opportunity to see Fiona Apple live in my hometown of Seattle. She put on an incredible show as she alternated between center stage and sitting down & playing the piano. Two of her band members were from Seattle, so there were many friends and relatives in the audience. PTA was on hand to see her as he moved from backstage to stage left during "Fast as You Can". 

After the show, I had a chance to speak with PTA for a few minutes & catch up on the latest happenings. Here's a brief rundown:

6th Annual From Concept to Sale Conference: 
PTA was there to answer questions from attendees after the screening of Hard Eight (which was incidentally shown on DVD).

Saturday Night Live
: PTA will be contributing to additional shows as he has made good friends on the show & really enjoyed the experience. More specifics as soon as I find out.

Jonathan Demme Project: 
This was recently reported in the New York Times & confirmed by PTA last night. Jonathan Demme & PTA are serving as Executive Producers on Forest Hills Bob a new film written & directed by Robert Downey, Sr. "It's the story of a widower coming to terms with the next chapter in his life," producer Peter Saraf (Ulee's Gold) told New York Times. While the lead hasn't been chosen, expect quirky ensemble casting from the Chelsea-based Clinica Estetico production.

Magnolia DVD
: We talked briefly about the DVD & looks like there might be a documentary on making the film that will be included. (This is subject to change).

Boogie Nights DVD
: PTA confirmed that this will be a 2 Disc set (Disc 1 for the movie & Disc 2 for the supplementary content). I am not able to release all the info provided at this time but here is the latest features that PTA is working on. 

Please remember that things can change quickly & some of these features may change. I will update this info on this page & the Special DVD Page:

This will remain PTA's Theatrical/Director's Cut. All deleted scenes will remain as supplementary material on the 2nd disc.

The Dirk Diggler Story will not be included on the DVD.

Additional deleted scenes will include Becky & Jerome & hopefully more.

Additional commentary track by Melora Walters, Luis Guzman & more!

A simple menu navigating system (PTA thinks that many of the new DVD menu screens are getting too complicated).

I will be conducting an interview with PTA a little closer to the release of the date of these incredible new DVD's. Stay tuned for more info...

March 3, 2000

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

Update
: Happy Friday! As you can probably tell, there is a brand new introduction to the site (Thanks to Ryan Worley!), but it has caused havoc with my navigation buttons that normally appear on your left. Please be patient until I get this sorted out and use the links across the bottom of the site to move around.

According to Bumble Ward, Paul's publicist, PTA has been extremely busy helping Fiona kick off her tour and has decided not to travel to Australia and the U.K. to do press for Magnolia. He will be attending the Writers Guild of America Awards this Sunday and will begin working on a script for his next project shortly. And before you ask, no, I don't have any idea what he's working on. We'll just have to be patient and continue to enjoy his first three films. 

Facets is reporting that Ghoulardi, the production company established by director Paul Thomas Anderson for his own films, is expanding to develop the works of other filmmakers. Anderson's Ghoulardi partner, producer Joanne Sellar, announced the company is developing a crime picture set in the 18th century and a film about Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson's peculiar relationship with therapist Eugene Landy. (Thanks Jared!)

I have completely revamped the Magnolia Picture Menu and added tons of new promo, Oscar, behind the scenes & posters, so check it out. Lastly, to celebrate another Flashback Friday, I have uploaded a short but interesting interview with Paul that was done by Girls On (a site geared towards women). 

I have also added the Magnolia and Boogie Nights DVD's to the calendar above. These dates are tentative and I have created a DVD Page for all the latest news on these releases!

I will be back Sunday, with the PTA section of my Multimedia page (and hopefully functioning navigation buttons!)

SNL FANatic (2000)

A very funny parody of MTV's FANatic complete with slow motion, rock tunes in the background & lots of emotion.... PTA is a fan of SNL, Fiona was performing & he's good friends with Molly Shannon, so he thought it would be fun to put something together for the show.

January 31, 2000

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

According to the two best unofficial Fiona Apple Websites, Never is a Promise and Fiona Has Wings, MTV will debut the new PTA directed Fiona Apple "Limp" video tonight (Sunday/Monday) during 120 Minutes. The show begins at 12:00 a.m. with estimates that the video will debut around 1:00 a.m. Set your VCR's or stay up and late and don't miss it!