Call it the consummate example of director-as-DJ, at least for now.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:50
Fresh:47
Rotten:3
Average Rating:8.3/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 35 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: It's Los Angeles, 1977, and adult film director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) meets Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a well-endowed dishwasher in a nightclub. Jack recruits Eddie to be his newest star... It's Los Angeles, 1977, and adult film director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) meets Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a well-endowed dishwasher in a nightclub. Jack recruits Eddie to be his newest star and Eddie, hungry for fame, quickly agrees, changing his name to Dirk Diggler. Soon Dirk is the hottest star in the porn industry, alongside Rollergirl (Heather Graham), a high school dropout who never removes her roller skates, and Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), the veteran star who pines for the son she's not allowed to visit. On the fringes, Little Bill (William H. Macy) fumes while his wife cheats on him in public, and Buck Swope (Don Cheadle) tries to escape the stigma of being a porn actor. The good times roll, but before long Dirk falls victim to the pressures of stardom and a drug habit that ruins his career while Jack struggles with porn's conversion from film to cheaper videotapes. Director Paul Thomas Anderson's breakthrough film is an exhilarating ride along the underbelly of the 1970s inspired by the films of Altman and Scorsese, featuring colorful camera work, a dynamic soundtrack, and excellent performances from the entire cast, most notably Reynolds in an Oscar-nominated comeback role. [More]
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Luis Guzmán, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Thomas Jane, Ricky Jay, Alfred Molina, Robert Ridgely, Melora Walters, Nina Hartley, Michael Jace, Jack Wallace, John Doe, Joanna Gleason, Laurel Holloman, Rico Bueno, Lexi Leigh, Tony Tedeschi, Skye Blue, Summer Cummings, Veronica Hart, Greg Lauren, Jonathan Quint, Robert Downey
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Screenwriter: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Paul Thomas Anderson, Joanne Sellar, Lloyd Levin
Composer: Michael Penn
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Reviews for Boogie Nights
...Paul Thomas Anderson cements his reputation as one of the most gifted filmmakers of his generation...
Considering the potentially explosive nature of the yarn, set in the porn world, Anderson's strategy is remarkably nonjudgmental and nonsensationalistic, largely due to his love and respect for all the characters and his impressive storytelling skills.
Anderson eloquently blends these characters together for a tantalizing seriocomic medley. He keeps his proceedings glossy and tantalizing, while steady and harshly real.
This film will hit a huge chord with those who weren't in diapers in the 70's, but people who missed the era should find penty to enjoy as well.
I would be lying if I said that Boogie Nights is anything but a perfect movie; at the very least, it is a film that delivers everything I am looking for in a film.
Anderson creates a strong ensemble piece that explores the reasons and motivations people got into making porn.
Boogie Nights never exactly recovers the tightness of its first hour, but it certainly doesn't descend into permanent disorganization as some critics have charged.
...scrupulous about presenting these guileless, sad creatures to the point that they seem less than interesting.
If it weren't for the porn, drugs, and violence, this would be an ideal movie to take the kids to. It's all about belonging, and sticking with your family.
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