MovieChat Forums > Sydney (1997) Discussion > far and away PTA's worst film

far and away PTA's worst film

posted 16 years ago by City_Lights31
49 replies | jump to latest

and the fact that this film is really very impressive on many levels only goes to show what a cinematic force PTA is...

...where does it rank on your PTA list?

...mine...

- Magnolia (10)
- There Will Be Blood (10)

^^those two are as close to cinematic perfection as any film can really wish to be...

- Punch Drunk Love (in the area of a 9)
- Boogie Nights (8.7 ish)
- Sydney (7.8 ish...maybe a solid 8)

"A day without a laugh is a wasted day." -Charlie Chaplin

[–] deheor 16 years ago

I actually liked this one better than punchdrunk. Though both films had really interesting stories the quality of the acting in Sydney gives the movie an edge. As for the order for the films

1.There will be blood
2.Magnolia
3.Boogie Nights
4.Sydney
5.Punchdrunk love

"Now we are carrying so much hate and jade that we're not much better than you"

[–] City_Lights31 16 years ago

yea PDL seems to be the one films that nobody, not even a group of PTA fans, can agree upon.

I personally love it, it was my first PTA film...and while I dont think it is his best work it might just be my favorite.

"You're just the afterbirth, Eli...You slithered out of your mother's filth…"

[–] garriotts 16 years ago

I'd rank em like this:

Boogie Nights
Magnolia
Hard Eight
There Will Be Blood
Punch Drunk Love

I should watch TWBB again though.

"The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul"

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] vertigopersona 16 years ago

I just wish we could see Paul's original cut, but the studio had already cut in to some of his favorite takes, steadicam shots, etc. I need to see this again soon. I can never decide whether I prefer this to Punch Drunk Love or not but the big 3 for me are:

There Will Be Blood
Boogie Nights
Magnolia

[–] shortcartoonist 16 years ago

I'm of the opinion that Anderson's work has gotten better with each film.

5. Hard Eight - 7
4. Boogie Nights - 9
3. Magnolia - 9
2. Punch-Drunk Love - 9 (Where PTA started to really showcase his unique filming style.)
1. There Will be Blood - 10 (The most original film in many years.)

He's one of the best working directors of the day, and as the original poster said - when a film like 'Hard Eight' is considered the "worst" in a director's catalogue, then they have a fair bit of prestige backing up their films.

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[–] premont 16 years ago

It's actually my favorite of his although the smallest in scope.

[–] Beatlekid1800 16 years ago

1. There Will be Blood
2. Punch Drunk Love
3. Boogie Nights
4. Magnolia
5. Sydney

Boogie Night and Magnolia are too close to call honestly. I love them both almost for the same reasons.

There will Be Blood is an American Epic, in my opinion better then a lot of classic films like Giant and Grapes of Wrath. Probably even Lawerence of Arabia.

Punch Drunk Love made my heart sing and Sydney I didn't even know was PTA in I was trying to find the DVD after watching on TV and loving it.

Probably gonna be years till his next films, which I could wait for, he gave us Five.

[–] rohit_sidhu 15 years ago

Woah, I wouldn't as far as to say TWBB is Better than Lawrence of Arabia, but PTA is an awesome director nonetheless.

I cannot decide on the order I rate the films in, but TWBB is on top.
Although I have yet to see Punch-Drunk Love.

1.TWBB
2.Everything else

[–] franzkabuki 15 years ago

There Will Be Blood is A LOT better than the alternately terribly dull and excessively silly & jovial stroll through the desert known as Lawrence Of Arabia.

And PTA´s worst film is Magnolia.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] chrisaz480 16 years ago

Punch Drunk Love was actually done by the seat of his pants, no complete script, constant changes, his Ego was at it's biggest and he thought he was so good he could just throw it together. I think he was right, even though it's my least favorite of his films. You can't count Sydney because it was not cut how he would have cut it. Then he took some time and grew up a bit which led to TWBB the masterpiece.

[–] sean_pak215 13 years ago

Really? I thought Hard Eight, as we know it, as it was released at Cannes, was his cut. The version titled Sydney was re-cut by the studio, but with the title change came his true version. At least that's what it says on wikipedia. Plus I just watched Hard Eight, and it seems pretty genuinely Anderson-esque.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] willsbill2 16 years ago

1. there will be blood-10
2. boogie nights-10
3.punch drunk love-9
4.Sydney-8
5.magnolia-8

there will be blood by far his most captivating, boogie nights most entertaining,
punch drunk love gave an amazing performance from sandler and magnolia *beep* my brain up, but Sydney is just a badass

[–] zubidoo 13 years ago

Hard Eight is easily the worst PTA film, but his worst film would be equal to most directors' best film, if that. It was entertaining and well-made enough that it kept my interest all the way til the end, but it just didn't have the spark and polish of his other movies. The dialogue and acting were stilted throughout most of the film, and really it was PTA's style and the cast's likability that saved the movie from being run-of-the-mill. Nothing terribly interesting ever happens, but at the same time I WANTED to know what was going to happen which is a rarity for me. If I had seen this film when it first came out I'd say to myself "wow, PTA certainly knows how to direct a movie, but he needs better material". Fast forward 15 years later and we can all see how great of a director PTA is when he's given good material. All in all I'd give it a 5/10 which for me is still a great score since I'm very tough to please.

[–] pulldowntheblinds 16 years ago

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Boogie Nights
3. Magnolia
4. Punch Drunk Love
5. Hard Eight

[–] vidalsdauphin 16 years ago

1. Punch-Drunk Love
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Sydney
4. Boogie Nights
5. Magnolia

[–] coasterman16 16 years ago

Well, I've seen each movie several times, and I must admit that certain films have grown on me and other have become duller. Here's my list:

1. TWBB - 10
2. Magnolia, Boogie Nights (these films are really quite similar in structure, theme, cast, and direction) - 9
3. Punch Drunk Love - 8
4. Sydney - 7

[–] nekimrox 16 years ago

i honestly think every one of PTA's films is a masterpiece in it's own right. They all exceed the standard set by most film makers nowadays. If i had to rank them in order of my personal preference it would go something like this:

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Magnolia
3. Boogie Nights
4. Hard Eight
5. Punch Drunk Love

but when it comes down to picking a PTA film to watch i have to follow the mood that i am in. I

"Ah, hon, ya got Arby's all over me." Marge Gunderson