Follow Flow

The other night I noticed that the movie Boogie Nights was added to Netflix. I had heard this movie was really good before, and it's by Paul Thomas Anderson, so how can it be bad. It stars Mark Wahlberg as he breaking into the "movie" industry. Anyway, a few times throughout the movie, they use these kinds of shots, like in the opening sequence when they show a good portion of the characters in a night club, or at a house party where they transfer from conversation to conversation before taking a dip in the pool. There are many other shows and movies that make use of this style well, such as in True Detective with the now famous drug raid follow shot that goes on for a solid 6-minutes, or the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode that was all one perfect follow shot for the whole episode, which was inspired by the True Detective one. It's hard not to be impressed with follow shots, whenever they show up in media. There's so much work going into it, and being able to move with the action really draws you into the scene and makes it feel all the more realistic.

I feel that each time one of the follow shots came up, it feels like they improve the feel of the scene. Plus, you have to consider all of the work that goes into making it happen: everything needs to be perfect for the an entire run. All the actors need to get their line on the first try, nothing incorrect happens in the background at any point, and also making sure that nothing that isn't supposed to be shown isn't. The point I'm trying to make is that if you ever see one, make sure to appreciate all the it manages to accomplish.

"The Master"

Recently I have been hearing alot about a movie called "The Master," a movie about a drifter, played by Jouquin Phoenix, who, after World War II, become involved with a charismatic man who leads a religious group known as "The Cause." Paul Thomas Anderson, director of "There Will Be Blood" wrote and directed this film. I am huge fan of both "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," so I am very excited for this new film, especially because it features Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, two of my favorite actors currently working in film. 

The movie will definitely be talked about as Hoffman's character, Lancaster Dodd, is said to be inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the controversial religion, Scientology. The movie should be interesting and will definitely be an important topic in entertainment news this coming fall as many people in the entertainment industry are members of Scientology. I also find cults very fascinating because I think the idea of someone gaining followers using only charisma is so interesting, even when this person has really out-there ideas.

I think this is a well done trailer because it gives information about the movie's beginning, middle, and end, but yet there is a lot of room for guessing what will actually happen in the movie. It includes shots and audio clips that tell you about different parts of the story, while also showing off the great cinematography and music that Anderson's movies are known for. 

The trailer starts with a montage of Phoenix's character, Freddie, trying to assimilate back into society, and then going right into Freddie meeting Dodd. The trailer's music turns into a rhythmic beat as Freddie seems to get more involved with the Dodd's people.  Dodd is confronted about his ideas and the word "cult" is mentioned. Soon, some of the characters become more agressive and the rhythm stops, and the music goes into a nice song from the period as different voice overs can be heard, giving an idea about the conflict in "The Master". 

Hopefully this movie will be really good, and looking at Anderson's track record, it should be.