We’re all buzzing over The Master at the moment — you can’t blame us after that new trailer — so anything that comes close to substantial (the parameters of which are too silly to stipulate) feels like it’s worth our time and attention. I like to think this makes the cut: Paul Thomas Anderson‘s definitive fan site, CigsandRedVines, did the proper digging and discovered that their idol might be trying to emulate There Will Be Blood in at least one tangential way.

A premiere at Fantastic Fest, is what I mean. While those behind next month’s Venice International Film Festival have some big hopes to land The Master for themselves, this photo from a Jonny Greenwood-dedicated Tumblr shows the Radiohead guitarist, Anderson, and Alamo Drafthouse owner — along with festival coordinator — Tim League having a nice chat outside the theater:

So there is something going on, and I don’t think you need anyone to assemble the proper pieces for you. I could still see it premiering in Venice — don’t forget that Cannes is the only better place to premiere a film — but it’s almost surely playing in Austin. The photo makes it pretty head-smackingly obvious, but one “commenter with the inside track” also told CigsandRedVines that “[t]he finished film was screened for League weeks ago [and] is already booked to play Fantastic Fest.” Wherever it plays, there might be no 2012 film I’m more anxious to hear reactions from.

The Master opens on October 12th.

Where might Anderson’s next first play? Do you particularly care?