P.T. Anderson's "Hard Eight" (1997) (1 Viewer)

[The Drifter]

Hard Eight (1997) is unquestionably my favorite P.T. Anderson film (and I've seen them all). The minimalist approach & storyline was quite compelling. The anonymous urban landscape of casinos, diners on the side of the highway, & motel rooms is used to great effect here. I also liked how the theme of redemption/making up for past sins was explored in the film.

The last scene with Sydney in the diner - where he notices the tell-tale stain on his shirt - then slowly covers it up...is perfect.

I'm guessing a lot of people haven't even seen this film due to it's OOP status on DVD, and also since it was PTA's first feature. Here's hoping for a decent Blu release somewhere down the road.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Yeah, it is a strong film. Like a lot of folks, Boogie Nights was my first exposure to PTA. When Hard Eight made its way to DVD, I snapped it up and really enjoyed the film for a lot of the reasons you cite. A nice Blu-Ray release of this title would be a welcome addition to my PTA collection.

- Walter.