20 Awesome Movies That You Haven’t Seen… And Should!
7. Hard Eight (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1996)
Many people think that “Boogie Nights” was Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film, but in reality “Hard Eight” was the auteur’s debut.
The film was originally called “Sydney” and has a complicated rights history.
The film is only available on DVD, which has long since gone out of print. Hopefully “The Criterion Collection” or another boutique label will pick up the rights at some point and give it a proper release.
“Hard Eight” (Special Edition) is available on Amazon – Order here
Sydney is a veteran gambler that still loves to spend his days in the casino. He comes across downtrodden John and decides to share with him the tricks of becoming a successful professional gambler.
The two make it to Reno, where Sydney shows John the ropes. The movie takes an interesting twist once John gets on his feet and meets cocktail waitress Clementine. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Clementine, Samuel L. Jackson has a small part as a character named Jimmy, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman was cast as a “Young Craps Player”.
