Paul Thomas Anderson names his favourite Stanley Kubrick movies
Paul Thomas Anderson was always determined to become a director. When he was a child, he started making his own films using his father’s Betamax video camera. By the time he was a teenager, the young Anderson frequently wrote screenplays and used a Bolex 16mm camera to bring his creations to life.
In his last year of high school, Anderson made his first short film, the 30-minute mockumentary The Dirk Diggler Story. This project served as the basis for Boogie Nights, which the filmmaker released in 1997 to much acclaim. However, he first found success when he made the short film Cigarettes and Coffee in 1993, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival Shorts Program.
After Anderson was invited to the festival’s Feature Film Program the following year, he was mentored by Michael Caton-Jones, who recognised the young filmmaker as possessing “talent and a fully formed creative voice, but not much hands-on experience.”
From here, Anderson released his first feature-length film, Hard Eight, to moderate success. However, the release of Boogie Nights two years later sealed the deal for Anderson, leading him to international recognition and praise. Not only did the film revitalise the career of Burt Reynolds and provide breakout roles for Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore, but it also garnered three Academy Award nominations.
Due to the success of Boogie Nights, Anderson was given total creative control for his next film, Magnolia, which was also a hit. Since then, the director has continued to release critically successful films, such as 2007’s There Will Be Blood, which has since been heralded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. Anderson’s Phantom Thread is also a modern masterpiece, helping to cement him as one of contemporary cinema’s most impressive filmmakers.
Of course, it comes as no surprise that Anderson has an extensive list of favourite movies that have helped shape his style and inspire a love for filmmaking. Over the years, Anderson has declared his love for countless films, ranging from Robert Altman’s Nashville, Alex Cox’s Repo Man, and even the poorly-received comedy Big Daddy, starring Adam Sandler.
However, Anderson is also a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick, an essential director for all cinema lovers. During a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ session, Anderson was asked by one user to cite his favourite Kubrick film. The director had a difficult time picking just one; instead, he chose four.
Anderson’s choices were Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, Full Metal Jacket, and The Shining. All are solid picks, even if there is a distinctive lack of mention of Kubrick’s ultimate masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Kubrick and Anderson managed to meet not long before the legendary director passed away in 1999. When Kubrick was shooting his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, Anderson visited the set to see the film’s star Tom Cruise, who was set to work with the director on Magnolia.
In an interview with Brian Rafferty for his book How 1999 Blew Up the Screen, Anderson confessed that he “felt like such a Hollywood asshole” when he met Kubrick. He explained: “Kubrick had a really small crew. I asked him, ‘Do you always work with so few people?’ He gave me a look and said, ‘Why? How many people do you need?’”
Anderson’s most recent film Licorice Pizza, starring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper, and musician-turned-actress Alana Haim, was released last year, receiving Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Despite numerous Academy Award nominations, Anderson has never won an Oscar, but then again, neither has Kubrick.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s favourite Stanley Kubrick movies:
- Dr. Strangelove
- Lolita
- Full Metal Jacket
- The Shining
