"There have been many “tapestry films,” including Altman’s own Short Cuts and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. But I believe Nashville will always be the best in the class."

"Really, that just kind of encapsulates all of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films for me. I’m inspired by the kinetic energy of his films, and the richness of the characters and the performances especially."

"There Will Be Blood is one that I adore. I think I saw it about four or five times in the theater. I just think Paul Thomas Anderson is a genius. I’ve never seen performances like that, and I’ve never seen something so thoughtfully and beautifully shot."

"Paul Thomas Anderson made a movie about the porn industry that feels smart and unique and appeals to all audiences, whether it be the toughest film critics or people who just want to go to the movies to be entertained. There’s so many great scenes in the movie, like Alfred Molina and the fire poppers. I just love this whole movie."

"Paul Thomas Anderson — what a fantastic director. These are all directors that I would love to work with, you know. I doubt any of them could give a sh*t. [laughs.] Boogie Nights. Pretty epic. It just captured that era so brilliantly. Mark Wahlberg, man — great role. Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman — they just blow me away. I could watch it again and again. Great movie."

"The first one is Paul Thomas Anderson and There Will Be Blood. I had seen that movie at a very crucial point in my life. I had just torn my shoulder in wrestling, and it was like the world had fallen away from me. Like a lot in the movie is autobiographical. So yeah, I was really kind of lost. And then I saw There Will Be Blood in the theater, and it rocked my world. It blew my mind. The first Paul Thomas Anderson movie I saw was Boogie Nights at a really young age, and it was perfect for an adolescent. But it also made me realize there’s a creator behind all this. I was transported and inspired. That was when I started getting back into filmmaking and loving movies again. Because I couldn’t do sports. That movie was really huge for that."

"It builds you up on a high, and then it tears you down. You have this comedown towards the end of the movie, when everyone’s lives just shatter. It was technically an ensemble movie, but everybody has a place, and everyone stands out. Everything is shot in a very specific way, and was framed in a specific way. [Paul Thomas Anderson’s] level of detail and perception is just unbelievable."

"I’d read Scorsese, Tarantino, and Jarmusch raving about Jean-Pierre Melville for years. Then I read how Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliant first movie, Hard Eight, was an homage to Melville’s Bob le flambeur. I had to see one of his movies but couldn’t track them down at my local Tulsa video store. My first night in L.A., I walked down to the newly opened Cinephile video store and rented all of them! Le doulos is my favorite. It’s one tough-guy movie. Great ending!"