Paul Thomas Anderson Downplays The 'Master'-Scientology Connection

[NelsonG]

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[url="http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/197734/personmain.jhtml"]Paul Thomas Anderson[/url] has been slowly showing off his latest film "[url="http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/475552/moviemain.jhtml"]The Master[/url]" to the public in 70mm, the larger film format that he's been championing.

While we wait for Anderson to jump out of a bush and offer us a surprise 70mm screening for "The Master," we've had to rely on teaser-y clips from the film. The latest two have announced early charity screenings in Chicago and San Francisco to raise money for the film foundation, the latter of which is tonight (August 21).

Since most of the audience members come out of those screenings unable to put into words what they saw, we've had to live off these teasers and Anderson's first interview about the movie, which he gave to Newsweek.

Check out the latest teaser and read excerpts (via [url="http://www.slashfilm.com/the-master-trivia-paul-thomas-anderson-reworked-unused-there-will-be-blood-ideas-laments-focus-on-scientology-connection/"]/Film[/url]) from the interview after the jump!



Apparently, Anderson had some leftover scenes that he wanted to include in "There Will Be Blood" but didn't use, and when it came time to write "The Master," he retooled them for the new script.



Then there's all that Scientology talk, which everyone involved with the movie has denied in recent interviews. The connection began early on with Anderson, but he has come to regret drawing it.

"I didn't want it to be a biography," he said. "It's not the L. Ron Hubbard story. I was naïve. I should have known that's what people would latch onto."

[i]Are you going to see "The Master"? Let us know in the comments below and on [url="http://www.twitter.com/mtvmoviesblog"]Twitter[/url]![/i]



[url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/08/21/paul-thomas-anderson-master-scientology/]View the full article[/url]