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What’s up homies?! The Cinematic Schematic is back to kick off this year’s prestigious awards season with our review of writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s tenth narrative film, One Battle After Another.
Anderson has long been a beloved filmmaker among cinephiles, making critical and cult hits such as There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, The Master, Magnolia, and Boogie Nights, among others.
For the first time, Anderson teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio to (very loosely) adapt the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. They aren’t alone. DiCaprio (playing “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun/Bob Ferguson) is joined by a powerhouse cast, including Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos, Regina Hall as Deandra, Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills, and Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson/Charlene Calhoun.
Anderson has been beloved for decades, but he’s always kept his scope relatively focused and budgets low. One Battle After Another is doing something different. It’s attempting to tell a sprawling American epic about revolutions, broken families, and the hidden evils driving civil unrest. It’s his most expensive film to date, costing Warner Bros. Discovery somewhere between $130 million and $170 million. The director is going big for his tenth feature. It’s got drama, car chases, and bold creative swings.
Has Anderson done it again, or has the internet lost its mind with all of this hype?
Listen to our review of One Battle After Another to find out.
Meet the Revolutionaries
To review such a highly anticipated movie among film fans, hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are joined by fellow Oklahoma film critics Craig Sanger (KOKH-TV Fox 25, Critics’ Choice Association) and Daniel Bokemper (The Cinematropolis and Flick Attack).
Left to Right: Craig Sanger, Laron Chapman, Daniel Bokemper, and Caleb Masters. Viva La Revolution!
Programming Update
Time Stamp: 4:25
We’ve been away for a month, and hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman each return with news to share with the listeners.
Firstly, Laron Chapman launched the first stage of fundraising for his next film project, To Make the World Quiet, via IndieGoGo. In under 48 hours, Chapman blew his initial goal for stage 1 out of the water, but he’s still got a long way to go before he hits his $50,000 goal. More to come on this project soon!
Secondly, Caleb Masters shared the news that he is moving to Seattle, Washington, and ending the current in-studio era of the show.
Fear not! The Cinematic Schematic and work at The Cinematropolis will continue. Over the next two months, the programming will shift to “special editions,” which are lo-fi quick takes from each host. Stay subscribed for our reactions to as many of this awards season’s anticipated titles as we can riff on.
Ice-Breaker Question
Time Stamp: 15:10
To celebrate the first in-depth review of a Paul Thomas Anderson film on The Cinematic Schematic, our ice breaker is a look back at his most beloved films.
What is your favorite Paul Thomas Anderson-directed film and why?
Spoiler-Free Review
Time Stamp: 28:29
In our spoiler-free review of One Battle After Another, we discuss:
- Our overall thoughts on the film
- How it compares to Anderson’s other films
- The film’s awards season
- Letter-grade verdicts
- Alternate media recommendations
Spoiler-Filled Discussion
Time Stamp: 1:19:20
In the spoiler-filled portion of the show, we cover:
- How well the film’s ending addresses the underlying themes of multi-generational revolutions
- What makes a great American classic
Special Guests
Craig Sanger
Critic-at-Large, KOKH-TV Fox 25 (OKC), WWLS-FM, KYIS-FM, and KATT-FM
The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, and The Critics Choice Association
Follow Craig on X @craigsanger
Follow Craig on Letterboxd @craigsanger
Daniel Bokemper
Contributor at The Cinematropolis and Flick Attack
About One Battle After Another
According to IMDB, One Battle After Another is described as:
When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue one of their own’s daughter.
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