In this week's episode of the Substandard (subscribe, leave a review, tell your friends), Sonny reviews Phantom Thread, which he says is funny in subtle ways. (Based on that trailer, I didn't think there'd be anything funny about it.) We then broaden the discussion to include the oeuvre of Phantom Thread director Paul Thomas Anderson. It turns out JVL is a resident scholar of all things Anderson. His anecdotes, such as the one about PTA's few days at Tisch film school, are fascinating. And yes, we do a ranking.
With the Eagles on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance, JVL can't resist and shares with us his Eagles fanfiction, leaving me and Sonny a bit uncomfortable. I also provide a bathroom renovation update, leading to a conversation about the best and worst bathrooms we've ever seen. Trust me, that segment is flush with details! Also, we delve a bit into the Aziz Ansari controversy. Sonny rehashes his column in the Washington Post, but we all have opinions. All four of us!