#296: Bet Your Life Pt. 1: Hard Eight

The Next Picture Show

Telegraph Road Productions

Tv & Film, Film Reviews, Film History

4.6 • 819 Ratings

🗓️ 28 September 2021

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The uneasy pact between a professional gambler and a young man from his past in Paul Schrader’s THE CARD COUNTER recalls the surrogate father and son at the center of Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut feature HARD EIGHT. Both films follow solitary men into dark casino halls, but on very different paths to redemption. For this week’s focus on HARD EIGHT, we’re joined by freelance critic and longtime friend of the pod Vikram Murthi to debate Anderson’s approach to withholding and revealing character motivation, which of the standout performances stands out the most, and PTA’s enduring wish that the film be called by his preferred title, “Sydney.” Plus, we respond to a listener prompt about minor characters we can’t get out of our heads. Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about HARD EIGHT, THE CARD COUNTER, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Outro music: “Go Down Gamblin’” by Blood, Sweat & Tears Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Next Picture Show listeners.
0:01.9	Here's a friendly reminder that if you enjoy the Next Picture Show, you'll really enjoy getting
0:05.8	more Next Picture Show by subscribing to our Patreon.
0:08.9	You can get our weekly newsletter for $3 a month and unlock bonus episodes for $5 a month.
0:14.9	You also get access to ad-free versions of the podcast.
0:18.5	We recently released a bonus episode on Ted Lasso, and we have another one
0:22.3	in the works on Why the Last Man. To subscribe to our Patreon, please visit patreon.com slash
0:28.4	Next Picture Show. It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present.
0:34.9	Do you believe that someone out of the past can enter and take possession of a living being?
0:41.6	We may be true with the past, but the past is not through with us.
0:50.0	Welcome to the next picture show, a movie the week podcast about it to a classic film
0:53.9	and how it shaped our thoughts on a recent release.
0:56.2	I'm Scott Tobias here with Keith Phipps and Tosh Robinson.
1:00.8	Genevieve is off anteing up on love, but she'll be back for our next pairing finally.
1:06.2	In her place, we brought in master Paul Schraderologist Vikram Murty.
1:11.3	Vikram was a super intern at the Dissolve, and he is now an excellent freelance film writer
1:16.2	out of New York.
1:17.1	Hi, Vikram.
1:18.0	How's it going?
1:18.7	It's great.
1:19.2	Good to have you on, finally.
1:20.7	Thank you so much.
	...

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