Little White Lies Issue 92: January/February 2022

Across 1. PTA’s explosive adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s ’Oil!‘ (5,4,2,5) 9. Acclaimed LP by PTA collaborator Joanna Newsom (2) 10. PTA regular Julianne (5) 11. Sadly missed brother of PTA leading man Joaquin Phoenix (5) 12. Deluge, like that of frogs at the climax of Magnolia (4) 14. Provided by Jon Brion or Jonny Greenwood? (5) 15. ----- cut: first assembly, or 1980 heist flick with PTA alum Burt Reynolds (5) 16. Chilean drama from Pablo Larraín, whose 2021 film Spencer was soundtracked by Greenwood (2) 17. What the characters of PTA’s feature debut Hard Eight love to do (6) 19. Mr Sunday, saintlike antagonist of 1 across (3) 20. see 23 down 21. Comedy superstar who played the pudding-obsessed romantic lead in 32 down 26. (and 32 across) 1952…

‘The Hireling’ (Alan Bridges, UK, 1973) 108 mins, Rated A Robert Shaw, Sarah Miles, Peter Egan Sarah Miles was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as miserable waif Lady Franklin in Alan Bridges’ film about the impossibility of love transcending the class divide. Set in the pretty English spa town of Bath, where moisture seems to hang perpetually in the air, the film sees worldly chauffeur Ledbetter (Shaw) cosying up to the grieving Franklin who has just been released from a sanitarium following a breakdown – the result of the sudden death of her husband. The broad-shouldered, lovable brute, who teaches kids how to box in his down time, starts to believe that he may be in with a chance with this sad-eyed…

For decades, the most sophisticated Angeleno palates have sought out exciting new delicacies in Mexican or Chinese food, and now the next frontier of taste is here. From Irvine to the Valley, Japanese cuisine has taken strip malls by storm, as curious diners feast on savory noodle soups and the crispy dumplings known as “gyoza”. But the main event has to be “sushi”, a rice dish in which raw seafood is the star of the show. (Don’t lose your lunch – by using only the freshest cuts, the expert chefs ensure that no one’s going to be green around the gills!) For the novice nosher, here’s a guide to some key items customary to this thrilling tradition: • “Nigiri” translates back to English as "two fingers," describing the method by…

Directed by PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON Starring ALANA HAIM, COOPER HOFFMAN, BRADLEY COOPER Released 1 JANUARY ‘Something/Anything’ is the 1972 album by genre-hopping singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren, namechecked in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza. A commercial for the record emanates from a car radio as teen actor-cum-entrepreneur Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) slumps into a pit of dejection upon spotting the girl of his dreams, Alana Kane (Alana Haim), hanging out at the burger stand with another guy. A little in the vein of ‘The White Album’ by The Beatles, ‘Something/Anything’ is a stellar mish-mash of tones and styles, and an example of an artist who is so fully entrenched and consumed by the world of pop songwriting, that it comes across as proof he could do anything. It’s effortless genius. And it is, in its…

Chapter One: The Valley Locals just call it ‘The Valley’ – the glamorous region nestled between the Los Angeles Basin and the Santa Susana Mountains. It’s a place best known as the home of Walt Disney and Warner Brothers studios, and – more notoriously – has been the atom heart of the adult entertainment industry for some 30 years, until the advent of the internet ushered in its decline. The San Fernando Valley is also the neighbourhood where Paul Thomas Anderson grew up, providing a rich source of inspiration throughout his career. Valley-set works include Boogie Nights from 1997 which charts the rise and fall of porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), swiftly followed in 1999 by the epic ensemble fresco, Magnolia, and then after that in 2002 the offbeat…

With the release of his new film Licorice Pizza, celebrated American auteur Paul Thomas Anderson is back once more as the name on everybody’s lips. You love him, we love him, even your parents love him. But do you love him to the level that you would describe yourself as his all-time biggest fan? Under the grey skies of Seattle, WA we meet Quebec Farnsworth, a sophomore at University of Washington where he’s the president of Delta AV and Cinematograph Society and the self-proclaimed Biggest Paul Thomas Anderson Fan in the Whole World. We enter his dorm room where he shows us his most prized possession: a bespoke selection of PTA-themed Craft Beers which he has hand-brewed, named and designed. LWLies: Quebec, thank you for opening your doors to us.…