Rating: 
Summary: First Platinum Series release is better! Or so, I think so.
Review: I bought this DVD when it first came out, and I have to say it still is a great movie. However, there are two DVD versions of this film. The other day, I went to the video store to rent the 2 disc edition. Only because I was curious to listen to the actor's commentary and see the new deleted scene. Boy, I was really annoyed. I don't understand why people would go out, and spend [item price] just to get these additional goodies. First, I thought the actor's commentary track was too
pointless, and symbolic in a way. It also wasn't funny as people made it turn out to be. Second, the Becky scene didn't faze me one bit. I understand why they took that out. However, I don't understand why they had to push the Supplements on a second disc. The first Boogie Nights DVD had everything on one disc. The menu artwork was better too. Also, Paul Thomas Anderson's Solo Commentary is alot more interesting and entertaining than the actor's commentary on the 2 disc edition.He gives alot of insights and interesting facts on the making of the film. As for the actor's commentary, it's all about them.
Who cares?! Stick to the original Platinum Series. The picture and sound on the 2 disc, which claims to be remastered also looks the same as the original to me. If people don't own the original, then pick up the 2 disc edition. If you already own the original, stick to the original. There's really nothing worth watching here. This is still a good collection to your DVD library.
P.S., Look at the character biographies on the cast and crew bios, they're pretty amusing.
Rating: 
Summary: Notes on the "definitive" edition
Review: This is a great film that captures the sense of the time spot on. The cast couldn't be better. A few notes about the extras- the commentaries are excellent. The transfer and sound rate five stars. The second disc is a little weak. The deleted scenes with commentary are generally good, and commentary with them informative if a bit too reverential (PTA loves his actors). The John C. Reilly Files are not "all that." They consist of extended versions of three scenes where he is inventing the dialog as he goes along- a remarkable show of talent but you can see why they were cut short. Plus they are shown in a "keyhole" letterbox for some odd reason, and the quality is poor. As if they were shot with a small video cam? The cast and crew information is weak, consisting only of filmographies. The music video wraps it up (yawn). Not really enough to fill out a 2nd disc.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: This is the first movie of Mr. Anderson's that I became acquainted with. The second was "Magnolia" Ovious parallels can be drawn between the two in terms of style and presentation. "Boogie Nights" is an awesome achievement and is the first movie you come to realize just how good an actor Mark Wahlberg really is. This movie elevated him from more than just another pretty face to a true actor courtesy of a magnificent performance. It was actually heartbreaking to watch at times. Of course, the fact that he was surrounded by a stellar cast certainly contributed to such an impressive performance. This is a biting look at the porn industry of the 70s and is supposedly loosely based on the life of real-life porn king, John Holmes. Nonetheless, the performances are positively phenomenal. With a cast including Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Burt Reynolds, John C. Reily, the often overlooked Luis Guzman, Heather Graham; need I say more? It is an unflinching look at the industry and a rather distrubing one to be sure. There is also no real or structured "plot" per say, but the focus is on the impact this particular lifestyle had on the personal lives of the participants and those closest to them. This is an excellent exercise in character study and is most worthy of any movie collection. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You will NOT be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: P.T. Anderson's Best
Review: What a movie! For my money, it's P.T. Anderson's best. There's so much to love -- Burt Reynolds used to even better effect than John Travolta was in PULP FICTION, a script that performs the exceedingly difficult balancing act of making a poignant, resonant story with characters who are completely ridiculous and laughable, a Polaroid-perfect rendering of the 70s and early 80s, and of course the cast. But of course this is a review of the DVD specifically -- and it's really, really worth buyting. P.T. Anderson's commentary is among the best DVD commentaries I've ever heard, the deleted scenes include wonderful performances by Luis Guzman and Don Cheadle, and overall the special features are really satisfying. The packaging for this DVD is in a great faux-70s style and includes an essay on BOOGIE NIGHTS from Film Comment magazine. Totally awesome.
Rating:
Summary: You know, I'm gonna be a great big bright, shining star.
Review: this is definately my favorite film of all time. everything about it is flawless. i know i have seen this movie over 10 times and i never get tired of it. in fact i admire it more each time. the cinematography, acting, and directing is a dream. i love the way it goes so "high" and falls so low and then evens out. buy it and don't ask questions. this is one of the greatest movies i have ever seen. don't be scared of mark wahlberg, he can act!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT cultural history
Review: Aside from the fabulous cast, strong script, and flawless direction, I love this film for its willingness to portray such a controversial subject/industry so vividly, yet refrain from putting its own moral spin on it. Anderson's film shows porn, the people who make it and the people who consume it, with disarming equanimity. We see that they are silly, horrifically superficial, not terribly bright (except for the director and producers), completely amoral, shameless, sentimental, having INCREDIBLY bad taste in just about EVEYRTHING, greedy, corrupt, kind of dead inside. Yet we can't help liking all of his characters, no matter what we see them do---because Thomas makes them HUMAN. Just like us, whether we want to admit it or not. One scene that especially resonates: when they randomly pick up the suburban frat boy for a spontaneous videotaped sex scene, who immediately and madly wants to screw the porn actress yet feels himself to be morally superior to her at the same time. THAT, alas, is America and its relationship to pornography, flawlessly distilled.
Rating:
Summary: SHOCKINGLY REAL
Review: Wake up call to those who think that the world of pornography is an innocent one. This shows the true side of the dark business in a raw, no-holds-barred kind of way. Is this movie explicit? Definitely. It holds nothing back. You'll empathize with the characters, and hate them at the same time. At some parts in the movie, you may be seriously disturbed. Some characters are not who you think they are. Pay close attention to talented actor Don Cheadle (plays the part of Buck Swope), his character is most possibly one of the most unique. This movie is somewhat like "The Pornographer," but is much more subtle about morality issues. I praise the Pornographer for how little it uses nudity and sex in the movie and is still brilliant (ie, doesn't need all that to make it a good movie. Makes it show that it is one hell of a film). I thought that maybe Boogie Nights would of gone better in that direction, but at the same time, good old, straight up reality made it unique on it's own. At the end of the movie you might possibly be wondering, "Does this movie portray pornography as dark and immoral, or glorify it?" A good question to ponder.
Rating:
Summary: Funnier than hell . . .
Review: also very dark, emotional and outrageously good. It's a fable, but incredibly real and humanistic in ways that few Hollywood films are. Fantastic ensemble acting, and like Pulp Fiction, an invigorating shock. They should give Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore medals of honor for taking an incredible risk on such controversial material. At times it's hard to believe they're saying what their saying, but that's the virtue of Boogie Nights, that such a vulgar subject can be addressed with clarity, honesty and compassion. But I don't pass judgement on the porn industry--they're as human as anyone, perhaps more so. The true slime of the universe are politicians and criminal defense lawyers.
Rating:
Summary: Dirk Diggler -- a powerful name!
Review: Mark Wahlberg is a star as Eddie Albert-turned-Dirk Diggler, porn star extraordinaire. Naive teenaged Eddie flees his awful homelife in the 1970s and becomes a porn star (due to being very well-endowed). He lives in a house with a star porn director (Burt Reynolds) and his actors (Julianne Moore as Amber Waves, Heather Graham as Rollergirl -- who always wears roller skates), each with their own issues and problems. The film spans 10 years of the rise and fall of the fortune and career of Dirk Diggler ("the name is just so powerful" says Eddie, his eyes shining in such a way that you see he really believes it) and his cohorts. It is a clever film, well-directed and well-acted, about a little-known and much-talked-about industry.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: Easily one of my favorite five movies. Great cinematography (which is something I usually never notice, much less care about), great cast, great non-derivative storyline -- it wraps up nicely at the end, if not happily. Having seen the contents of both the original and the 2-disc DVD, I will echo other users' comments it's not worth spending the extra cheese for what little you get. I feel this is a far more gripping movie than the director's follow-up, "Magnolia". I badly wanted to like it, but could not. That film convinced me that there is a very good reason that directors shouldn't get carte blanche on final cut, as P.T. Anderson had for that film. Finally, the two music soundtracks for this movie are excellent.
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