Rating: 
Summary: Not intended for mass consumption
Review: This movie isn't for everyone. First, the subject matter is not for the weak of heart. Second, the ironic truth is that the subject matter has almost nothing to do with the reasons this film is so highly regarded. While the behind-the-scenes look at the porn industry is interesting in its own right, it serves as a mere backdrop to the cast of characters we follow through the story. Brilliantly told, this is a story about people and their reactions to the excesses of the late 70's / early 80's Hollywood sex scene. Boogie Nights is a must see for anyone who appreciates filmmaking.It's not the story, it's the story teller.
Rating: 
Summary: Video killed the porno star...
Review: "Film history... right here on video tape." BOOGIE NIGHTS is an ensemble story covering the rise and decline of an era. And like AMERICAN GRAFITTI before it, the stories are supported by music that was so important in defining the period. But, BOOGIE NIGHTS abandons any optimism that GRAFITTI had. This film had an immediate polarizing effect on the audience, many placing it on a pedestal as the new voice of film and the other half claiming it was the beginning of the end for American Cinema. With time taking us away from all the hype we see that the film falls nicely between the two poles. BOOGIE NIGHTS is an extremely well executed film that puts pornography in the limelight. The subject matter in itself helped in sifting out the more conservative audience, and those that it kept away were better off as the film splurged itself on sleaze. The film is filled with quirky characters that would be very funny if it weren't for their basis in reality. What starts off as fun descends to pain as the sex, drugs and rock and roll of the late Seventies gives way to a less extreme eighties. That change has a tremendous effect on the ensemble as their personal successes were based firmly on the former ideals. Mark Wahlberg is Dirk Diggler, a porno star of great... ummm... stature. And he is surround by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Riley, Ricky Jay, William C. Macy, Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham and Burt Reynolds in a pure star power role as Director Jack Horner. That group is extremely well performed, even when the film occasionally meanders. At times, the film approaches irrelevant material much in the way a Robert Altman film, by making it about the experience, not the story. Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson does a great job of re-creating an era we were lucky to leave in one piece. And with this, only his second feature, he promises to be a leading filmmaker for years. His follow-up feature MAGNOLIA received a similar response as this film. The Deluxe DVD set is in itself a film workshop, filled with great commentary, loaded with deleted scenes and musical cues. Blame it on the Boogie.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Nothing
Review: This movie goes on and on and has nothing to say. Simply put, there's no plot. The plot arc is completely linear. On and on and on. What's the point?
Rating:
Summary: Dance Fever!
Review: Boogie Nights is a sprawling masterpiece. Paul Thomas Anderson takes us into the world of 1970s and early 1980s porn, and in the process makes a striking, if not bleak, commentary on American culture. We follow his cast of characters--namely the young Eddy Adams, the patriarchal Jack Horner, the maternal Amber Waves,and rollergirl--through the rise and fall of the porn industry. For true movie viewers, this is more than a film about porn. Anderson's dazzling camera work and incredible dialouge (which I might add is incredibly witty) shows us the human side to people whom, for most Americans, are often cast in the light of commodifiers of sex. This family of pornographers have hearts too, and like many Americans, they are searching for something bigger and better in their lives. More, Anderson's work of art is a commentary on the excess of the 1970s that exploded into the capitalism of the Reagan era.
In this regard, if any one ever deserved a five minute Oscar, it is Alfred Molina with his portrayal of Rehyand (s.p.) Jackson, the coked up, L.A., quasi-gay drug dealer in search of friends and who ultimately finds a night of partying turned sour as Dirk, Reed, and Todd Parker try to "score a little extra cash."
Anderson is one of the most gifted directors to come around in years, and the actors play their parts with such stark reality. At the very beginning Anderson sets a party tone, but the movie, and thus the camera, cover the broad spectrum of human emmotions. John C. Reilly, Mark Wahlberg, Phillip Seymour Thomas, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, and Don Cheadle, among others, all put in some of the best performances--individual and as an ensemble--that have hit the big screen in recent years. A work of true virtuosity, Anderson's Boogie Nights ranks as one of the best films of all time. On a lighter note, the soundtrack makes for good listening.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it. Loved it....did I mention I loved it?
Review: I held my breath numerous times during the course of this glorious...porn epic, for lack of a better term...and I still feel breathless whenever I talk about it amongst friends who can truly appreciate its provocative statement about American culture. This is a fantastic movie. Fantastic! Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds give absolutely stellar performances and Mark Wahlberg, who will definitely stand the test of time as one of the hottest men in late 20th century film, is surprisingly good. The rest of the cast sparkles. I can't seem to find the right words to praise it enough. It's an experience that will undoubtedly affect you. Is it possible that I was jealous of the familial love shared between these characters? They're porn stars! Oh my gosh! I felt so much compassion for them -- I almost forgot I was watching a movie at all. You live this along with them. At times it can be long, but it's worth every second in the end. Oh...the end. [insert drool here]
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Period Piece
Review: "Marky Mark" Wahlberg (I'll bet he hates that by now) is Dirk Diggler (the man with the 13-inch talent), but Julianne Moore shows off more than just her skin in an Oscar-nominated performance that encompasses all the emotions. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson deftly juggles over a dozen major characters in this story of the ups and downs of the minds and bodies behind the adult film industry of the late 70's and early 80's. The also nominated Burt Reynolds finally shows everyone else what many knew--he doesn't always have to play "Burt Reynolds." Watch out for Michael Penn (folk-rock singer and the film's composer) and Robert Downey, Sr., in the music studio.
Rating:
Summary: A DVD with the Highest Quality Fidelity
Review: Boogie Nights is not the greatest movie of all time, but the DVD package may be the best one available on the market at this time. The film looks great and especially sounds great if you have the sound hooked up to a receiver and high quality speakers. The music of the 70s never sounded better! About the movie itself. This movie is hilarious, depressing, entertaining and thought-provoking all in one shot. Great performances abound, particularly from Burt Reynolds, the late Robert Ridgely (the Colonel), Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heather Graham (who you get to see quite a bit of in this movie, in more ways than one). Mark Wahlberg is totally convincing as the "gifted" teenager with brains the size of peanuts while John C. Reilley personifies the classic 70's porno star (lots of hair and ugly as sin). The latter two character's give and take throughout the movie is one of its strong points. The story deals very little with actual porno filmmaking but more about the life and family of the folks involved in this type of life. It is thoroughly convincing. My only real complaint about the film is that it drags during the time that Dirk Diggler (Wahlberg) is out of the porno business and is trying to make it in other things, like music (although the recording scene is hilarious). A great movie for people who like simple pleasures, like lollipops in their mouth and .... (sorry, you have to see the movie to complete the sentence).
Rating:
Summary: Let the Heat Rock You!
Review: My personal indication to a good DVD is how many times I find myself going back to it for more. This seems to be the case for Boogie Nights. Yeah, it seems a bit ridiculous to have an additional 'extras' disc that doesn't include trailers or a feature documentary but hey I have high standards. Besides, the ultra 70's Orange and Brown packaging more than make up for my pet peeves because it's actually fun to take out of your collection and open it up! The Menu's are designed in the same vein and the music makes you want to dance before you select anything. It's nice to spend money on a disc that has had time and effort put into it rather than just being slapping in a keep case and costing 20-30 bucks. So it goes without saying that fans of 'Boogie Nights' will be very satisfied and it's clear that although other 'special editions' have come more fully packed the attention to detail alone makes this DVD a must have. The transfer and sound are flawless. In fact this is one of the few movies that makes you actually crank up the volume. The scene where the gang dances to 'J. P. Walk' at Maurice's disco makes you glad you bought 5.1 sound or at least hooked your DVD player into your stereo. So again I wanted to get up and dance. Two good commentary tracks supply even more humor and insight into one of the most unique films of the 90's. Although P.T Anderson may have been dragged into doing his track he offers one of the most natural, honest and refreshing director commentaries I've heard in awhile. And I agree that John C. Reilley is a genius. Despite my complaining, the extra 'extras' disc is still worth its weight with its inclusion of 10 deleted scenes that actually lasts more than 7 seconds like most and add more development to the story. The best by far being the very last which depicts Dirk attempting to rescue Becky Barrnet from a rather violent domestic. Fleetwood Mac never sounded so good!? The often-tepid filmography and bios are spruced up with correlating bios of an actor's respective character which just adds more insight and besides a true 'Boogie Night' geek needs to know all the Dirk Diggler titles. Although a video for 'You got the Touch' would have been preferred (I swear that's a Survivor song) the Michael Penn video directed by P.T. Anderson is still pretty cool in his standard 1 take way. And all I have to say about the John C. Reilley Files is: 'sensiTIVE!!' All in all like my other favorite DVD titles like 'Spinal Tap' and 'Evil Dead 2' I constantly go back to find my favorite moments and watch them with my friends. Something I can't say about other DVDs. The biggest compliment is taken from my complaint; that I wanted more! For a 152-minute movie I sure didn't want it to end when I first saw it in the theater. The DVD is the same way. In a short while I exhausted the extras and again I didn't want it to end. I guess it proves Dirk Diggler was right. The heat will rock you!
Rating:
Summary: The film that made the world take Mark Wahlberg seriously
Review: Boogie Nights is essentially a modern re-telling of the Prodigal Son: an aspiring adult entertainer (Wahlberg) is taken under the wing of a director, Jack Horner (Reynolds), rises to popularity, abandons him, takes a downward spiral through drugs and decadence, and reunites with Jack. Director Paul Thomas Anderson is a gifted, articulate screenwriter who knows how to create real settings, natural dialogue, and nuanced characters. This is the film that made the world take Mark Wahlberg seriously, and without "Boogie Nights," he would have never been able to star in big-budget powerhouses like "the Perfect Storm" and "Planet of the Apes." Memo to DVD owners: pay special attention to the deleted scenes on disc 2; they're a real treat! Also check out Anderson's commentaries: he never runs out of interesting things to say.
Rating:
Summary: Fady Ghaly's reviews
Review: After completing production for Hard Eight (also known as Last Exit Reno and Sydney: Hard Eight), a film that was critically-praised for its complex performances and authenticity in human psychology, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson was declared as Most Promising Director of 1997. In late of that precise year, he fulfilled that very promise with the release of an even more critically-praised film that has been a comparison to the films of Martin Scorsese and Robert Altman, and that film is entitled “Boogie Nights.” For this thirty-one-year-old—twenty-seven at the time—this was a breakthrough film he, in fact, had great inspiration to make long before it was even released at the early age of seventeen. It was then that he put together a 30-minute short film that was written and shot like a Spinal Tap documentary regarding the rise and fall of the illustrious Dirk Diggler. The short film, simply entitled “The Dirk Diggler Story”, was shot on video and edited from VCR to VCR. His father narrated it in a way that had you think you were watching an E! true Hollywood story, but soon enough a documentary was something it was far from looking like. Although school as a teenager never appealed to him as he had lacked to show any enthusiasm, Anderson’s story was ultimately re-written into a feature film that was far from merely being one to come and go and become long forgotten. And who says you’ll go nowhere in life without having to go to school? Anderson always wanted to be a filmmaker, and watching movies was the only education he needed. The year is nineteen-seventy-seven. The city is Los Angeles, and adult filmmaker Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) meets Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a well-endowed dishwasher in a nightclub who may just be the answer Jack’s been looking for to revolutionize the adult entertainment industry. “I got a feeling,” Jack tells him, “that behind those jeans is something wonderful just waiting to get out.” He recruits Eddie to be his newest star and Eddie, thirsty for fame, promptly agrees, changing his name to Dirk Diggler. Soon Dirk is the hottest, most talked about star in the adult entertainment industry, alongside Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), the veteran star who mourns for the son she’s strictly not permitted to visit because of her lifestyle and the inappropriate environment which encircles her, and Rollergirl (Heather Graham), a high school dropout who’s apparently never even had the slightest thought of removing her roller skates. On the peripherals, Little Bill (William H. Macy) seethes with rage while his wife cheats on him in public, Buck Swope (Don Cheadle) tries to elude the stigma of being a porn actor, and Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly) refuses to deal with the “aging cycle” as he strives to have others think differently of him by persistently acting out as someone he’s clearly no longer capable of being, while Maurice T. Rodriguez (Luis Guzman) is a club manager who dreams of being in one of Jack’s films and yet fears that his genitals may not be large enough. (One of the many deleted scenes in both DVDs will show that.)
The good times roll and throughout them did I ever laugh (especially in such classic scenes as the ones where both Dirk and Reed are joined when playing the rolls of Brock & Chest in a James Bond-like series), but before long Dirk falls victim to the pressures of stardom and a drug habit that ruins his career, as, in reality, has it to so many others in this industry, while Jack struggles with porn’s conversion from film to cheaper videotapes. Anderson set out to write a narrative that had a large and complex cast of characters, which proved to be a challenge because of the enormity of the project. But at the same time, completing the feat on schedule with a modest budget was his greatest reward. At the heart of the narrative is how the diverse players in an adult entertainment industry come together to form a makeshift family—comically dysfunctional in many ways—but a family nonetheless. Their lives are entwined in mutual experiences that range from the flourishing highs to the brooding lows. “These characters are all searching for their dignity,” says Anderson. “They’re just trying to find themselves.” He initially had Leonardo DiCaprio in mind for the lead roll of Dirk Diggler, but, and I don’t know about you but thankfully, DiCaprio couldn’t get involved in the project because he was busy with another—James Cameron’s ever so long and tedious and gushy Titanic, which makes men who are watching it feel like women, or made me feel that way, anyway. So he ultimately, after seeing what Mark Wahlberg can do in The Basketball Diaries and Fear, came across him in a coffee shop with the script, and one director’s dream took a major step to becoming a reality from there. Now I don’t know about you but casting Wahlberg for the lead roll was a very wise choice to make, as Anderson himself admitted and even went as far as saying that he was glad he got Wahlberg instead, because by making that choice, Wahlberg then grew to be this very flamboyant actor with plenty of other rolls as significant as the one here being thrown at him, as that particular roll was the one that obviously claimed him to fame, as Heather Graham’s in the film too did the same. (Others say Graham’s roll in Drugstore Cowboy was the one to do so, but I think it merely got her noticed.) And if you’re wondering why John C. Reilly has yet been in all of Anderson’s feature films, including one of his short ones entitled “Flagpole Special”, it’s simply because Reilly, next to the middle-aged, sad-looking Philip Baker Hall, happens to be his most beloved actor. (“The simple look of his face makes me smile,” Anderson acknowledges.) Boogie Nights, a classic Hollywood story that can relate to many others in the industry who’ve hit the low road, is an exhilarating ride along the underbelly of the nineteen-seventies, featuring colorful camera work, a dynamic seventies soundtrack, and tremendous performances from the entire cast, most distinguishably Reynolds’ in an Oscar-nominated comeback roll. (...) Boogie Nights has the quality of many great films, in that it always appears to be alive and involves us in the moment-to-moment sensation of seeing these people’s lives as they are lived. In his profession, Anderson is a proficient reporter who fills his screen with understated, genuine details. The man is in love with his camera, and somewhat of a showoff in sequences inspired by Robert De Niro’s rehearsal in the mirror in Raging Bull, the renowned nightclub entrance in Goodfellas, and a shot in I Am Cuba where the camera pursues a woman inside a swimming pool.
Boogie Nights is, beyond any doubt, what good drama is all about, what brilliant directing is all made of.
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