Hard Eight (1964) UK
Hard Eight Image Cover
Additional Images
Director:Paul Thomas Anderson
Studio:Sony Pictures
Producer:Daniel Lupi, François Duplat, Hans Brockmann, Helene Mulholland, John S. Lyons, Keith Samples
Writer:Alun Owen
Rating:4
Rated:R
Date Added:2007-03-06
Purchased On:2007-06-03
ASIN:B00000K3D3
UPC:0043396810396
Price:$19.94
Awards:Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations
Genre:Crime & Criminals
Release:1999-05-10
IMDb:0058182
Duration:101
Picture Format:Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:2.35:1
Sound:Dolby
Languages:English, Dolby Digital 5.1, French, Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:English
Features:Anamorphic
Full Screen
Paul Thomas Anderson  ...  (Director)
Alun Owen  ...  (Writer)
 
Philip Baker Hall  ...  
John C. Reilly  ...  
Gwyneth Paltrow  ...  
Samuel L. Jackson  ...  
F. William Parker  ...  
Philip Seymour Hoffman  ...  
Nathanael Cooper  ...  
Wynn White  ...  
Robert Ridgely  ...  
Kathleen Campbell  ...  
Michael J. Rowe  ...  
Peter D'Allesandro  ...  
Steve Blane  ...  
Xaleese  ...  
Melora Walters  ...  
Jean Langer  ...  
Andy Breen  ...  
Renee Breen  ...  
Jane W. Brimmer  ...  
Mark Pinizza  ...  
John Lennon  ...  John (as The Beatles)
Paul McCartney  ...  Paul (as The Beatles)
George Harrison  ...  George (as The Beatles)
Ringo Starr  ...  Ringo
Wilfrid Brambell  ...  Grandfather
Norman Rossington  ...  Norm
John Junkin  ...  Shake
Victor Spinetti  ...  T.V. Director
Anna Quayle  ...  Millie
Deryck Guyler  ...  Police Inspector
Richard Vernon  ...  Man on train
Edward Malin  ...  Hotel Waiter (as Eddie Malin)
Robin Ray  ...  T.V. Floor Manager
Lionel Blair  ...  T.V. Choreographer
Alison Seebohm  ...  Secretary
The Beatles  ...  The Beatles
Comments: The greatest rock & roll comedy adventure

Summary: Before hitting the big time with his second film Boogie Nights, young filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson impressed critics with this deftly conceived, low-budget film noir chamber piece. With its minimalist plot, deliberate pacing, and brief, but shocking bursts of violence, Hard Eight won't please everyone, but Anderson and his first-rate cast were clearly working on the same authentic wavelength. It's a mystery at first why a solemn professional gambler (Philip Baker Hall in a captivating performance) cares for a down-and-out loser (John C. Reilly) and a dimwit, Reno cocktail waitress (Gwyneth Paltrow). But his motivations become clear--and the movie packs a quietly effective punch--when the gambler faces blackmail by a small-time crook (Samuel L. Jackson). This unheralded film seemed like a closely kept secret itself, until it showed up on the 1997 top-10 lists of several prominent critics. In tandem with Boogie Nights, it marked the arrival of a new filmmaker whose talent is as impressive as that of that other '90s hotshot, Quentin Tarantino. --Jeff Shannon