My best friend showed me this movie in college and after it finished, he said “the first watch feels like a tragedy, all subsequent rewatches it is an incredible comedy” that scene made me die laughing on first watch.
This did play big in cinemas (those were the days...) and going through that startling first minutes where you were unsure if maybe the projectionist had mistakenly switched reels since there's no titles or anything - amazing experience, totaly diorienting and a stark reminder that yes, you can still suprise and shock audiences with breakking cinematic rules. Also, as a neurodiverse person myself, I learned to respect the way this movie shows how overwhelming and triggering social gatherings can be. The sisters' party is a masterclass of image and sound overload: it doesn't need extreme volume or fast cutting, it just needs an overabundace of detail and complexity.
I've always liked this movie and can identify with Sandler's character. Fun Fact: The song "He Needs Me" is sung by Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl from the movie 'Popeye' starring Robin Williams and directed by Robert Altman.
It's amazing that both Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey can be similar in their weird roles and yet show such great dramatic skill in PDL and The Truman Show/Man on the Moon. As a person who feels socially awkward virtually everywhere, I really appreciate this film. I think the jump scares are part of the 'world' of Barry's anxiety made real.
The “he needs me” song that plays throughout the movie is actually Shelley Duval (with a small cameo from Robin Williams “but I do”). She sang it originally in the Robin Williams movie “Popeye” which was only Williams’s second movie ever
Yes, I think this was his first dramatic role and he received a lot of praise for it. I absolutely LOVE seeing comedians that become dramatic actors! My first experience with this was the late, great Robin Williams.
My senior quote was "Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness always pays off now." ...and ohhh how prophetic it has been. [exasperated sigh]
I saw this around when it came out and as a lonely, anxious college kid, this movie just hit in a very weird but satisfying way. This and _Spanglish_ gotta be my favorite Adam Sandler movies!
Yeah, “Uncut Gems” is amazing and definitely my favorite Sandler performance, followed closely by this one in PDL. Kind of interesting how much anxiety plays a part in both films (some people actually hated UG because they said it felt like being trapped in a two hour panic attack).
When this came out in 2002 it was hated by the masses. People were expecting the traditional Adam Sandler film and instead got a dose of what people who live with social anxiety deal with every moment of every day. While social anxiety disorder had been around for some time it was still relatively untreated, and in most cases people who suffered from it were thought of as weird, strange, shy, or any of a number of disparaging adjectives. I think today when people are more aware and accepting of social anxiety this movie would be better understood. However in 2002, the people who loved it were mostly those who themselves suffered from some form of social anxiety. I saw this in 2003, while working at Blockbuster and instantly loved it as a person who suffers daily with social anxiety.
So happy to see someone react to this movie. This is when I fell in love with PTA!! I personally believe both Barry and Lena are meant to be ASD-coded. It could just be me seeing myself in the characters, but I do believe there are some specifics (sensitivities to noises, colours, repeating phrases, strong sense of what is fair and what isn't) which lean towards Autism.
Hope you watch ‘Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead’ eventually. Incredible performances (Ethan Hawks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, etc). Directed by Sidney Lumet (also his last movie) who did a bunch of classics you may recognize😊
Who hates this movie? 😮 lol I love it because I can relate so much to Adam's character. That feeling that nobody in your family understands what you're going through, and the frustration that builds from it is one I know all too well. My childhood home was full of holes in the wall, because I would bottle up my emotions and explode in anger just like him... 😓
30:24 - Oh yeah, the writer's strike! Man I'd forgotten about that! Time sure does fly. And as to P.T.A. taking that experience and running with it: *GOOD. FOR. HIM!*
Went to see this in a theater knowing it was not for everyone. A fairly large group of old people came in. I was like, not sure how this will go. At the end, the lady at the end of their row got up to let the rest go by and says, "I dunno. The man on TV said it was good." I almost laughed out loud.
19:47 - While bind so unreal it's in fact _surreal._ And what makes it so striking is the lack of bizarre visuals. I'm really digging this, it's quite creative!
I have never identified with a movie more than this one. It's hilarious cause my sister used to call me "gay" as a young kid all of the time, and I've had more than one person tell me I looked like Adam Sandler lol. As an introverted young man, I was extremely sad and lonely and this movie touched my heart and soul in a very specific way. In the following years I'd dance with the ghosts in my head accompanied by the song "He Needs Me". Things are much better now, but this reaction reminds me of how much I adore this film. Thank you for doing what you do Shan, no reactor but you will touch this one.
yeah when PTA had finished Magnolia, critics were raving for him.. and one journalist at a press conference asked him what he was going to do next. He said he was going to do a rom-com with Adam Sandler as the lead and everyone laughed because they thought he was joking. joke was on them.. i still think it's Sandler's best performance and role ever
I remember British actor Bill Nighy saying in some interview that he doesn't like any movie more than punch drunk love and him raving about Sandler's performance. I think Sandler could have really gone the way of Tom Hanks and left comedy behind a long time ago but didn't because he's a comedian at heart, thankfully he will occasionally do one of these type movies and remind us all every decade or so that he is also an amazing dramatic actor.
Another great watch, Shan! 💯 withya in admiration of directors that nail the grittiness of LA on-screen. PTA is right up there IMHO w/other greats like Tarantino & Singleton in that respect. I watched this one in theaters in my late 20s having just been a couple years into a move to Utah (the Provo area, as luck would have it…) and after 9/11 rattled my “I’m on my own, single LA chick in a strange town, hopin’ everything’s gonna be ok…” headspace - - everything about this film, including the erratic score, the darkness of it, the color blocking and Sandler‘s quirky-quiet-nuanced performance struck a chord in me. I was taken aback by him in this performance, it really opened my eyes to the potential he had and has clearly proved in the years that followed. Love your channel & dig your unique perspective on what your eye sees in films. PS: I was very lucky to be a movie theater projectionist HS thru college, got to see a lotta great movies as a result of splicing them together and having to ‘check & correct the builds.’ Some of the movies & cartoons were very forgettable, but there was a massive amount of amazing stuff from 1992-1999. Make sure to get out there and watch plenty of current films in the theaters, keep the cinema experience alive! 📽️🎞️🍿
I actually saw this in a century theater, and I remember it getting a pretty mainstream release for such an art house film. This was definitely a breath of fresh air:) Great reaction:)
Some movies are made for specific crew. One movie might be to showcase the actors, another for stunt workers. This movie was for the editors. I mean everyone was exquisite, but it showcased the editing.
Sorry to keep rambling but I love this movie so much. To me the point, the story was about how distinct, how unique our lives and perceptions are, and how that can make us feel so alone and alienated. And then there’s a connection, you finally encounter someone you truly can communicate with. And then in some ways you learn to communicate with everyone.
Oh, I absolutely consider this one of my top 10 favorite films of all time and definitely my favorite romcom. I’ve loved it ever since I first saw it when it came out in theaters. I just love how it lives in its own little magical world, and this was absolutely the first hint we saw that Adam Sandler could actually act. The soundtrack by John Brion is amazing, too, and you should look up the music video for a song called “Here We Go” that was on the soundtrack, but wasn’t in the actual film. It’s the perfect theme song for this movie (and one of my favorite songs to play on my ukulele). So glad you loved it.
Adam Sandler said in a podcast that PT Anderson contacted him and asked if he would be okay with him writing a movie for him. And this was the product of that. (Commenting this since you had asked what had made him write a movie like this)
Explore the whole "Superman" allegory. So many examples that Barry is actually Superman. Just a few: The blue suit, breaking the unbreakable plunger, the plungers resemble the crystals in Superman's fortress of solitude, he is able to fly anywhere thanks to the promotion, even at the end Lena's red clothing on Barry's back resemble Superman's cape, Lena=Lois, car crash at the beginning represents Superman crashing to earth from Krypton, villains name starts with same letter (mattress man). So many others.
The harmonium was just a little broken, the owners did not have the patience to repair it so they left it on the street, all it needed was a little love and attention, for the first time in it's existence.
I love that Shanelle pointed out that Paul Thomas Anderson understands and shows the REAL LA, he gets it, so does she apparently. Everyone is always talking about how fake LA is, but it IS a real place with real people who mostly have nothing to do with Hollywood, and are just like people everywhere else, working and trying to enjoy life as best we can.
Thanks, Shanelle! 👊 I saw it once in the cinema... in New Orleans, if memory serves. I remember loving it. But I remember more of the anxiety/assault-on-the-senses way more than the romance... so, it's nice to be reminded of that. #ShanelleRiccio #PaulThomasAnderson #PunchDrunkLove
16:39 - We do now. And no, you didn't mention it here, on lives, or on the podcast before. Might have to do with living so long in the burbs and only living in a compact, urban setting as an adult. I lived in a town with a free-form layout similar to a suburb when I lived in the U.S. When I came back to my country I lived in urban settings with a grid layout. It was disorienting to say the least but after a few years it went away. It may take longer but you might get there too. 😊
Thanks for all the filmmaking insights during the movie, that is one of the main reasons I love watching your reactions. It's interesting that PTA followed this up with There Will Be Blood, which is as close to an "epic" as he has done. And with Daniel Day Lewis' incredible performance, I think your are going to be speechless. Relating to PTA's quirky/experimental technique with this film, I would strongly recommend you watch The Limey by Soderbergh since you loved Ocean's 11. The Limey is his most experimental film and I think you could really dig into his style and technique with that one.
2:58 - Oh, that's interesting. When you said that you loved his "lens on L.A." I thought you meant the camera work (angles, filters, lens choice, etc.) in a more literal sense. When you added that last bit I get it: you're talking about it from a more artistic sense, how he immerses the audience and shows the city like the average person would see it as opposed to something more glamorous, more cinematic. At least that's how I understood it.
28:51 - Woah that is so KEWL! And while many visual effects can be done digitally very well, usually much more cheaply, practical effects can actually be simpler and cheaper. This and much of David Lynch's body of work is why I love the more simple, manual form of filmmaking.
Found out that this is Shelley Duvall singing "He needs me" in Popeye 19:04 she just passed away. This song is just as loveley as she seemed to be and a terrific choice for the movie. RIP ❤
I’m not sure if this was noted elsewhere in the comments, but the lead role in this movie was written by PTA for Adam Sandler. I remember reading an interview with PTA where he said that he’d watched one of Sandler’s comedies, and he wanted to capture this sort of weird rage that Sandler’s characters sometimes exhibited in those films.
Fun fact about Paul Thomas Anderson: his movies are satires. This is to say that the COMEDY, because that's the intent, is in the premise. For example, the movie Licorice Pizza is a satire of the 70's, so what ridiculous thing does he have his protagonist do? Sell waterbeds. That's the joke. And that's why satires are so misunderstood, and why the tone is so weird, because satires are a lot more funny to talk about than to watch. The tone is so dry that people take it seriously. It's just funny to me that the guy makes satires, which is to say dry comedies, and most people seem to praise him without understanding his work. Yeah, I know, I must think I'm so much smarter than everybody. In this case, yeah. Boogie Nights, Magnolia, this, all satires.
10:34 - Of course it depends on the F.O.V. of the camera, whether or not it's dynamically adjustable (i.e. autofocus or manually by the operator), the set design, and planning of the shot. Budget could affect all of those variables. It could also be an artistic choice though.
I generally do not like Adam Sandler performances but he is capable of brilliance when he steps out of his usual groove. Easily my favourite film of his, it's a wonderful little gem.
Kinda pissed it took me so long to see this. I always just thought Adam Sandler was so funny it would be hard for me to take him seriously, but he really killed this. You should definitely make THERE WILL BE BLOOD a priority though. Probably PTA's best work.
I wasn't too keen on Adam Sandler when Punch-Drunk Love came out, but I did see it in the theater because I was a fan of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. I admit that I may have been a little disappointed that it wasn't more like those other movies at first. However, it's grown on me a lot and now I consider it one of my favorite films. I relate to Barry more than I relate to practically any other fictional character.
There is a really cool theory video on this being a lowkey superman movie. some fun points were her completing his costume by bringing in the red. his power of "flight" and his super strength (he smashed an unbreakable plunger)
Ah, the latest shanaction finally dropped! Woulda been here sooner but TH-cam...notifications...yeah. Anyway I'm here, you're her, we all here. Let's get on with it! 😃
Hey Shanelle! Just watched your reaction to Ferris Beuller's day off! I enjoyed the film a lot though the Breakfast club is my favorite of his with probably pretty in pink coming in second!
13:17 - Man, did someone's face light up when he made an appearance! 😂 Oh, and this reminds me, I've been thinking about this movie with PSH I know you'd like but forgot to mention in the live yesterday: Flawless. It also stars Robert DeNiro, AND is set in New York so you'll actually be right when you inevitably see it and mention "so is this New York?" I mean, it's right up your alley. 😉
Thought I would tell you about classic throwback movies playing in theaters. Last week I saw Blazing Saddles and it was so much better. I noticed details in the background of several scenes I never saw before. May 14, mothers day and the 17th, two movies are playing nationwide, both are worth seeing. Grease, I saw in the theater. Wizard of Oz just can't be missed. Other throwback classic movies are playing every week.
Great film, when you buy the movie there is a paper insert that suggests the viewer turns the volume mostly all the way up and to adjust the color contrast to make Barry's suit as deep blue as you can get. Such an artsy film
Adam Sandler starts in blue and meets the girl in red. As the movie progresses he wears more red. Green represents anger I think. There was no title for the movie just the collage of colors.
OK, so, this is an interesting one for me. It's one of the _MANY_ movies I ever saw on cable. The thing is like you, I caught it already started and though I watched it to the end I only saw it once. Not so much cause I didn't like it, I did. I just never caught it on T.V. ever again. And because of that, I completely forgot I ever even saw it! It was until, I think like 1/2-way thru the movie that I remembered it. I also had it mixed up in the back of my head with this other movie of similar essence, with Jennifer Aniston, that I saw around the same time called The Good Girl. Also *HIGHLY* recommended. And back then and up to this very day I LOVE IT! It's so imaginative, so simple, so...purely cinema! It has, to me at least, in its own way that uniqueness that we only so rarely see. It shares a place in my heart with Eraserhead, Electronic Labyrinth THX-1138 4EB, Le Mari De La Coiffeuse (The Hairdresser's Husband; BTW Shanelle, there's a good foreign film for you! Or you could just just give the algorithm a handy-j and go with Amálie and/or Leon The Professional...like everyone else!), Stalker, and everything ever done by Maya Deren.
Emily Watson (Lena) is so adorable in this movie. It just makes you fall in love with her. Check out her first movie, Breaking the Waves, for a really superb movie.
It's been a long time since I saw this movie, but I remember thinking it shows us what happens if you put an Adam Sandler character into a very NON-Adam-Sandler-movie world.
I love this movie so much. My favorite Sandler. My favorite PT Anderson. Such a weird vibe and I can’t get enough.
I know took my months to get the dvd ! Been watching about 10ish times !
That frustration while he was on the phone trying to get her contact info from his sister was just perfect.
My best friend showed me this movie in college and after it finished, he said “the first watch feels like a tragedy, all subsequent rewatches it is an incredible comedy” that scene made me die laughing on first watch.
Daniel Day Lewis is a fan of this movie, he got together with PTA after seeing it, and agreed to do There Will Be Blood after reading half the script.
I almost typed "This is what social anxiety feels like" at the very beginning, but you got there on your own. Great movie. A hidden gem.
Only a little sad that we didn't get to hear PSH's first line, "You can't do that. It's wrong."
This did play big in cinemas (those were the days...) and going through that startling first minutes where you were unsure if maybe the projectionist had mistakenly switched reels since there's no titles or anything - amazing experience, totaly diorienting and a stark reminder that yes, you can still suprise and shock audiences with breakking cinematic rules. Also, as a neurodiverse person myself, I learned to respect the way this movie shows how overwhelming and triggering social gatherings can be. The sisters' party is a masterclass of image and sound overload: it doesn't need extreme volume or fast cutting, it just needs an overabundace of detail and complexity.
It's always good to see Mr. Show alumni in feature films, in this case Mary-Lou Raskub as one of the sisters.
I've always liked this movie and can identify with Sandler's character. Fun Fact: The song "He Needs Me" is sung by Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl from the movie 'Popeye' starring Robin Williams and directed by Robert Altman.
It's amazing that both Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey can be similar in their weird roles and yet show such great dramatic skill in PDL and The Truman Show/Man on the Moon. As a person who feels socially awkward virtually everywhere, I really appreciate this film. I think the jump scares are part of the 'world' of Barry's anxiety made real.
RIP to Philip Seymour Hoffman, he's my favorite actor as well.
The “he needs me” song that plays throughout the movie is actually Shelley Duval (with a small cameo from Robin Williams “but I do”). She sang it originally in the Robin Williams movie “Popeye” which was only Williams’s second movie ever
I had my next hour planned until I refreshed my TH-cam home page and saw this movie reaction drop, so thank you
Yes, I think this was his first dramatic role and he received a lot of praise for it. I absolutely LOVE seeing comedians that become dramatic actors! My first experience with this was the late, great Robin Williams.
My senior quote was "Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness always pays off now." ...and ohhh how prophetic it has been. [exasperated sigh]
Probably my favorite Adam Sandler film of all time, which says a lot considering his classics!
Finally a reactor giving this film the credit it deserves!
I saw this around when it came out and as a lonely, anxious college kid, this movie just hit in a very weird but satisfying way. This and _Spanglish_ gotta be my favorite Adam Sandler movies!
14:54
Notice how the sound of the truck's pneumatic brakes plays the tones of the soundtrack at that moment?
You really need to see Sandler in Uncut Gems. He's great in that movie. I think it should be on your list!
Yeah, “Uncut Gems” is amazing and definitely my favorite Sandler performance, followed closely by this one in PDL. Kind of interesting how much anxiety plays a part in both films (some people actually hated UG because they said it felt like being trapped in a two hour panic attack).
I found the ending very unsatisfying.
When this came out in 2002 it was hated by the masses. People were expecting the traditional Adam Sandler film and instead got a dose of what people who live with social anxiety deal with every moment of every day. While social anxiety disorder had been around for some time it was still relatively untreated, and in most cases people who suffered from it were thought of as weird, strange, shy, or any of a number of disparaging adjectives. I think today when people are more aware and accepting of social anxiety this movie would be better understood. However in 2002, the people who loved it were mostly those who themselves suffered from some form of social anxiety. I saw this in 2003, while working at Blockbuster and instantly loved it as a person who suffers daily with social anxiety.
3:02 You are not alone. First time watching that audio-jumpscare got me as well!
LOVE the way it builds up the tension, you get warnings, and then the EXPLOSIONS!!! Adam Sandler's best performance for years!
So happy to see someone react to this movie. This is when I fell in love with PTA!! I personally believe both Barry and Lena are meant to be ASD-coded. It could just be me seeing myself in the characters, but I do believe there are some specifics (sensitivities to noises, colours, repeating phrases, strong sense of what is fair and what isn't) which lean towards Autism.
I remember analyzing this film after viewing it as part of a film class, and it was so much fun.
Hope you watch ‘Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead’ eventually. Incredible performances (Ethan Hawks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, etc). Directed by Sidney Lumet (also his last movie) who did a bunch of classics you may recognize😊
Fuck yes!!!
I couldn't remember where I saw Emily Watson before until looked it up. It was Red Dragon, also with Philip Seymour Hoffman, released that same year.
I was obsessed with film for 2004. PTA's most underrated masterpiece.
I love this movie! So underrated. No idea why it gets so much hate.
Who hates this movie? 😮 lol I love it because I can relate so much to Adam's character. That feeling that nobody in your family understands what you're going through, and the frustration that builds from it is one I know all too well. My childhood home was full of holes in the wall, because I would bottle up my emotions and explode in anger just like him... 😓
Had no idea anyone hated this movie. I always thought it was regarded as Sandler’s best performance in a movie, even before Uncut Gems!
@@aaronshouting588 I may just have garbage friends with poor taste in movies LOL
30:24 - Oh yeah, the writer's strike! Man I'd forgotten about that! Time sure does fly. And as to P.T.A. taking that experience and running with it: *GOOD. FOR. HIM!*
Went to see this in a theater knowing it was not for everyone. A fairly large group of old people came in. I was like, not sure how this will go. At the end, the lady at the end of their row got up to let the rest go by and says, "I dunno. The man on TV said it was good." I almost laughed out loud.
19:47 - While bind so unreal it's in fact _surreal._ And what makes it so striking is the lack of bizarre visuals. I'm really digging this, it's quite creative!
Sandler is Oscar worthy in this!
He got an Golden Globe nom but not an Oscar nom
@@65g4 Figures...
Anderson's use of light and sound is so unique in this film!
His most underrated, and Adam Sandler's best!
Totally agree!!
I have never identified with a movie more than this one. It's hilarious cause my sister used to call me "gay" as a young kid all of the time, and I've had more than one person tell me I looked like Adam Sandler lol. As an introverted young man, I was extremely sad and lonely and this movie touched my heart and soul in a very specific way. In the following years I'd dance with the ghosts in my head accompanied by the song "He Needs Me". Things are much better now, but this reaction reminds me of how much I adore this film. Thank you for doing what you do Shan, no reactor but you will touch this one.
yeah when PTA had finished Magnolia, critics were raving for him.. and one journalist at a press conference asked him what he was going to do next. He said he was going to do a rom-com with Adam Sandler as the lead and everyone laughed because they thought he was joking. joke was on them.. i still think it's Sandler's best performance and role ever
The song playing in the background “he needs me” is from Popeye with robin williams. It’s olive oyle, Shelley Duvall singing about popeye.
Im not sure if it was shown, but Barry's fist after he punches (I forgot) his fist says "LOVE" I believe in his scar
I remember British actor Bill Nighy saying in some interview that he doesn't like any movie more than punch drunk love and him raving about Sandler's performance. I think Sandler could have really gone the way of Tom Hanks and left comedy behind a long time ago but didn't because he's a comedian at heart, thankfully he will occasionally do one of these type movies and remind us all every decade or so that he is also an amazing dramatic actor.
Another great watch, Shan! 💯 withya in admiration of directors that nail the grittiness of LA on-screen. PTA is right up there IMHO w/other greats like Tarantino & Singleton in that respect.
I watched this one in theaters in my late 20s having just been a couple years into a move to Utah (the Provo area, as luck would have it…) and after 9/11 rattled my “I’m on my own, single LA chick in a strange town, hopin’ everything’s gonna be ok…” headspace - - everything about this film, including the erratic score, the darkness of it, the color blocking and Sandler‘s quirky-quiet-nuanced performance struck a chord in me.
I was taken aback by him in this performance, it really opened my eyes to the potential he had and has clearly proved in the years that followed.
Love your channel & dig your unique perspective on what your eye sees in films.
PS: I was very lucky to be a movie theater projectionist HS thru college, got to see a lotta great movies as a result of splicing them together and having to ‘check & correct the builds.’ Some of the movies & cartoons were very forgettable, but there was a massive amount of amazing stuff from 1992-1999. Make sure to get out there and watch plenty of current films in the theaters, keep the cinema experience alive!
📽️🎞️🍿
Literally one of the best movies of all time
I actually saw this in a century theater, and I remember it getting a pretty mainstream release for such an art house film. This was definitely a breath of fresh air:) Great reaction:)
Some movies are made for specific crew. One movie might be to showcase the actors, another for stunt workers. This movie was for the editors. I mean everyone was exquisite, but it showcased the editing.
Sorry to keep rambling but I love this movie so much. To me the point, the story was about how distinct, how unique our lives and perceptions are, and how that can make us feel so alone and alienated. And then there’s a connection, you finally encounter someone you truly can communicate with. And then in some ways you learn to communicate with everyone.
Oh, I absolutely consider this one of my top 10 favorite films of all time and definitely my favorite romcom. I’ve loved it ever since I first saw it when it came out in theaters. I just love how it lives in its own little magical world, and this was absolutely the first hint we saw that Adam Sandler could actually act. The soundtrack by John Brion is amazing, too, and you should look up the music video for a song called “Here We Go” that was on the soundtrack, but wasn’t in the actual film. It’s the perfect theme song for this movie (and one of my favorite songs to play on my ukulele). So glad you loved it.
Adam Sandler said in a podcast that PT Anderson contacted him and asked if he would be okay with him writing a movie for him. And this was the product of that. (Commenting this since you had asked what had made him write a movie like this)
Watch ALL Paul Thomas Anderson films ASAP.
What? Wes Anderson's moody older brother?! He's overrated 😒
Explore the whole "Superman" allegory. So many examples that Barry is actually Superman. Just a few: The blue suit, breaking the unbreakable plunger, the plungers resemble the crystals in Superman's fortress of solitude, he is able to fly anywhere thanks to the promotion, even at the end Lena's red clothing on Barry's back resemble Superman's cape, Lena=Lois, car crash at the beginning represents Superman crashing to earth from Krypton, villains name starts with same letter (mattress man). So many others.
The harmonium was just a little broken, the owners did not have the patience to repair it so they left it on the street, all it needed was a little love and attention, for the first time in it's existence.
I love that Shanelle pointed out that Paul Thomas Anderson understands and shows the REAL LA, he gets it, so does she apparently. Everyone is always talking about how fake LA is, but it IS a real place with real people who mostly have nothing to do with Hollywood, and are just like people everywhere else, working and trying to enjoy life as best we can.
You would LOVE Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King. An underrated masterpiece.
Thanks, Shanelle! 👊 I saw it once in the cinema... in New Orleans, if memory serves. I remember loving it. But I remember more of the anxiety/assault-on-the-senses way more than the romance... so, it's nice to be reminded of that. #ShanelleRiccio #PaulThomasAnderson #PunchDrunkLove
girl: Why is his behavior so weird? Is it because he likes her?
guys: yep, that's how we roll
16:39 - We do now. And no, you didn't mention it here, on lives, or on the podcast before. Might have to do with living so long in the burbs and only living in a compact, urban setting as an adult. I lived in a town with a free-form layout similar to a suburb when I lived in the U.S. When I came back to my country I lived in urban settings with a grid layout. It was disorienting to say the least but after a few years it went away. It may take longer but you might get there too. 😊
Thanks for all the filmmaking insights during the movie, that is one of the main reasons I love watching your reactions. It's interesting that PTA followed this up with There Will Be Blood, which is as close to an "epic" as he has done. And with Daniel Day Lewis' incredible performance, I think your are going to be speechless.
Relating to PTA's quirky/experimental technique with this film, I would strongly recommend you watch The Limey by Soderbergh since you loved Ocean's 11. The Limey is his most experimental film and I think you could really dig into his style and technique with that one.
Magnolia is my all-time favorite film and Punch Drunk love is by far my favorite Sandler film. PTA + Sandler = unexpected magic
This flick caught a lot of Sandler fans completely off guard and they hated it. As we got older it became more appreciated.
2:58 - Oh, that's interesting. When you said that you loved his "lens on L.A." I thought you meant the camera work (angles, filters, lens choice, etc.) in a more literal sense. When you added that last bit I get it: you're talking about it from a more artistic sense, how he immerses the audience and shows the city like the average person would see it as opposed to something more glamorous, more cinematic. At least that's how I understood it.
28:51 - Woah that is so KEWL! And while many visual effects can be done digitally very well, usually much more cheaply, practical effects can actually be simpler and cheaper. This and much of David Lynch's body of work is why I love the more simple, manual form of filmmaking.
Found out that this is Shelley Duvall singing "He needs me" in Popeye 19:04 she just passed away. This song is just as loveley as she seemed to be and a terrific choice for the movie. RIP ❤
The song "He Needs Me" is from Robert Altman's Popeye.
I’m not sure if this was noted elsewhere in the comments, but the lead role in this movie was written by PTA for Adam Sandler. I remember reading an interview with PTA where he said that he’d watched one of Sandler’s comedies, and he wanted to capture this sort of weird rage that Sandler’s characters sometimes exhibited in those films.
Someone with nearly zero social anxiety watching a movie 100% about manic social anxiety lol good reaction
Fun fact about Paul Thomas Anderson: his movies are satires. This is to say that the COMEDY, because that's the intent, is in the premise. For example, the movie Licorice Pizza is a satire of the 70's, so what ridiculous thing does he have his protagonist do? Sell waterbeds. That's the joke. And that's why satires are so misunderstood, and why the tone is so weird, because satires are a lot more funny to talk about than to watch. The tone is so dry that people take it seriously. It's just funny to me that the guy makes satires, which is to say dry comedies, and most people seem to praise him without understanding his work. Yeah, I know, I must think I'm so much smarter than everybody. In this case, yeah. Boogie Nights, Magnolia, this, all satires.
You can never go wrong with Paul Thomas Anderson.
29:49 - That's one aspect where I would differ from him: I would do things entirely digitaly. No film stock = MASSIVE savings in budget.
10:34 - Of course it depends on the F.O.V. of the camera, whether or not it's dynamically adjustable (i.e. autofocus or manually by the operator), the set design, and planning of the shot. Budget could affect all of those variables. It could also be an artistic choice though.
I generally do not like Adam Sandler performances but he is capable of brilliance when he steps out of his usual groove. Easily my favourite film of his, it's a wonderful little gem.
Kinda pissed it took me so long to see this. I always just thought Adam Sandler was so funny it would be hard for me to take him seriously, but he really killed this. You should definitely make THERE WILL BE BLOOD a priority though. Probably PTA's best work.
I wasn't too keen on Adam Sandler when Punch-Drunk Love came out, but I did see it in the theater because I was a fan of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. I admit that I may have been a little disappointed that it wasn't more like those other movies at first. However, it's grown on me a lot and now I consider it one of my favorite films. I relate to Barry more than I relate to practically any other fictional character.
While I love Happy Gilmour, Waterboy etc… I think Sandler’s dramatic roles stick with me harder. If you want to cry, watch Reign O’er Me
I'm not a huge Adam Sandler fan, but put him in a dramatic role and he shines. This movie is so good, so is Uncut Gems
PT Anderson wanted the composer to make the film feel like a musical but where no one breaks out into song and dance
I adore that the main love ballad comes from the Popeye movie.
There is a really cool theory video on this being a lowkey superman movie.
some fun points were her completing his costume by bringing in the red. his power of "flight" and his super strength (he smashed an unbreakable plunger)
Lol - that's great. 😄
Ah, the latest shanaction finally dropped! Woulda been here sooner but TH-cam...notifications...yeah. Anyway I'm here, you're her, we all here. Let's get on with it! 😃
The first time I saw this and he broke the sliding glass door i lost it😂😂😂
I love Punch Love Love Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favourite directors. Love your work Shanelle we have very similar taste in movies ❤❤❤
Hey Shanelle! Just watched your reaction to Ferris Beuller's day off! I enjoyed the film a lot though the Breakfast club is my favorite of his with probably pretty in pink coming in second!
Didn’t anyone notice who’s following Barry at 9:00 when he is in the supermarket?
Lena
13:17 - Man, did someone's face light up when he made an appearance! 😂 Oh, and this reminds me, I've been thinking about this movie with PSH I know you'd like but forgot to mention in the live yesterday: Flawless. It also stars Robert DeNiro, AND is set in New York so you'll actually be right when you inevitably see it and mention "so is this New York?" I mean, it's right up your alley. 😉
Thought I would tell you about classic throwback movies playing in theaters. Last week I saw Blazing Saddles and it was so much better. I noticed details in the background of several scenes I never saw before.
May 14, mothers day and the 17th, two movies are playing nationwide, both are worth seeing. Grease, I saw in the theater. Wizard of Oz just can't be missed. Other throwback classic movies are playing every week.
I saw this in the theater. It's my favorite Adam Sandler movie. Besides Waterboy of course.
That pink hotel in Hawaii (Honolulu) is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, it's beautiful.
I really only saw this because it was a PTA movie. I have always had a visceral aversion to Adam Sandler- but he was great in this.
When my favorite comedic actor makes me freaking cry!...
17:33 That's what I thought about Adam's performance in this movie too!
29:17 - That dude kicks ass as a filmmaker! Mad respect!
Had free tickets to see this at an art house theatre back in '02. Loved it
Great film, when you buy the movie there is a paper insert that suggests the viewer turns the volume mostly all the way up and to adjust the color contrast to make Barry's suit as deep blue as you can get. Such an artsy film
5:30 - An electric organ, hammond maybe? A Rhodes piano? My best guesses as to what that might be.
You MUST react to all PTA films!
Adam Sandler starts in blue and meets the girl in red. As the movie progresses he wears more red. Green represents anger I think. There was no title for the movie just the collage of colors.
OK, so, this is an interesting one for me. It's one of the _MANY_ movies I ever saw on cable. The thing is like you, I caught it already started and though I watched it to the end I only saw it once. Not so much cause I didn't like it, I did. I just never caught it on T.V. ever again. And because of that, I completely forgot I ever even saw it! It was until, I think like 1/2-way thru the movie that I remembered it. I also had it mixed up in the back of my head with this other movie of similar essence, with Jennifer Aniston, that I saw around the same time called The Good Girl. Also *HIGHLY* recommended. And back then and up to this very day I LOVE IT! It's so imaginative, so simple, so...purely cinema! It has, to me at least, in its own way that uniqueness that we only so rarely see. It shares a place in my heart with Eraserhead, Electronic Labyrinth THX-1138 4EB, Le Mari De La Coiffeuse (The Hairdresser's Husband; BTW Shanelle, there's a good foreign film for you! Or you could just just give the algorithm a handy-j and go with Amálie and/or Leon The Professional...like everyone else!), Stalker, and everything ever done by Maya Deren.
4:45 - Oh, I didn't doubt that (plus you mentioned that like 4 podcast episodes away: "L.A. is DiSgUsTiNg!"). 😂
Love PTA movies so much. Thanks Shanelle!
Also, there is no way to compare this to any other film, imo. Punch Drunk Love is a purely unique experience.
Emily Watson (Lena) is so adorable in this movie. It just makes you fall in love with her. Check out her first movie, Breaking the Waves, for a really superb movie.
Oh god, 13 or 14 year old me renting the new movie from my favorite actor and coming home with this was not prepared.
Oh yay- More PTA! He’s my favorite director :))
18:00 - Dammit, I wanted to make a poop joke! Well shit!
...😎
The acting was incredible in this film.
It's been a long time since I saw this movie, but I remember thinking it shows us what happens if you put an Adam Sandler character into a very NON-Adam-Sandler-movie world.