Things I Am Unreasonably Excited About

Posted on January 3, 2008

Here’s one: this Friday sees the national opening of There Will Be Blood.

Why am I looking forward to this? It’s the first movie in six years from writer-director P.T. Anderson. Anderson exploded into the public eye with the instant classic Boogie Nights in 1997, but in the decade since he’s only released two movies — the sprawling epic Magnolia in 1999 and the intimate comedy Punch-Drunk Love in 2002. So for fans like me, it’s just exciting on one level to have something new from him to enjoy.

Beyond that, though, there’s many other reasons to look forward to There Will Be Blood. It marks a return to the epic scope that Anderson handled so ably in Boogie Nights and Magnolia. And it features a leading performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the most gifted and powerful actors working today.

Here’s the trailer:

Oh, and if you’re looking for a good movie to rent, check out Hard Eight — Anderson’s first film (released a year before Boogie Nights made him a star), and an underappreciated gem.

UPDATE (Jan. 21): I finally got a chance to see the movie this weekend. Holy God is it good. Daniel Day-Lewis is a force of nature. Go see it if you haven’t already, you won’t be disappointed.