Director Watch Podcast Ep. 23 – ‘The Master’ (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision-making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 23 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, The Master (2012).
How does someone follow up one of the most important films of the 2000s you may ask? It’s simple, you make a film that is to its level and one of the best films of the 2010s. That’s what PTA did with The Master, a philosophical drama with dark humor splashed throughout about a World War II vet who’s struggling to fit back into society and finds himself in a religious movement (a cult) under the leadership of its charismatic leader and wife, who is always keeping a watchful eye on everything. What forms from there is one of Anderson’s most complex films, exploring the dangers of religious fanaticism, toxic masculinity, mental health, alcoholism, and just about everything else you can think about when it comes to the human condition. Led by three titanic performances, Ryan, Jay and Erik dive right into deep process to discuss the film’s themes, Amy Adams’ career choices of late, weird Joaquin Phoenix performances, Scientology, the film’s lack of Oscar recognition for PTA, missing Philip Seymour Hoffman, and how the visual language of the film is so alluring.
You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.
This podcast runs 2h02m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his next film, Inherent Vice. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.
Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)
- Director Watch Podcast Ep. 72 – ‘Three Colours: Blue’ (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1993) - November 21, 2024
- Interview: Gabriel LaBelle on His Comedic Influences, Building His Confidence, and Trying Not to Be a Mimic in ‘Saturday Night’ - November 20, 2024
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 261: The Oscar Race Election Connection; Conan O’Brien as Oscar Host - November 18, 2024
Interview: ‘Gladiator II’ Cinematographer John Mathieson on Reuniting with Ridley Scott and Continuing the Legacy and Lore 
Interview: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater on Creating the Songs and Score for ‘Spellbound’ and the “Perfectly” Cast Rachel Zegler 
2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November) 
Interview: John Lithgow on ‘Conclave’ Being a Career Highlight, Oscar Buzz and Comparing Director Edward Berger to David Lean [VIDEO]