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G. Robinson

An experience!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 April 2020

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In the 1970's the American adult film industry was riding high, there was lots of money to be made and lots of people were making 16mm films to be shown in theatres who specialised in such fare. Into this flourishing business comes seventeen year old Dirk Diggler and he is soon making films with established film maker Jack Horner and making a lot of money. How will he fare in this new environment, who will he meet and will making a lot of money make him happy?

Boogie Nights, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson who later went on to direct Magnolia and the magnificent There will be Blood, is firmly set within this fairly new industry and it's depiction of adult film production is warts and all from the start. Although not pornographic in itself, the film is able through great casting and a on point script to showcase those involved in the creation of adult content as ordinary people, for the most part, just making a living and even perhaps believing that what they were doing had at least some artistic merit.

With Andersons' trademark roaming camera often following people from place to place, his penchant for very long takes, whip pans and other unusual filmic techniques, this near three hour epic seems much shorter than it actually is. With a cast of genuinely superior actors populating our journey through late seventies Americana the subject matter of actual film production is in fact a sub plot. The real story is what the business actually did to many of the workers, not only physically but emotionally and psychologically. Marriages broken, relationships strained, the deadly effects of drugs and alcohol excess, the emergence of the Aids epidemic and the huge changes Home Video had on the industry in the early eighties. Of course all of this could so easily have been a depressing slog of colossal proportions if the script didn't inject enough humour and interesting situations to soften the edges. There is no doubt that before things got deadly in the eighties, the glory days of the seventies let a lot of people make a good living and had a lot of fun doing it.

Production values are very high, the beautiful lighting photography on fantastically realistic sets is really quite striking, as is the unusual editing with that certain stacato style later used to great effect on Magnolia. Costumes and set dressing are spot on and that whole seventies look is created with some aplomb. The foot tapping soundtrack is an added bonus if you can remember the time and, like Tarantino, each track feels like it fits perfectly into the scene it is in. Anderson and his music editor certainly have a talent in this respect.

In the final analysis Boogie Nights, although about the American adult film industry at it's height, is in fact a sprawling but at the same time intimate epic about a fairly small industry where everybody knew everybody else and that most viewers have little or no knowledge about.

If you are expecting Boogie Nights to be sexy, erotic or dripping with flesh on show because of the subject matter, you are going to be sorely disappointed. There are a couple of scenes of actual film production but it's all handled very tastefully with little nudity. The poor sets, the terrible stories and acting, low quality 16mm film stock, poor sound and filming on the fly in cold draughty rooms is skilfully injected into the awful and everyday ordinariness and acute unsexiness of filming a couple having sex on screen for a paying audience. The by the numbers routine of sex between two people reduced to a product for sale certainly removes any sense of eroticism. The sorrow and loneliness of those in the industry looking for love or perhaps more gives the final product a pervasive sadness that leaves a certain bitter aftertaste.

Andersons' rather enlightening commentary is quite refreshing. He seems like a genuine film maker with a genuine talent rather than a film school graduate who got lucky. He seems more interested in talking about the film you are watching and how it was made rather than showing off his film credentials or explaining how clever he is. Anderson comes over as a film maker who does what he wants to do rather than someone who does what someone else wants him to do. Sometimes he can't really explain why he does something and just says “it just felt right”. That is honest talent talking, you can't always explain art!

The time flies by.

2 people found this helpful

Pinky

A film I didn't need to watch

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2021

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I mistakenly thought Boogie Nights was about the disco era for some reason!!!? how wrong could I have been.Well for anyone who is particularly interested in the porn industry of the 70/80's and its cocaine driven exploits then maybe this is the film for you.For me personally I could have done without it and wished I had not bothered,really wasn't in the mood for this kind of thing,too depressing

One person found this helpful

Adam H

Epic and believable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 April 2022

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This director manages to get realistic and believable performances out of a group of characters who in the hands of a different filmmaker would be merely cliches and difficult to like.
Dazzling camera work, amazing attention to the1970s period detail, fabulous soundtrack, and a touch of humanity. Watch 'Magnolia' afterwards for a really great film night in.

Agent Cooper

Boogie Nights

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2012

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One of my all time favourite movies, a rollercoatser from begining to end. Lots of people have written excellent reviews, so no point in me going into the plot, superb acting etc.

Some people think this was based on John Holmes, although there may be parallels, it cannot be as Dirk Diggler makes comments about Holmes' movies during the film. See "Wonderland", which was based on Holmes's life.

I will add, however the music soundtrack is amazing, one of the best Ive heard. Totally captures the era.

UPDATE 16/5/12

I just bought this again from Amazon after all the reviews of the BlueRay being remstered, I wondered if the newest release DVD was too............and it is !!!!!!! Yay !!

Much clearer, more colourful and sharper picture. Its a pity they dont tell you these things in the review, but my gamble paid off !

6 people found this helpful

Mr. Z. Riaz

Boogie Nights Blu ray

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2021

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One of my fav movies. Unfortunately alot of people will think it's just about porn. But its soo much more. Easily Mark Whalbergs best film.

Racing car lady

Greatest movie ever, according to my husband.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2020

Verified Purchase

Bought this for my husband as he had accidentally included it in a pile of films he gave to the charity shop. It's his favourite film of all-time, so he's the one giving it 5* 😂

davina mccallion

Entertaining

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2021

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This is a very entertaining movie

Baz

Cult 90's Movie

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 November 2011

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This movie has become a cult classic of the 90's a bit like Scarface on Viagra. A tongue in cheek look at the porn industry in the 1970's & 80's. The picture quality is quite good without leaving you mesmerised but the main thing for me is that the content of this movie can deal with very dark subject matter at times but in a light & funny way, which will always make you go back & watch it.

One person found this helpful

marek

evocative

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2018

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an underrated movie of the rise of disco and the very naughty movie industry in the USA, well told mark wallberg is excellent.good cast ell worths look.

Jamie Hinton

This is one of my favourite movies of all time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2017

Verified Purchase

This is one of my favourite movies of all time. I love the style, acting, story, everything. It's a classic in my opinion.

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5 star		71%
4 star		11%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		11%

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