By Jacob Cameron

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most lauded and respected filmmakers going today. His body of work includes one of the most respected films of the 90’s and one of the most respected films of the 2000’s. With his new film called One Battle After Another, coming out soon, it’s time for a deep dive into all of his films. 

To kick things off, it’s time to look at a few of the short films that Anderson has made. Two at the beginning of his career and one from his recent output. The shorts will be reviewed separately and will get individual ratings.

The Dirk Diggler Story

Released in 1988, The Dirk Diggler Story is a short film mockumentary about a fictional porn star named Dirk Diggler. It shows the rise and fall of Diggler from X-rated superstardom to the gutter. Any PTA fans reading this will have guessed that this is the film that would later be expanded to become Boogie Nights. This film more or less follows the same plot with key differences in tone. The Dirk Diggler story is much darker than Boogie Nights.

Diggler was played by Michael Stein, who was a friend of Anderson’s. He does a great job and captures the essence of what is accomplished in Boogie Nights in much less time. Robert Ridgely and Eddie Delcore play Jack Horner and Reed Rothschild, respectively, and they’re good as well. Even though Diggler falls out with both over the course of the film, these two always consider Diggler a friend.

Watching this film is a bit tricky due to the fact that Boogie Nights takes this concept to the next level. As mentioned this movie is darker; Diggler dies at the end due to a drug overdose. While Boogie Nights has its dark moments, it has a much happier ending. Nonetheless, it is a recommended watch. An important note is that the only available version of this film is on YouTube and the quality is far from great. It is clear that PTA had that special something as a filmmaker.

3 stars

Cigarettes and Coffee 

Released in 1993, Cigarettes and Coffee sees PTA in his last years before his big break. A couple years after this film, his first feature film, Hard Eight, would premiere, and the rest is history. It was Cigarettes and Coffee that would get PTA noticed by the Sundance Institute, which would help him make Hard Eight. Cigarettes and Coffee has much of Hard Eight’s DNA; with a dash of Magnolia as well.

In the spirit of Magnolia, Cigarettes and Coffee follows three stories connected in ways that seem innocuous but are not quite so innocuous. As a 20 dollar bill, he unites a gambler, an engaged couple, and a hitman. 

The biggest actor here is the late great Phillip Baker Hall. Hall would star in Hard Eight and would appear in Magnolia and Boogie Nights. Hall maximizes his minutes and has good chemistry with Kirk Baltz. PTA does a good job of making the film feel tense.

This is another film that is only available on YouTube in subpar quality. But similar to Dirk Diggler, it is apparent that PTA would go on to do great things.

3 stars

Anima

Released in 2019, Anima is a unique product of cross promotion. It was created by PTA and Thom Yorke of Radiohead to coincide with Yorke’s new album. Despite this being a commercial in a way, it’s still incredibly well made. Watching this knowing what PTA had done in the prior decades, it was a clear evolution from where he had started.

Anima sees Yorke play an overworked man trying to navigate the subways and streets of an unknown city. Barely surviving and barely living. He finds a connection with a woman, and he celebrates. This is a rather short synopsis because of the length of this short, 15 minutes.

This is an abstract film. It feels more like a dream than a film, and for some, this will be frustrating. There is a lot to like here; especially in the visuals. Yorke found inspiration for this song and film from dystopian stories like 1984. This is well represented from the dirty subway tunnels.

Because the film is so abstract, it doesn’t really state its purpose or story. You really have to pay attention to what is going on. Overall, this is a feast for the eyes and a very interesting film to experience.

3 stars