There’s a good reason why you don’t hear much about Paul Thomas Anderson’s feature-film directorial debut Hard Eight — one of two films about the bond between a gray-haired vet and a struggling young upstart (both adapted from shorts PTA did years before) that he dropped in 1997. Originally titled Sydney, it stars PTA regulars Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly as a rambling, gambling man and the promising hustler he takes under his wing. Anderson locked horns with the movie’s backers over the final cut, eventually convincing them to release his cut under a different name. Despite featuring budding big names Gwyneth Paltrow (as Reilly’s love interest) and Samuel L. Jackson (as a shady antagonist) in the supporting cast, the $3 million neo noir was dumped in theaters, making a paltry $222,806. Anderson got the last laugh later that year when his second film, ’70s porn odyssey Boogie Nights, won over critics and audiences. But local PTA fans can see where it all began at the Belcourt this weekend — in glorious 35 mm! Visit belcourt.org for showtimes.
Dec. 19 & 23 at the Belcourt
2102 Belcourt Ave.
