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culture fest.

I'm Stephen Metcalf and this is the Slate Culture Gap Fest, Get The Behind Me Satan Edition.

It's Tuesday, September 19th, 2012.

On today's program, The Master, the new movie from Paul Thomas Anderson.

Then Slate's own Hannah Rosen talks about her new book, The End of Men and the Rise of Women. And finally, supersized sodas will now be forbidden in Mayor Bloomberg's New York, possibly pending litigation, I'm sure. Joining me today are Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner, hello, Julia. Hi, Steve. And of course, Slate's film critic, Dana Stevens. Hey, Dana. Hey, Steve. Has everyone recovered from the Slate retreat? You've had your hangover cures. You've walked your walk of shame. My goodness, it sounds like you had a more exciting retreat, Steve. Yes, I've taken my tonics and elixers. Good. Dana, why don't I start with you?

The Master, of course, is the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson, the writer-director behind such films as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and there will be blood. This one stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a would-be guru modeled somewhat, though this is controversial on El Ron Hubbard, the founder, of course, of Scientology. It also stars Joaquin Phoenix as one of the very early followers of this possibly a cult. Dana, this is

obviously an extraordinary film in one way or another. It's obviously an event. There Will

Be Blood, I believe, was a total masterpiece and a triumph. This is his follow-up film.

One response to it cannot possibly

be uncomplicated. I'm dying to know what your uncomplicated response to this movie is.

I'm still sorting out my response to it. One thing I would start off for conversation by saying

is that I really recommend this movie be seen in 70mm. And I don't know if you guys saw the same

movie I did, because I've now seen it in 70 millimeter or 65, I guess technically it is, the big version and the 35 millimeter

version. And it's so different. It looked and felt so completely different. So I just wanted

...