Saw Inherent Vice yesterday, and I must say it rests between Magnolia and The Master as my least favorite PTA films. I went in with low expectations, but the very beginning truly raised them (The Master's beginning did the same; I think PTA is a master at the First Act) and I was ready to be entertained for 2.5 hours.

You and I don't disagree in the slightest, I don't understand why you're trying to continue this argument. Read my last line again.

If your point is that great screenwriters don't need film school, I never made that claim. I don't agree with the idea of a "perfect screenplay template," but I can see what they mean. The Godfather is studied along with many other films because they follow rules of storytelling. The writer may not know exactly what…

That's the truth. Talking about movies is fun and informative, but everybody has different tastes/expectations. That's why Inherent Vice is getting A's and C's, 4/4's and 2/4's. I'm eager to see it and grade it myself.

I respect your perspective, but I think you've inferred a whole lot from very little. Freddie beats up guys the whole movie. When I first watched the last fight, I believed everything you did up until it ended just like the others (Freddie gets tired and stops) and cut to the motorcycle scene. It was incredibly abrupt.

Do you really think screenwriting 101 studies formulaic films? Every great film follows rules. If you want to deter discussion and criticism, don't go to a comments section for a film review.

The scene in which Freddie attacks a critic for the second time and follows him outside goes nowhere, narratively speaking. He either should have killed him (to actually escalate the toxicity as you say) or been led somewhere else by it; it changed nothing from the first time Freddie attacked the critic. If you needed…

With you in that camp, Magnolia is terrible. He made one of his most compelling storylines (Tom Cruise's character and Jason Robards) and then threw pretentious nonsense at it from all directions. I think it would have been a masterpiece if it just focused on those two characters and their relationship.

I thought The Master committed basic screenwriting errors, like repeating scenes or not going anywhere new with them. The first half of that movie is really wonderful, but I would urge anyone to watch it again and see if they still think the last hour holds up.

The Nazi imagery is the least offensive thing about it.

I would cast Mike Colter as Satan. I can just imagine showing up at the gates of Hell and he is there to say, "Hello."

This is not anti-comedy, it's absurdist comedy. ***FOR YOUR HEALTH****

Toes was so amazing, it seems like a short film that rests on its own.

Favorite films (thus far) of the Year of Angry White Men:

Feel like I need to go on a documentary binge

What is this article doing with its life

Agreed

Cari Fukinaga's direction was the best aspect of Season 1, so Season 2 is completely up in the air.

At a convention, I saw a guy wearing a shirt that said "4e Killed Gary Gygax."

Tis the life