Anchor Bay Bringing The Master To Blu-Ray Later This Month

Anchor Bay has announced the Blu-Ray release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master for later this month. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.

There’s not a bolder filmmaker out there than Paul Thomas Anderson. The man is one of the last true artists in the field of film and because of that I greet each and every one of his new films with a warm embrace. PTA is not known for making films that instantly click with his small audience, but instead films that will test you and put you through an experience. The Master is no different than say There Will Be Blood or even Punch-Drunk Love. If anything, The Master is his most challenging film yet.

I walked out of The Master with such a bewildered feeling. I enjoyed so many moments in the film, but at the same time I felt that the main relationship between Phoenix and Hoffman was cold and not as engaging as I was hoping for. That doesn’t mean I disliked The Master, but I certainly didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Still, the best thing about PTA films are the millions of other areas where he always excels in. The visuals were haunting, the score was low-key and bizarre and almost every single performance was worthy of some sort of award. PTA’s got an eye for talent and I sure hope people that didn’t fall in love with The Master on their first viewing will at the very least go back and give it another try.

I know that I’ll be picking up the Blu-Ray on day one, because I support filmmakers that aren’t afraid to make the films that they want, even if that means shunning away half of the audience with the way you present your story. The Master is confounding and rough around the edges, but something I have absolutely no problem watching again.

Our very own Jonathan Lack had this to say about the film in his review:

Though subsequent viewing could change my mind, I find “The Master” to be a wonderfully measured and meditative work, and one of the most singularly fascinating films of 2012.

The film is coming to Blu-Ray in a Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack. The following bonus material has been confirmed:

• “Back Beyond” Outtakes – Additional Scenes Music by Jonny Greenwood (20 min)
• “Unguided Message” – 8 Minute Short
• Behind the Scenes Featurette
• Trailers
• Teasers
• “Let There Be Light” (1946) – John Huston’s landmark documentary about WWII veterans (58 Minutes)
• Digital Copy

The Master streets on February 26th, 2013.