While Jonny Greenwood is currently Paul Thomas Anderson‘s go-to composer collaborator, in his early days it was Jon Brion who filled that role. He tuned up “Hard Eight” and “Magnolia,” but I’d argue it’s his work on “Punch-Drunk Love” which might have been his best for Anderson. He perfectly captured the swooning strains of romance that filled the story, as well the crippling world of Barry Egan that lights the fuse of his anger, that is mellowed by the arrival of Lena Leonard. Now, the spotlight is being shone on the score with a truly unique screening.
READ MORE: Watch Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed Music Video For Joanna Newsom’s “Divers”
BAM has announced that Sony and Anderson have created a new, scoreless print of “Punch-Drunk Love” that will screen this spring, accompanied by a performance of the score by the 40-person strong Wordless Music Orchestra, conducted by Ryan McAdams, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. And yes, that does that sound terrific.
The event will take place on March 19, 2016 and tickets are a bit steep, starting at $45. Curiously, the event is listed with a running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, far beyond the 95 minute runtime of the film. Maybe there are more surprises in store (or that’s an error in the listing). Check out some cuts from Brion’s score below.