Hold Up

There Will Be Blood

Today we hop in the way back machine to witness the birth of one of filmmaking's greatest pairings with PT Anderson's 2007 oil drama, There Will Be Blood. This story is one of a single-minded oil man and the depths he'll go to win in his pursuits of riches and conquest. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead, supported by Paul Dono, Kevin J. O'Connor, and Ciaran Hinds, There Will be Blood doesn't want for talent, and being that it was written and directed by PTA, it is dripping with auteur potential and received a ton of nominations, including securing an Oscar win for Day-Lewis for best actor. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, discuss milkshakes and straws as we see if this well is dry or if this flick strikes oil.

Punch Drunk Love

We’re back with film three in our Paul Thomas Anderson month with 2002’s Punch Drunk Love. Starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Gail the Snail, and who favourite Luis Guzman. Punch Drunk Love is a love story between two broken people who find acceptance through the open love they find in each other amidst the chaotic background of sex phone extortion, novelty plungers, and pudding coupon air-miles. PTA had sky-high hype surrounding him following his previous two movies and won awards and recognition for this film. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss CTE and bathroom self defense as we see if this one stands-up or is out for the count.

Magnolia

In 1999, Paul Thomas Anderson released Magnolia, his character-driven and less porn-focused follow-up to Boogie Nights. Magnolia follows 9 main storylines that interconnect in ways that become more obvious as this 3+hour epic progresses, and each character struggles with their past, regret, guilt, forgiveness, and meaning in life. An insanely deep and talented ensemble cast shares nearly equal screen time, including: Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, Michael Murphy, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards and Melora Walters. Made for $37M, Magnolia brought in a mediocre $48M and received a lot of praise and critical acclaim, including Oscar nominations for best-supporting actor, best original screenplay, and best original song. But does it hold up? Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent discuss the end result when a writer/director gets a blank cheque and final cut to see if Magnolia dies a loooooooooooooooong death, or if it finds redemption despite its flaws.

Boogie Nights

In 1997 everyone got their dicks out for Paul Thomas Anderson and his epic story of porn’s highs and lows when he released Boogie Nights. PTA’s film tells the story of Eddie Adams, a young horse cocked fella who is lured into the sexy world of porn and ends up becoming its biggest star, Dirk Diggler. But drugs and ego get the best of him and his world falls apart. Can Dirk and his new family cum together to save themselves and each other? I dunno, maybe? Starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heather Graham, Boogie Night’s had as much talent as it had length. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, discuss how much cock could a Wahlberg chuck if a Wahlberg could chuck cock as we try to decide if this one get’s hard or is hard to get. 

Batman (1989)

In 1989 a movie finally brought DC comics biggest superhero to the big screen with the blockbuster hit Batman. Staring Micheal Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Billy Dee Williams and possibly the worst performance of Jack Palance’s long career, the Bat movie made more than 400 million dollars at the box office (back when 400 million was a lot of money). The adaptation of the comic follows what has now become a cookie-cutter formula of the Batman story about a guy who watched his parents get murdered and then took their disgusting wealth and transformed into a winged vigilante. Jack Nicholson’s wild and over-the-top performance as The Joker was praised as one of the best of his career, and director Tim Burton cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors. But… does it Hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin and Brent discuss the first of many Batman movies to see if you should fire up the bat signal after 33 years, or skip this relic and go straight to Christian Bale.

Zero Dark Thirty

In 2012 celebrated director Kathryn Bigelow brought an important story to the screen when she released Zero Dark Thirty. This film tells the familiar story of the hunt and eventual assassination of Osama Bin Laden, but told through Maya, a CIA operative tasked with finding Bin Laden, as she navigates the path through torture camps and bureaucracy. Starring Jessica Chastain as Maya, alongside Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt, and a pile of other great cast members, this film doesn't want for talent and made its money back over double while garnering some Oscar buzz. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss polite ways to decline torture as we see if this film gets the green light or misses its target.

Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore was likely the most quoted movie of 1996 and Director Dennis Dugan would find himself a career in partnering with Sandler to direct many of his films moving forward. Happy Gilmore is a movie about a failed hockey player who finds out he has a knack for the long drive so he reluctantly joins the pro golf tour in hopes he can win enough money to save his grandmother's house. This flick has a number of old familiar faces and memorable scenes becoming a classic of its time, including Happy's tussle with Bob Barker. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, discuss how easy it is to learn golf as we figure out if Happy makes us sad, or if Chubbs makes Happy. 

Hackers

In 1995 society’s lack of technological understanding was on full display when Iain Softley debuted Hackers, starring Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, Matthew Lillard, Laurence Mason, Renoly Santiago, Lorraine Bracco, and Fisher Stevens. Hackers tells the fictional story of a group of attractive young computer hackers/rollerbladers who are framed in a plot to funnel money from a mining company and now must find a way to clear their names while also exploring young hormones. This flick did not do well and wasn’t particularly well-loved. Why are we doing it? Because it was requested, that’s why. So…does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss the finer points of tech ignorance as we try to decide if this flick got good, or if it has zero cool.

Schindler’s List

In 1993 the world had a sombre reminder of a dark time in our not-so-distant memories when Steven Spielberg brought his story of Schindler’s List to life. This film tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a war profiteer who finds a bigger purpose amidst the horrifying backdrop of the holocaust and turns his attention from making money to saving lives. Based on a true story, this film was brought to life with the superb acting of Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, paired with Spielberg’s directing. The Schindler flick made $322 million from its budget of $22 million and was nominated for 12 Oscars, winning 7. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss the importance of telling tough stories as we decide if this movie makes our list or leaves us shocked.

Kung Fu Hustle

In 2004 everyone was Kung-Fu fighting when Stephen Chow wrote, directed, produced, and starred in, Kung Fu Hustle. This flick tells the story of the murderous Axe gang and an unlikely hero amidst a world of hidden kung fu masters who have otherworldly abilities. Starring Stephen Chow, Danny Chan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Eva Huang, and Leung Siu-lung this flick has no shortage of skilled actors and brought in over $100 million from a budget of $20 million and wowed audiences globally. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss powerful breasts and the dangers of stringed instruments as we try to see if this one is a master or a hustler.