Project-Blu 'Boogie Nights' Blu-ray Review, By Nate Boss

Boogie Nights

By: Nate Boss, 1.27.2010

The Movie Itself:
Project-Blu Points Bulletin (The PB PB)

Pro:
PT Anderson on Blu-ray. The more, the better!
Possibly the best film on porn available.
Burt Reynolds. A superb performance by Burt Reynolds.

Con:
Mark Wahlberg is less than convincing as a super hung youth.
Not once does Wahlberg say "say hi to your mudda for me."
Julianne Moore doesn't sell her role, as the experienced porn vet.

The way I look at things, males between the ages of 15 and 50 are driven by one thing, and one thing alone: whatever their penis wants. I'm no scientist, but considering erections are the result of hormones and blood flow, and it's not like the blood magically appears and disappears every time a male gets excited, it seems somewhat obvious that the same amount of blood needed to operate the brain also operates the littler, more irrational brain. Both cannot coexist at the same time. They're like Darth Sidious and the Pope. Have you ever noticed that neither of them are in the same room at the same time? It's almost like how Clark Kent and Superman are never face to face, really.

So, why start a review discussing the whims of the male member, and the trouble that it can get its owner into? When the film being discussed exists solely due to one oversized Herculean mass of genitalia, and the porn industry that employs said horse sized dong, it's only fair.

Meet Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg, back when you could call him Marky). He's a busboy at a popular nightclub in the San Fernando Valley in 1977. He also works at a car wash, and earns some money on the side from parties interested in seeing little Eddie, or watching big Eddie scold his engorged counterpart. A chance meeting with porn director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) at the club gets Eddie noticed, and soon he's on the set of his first porn, where he begins using his new monicker: Dirk Diggler.

Fame and fortune come fast for the newly dubbed Diggler, as his acting abilities, coupled with the fact that his penis is the size of a full grown midget, earn him award after award. Best newcomer. Best actor. Best cock. He's got it all, according to the porn awards, at least. He's not alone in the 'biz, as Horner has a whole stable of talent, from the motherly Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), to the not too bright Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly), who becomes Dirk's best friend. The men behind the camera, the gaffers, tapers, fluffers (wait, what?), and boom mic holders all play a part in this extended family. A family that fucks each other.

Of course, with fame comes infamy, as Dirk soon forgets his humble beginnings and lets his cock go to his head (not literally). Drugs also wreck the jackhammering ability of the human jackhammer, leading to failed ventures and eventual crime. The world of porn is changing in these pivotal years. Newer, younger talent will spawn, and have their turn in the spotlight. Everyone has that one special thing. Dirk just have to hope there's more to him than his dirk, his diggling diggler. Penis.

What a second feature! If you were told the man who wrote and directed Boogie Nights had only one film before, not knowing the true backstory of the film, you'd call me a lying son of a bitch, but Paul Thomas Anderson had only one real feature under his belt, Cigarettes & Coffee, before his breakout film. Like many a director, he made an earlier attempt at the film, titled The Dirk Diggler Story.

Why does the film work so good? Start with the all-star cast. Role call! Luis Guzman. Reynolds and Moore (who each got Oscar noms!). Reilly and Wahlberg. Don Cheadle. Heather Graham. William H. Macy. Philip Seymour Hoffman. Philip Baker Hall. Thomas Jane. Michael Penn. Robert Downey Sr, and Alfred Molina. Not to mention a bevy of porn stars (or would that be a gaggle of porn stars? Flock? Nest? Roost?). Much like a blowie, that's a mouthful right there. Each actor brings something truly unique to their roles. Take Graham for example. Not only does the buxom young lass do the first naughty scene in the film, she's in skates. The. Entire. Time. Dancing, even, in choreograph. She's a marvel here, before she made it big and made it annoying.

There has been films on porn before, and there have been films on porn since, but none have ever come close to the honesty and depravity of Boogie Nights. It's an interesting subject, porn, and the men and women behind it, but most films of the ilk are fantasized too much, or dramatized to the point that they're not interesting, just soap operas with fucking. Wonderland was a fucking joke, I'll say it outright. Terrible. Dirk Diggler is the best way to show a story of Mr. John Holmes, anyways, as the true story is too messed up, too flawed, too real. You need fiction to be able to empathize and sympathize with the character. A clean slate, where you can connect with the changes and life of the lead character.

Boogie Nights has its issues, though, no matter how good it is. Running at a not-too lean 155 minutes, there is a wide amount of subplots that can be removed without hurting the arc of the film one iota. There aren't any poor performances, and the casting is nearly perfect, while humor is found easily in Reilly and Wahlberg's interactions, as well as Seymour Hoffman's constant rejection. When first seeing Brock Landers and Chest Rockwell, it's impossible to not laugh. But what's not laughable is the lingering, prolonged downfall of nearly every character in the third act of the film. There's also the problem with connecting to characters. There is no one we are able to truly relate to in the film, as everyone is an exaggeration, an extremity.

Boogie Nights isn't for everyone. It would also be either the most disastrous first date ever (or, perhaps, the best first date ever, if you know what I mean). The film is dark and dirty, with little to no signs of life or hope to be found. It's real, though. It's damningly real. The hard thing, in my eyes, is replay value. This film has to be experienced, but after that happens....rewatching it? Reliving the tale of self destruction? That doesn't exactly sound fun. Fans may prove me wrong on that point, but I really don't see myself ever having the urge (or time) to sit down to boogie with Boogie Nights again for a long, long time.
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
Boogie Nights boogies its way onto Blu-ray with a VC-1 encode that makes you forget how lame my attempt was at using the word boogie in this sentence.

If only all catalog titles were preserved this well, and looked this good. If that were the case, I'd buy every Blu-ray on the market. (That means this looks really REALLY good, folks.)

Skin tones are natural, occasionally wearing their lighting (aka weird lighting in scenes can give an orange tint, but that is natural to the filming environment). Colors pop with great vibrancy, solid boldness, never banding, no matter what is going on, no matter how big a solid color background can get, and that's saying something considering the flamboyant pastels on display! There is an infinite amount of detail in facial features, with no apparent DNR issues (or at least, none worth even worrying about if they're there, as the results speak for themselves). Edges are beautiful, simply beautiful. Contrast is spot on accurate, though delineation is spotty at best, more on the weak side of the scale. There's a few small dirt splotches on the source, as well as a few digital noise onslaughts, but still...this transfer is an amazing, amazing bit of art. Kudos to New Line Cinema for giving high def consumers a real treat here!

Get ready to boogie with Boogie Nights' Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix!!!!!

For a catalog title, thirteen years old now, that only cost 15 million dollars, Boogie Nights sounds fantastic. It's not a modern actioner, but one cannot expect that kind of miracle (not only that, but that would kinda change the entire film...). It is what it is, solid, a great track.

Dialogue, the driving factor in this talkie, is mostly clean and clear. Mostly. I have to give it mad props, as it is rare that I am ever able to understand dialogue from Luis Guzman, but every single line from the actor comes through crystal clear, even in crowded clubs with bumping music. That said, there is some random weird pops in dialogue, particularly in yelling and high pitched, emotional scenes. There were also a few areas where the soundtrack to the film overpowered the words. Based on the volume levels of the music in those scenes, compared to the rest of the film, it seems to be a directorial choice, but it does leave a few lines in the proverbial dust.

Bass levels are unusually soft, even in the scene demoing stereo setups showing off bass power. I suppose this is more artistic design (or budget restraint). The surround speakers get a nice bit of ambience, and some good soundtrack licks, but activity, localization, and movement is pretty much dead in this regard. I really enjoyed the intentional audio blips replicating the low end equipment of the time, made to work off of cheapness rather than quality. A fun listen, full of character.
Rating: 8/10 (video score: 8.9/10, audio score: 7.7/10)

The Extras:

Audio Commentary with Paul Thomas Anderson.

Audio Commentary with Don CHeadle, Heather Graham, Luis Guzman, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Mark Wahlberg, and Melora Walters

Additional Scenes

Michael Penn Try Music Video

The John C. Reilly Files: Outtakes and Extended Sequences

Trailer
Rating: 5/10

Overall:
Boogie Nights. Infamous. Scandalous. Awesome. It's all three, really. A brutal look at the ups and downs of the porn industry, which is hardly preachy, or moral. Many great performances, a great script, and superb direction make a classic film. A classic film that is a really, REALLY difficult watch. This Blu-ray makes it look as good as it ever will, for sure.
Rating: 8/10