I finally got around to watching There Will Be Blood.  It took a whole year to get up the courage.

Some important notes:

• It’s all about oil and god.  those are my absolute least favorite three letter words.

• The film’s original title was Two Assholes from Texas. The setting was changed to California when representatives from the Bush administration objected.

• In Europe it’s called “voir, c’est pourquoi l’Amérique est foutu” which means “see, this is where america went wrong.”

• Afraid the film would be confused for a vampire western, Russian distributors changed the title to Oil.

• The film is Russia leader Vladimir Putin’s all-time favorite.  He invited Daniel-Day Lews to dinner at his private home.  There are rumors Putin is interested in producing an autobiographical film with Lewis in title role

• Lewis’s There Will Be Blood performance won the Oscar in 2008.  He had spent more than a year preparing for the role.

• The actor originally playing Eli Sunday left the production shortly after filming began, reportedly “intimidated” by Lewis.  Lewis spent every moment of the eight-month shoot in-character.  Guess that must have been a pleasent working environment.

• The film’s final scene was improvised.  Except for the oft-quoted line: “I drink your milkshake.”  That part actually happened.

• • I finally understand all those “I drink your milkshake” references from last year.  It really doesn’t mean what I thought it did.