Licorice Pizza (2021) (2 Viewers)

[Winston T. Boogie]

Honestly, I think that Kevin Smith story is how Peters is known at all to people my age. Not to knock him, he had a career that was better than 99.99% of the people who have tried to get a career in showbiz but he's not a household name.


Despite the name Holden, I thought Sean Penn's character was loosely based on Steve McQueen. The age of the actor and the motorcycle riding are really the only things that led me to that conclusion though.

Anderson told this tale of a bar near where he lived that celebrities would drink at. One night Evel was in there and people in the bar goaded him into going out into the parking lot to attempt a stunt. Evel was supposedly drunk and took the bait. The story was told differently depending on who was telling it. In one version Evel jumped a motorcycle over three cars in the parking lot. In the other version Evel drunkenly attempted the stunt and just crashed the bike into a parked car, got up, went back inside and kept drinking.

The people that told the first story were likely people that were inventing that they were there when they heard Evel had been there. The people that told the second story were likely people that were really at the bar when Evel came in.

 

[TravisR]

Anderson told this tale of a bar near where he lived that celebrities would drink at. One night Evel was in there and people in the bar goaded him into going out into the parking lot to attempt a stunt. Evel was supposedly drunk and took the bait. The story was told differently depending on who was telling it. In one version Evel jumped a motorcycle over three cars in the parking lot. In the other version Evel drunkenly attempted the stunt and just crashed the bike into a parked car, got up, went back inside and kept drinking.

The people that told the first story were likely people that were inventing that they were there when they heard Evel had been there. The people that told the second story were likely people that were really at the bar when Evel came in.

Yeah, something tells me the truth lies in the second telling of the tale. Now that I hear that story was an 'inspiration' for the scene, it's not hard to imagine Evel doing all the motorcycle stuff in the movie.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Honestly, I think that Kevin Smith story is how Peters is known at all to people my age. Not to knock him, he had a career that was better than 99.99% of the people who have tried to get a career in showbiz but he's not a household name.


Despite the name Holden, I thought Sean Penn's character was loosely based on Steve McQueen. The age of the actor and the motorcycle riding are really the only things that led me to that conclusion though.

I also thought there was some McQueen in "Jack Holden", but the age of the actor pushed against that.

McQueen was only 42 or 43 in the movie's time span, whereas Penn was 60 during filming... and he looks 60, if not older.

I admire that Penn apparently hasn't "had any work done", but damn! The dude looks old!

William Holden was 55 in 1973, so about the right age for Penn to play.

 

[TravisR]

I also thought there was some McQueen in "Jack Holden", but the age of the actor pushed against that.

McQueen was only 42 or 43 in the movie's time span, whereas Penn was 60 during filming... and he looks 60, if not older.

I admire that Penn apparently hasn't "had any work done", but damn! The dude looks old!

Kids, don't smoke.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Yeah, something tells me the truth lies in the second telling of the tale. Now that I hear that story was an 'inspiration' for the scene, it's not hard to imagine Evel doing all the motorcycle stuff in the movie.

Anderson said he and his friends were fascinated by that story and that was why he weaved it into the Holden bit. Funny, in the 1970s I was a child and a huge Evel Knievel fan. I was excited every time one of his "jumps" would be on Wide World of Sports or whatever. I even saw that terrible movie where Evel played himself in the film. I got violently sick during it and had to go throw-up in the bathroom for about 15 minutes and so insisted on seeing it again because I missed a section of it.

I also recall a gathering at my parents' house where a bunch of kids and their parents had come over because the kids all wanted to watch Evel do his thing. I remember my father turning to one of the other fathers and saying "This guy is a real asshole." and the other father responding "Knievel? Yeah, dumb as a bag of rocks. Kids like him though."

At the time as a boy I was a little pissed off by it but now every time I think of that I crack up. He was a real asshole and hilariously I can see him getting goaded into going into a parking lot to try to jump a motorcycle over some cars and of course, end up failing miserably.

I remember how excited we were when he was doing his rocket cycle jump over the Snake River Canyon. If you were a little boy in the 1970s this was an event!

I remember that day as well. I think we were at another person's house and I remember the fathers all standing around talking and one of them saying "Well, today's the day this asshole finally kills himself." and several of the other fathers laughing.

I'm a big William Holden fan too. Always liked him as an actor. For whatever it is worth I don't think that Anderson meant any offense toward Holden with the bit he puts in the film, he just loves the stories of these guys and things they did. I don't think he was trying to bash Holden or anyone else.

 

[TravisR]

Anderson said he and his friends were fascinated by that story and that was why he weaved it into the Holden bit. Funny, in the 1970s I was a child and a huge Evel Knievel fan. I was excited every time one of his "jumps" would be on Wide World of Sports or whatever. I even saw that terrible movie where Evel played himself in the film. I got violently sick during it and had to go throw-up in the bathroom for about 15 minutes and so insisted on seeing it again because I missed a section of it.

I also recall a gathering at my parents' house where a bunch of kids and their parents had come over because the kids all wanted to watch Evel do his thing. I remember my father turning to one of the other fathers and saying "This guy is a real asshole." and the other father responding "Knievel? Yeah, dumb as a bag of rocks. Kids like him though."

At the time as a boy I was a little pissed off by it but now every time I think of that I crack up. He was a real asshole and hilariously I can see him getting goaded into going into a parking lot to try to jump a motorcycle over some cars and of course, end up failing miserably.

I remember how excited we were when he was doing his rocket cycle jump over the Snake River Canyon. If you were a little boy in the 1970s this was an event!

I remember that day as well. I think we were at another person's house and I remember the fathers all standing around talking and one of them saying "Well, today's the day this asshole finally kills himself." and several of the other fathers laughing.

I was a kid in the 80's so I missed Evel's career peak but he was still hanging on a bit when I was young. As someone interested in the 70's, I do know that he was a really big deal which makes it weird and sad that he was kind of forgotten so quickly.

I'm a big William Holden fan too. Always liked him as an actor. For whatever it is worth I don't think that Anderson meant any offense toward Holden with the bit he puts in the film, he just loves the stories of these guys and things they did. I don't think he was trying to bash Holden or anyone else.

I know I said that I was thinking McQueen but that was due to the motorcycle element and I ultimately thought that character was more of an amalgamation of actors in the 1970's that behaved badly and they used William Holden's last name rather than that it was a direct depiction of one specific actor.

And kudos to Jon Peters for not giving a shit if they used his name.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Personally, I think Cooper got the look down. The real Jon Peters and his girlfriend Barbara StreiSAND...SAND, StreiSAND...

 

[Patrick Sun]

My thoughts: Too much running and running and running. Was surprised Tom Cruise didn't make a running appearance of a running gag...

 

[TravisR]

Related by virtue of PTA: There's a podcast entitled Increment Vice where each episode dissects a scene of Inherent Vice for about 90 minutes (some episodes are less and some are over 2 hours). I want to rewatch the movie a few times before listening since with 46 episodes at 90 minutes each, it's clearly an in-depth discussion. They have some intelligent guests- mostly film critics but a few novelists like Megan Abbott and filmmakers like Rian Johnson pop up.

Of most interest is that they also got Paul Thomas Anderson for a recently recorded "epilogue" episode.

Episode Guide — Increment Vice

incrementvice.com

 

[JoeStemme]

Paul Thomas Anderson's LICORICE PIZZA is a 'hang' film. The writer-director was but a mere child when the film takes place in the early 70s, but he wants to invite viewers to spend time with his large cast in his native San Fernando Valley. His hero, Gary (Cooper Hoffman) is a gregarious 15 year old who is instantly smitten by a young woman, Alana (Alana Haim) who is working at his high school. Alana tries to brush off Gary by informing him that she's 25. Never taking no for an answer he doggedly pursues her and she slowly gets sucked into his schemes including selling waterbeds and pinball machines (he's also a child actor and an advertising man- busy kid).

Anderson rarely sets out to tell a tight story, and the 133 minute LICORICE PIZZA is no different. There are dozens of vignettes all stitched together around the unusual relationship between Gary and Alana. Oddly, it's the adults who get the majority of juicier parts. Sean Penn channels William Holden (who's prepping a movie that resembles Clint Eastwood's BREEZY) who's buddy Rex (Tom Waits) sets up an extravagant stunt. Christine Ebesole is a YOURS MINE & HOURS era Lucille Ball. Bradley Cooper gets his freak on as real-life Producer Jon Peters. Harriet Sansom Harris and John Michael Higgens (in a weird racist themed bit part) get out-sized roles, along with a John C. Reilly cameo and Alana Haim's sisters are in it as well. There's also a creepy subplot that calls to mind TAXI DRIVER. Anderson keeps it fairly light, but, the grown-ups here make parts of the film feel like a shaggy dog version of Charles Schultz' The Peanuts where the adults get all the good gags. And, despite a couple of prominent uses of songs like Bowie's 'Life On Mars' and McCartney's 'Let Me Roll It', the soundtrack doesn't really pop with period songs as one might expect, doubly curious since it co-stars an actual rock star (also odd -- the Licorice Pizza record store chain is neither mentioned nor shown).

What does work is the genuine 70s vibe. The 35mm cinematography certainly gives it a true verisimilitude despite the meandering script. Hoffman and Haim give natural unaffected performances even if one doesn't truly buy into their relationship. Alana's character in particular gets short-changed at crucial moments. Anderson has made a genial laid back film which may tax the patience of some, but, is, overall a rewarding 'hang' in a mellow drive-in movie sort of way.

 

[Bryan^H]

Yeah, I'd love to see this...however the 20 screen theater near me has zero interest in showing it. I've been down this road so many times. They don't show new films like this for a month or two, film gets oscar buzz, then nominated, then they decide to grace audiences with screenings. So generous of them. Infuriating.

I know I'm a broken record but let me once again say how much I miss my local Independant/foreign film theater that would have had this showing the second it was available.

Bingo. Nominated for 'Best Picture' It finally comes to my local theater.


Half tempted to skip it altogether, and just wait for the BD (no 4K on disc).

 

[TravisR]

...and just wait for the BD (no 4K on disc).

I don't think it's been officially announced so I wouldn't count out a UHD yet.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I don't think it's been officially announced so I wouldn't count out a UHD yet.

I don’t think any P.T. Anderson film has come out, or even been announced as a UHD release.

 

[TravisR]

I don’t think any P.T. Anderson film has come out, or even been announced as a UHD release.

Phantom Thread is available on UHD. I'm not saying that Licorice Pizza will definitely come out on UHD but I wouldn't give up hope until there's an announcement.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Anxious to see this one- I have all of Anderson’s films on physical media. Will this be the year he wins a statue? I believe he’s been nominated 8 times- no wins.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Anxious to see this one- I have all of Anderson’s films on physical media. Will this be the year he wins a statue? I believe he’s been nominated 8 times- no wins.

Probably not. Obviously, I love his work but doubt he will win awards for it.

 

[TravisR]

Probably not. Obviously, I love his work but doubt he will win awards for it.

With the caveat that I haven't seen all the nominated movies yet, this would probably get my vote for Best Picture out of what I have seen. I have no clue what the odds are saying but I'd guess that West Side Story or Belfast will win.

 

[Dee Zee]

Finally screened this film yesterday and LOVED every minute of it. The lead actors Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman were wonderful. Hope it wins the statue on March 27th.

 

[Tino]

Watched it tonight and pretty much agree with @Colin Jacobson

I love most PTA films but this one I thought was a bit of a rambling mess. Great attention to detail but often dull and meandering. I thought it started off well and then pretty much went nowhere with a series of episodic scenes and a predictable outcome for the two leads.

Disappointed

 

[Bryan^H]

I saw it finally, and loved every second. Thought it better than Magnolia...not sure if I like it better than Punch Drunk Love yet. Another viewing soon.