I Drink Your Milkshake! - What does H. W. stand for?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-30T19:28:28-06:00

During the oil gusher scene when Daniel is running to the well, he is yelling something that starts with an H. is he just yelling HW or his name?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-30T20:34:12-06:00

Homeless Waif

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-30T21:42:12-06:00

Herbert Walker?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-30T21:43:49-06:00

Howard Walter? Henry Wadsworth?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-30T21:55:42-06:00

Love it, Fletcher!

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T01:21:24-06:00

Isn't he yelling "Lights out!!" when he's racing out of his office?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T01:50:49-06:00

yeah he's definitely yelling "lights out! lights out!"

as for what HW stands for...humble waffle.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T09:07:47-06:00

Lights out huh? is that old oil man argot?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T09:14:43-06:00

Well, I think he wants all flames extinguished, so an oil fire doesn't start.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T10:12:09-06:00

I just recently realized that there's an earlier incident of "lights out" in the movie, when the Coyote Hills well comes in. There's that shot of a gusher hitting a roof, and you can hear somebody go "lights out!", and a lamp is extinguished. (It's on the right in the screenshot below, but already turned off.) I'd always missed that.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T10:15:29-06:00

much obliged, Fletch.

Hey, Mr. hamilton, do you have any stills of Plainview when he is shooting int teh mansion and he looks into the telescope? i tried google searching it but failed

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T20:47:58-06:00

my vote was with Herbert Walker too

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T20:52:01-06:00

I just thought Herbert Walker was too obvious.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T20:59:17-06:00

yeah same here. PTA is a little more subtle, and every interview i've read with him (and i've read them ALL), he poo-poos the political reading of the film...the closest he's got to actually encouraging it was when henry rollins asked him like two years ago if a movie about oil with the title there will be blood had any relation to current events, and PTA smirked and went "oh no, henry, where would you get that idea?" and then left it at that. so who knows.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:21:08-06:00

I was kinda joking. I think PTA plays with political/contemporary allegory all throughout TWBB, but he's too sly to tip his hand too much. It's all in there if you really want to dig for it, but it's never laid on too thick -- everything's so specific, it's never just an allegory. Anyway, I think PTA might be having some fun with the Bush thing.... or was H.W. a common name? Who else is called H.W.?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:25:59-06:00

well, at first i was thinking Daniel was aware that he had a brother named Henry, that he had kind of built up the thought of Henry over the years, naming his kid after him and such, to where when he meets "Henry", he goes as far as to ask him for ID...but the HW Bush thing is just too tasty to pass up, i think. while i highly doubt HW's name is actually "Herbert Walker" (i'm thinking he never even had a full name as the movie was scripted), i certainly don't see how the joke could have slipped by PTA.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:28:25-06:00

So who named HW? DP or Ailman?

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:28:43-06:00

I was at an early screening where PTA and Paul Dano spoke after the film. Somebody asked why the boy was named HW, and PTA said he happened to have a book on his desk by an author HW something (I don't remember) and that is how he named the boy.

I posted this in another thread and E.W. Marland suggested the author might be historian HW Brands, pointing out that the surname Brands is also used in TWBB.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:29:06-06:00

yeah, i'm going to have to agree, regardless of whether or not PTA meant it, it's definitely there....he also says a lot that he really has no recollection of writing the film, so maybe he just doesnt remember putting all that in. but i think you're right that it stands on it's own, allegorical or not. i hate those movies that are so blatantly a metaphor/allegory for something else that the filmmakers forget about crafting an interesting story.

What does H. W. stand for?

2008-03-31T21:55:58-06:00

Thanks Bandy tract