"It's not the L. Ron Hubbard story," Philip Seymour Hoffman told Entertainment Weekly in last week's issue. "[Scientology] was one of the bigger movements at the time, but there were a lot of movements at that time. There's nothing about how I'm behaving or talking that echoes [Hubbard]." And while the bigger thematic arc of the film is beginning to show its colors, it seems pretty clear to us that Joaquin Phoenix is being audited in this new clip from the film.
Surprises continue to abound for Paul Thomas Anderson's hugely anticipated new film, and tonight comes not only a generous new helping from the picture, but also the announcement that "The Master" is playing tomorrow night in Chicago at 10 PM at the Music Box Theater in 70mm. $10 gets you in and all the proceeds will go to the film preservation society The Film Foundation. Nice. So back to that clip — it's another insanely tantalizing glimpse at the movie that is also a touch enigmatic, but seems to suggest some of the Scientology themes of cleansing oneself of the negativity and bad experiences that have tarnished our souls is in play to some degree. And oh yeah, Jonny Greenwood's score sounds fantastic.
Check it out below. And if you're in Chicago, you can buy tickets for tommorow's screening right here. "The Master" plays Venice and TIFF before opening on September 14th.
