LICORICE PIZZA is from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson, a filmmaker known for dark, serious movies like THERE WILL BE BLOOD and THE MASTER. But his newest film is a sweet coming-of-age comedy set 1973 Los Angeles. It’s the warm hearted and humorous story of a slow developing romance between a pair of unlikely partners played by two actors who’ve never appeared in a feature film before. Cooper Hoffman (son of the actor Seymour Hoffman) plays Gary, a super confident 15 year old former child actor. Alana Haim (a member of an all girl band) is Alana, an immature, volatile 25 year old, working menial jobs and struggling to figure out what she wants to do with her life. There aren’t any sex scenes in LICORICE PIZZA, just lots of entertaining moments that add up to a very original crowd pleasing comedy. (“Licorice Pizza” was the name of a now defunct chain of record stores in Southern California.) (Only in Theaters)