Paul Thomas Anderson is, unquestionably, one of the most talented and respected filmmakers working in Hollywood today. His films, which span several genres – from historical dramas (There Will Be Blood) to neo-noir comedy-dramas (Inherent Vice) – are cited by his contemporaries as masterpieces and personal favorites. Anderson is currently filming a yet-to-be-titled film starring Daniel Day Lewis. According to IMDb, the film is “[s]et in the fashion world of 1950s London, a dressmaker is commissioned to design for members of high society and the royal family.” You can find a comprehensive selection of PTA’s favorite films below. Feel free to click on the images for more information (via Amazon).
PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON’S INFLUENCES & FAVORITE FILMS
Popeye
A Prarie Home Companion
Network
Nightmare Alley
North by Northwest
Ordinary People
Out of the Past
Bad Day at Black Rock
Bad Santa
Baraka
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Black Stallion
Bob Le Flameur
Breaking Away
Syndromes and a Century
Tropical Malady
You Can Count on Me
White Heat
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Sweet Smell of Success
Cabin Fever
Carefree
Dancer in the Dark
The Dark Corner
Dark Star
The Beatles: Help!
The Lady From Shanghai
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Meet the Parents
Melvin and Howard
Mystic River
Mystic River was adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name – we previously examined Lehane’s favorite novels: Dennis Lehane’s Favorite Books
Destination Tokyo
Dr. Strangelove
East of Eden
Eyes Wide Shut
The Gay Divorcee
Giant
Grindhouse
*We previously examined the favorite films of director Quentin Tarantino: Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Films
Pulp Fiction
Raging Bull
Sweet and Lowdown
Speed
Moonlight
Anderson and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins recently appeared on a episode of the DGA podcast “The Director’s Cut,” where Anderson called Jenkins “the current master of cinematic close-ups…I’m very jealous of your close-ups…There’s a long line of people who have really tried to do Jonathan Demme close-ups and I try all the time, but I have to say, you got it right better than anybody…I’m like how is he doing that? I’ve tried so hard. I suppose it has to do with the right faces, but it has to do a little more than that.”
A Quiet Place
During an interview with the LA Times published on December 10, 2018, Anderson stated the following about John Krasinski’s directorial debut:
“Everybody was completely quiet to the point where you could really hear the silence,” Anderson remembered. “It’s so loud, the silence, and it’s not something you’re used to in movies. Everybody’s talking about movies on TV, but there’s a reason why this was a big movie in theaters. And there was a joy going to see it with an audience. It would not have been the same without a lot of other people around you.”
Sources: (Numerous interviews with Anderson, including IndieWire & LA Times)
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We strongly recommend checking out the following films by Anderson, as well as the newly released soundtrack for There Will Be Blood.
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