Being Saturday evening (comedy night in our house),my wife and I sat down to watch a supposedly funny movie called "Boogie Nights". The only thing I had heard about it was that my sister-in-law told us not to see it because it was bawdy and she walked out, so right away I knew it was worth watching. This movie was nothing like we thought it was going to be like--it was a fantastic and quite involving drama, which deserved a few Oscars. The time frames from the early 70's to the mid 80's were flawless, and the "glamor" of the porn industry was effectively dispelled by the portrayal of the stars. One of the most memorable scenes of all times, in my opinion was the drug deal gone bad, the firecrackers, the guy in the bathrobe and the utter uneasiness of the deposed porn stars as we listened to "Jessie's Girl" and "Sister Christian". Burt Reynolds was great as Jack Horner, the director who made money with young energy and the coming trends, but realized he had to be "father" to all those aging stars who had nowhere else to go once the bright lights began to flicker and the money was getting thin.
Add a Review
-
Ari-817 January 1999
-
paul_monks8 August 2001Boogie Nights is perhaps one of the greatest examples any would-be filmmaker should take a long hard look at. Sure, you could spend loads of quality time reviewing the clasics from Hitchcock to Scorsese; but lets follow suit for the modern generation and study half-heartedly.
Where to begin, I suppose one could look at the film as simply a story, perhaps even docudrama which focuses on the late 1970's porn industry-and what an industry it was! The other half could focus on the incredible detail one brillant filmmaker can achieve simply by using polyester and *ahem* rubber. But honestly, Boogie Nights brings back the pure, no-bul!shi$, in your face kind of cinema I haven't experienced since the film greats of the 1970's...ironic...or stroke of genius. The story is full of richly detailed characters, all of which you either can relate too, love, or hate; but the impact is clear-you are feeling something for them. Among the characters the two performances which stand out are: Burt Reynolds as Director Jack Horner, and Mark Wahlberg as Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler. Julianne Moore is also brillant, as is Heather Graham...but if I focus on any one actor it would have to be John C. Reilly. John's performance is a perfect balance of comedic timing and character driven emotion...I'm a sucker for the line "Ever see the movie Star Wars?...People say I look like Han Solo." Anyway, the look of the film is incredible, the Director of Photography and Director/Writer/Producer, have come up with a vibrant colour, and flashy style that compares to Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick(in terms of his perfection of his craft); but with creating his own unique look, and pushing the edge with the longest single shot I'ver ever seen...that being the New Year's party sequence.
The music, like in any great film, is a character of its own. At times, it consumes oneself with sorrow or grief...but mainly its all about fun, dancing, and having a good time; the spirit of the 1970's. OK, back to the performances.
Burt Reynolds plays the character of Jack Horner, a porn director who feels the burden of what the future of "film" means to his genre. The awful transition from shooting on film to recording on magnetic tape. The lose of his art, as it were...and the changes in mentality to the people he works with. Walhberg adds the perfect blend of innocense and sexual bravado needed for the character. For all those individuals who have seen Burton's Planet of the Apes, pay no attention to the performance of Wahlberg in that film...rent boogie nights and see what a difference a good script can make!
Julianne Moore plays the would-be mother to all, and with that comes the torment and anguish she feels, as life imitates art; and she loses all those close to her. Heather Graham is the eye-candy, but later holds her own, and steals some of the scenes from even the great Mr. Reynolds himself. Each character is multidimensional, rich with life, and performed by actors that seem to be picture perfect for the part.
The film itself is often funny, tragic, exciting, and provides a uncompromising look into the turblulant lifestyle of the fast-pace 1970's. It makes no excuses, and tells no lies; and offers the audience a trip back. But even more importantly, the movie gives us a grand example of how films should be made; and a new director whose bold visions bring back art in film. -
mandyhd8 August 2001Boogie Nights is full of surprises, nothing quite prepares one for it its soul. Yes, it does have soul, whilst tackling the tackiest of subject matter, with both a wry smile and respect. Brillantly cast and wonderful character development, the performances somehow combine the best of stage acting with improvisation within a cinema verite style.
The plot proved richer than I expected and the underlying themes are teased out quite profoundly as each "B grade" human being is brought, through crisis, into perspective.
A sociologist's dream case study, the film resonates the raw truth of what we all know about self-esteem, parental love and lack of it, attention/love deficit and its manifestation in adulthood, the desperate need to belong. Something for everyone here.. almost camouflaged as issues of untouchables and their separate milieu but of course they are universal.
The film works on a number of levels. The ironic loop is that the milieu portrayed exists only because of the voyeur, who happens to be watching the film...
Boogie Nights is non judgmental of its subject matter and characters, a rarity. It deserves every accolade it has achieved and more. -
billyacewilliams23 May 2004Paul Thomas Anderson's stylish and compelling take on the 70s porn industry follows Eddie Adams, aka Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), through six years of sex, drugs and disco. His chance meeting with pornography director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) starts his career as one of the greatest adult actors of the time. Dirk's character is based on real-life porn actor John Holmes, who, like Dirk, was renowned for being extremely "well-endowed". This is where Dirk finds initial success.
The main themes in Boogie Nights are the obvious ones relating to a film of this genre; pornography, drugs, sex, betrayal, violence and music. Boogie Nights deals with the pornography theme with some control. It is not overplayed and the sex scenes are surprisingly minimal, but mentally explicit when they take place on screen.
Throughout the film cocaine is abused enormously, and the film's setting, Los Angeles 1977-1983, reflects the popularity of the drug at that time, which the film captures perfectly. However, Boogie Nights does not promote cocaine, as there are some scenes involving addiction and overdoses. For example at Jack's party, they find a girl who has recently, and graphically, overdosed; blood pours from her nose and she begins an unconscious fit. The film, before this scenes, has been fairly upbeat and comic, but from this point it foreshadows the darkness that it will occur.
The music scenes are executed brilliantly, from superbly-staged disco scenes to a down-and-out Dirk singing terribly in his new music career. The soundtrack too is excellent, featuring tunes from The Emotions, ELO, The Beach Boys and the unforgettable Sound Experience. The standout scene in the whole film comes down to the music; Dirk, Redd Rothchild (John C. Reilly) and Todd Parker (Thomas Jane) visit drug dealer Rahad Jackson's (Alfred Molina) house in order to make some quick cash from selling phoney drugs, but Night Ranger's Sister Christian, which is playing in the background, increases the intensity of the scene incredibly, proving that music can bring so much more depth to a scene. Boogie Nights is filled with those kind of scenes, which makes the film even more fantastic.
The standout performance in Boogie Nights is Burt Reynolds as the enigmatic, yet moody, film director. In the scene where he attacks a young guy for slating his movies, it is a complete shock for the audience, because before this point he has been pretty mellow and content. Other notable performances are Julianne Moore, Heather Graham as the beautiful Rollergirl, John C. Reilly, and Mark Wahlberg, who delivers the performance of his career.
Boogie Nights is also a surprisingly original film, using common themes but filmed in its own sharp and realistic way. Anderson's approach has been fully captures these characters in a time when nothing seemed to be going wrong, or at least until the 80s arrive. From then on, things turn very dark indeed, and all signs of the recognisable characters and situations from the first part of the film have gone. This does not, however, reduce the high level of engaging entertainment that this film offers.
Boogie Nights was not a box-office success, earning only £2 million at cinemas in the UK. But this is not the film's, or the director's concern. Anderson recognises quality, not popularity, which is evident in his three other films, Hard Eight, Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a simple parable filled with excellent and variable situations, because at the end of this film you will realize that Boogie Nights is a simple morality tale, but one which will stay in the mind days after you watch it. Boogie Nights is at once shocking, hilarious, devastating and both visually and audibly outstanding. -
hb_ver15 October 2002Director Paul Thomas Anderson has created a fascinating account of a family of pornographers in the late 1970s. It is a frank, compelling, and disturbing vignette of unforgettable characters. Mark Whalberg (in his best performance to date) plays a well-endowed 17 year old who begins working in the porn industry under porn director Burt Reynolds (in an Oscar nominated performance). John C. Reilly plays a fellow porn star, Julianne Moore (never better) as a famous porn queen, Philip Seymour Hoffman as a timid homosexual porn crew member, William H. Macy as a fatalistic loser who's wife is always cheating on him, and Heather Graham (Reynolds daughter) as a rising porn star. Everybody does a fine job. The best scenes belong to former porn star couple Don Cheadle and Nicole Parker who add some of the comic relief to the film. What's intriguing is the way the actors interact with each other and the way they struggle to find their self-identity, plus a bravura script, colorful and startling cinematography, and a rousing rocking 70s soundtrack that make Boogie Nights one of the best films of 1997. It is a touching, humorous, and shocking film bursting with originality with an overall message of: redemption and forgiveness.
-
'Boogie Nights' is more than a great film even, it's fantastic and more worthy of even more praise than it already gets.
What is immediately impressive after finishing is how it tackles the subject matters of pornography, disco and drugs, very difficult subjects to portray in any media without being too trashy or causing offence but 'Boogie Nights' manages to make a film that commits neither of those things (even with the sex and drug abuse being prominent, they all have their full impact without being over-the-top or trivialised) and instead make one that's interesting and entertaining as well as disturbing and emotional. Few films that include even one of these subjects have succeeded in doing that so well.
It looks stunning for a start, with an imaginative surreal touch to the lighting and kinetic cinematography (though also with the trademark long takes and tracking shots that is immediately distinctive of Paul Thomas Anderson) and audacious costuming. Visually the standout is the opening Steadicam shot, it's breathtaking and famous for very good reason. The disco soundtrack is a perfect fit, it's infectious, effectively sleazy, sometimes deliciously ironic and also makes one want to dance with the characters and nostalgic for the 80s.
The screenplay was nominated for an Oscar, and with its perfect balance of the hilarious, the poignant and the darkly disturbing it's a worthy nomination. Even with the huge two and a half hour length (it may be argued by some that the film is too long), there is rarely if at all a dull stretch in the story, which explores the adult entertainment industry and the American Dream in ways that are startling, hugely entertaining and poignant.
Anderson does a wonderful job directing, not just with the telling of the story and keeping the atmosphere consistent but also in making the characters compelling and in his direction of actors (some of the best of any modern-day director) and their interaction. The acting is one of the biggest reasons why 'Boogie Nights' works so well. Mark Wahlberg has never been better, anybody who doubts his abilities as an actor should see this, and Burt Reynolds is brilliant in one of his career's finest performances in his "comeback" role. There are scintillating turns from Heather Graham and especially Julianne Moore (along with Reynolds also Oscar-nominated, again worthy nominations and would have been even worthier winners), and also fabulous support from Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, a hugely entertaining John C. Reilly (even if the role occasionally threatens to strain credibility but thankfully it never does) and a gloriously unhinged Alfred Molina.
Overall, fantastic film. 10/10 Bethany Cox -
triple821 February 2004Boogie Nights is one of the best films to come out of the 90's and I'd go so far as to say it should be in the IMDb top 250. I can actually understand why many would dislike it, due to the subject matter. I personally feel however as many do, judging from the aclaim this film's received by viewers and critics that it's topnotch film making.
The direction and acting in this film surpass good and reach the level of brilliance.There is not one scene in this movie that isn't amazing. The individual characters reach out and touch you. Given that this is a movie about the porn industry, one wouldn't imagine the sex scenes could be handled with such sensitivity but they are. The direction is among the best I've ever seen-and I've seen a lot of films.
The film isn't about one particular personal individual's story, it's about many.It's a character study about people who have many layers to them and who maybe in an industry most would find alien but who still dream the same dreams and have both bad and good to them. Boogie Nights draws you into their story from the beginning, and though the film is long(I believe almost 3 hours) you honestly don't even notice. And when it ends you kind of don't want it to....
I'm not easy to impress, meaning there aren't many movies I'd give a 10 of 10 rating to but this is one. Beyond the multiple character study, is the use of music in the film. I have never, in all my years of seeing movies seen music tell a story as well as in this movie.There was such flawlessness to it, you know it's not something your gonna see everyday.
Burt reynold's performance was perhaps the best I've ever seen him do, and Mark Wahlberg is incredible(I'm astounded there are still people saying he doesn't act well. I don't know how anyone viewing this could possibly think that)but the person who really surprised me was Heather Grahem(Rollergirl) who is absolutely fantastic in her role, in particular the one memorable scene with Burt Reynolds in the Limo, towards the end.
Again, I'll echo other IMDb reviewers in saying this movie is not for everybody. But I still think this was topnotch.10 of 10. -
WHughes014 May 2003This is not so much of a review as it is a testament that it has been proven, yet again, that the Academy rewards money, not artistic accomplishment. And I must say I am saddened that this usually artistic and intelligent band of imbd members have left this off the top 250. Boogie Nights is powerful, raw, and gutsy through script, direction and acting. Very few movies can claim this triple crown.
-
Antagonisten14 September 2005Boogie Nights is one of those few movies that can take a difficult subject and do something with it that most people can watch and appreciate. The porn-industry is a mess in more ways than one and there is much to criticize, and i know this movie has been considered to glorify the business. Something i don't agree with.
The story about Dirk Diggler and his exploding porn-career in the late 1970's - early 1980's bears considerable similarity with that of John Holmes and the fact that Holmes has been an inspiration is obvious. The thing i most appreciated about this movie is the way that it shows both sides of the business. At first the upside where the young kid is introduced to a world of sex, drugs and rich friendly people. Then later the backside with crime, abuse and crashed lives. And it's all done with an excellent mix of comedy and drama as well as a distinct feeling when it comes to style. Visual as well as otherwise.
Despite being a movie about the porno business, Boogie Nights is not very explicit. A correct choice in my opinion since more explicit scenes wouldn't have added to the movie, rather it would instead have run the risk of feeling like exploitation. Paul Thomas Anderson is a talented director and he manages to balance many talented actors in a good way while still letting it be his more than their film. Also i don't know what he did with Mark Wahlberg, but suddenly he could act! I don't like Wahlberg at all otherwise but here even he performed well.
Boogie Nights is well worth seeing even if you completely despise the porno industry. There is room for more than one opinion here and Anderson doesn't really state his own. I rate this 7/10. -
One of my absolute favorite movies. Relaxed by the opening circus theme and then blasted by "Best of My Love," no movie has ever grabbed my attention so fast as with Boogie Nights. The opening steady-cam shot is one of the best. The rest of the movie doesn't drop off a bit. The music, the costumes, the shots and the drama are all phenomenal. The humor is great, too, and what makes it truly funny is that most of the time the characters aren't even trying to be funny. Just when it seems like PTA won't be able to top himself, the next scene brings with it something even more brilliant. And of course the ending...
What else can I say, I love this movie. Paul Thomas Anderson, you got "the touch." -
culwin17 January 1999This was not a bad movie, but not as great as many other reviews I have seen. The main problem is that the movie tries to make you sympathetic to the characters, but none of the characters are sympathetic. I mean, it is basically about some people who do a lot of dumb things and suffer the consequences of their actions. At least in movies like Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, the characters weren't looking for your sympathy - they were just interesting, unique people in an interesting story.
Otherwise, I'm not really sure what the point of this movie is. Every time I expected some interesting new twist to happen, they went back to the original theme. Once again I compare: the scene in Pulp Fiction, with Travolta and Jackson and the 3 rip-off kids, with the scene in Boogie Nights where they try to deal the fake drugs. In Pulp, it has a point. It adds to the story. The Boogie Nights scene is interesting, but is really unrelated to the rest of the film. The whole movie can be described like this - every scene is a mini-movie that does not necessarily have anything to do with the big movie.
As far as sex, I'm actually impressed that a movie about pornography had this little sex. Bachelor Party had as much. Which is good or bad, depending on what you're looking for :)
I gave it 6 of 10. -
cathyyoung115 May 2000SOME SPOILERS
"Boogie Nights" may well be the best film of the 1990s. I cannot remember the last time I was so overwhelmed by a new film.
Interestingly, I was not planning to see it. I knew nothing about the director, I've never cared for Burt Reynolds, and the only thing I knew about Mark Wahlberg is that he had been an annoying boy singer and Calvin Klein model. Nor was I all that interested in seeing the story of an extremely well-endowed porn star.
A couple of months ago, I tuned in, about 20 minutes into the film, when "Boogie nights" was on cable -- and I was hooked. I have seen the entire film twice, and it has become one of my favorites.
First of all, P.T. Anderson is brilliant ... it's daunting to think he was only 27 when "BN" was made. Despite the "borrowing" from Scorsese and Altman, I believe he brings a profoundly individual vision to his work. What sets him apart is that his keen observation and satirical vision are enhanced by warmth, compassion, indeed love for the people who populate his film.
Is Anderson "judgmental" toward his characters? A friend who watched "BN" at my suggestion said that one thing he loved about the film is that it's moral but not moralistic. Anderson makes it clear that these people's lifestyle is often destructive. The critics who complained about the abrupt shift from hedonistic fun in the '70s to horror and disintegration in the '80s were mistaken. The first half has many intimations of darkness: the girl who ODs on coke at Jack's party, face streaked with blood, limbs twitching; Amber's son trying in vain to reach her at the party; Little Bill's anguish at his wife's infidelities. Clearly, too, most of these people aren't very smart, and their pretensions -- Dirk's belief in his stardom, Jack's belief in his "art" -- are ridiculous. Yet we never lose connection with their basic humanity. When Amber/Maggie is denied visitation with her son, we know it was probably the right decision yet we sympathize with her anguish.
It's the ultimate cliche to say that a film will make you laugh and cry. With "BN," it happens to be true. The "Brock Landers" clips and the preparations for Eddie/Dirk's porno debut are just two of the riotously funny scenes. On the other hand, the confrontation between Eddie and his mother or the scene of Dirk coming back to Jack asking for help have more genuine emotion and poignancy in a few brief minutes than there was in all of "Titanic." And some scenes are both comical and moving (Amber and Rollergirl talking as they snort coke, Scotty making a pass at Dirk).
This film will also make you think, without beating you over the head with a message (the way "Three Kings" does, for instance). Many say that its theme is family; but equally important is the theme of self-deception. Most of the characters are prisoners of their dreams and delusions. For Jack and Dirk, it's the delusions of glory and greatness; in Amber's case, her self-image as a good mother. (Right after telling Dirk she sees him as a son, she introduces him to cocaine -- his eventual undoing.) Why do Jack and Rollergirl unleash their fury on Rollergirl's former classmate? Because, with his comment on how squalid their lives actually are, reality intrudes on their self-enclosed world of illusion, and they can't take it.
There's no real "happy ending," either. At the end, Jack has reconciled himself to being a rich hack. A wistful-looking Amber sits at her makeup table; while Jack tells her she's the "foxiest bitch in the world," clearly her looks will be more and more difficult to keep up. As for Dirk, he has presumably kicked the drug problem and is back working, looking slick yet somehow lifeless. Note that in the infamous final shot, when he exposes his penis in front of the mirror, we don't see his face. He has been dehumanized, reduced to a sex machine -- and that's all there will ever be for him. (Think of the early scene of Eddie telling his girlfriend, "I'm going to be a star, a big bright shining star," his eyes gleaming, his voice aglow with hope, and contrast it with him saying at the end, "I am a star. A big bright shining star" -- his voice flat, his face invisible ... the real "star" is his penis.)
Despite the film's setting in the porn industry, I think "BN" has something to say about the larger culture of media glitz and celebrity-seeking.
A word about the acting. Burt Reynolds is superb; Julianne Moore truly shines. (It takes courage for a female movie star to take on a part where she often appears physically unattractive.) Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alfred Molina, John C. Reilly and Heather Graham stand out in a supporting cast that doesn't have a single bad performance. As for Mark Wahlberg, he proves himself to be one of the finest young actors working today. He is utterly convincing as he shows Eddie/Dirk's evolution from an eager-to-please, innocently amoral kid with a dopey but radiant smile to an obnoxious, egomaniacal, paranoid prima donna, and then the despair of his downfall. During the drug-deal scene, there's a close-up of his face for more than a minute, with no dialogue, and he conveys a complex range of emotion as Dirk "spaces out" listening to "Jesse's Girl" -- obviously thinking of better days, then of how low he has fallen -- and then snaps back to reality and is terrified.
"BN" is not without weaknesses. A few scenes are too long; the theme of Amber's "mother" role is overemphasized; a few plot strands are left unresolved (were there any legal consequences to Jack's and Rollergirl's assault on the guy in the limo, or to the drug deal/attempted robbery that ended in two dead bodies?). But these are minor flaws in a near-perfect work. -
moonspinner5526 July 2006Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's paean to the porno industry of the 1970s is sadly cynical, artistically cathartic, and moderately exhausting. Mark Wahlberg is very good as a disaffected, well-endowed busboy named Eddie who is recruited by an adult filmmaker to appear in skin flicks, eventually becoming the celebrated Dirk Diggler. Burt Reynolds (in a comeback performance) plays his movie-making mentor, and Julianne Moore is a sex starlet who evolves into a mother-figure. Anderson is a great visual talent, and his film is ambitious and audacious, but his attention-span is minimal (he can't seem to get a grip on the continuity, nor is he able to make the general prurience palatable through either sheer talent or chutzpah). As an actor's director, Anderson could also use some focus. He works a near-miracle with Reynolds, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but he doesn't get anything special out of the normally exciting Moore (she's tough to pin down here: gritty yet alluring, she puts out so much sweetly-nuanced artifice that you're not sure there's a person underneath). Don Cheadle as Buck Swope is another problem: too cool for this school, Cheadle has a hard stoniness and aloofness that keeps us distant from him at all times. At this point in his career, Wahlberg is inexperienced, yet it's not overly-obvious; he's handled in a young-dumb way that is never caricatured by Anderson (this kid Diggler is nobody's naïve hick, and all that wide-eyed stuff is thankfully passed over). There are pedantic pit-stops in the road that slow the film down to a crawl, and yet Robert Elswit's head-swimming cinematography is endlessly interesting (almost hallucinogenic). Is the picture a masterpiece? Some seem to think so, but I found Anderson far too enamored of his own ambiance. The characters themselves are interesting enough to make this world of porno-makers bracing to us--and the bitter, skeptical finish is darkly-comic instead of bold or 'shocking'--but "Boogie Nights" isn't the shattering personal experience many critics hailed it as. Then again, maybe that's just hype and that Anderson had no intention of hitting some people's nerves so hard. **1/2 from ****
-
Bagpuss-32 October 1999Most people have a view on pornography... except it would seem Paul Thomas Anderson. This film fails to tackle it's subject matter with any depth, it is neither funny, moving or shocking. It could and should have been all three. Instead it looks like PTA spent too long in film school instead of the real world. I kept waiting for the film to start... it eventually seemed to get going an hour and a half into the film. But by then it was too late... I didn't care about any of the characters and it descended into formulaic pap about divorced mum misses kids, good time girl wanting an education, arrogant stud turning cheap tricks, arrogant film maker having to face up to reality. A slice of violence and a happy ending. This is pure vomitsville...
-
J.E.C.23 January 1999The first time I saw "Boogie Nights" in a theater, I walked out flabbergasted. I'd never been that affected by a movie since "Pulp Fiction" (and that's saying a lot). After being numbed by a decade's worth of stark, Kevin Smith-style indie banalities, I just wasn't used to seeing a movie that covered that much emotional and cultural ground. I saw it three more times in the theater, never getting bored with it. I own it today on video. I really can't say enough great things about this amazing movie. A movie which will no doubt be regarded as a classic in years to come.
-
setheb228 October 2004The brilliance of this story delivers at least one skillfully crafted message to each viewer in the audience. This story is about success, it's about failure. It's about the choices you make in life and the choices others make for you. The story deals with self realization and determination on a scale so large, no camera angle could cover it. Within the grasp of each scene is resides an element marked for depiction within your imagination. Keep this in mind as you watch the movie; it's more than eye candy. The sexually suggestive, rarely explicit scenes serve only to distract and entertain you during the tedious process of character development.
-
Hippie692 October 1998Boogie Nights was without a doubt the best film of 1997. I could watch this movie over and over and over and still love it. I'm in no rush to watch that overblown romance/disaster epic Titanic again. The fact that Boogie Nights did not even receive a Best Picture nomination just goes to prove how predictable and narrow-minded the Academy is. Only Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter and Robert Zemeckis's Contact came close to being as great as Boogie Nights. No other filmmaker in recent years has come even remotely close to making a film as good as Tarantino's Pulp Fiction -- until now. Paul Thomas Anderson rose to the challenge and succeeded. Just as Tarantino gave John Travolta's career a kick, P.T. Anderson has given Burt Reynolds the kick that his career needs. Boogie Nights will also undoubtedly make stars of Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, and John Reilly. Overall, a wonderful film. The best since Pulp Fiction. Maybe even better.
-
kevin_robbins16 September 2021Boogie Nights (1997) is a movie I recently watched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a young man who hasn't lived up to his parents expectations but has found a way to make a living and get rich in a way they definitely wouldn't approve - porn. He quickly becomes famous due to his long member. Life in the 70s as a porn star contains many unique highlights but also many potential pitfalls. This movie is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will be Blood) and stars Mark Wahlberg (The Departed), Luis Guzmán (Traffic), Burt Reynolds (Smokey and the Bandit), Julianne Moore (Magnolia), Don Cheadle (Crash) and Heather Graham (Austin Powers). The storyline for this is so unique and well told. The depiction of the 70s was excellent as was the soundtrack. The acting is outstanding and the writing and dialogue was perfect as was Damon as the main character. The circumstances are hilarious and the end is perfection based on the storyline. Overall this is an underrated masterpiece that is a must see and an easy 10/10 that I'd strongly recommend.
-
moniker_jones4 November 2005Altman and Scorsese have twisted sex together in one of the greatest American films of the past 20 years. Boogie Nights didn't make a huge initial splash, and I still don't think it's received the credit it deserves. The immediate clamor surrounding the film ("Some porn movie with Marky Mark") was wholly without merit. What Paul Thomas Anderson has created is no less than a stunning representation of the pursuit and subsequent loss of the American Dream (if such a thing still exists).
For those of you who have been living in a box (or a confessional) for the past 8 years, Boogie Nights tells the literal rise-and-fall tale of young Eddie Adams (Wahlberg). Eddie is just a dopey kid from Torrance, California who wants something more out of life. His room is soaked in muscle-bound, naive Americana. His dreams are far bigger than his potential, but not quite as large as his...special gift. His bald-headed southern gent quickly raises the attention and eyebrows of the booming, omni-present adult film industry. Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds as the film's twinkle-eyed Papa Bear) gets wind of Eddie's hidden talent and decides to put him in a movie.
Before you can say "deep-throat," Eddie has changed his name to Dirk Diggler and exposed his massive member to a wide-eyed public. Fame and fortune make Dirk's acquaintance, as do a bevy of local porn celebs. His friends and co-workers become his makeshift family, but it soon proves to be a Sunday picnic like no other. As the feel-good 70s give way to the coke-addled, video-friendly 80s, Dirk & Co. begin a dangerous backslide.
Anderson put everything he had into this glorious, moving epic. It sizzles and never fizzles. Nary a frame of this monumental picture is wasted, and the characters and their dialogue live with us long after ELO fades from the soundtrack. See this one immediately. And then watch it again.
And again. -
dfields-26 December 1998Boogie Nights is an excellent period piece of the late 70s and early 80s porn industry, but is really just a fable about the dangers of egotism and self-indulgence. We watch Eddie transform from a simple good-hearted busboy to the biggest star of the adult cinema industry, with all the money, women and drugs that come with that fame. The movie ends with the predictable moral that taking yourself too seriously leads to failure, as we watch all of the actor-characters sink into their own personal hells, as they mistake their fame and money for personal talent and success, only to realize too late that they're being consumed by the business that feeds their instant gratification. Burt Reynolds is excellent as the father figure director who is the center of the group of porn actors he recruits. Bill Macy turns in his usual great performance in a small role as the cinematographer whose wife (played by Nina Hartley, as an inside joke to all the porn fans in the audience!) can't stop having very public sex with other men, every chance she gets.
-
socrates428 January 2019BOOGIE NIGHTS is a good movie about the adult film industry in the 1970's. It's portrayal of those films is fairly realistic. Some people will love this movie and some will hate it based on the subject matter alone.
I thought it was very well done, as I've come to expect from director Paul Thomas Anderson. It's not his best work, but it is certainly good and intriguing. Even at more than two and a half hours it doesn't seem a bit too long. The story and the acting are wonderful. Burt Reynolds gives a terrific performance. Recommend to all but those who would be offended by the topic. -
johnnyhbtvs2720 September 2021So many great characters, so many great arcs, an outstanding character piece. PTA's direction is bolstered by such an amazing cast.
-
Falcon-5119 April 2000The three names that mean the most to this film are Burt Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, and Julianne Moore. These three deliver the strongest performances, but the entire cast does a wonderful job. The film although about the porn industry does not let itself get out of hand with it's own sexual premise. On the other hand there were many scenes that involved drug use and although important to understanding the characters lifestyle, I think there was some overkill in this department. Paul Thomas Anderson has not done a great deal of directing, but he may have been picked for this film based on his 1988 work "The Dirk Diggler Story." One thing that was brilliantly portrayed is the family like atmosphere between the characters as they work, live, and party together. Although not a typical family they certainly seem to care for each other. The wonderful soundtrack really helps give you a feel for the period during a time when disco was the rage. There are many disco favorites on it and some other wonderful songs as well.
The story is about a gifted young man named Eddie Adams (Wahlberg) that gets invited into the porn industry. He changes his name to Dirk Diggler and becomes and adult film star almost overnight. Jack Horner (Reynolds) is the director that takes his films very seriously as he believes his work is more than just pornography, but that they are true art. However Dirk becomes overly dependent on drugs and soon heads down a dangerous road where he stands to loose everything. Although a greater focus is placed on the character Dirk there are subplots for the other characters and their trials in life. You will find yourself wishing for and hoping their situations improve. All-in-all a well done film. -
gw14318 February 2002"Boogie Nights" is a lot of talking, a lot of dialogue that goes nowhere. Not much happens, and if something does happen, it is of little or no consequence for the rest of the movie. A woman overdoses on cocaine at a party - she gets carted away to a hospital and is never seen or heard of again. One character shoots two people and then himself, and that's that. There are two other shootings later, but the survivors just walk away. No police ever show up. One character does land in prison, but for something else that isn't even part of the movie.
While the movie focuses on the Mark Wahlberg character, it does not exclusively follow his rise and fall as a porn actor. It occasionally follows other characters' lives (such as "Buck"'s) for no good reason, and it could have easily been an hour shorter if it hadn't digressed so many times. There are also scenes at the beginning which I suppose are meant to motivate the main character's actions - like his mother yelling at him. But he seemed to have already made up his mind anyway, so the glimpse into his home life doesn't really add much information, and since his parents are never seen again, it is yet another loose thread in a movie that has a lot of them.
There is a lot of drug use and some of the main characters spend quite a lot of time acting drugged out. But except in the case of that one overdose, which is treated as no big deal and not followed up on, the drug use seems to be of little consequence.
At best, this movie feels like a somewhat boring and rather tedious pseudo-documentary of the porn industry in the late 70's and early 80's. It even contains the making of a (pseudo-)documentary of the main character's career! Since a few other reviewers have commented that the documentary aspect of the movie is not very good (i.e. it is far from a true representation of the porn industry), I don't really know what's left of this movie that one might recommend.