FLASHBACK FRIDAY: SNL FANatic

Fanatic (2000) from Vix W on Vimeo.

Good morning, you lovely animals.

We have a very special edition of Flashback Friday lined up for you today. It is the notoriously elusive sketch that Paul wrote for Saturday Night Live back in 2000, known as "SNL FANatic". I'm not going to say anything other than this: it. is. fucking. beautiful.

Watch, watch, watch!

In other news, we've received word that Inherent Vice was shooting in Pomona yesterday and has moved onto Pasadena today. Sounds like we have another true PTA California movie on our hands, folks!

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

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."

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 11, 2000

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

Just some quick revisions to the Events in the PTA Universe calendar. PTA will not be involved with this weekend's Saturday Night Live as previously reported. I have also added tons of new Aimee Mann appearances above as she will be invading your television leading up to the Oscars. She will be performing "Wise Up" on MTV's 120 Minutes this Sunday, then hitting VH1 & Rosie O'Donnell on Thursday, Saturday Night Live next Sunday & Letterman on the 22nd!

March 1, 2000

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

I'm back today with a large update and some great news if you are an aspiring screenwriter or live in the L.A. area and want to see Paul Thomas Anderson in person! He will be a featured speaker at the 6th Annual From Concept to Sale Conference where you can rub elbows with PTA, Frank Darabont (Shawshank, Green Mile), Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Dogma) & more! The conference will be at the Bel Age Hotel in L.A. from March 17th - 19th. You can go here for all the details and registration information. 

In other PTA news, east coast fans will get a rare chance to see Hard Eight (Along with Mamet's House of Games) on the big screen, as it will be featured March 16th at the NEO-NOIR: A selection of 61 35mm films inspired by film noir. The address is Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St., Manhattan, New York. Call (212) 727-8110 or check out their website for more information. 

According to a tidbit in NY Magazine, Paul will return to write/direct some additional material for Saturday Night Live on March 11th (Thanks Michael Schneider). Magnolia has received four nominations in the Sixth Annual Chlotrudis Awards (Best Picture, Director, Cinematography (Elswit) & Supporting Actor (Hoffman). Chlotrudis Awards is a non-profit organization that honors, supports and educates about independent and non-mainstream film. This Awards Ceremony will be held on April 8 at the Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. Find more information and vote for this year's Chlotrudis Awards on their website.

Finally, I have added some new content to the Magnolia Page & uploaded Version 1.0 of the Boogie Nights Page of the Multimedia Section. In addition, I have updated the Magnolia Awards Page, Magnolia Box Office Page & new articles and interviews to check out.  I'll be back on Flashback Friday!

February 21, 2000

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

Great News today from the Berlin International Film Festival where Paul Thomas Anderson was awarded the prestigious Golden Bear for Magnolia. As you know, I try to keep my own opinions off the site, but I am very happy for Paul & I'm thrilled to see the continued critical success of the film. It was also great to hear how enthusiastic the German audience received Magnolia. Here is a link to a short clip (QuickTime or RealPlayer) from German television showing Paul receiving the award & I have posted quite a few pics below (more to follow soon in the PTA Photo Gallery). 

I got word that PTA directed one of the few funny bits on Saturday Night Live. It was the parody of MTV's Fanatic with Ben Affleck, Jimmy Fallon & Molly Shannon (Thanks Will!

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.