The big picture ( There Will Be Blood )  

what's the story

At the turn of the 20th century, there's still plenty of oil to be found in the American west. Daniel Plainview wants it. He's a prospector and he's doing whatever it takes to buy up the oil rights of people's land in hopes of making his fortune. After some frustrating attempts, Daniel strikes it big in a small Texas town, making the townsfolk suddenly flush with wealth. A spellbinding young preacher wants the money for his cause and dazzles his parishioners with his message - but is this preacher a conman? Daniel keeps a tricky balance as he seeks to both protect and exploit people, expanding his empire with pipelines, and ultimately becoming a genuine oil tycoon.

Three Good Reasons

• 1After several fiercely original films, it's writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson first movie adapted from another medium -- Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!
• 2Daniel Day-Lewis was so committed to the project that when production was delayed, he didn't take another job until shooting began a year later.
• 3After its secret early screening at the Fantastic Fest in Austin Texas, several reviewers declared, "There will be Oscars."

Bet You Didn't Know

Will there be blood? In the United States, the volume of blood being transfused is increasing at a rate of 6% per year, while the percentage of the population regularly donating blood is decreasing. Just a reminder: January is National Blood Donation Month.