TomLorenzo

I love both of these movies. Whenever I think of either of these movies, I say it's my favorite PTA movie until I remember the other and debate with myself for too long. There Will Be Blood came out while I was a senior in high school, the time when I was evolving past the surface level good times I was looking for in movies. Boogie Nights is amazing and so fun to watch. I agree with pretty much everything Devin has to say here and just laugh good naturedly at some of Amy's sentiments. But for me, it goes to There Will Be Blood for one reason above the others. It doesn't feel like anything else before it or after it. Yes, it feels like a PTA movie, but he isn't explicitly riffing on someone else's work, like he's done with Scorsese or Altman. It was a big leap for him, the shedding of his old style into the singular mind he is today.

There's no doubt in my mind this is Canon worthy. It was an immensely entertaining movie back in the day for those who saw it, and it has only grown over time like all of Carpenters movies. Despite some people's feelings that a director as masterful and in control as Carpenter was in the 80s, every choice here feels very deliberate and works to create something iconic and cutting.