It’s been a long time since we chatted to Phil aka Phil the Bear about his famous director retrospectives. We put that right this episode as we talk about his article on Paul Thomas Anderson (not to be confused with British director Paul W S Anderson, although we are sure Phil has written something about him as well).

Like an early ensemble Paul Thomas Anderson movie, we have brought the band back together for this one. There is Neil (the one with the dark hidden past), Graham (the one with the current guilty secret), Phil (the man in charge who has demons of his own), Dec (the sage like one) and Jeff (too many secrets and a not so hidden anger). Phil is our guide through the career of the great man, and who keeps order when there is dissent, and trust me, there is plenty of dissent, although not always from the quarter you would expect.

Now, the sharp eared amongst you will realise that this show has not been recorded recently. In fact, it is part of our huge batch of lockdown recordings we have yet to edit and release for your entertainment. This show was recorded in the first half of 2021. So, when you listen to it and hear the complete nonsense, we say about the film that was eventually released as Licorice Pizza, just remember that was all anyone outside of the production knew at the time. If you want to know what we thought of the film after its release, check out episode 196 for our review of Licorice Pizza.

Similarly, if you want our more detailed thoughts on 'There Will Be Blood', please check out the review teams comments of that movie in episode 96.

As for this episode, we address such tantalising questions as:

Why didn’t Burt Reynolds like Boogie Nights?
What was it about watching the trailer for Magnolia on repeat that made it an unmissable film for Phil?
Which member of the team really hated The Master?
How many of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films has Neil actually taken the time to watch?
Which of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films has a possible connection to the legendary Midnight Run?
The answers to all of these are given in the show, along with the usual team banter you have come to expect from us.
So, sit back, relax, and think back to those lockdown days when we recorded this.

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