Boogie Nights (1997) [ID3967LI]Movie:
Paul Thomas Anderson has directed some of the most prolific movies of the 2000s, such as Magnolia and There Will Be Blood, but before that he carved his name out with some independent films, such as 1997's Boogie Nights. An oft overlooked classic of the late 90's(at least in my social circles), Boogie Nights may be the greatest pornography based epic of all time. Hell, it may be the only pornographic epic of all time. On top of that, it carves its own as a masterful period piece, and a moving personal journey.
The tale may not quite be as old as time - a high school dropout makes his fame in the Golden Age of Pornography in the 70s, only to fall apart as the 80s watches the industry he made his name in turn on him, but it is a tale we've seen before. It tells of a man who rises to great fame, only to become irrelevant and obscure with the waves of time. It paints a lovely picture of a time period I was never a part of, and without it, would never understand. It tells of the excess of the 70s, and the crash of the 80s in one of the most graphic tales I've ever seen. You want excessive sex scenes? You've got em. Escaping the wrath of a drug lord? Check. A sweet soundtrack that will rock your viewing environment? That's there too. Mark Wahlberg in his first serious acting role? Boom, it's all there in one of the more colorful I've seen on Laserdisc
Of course, during the 155 minute runtime of the film, there's much more than that. But here's where this film gets tough to describe - there's so much going on at any one time in the film that it would be tough to sum up in any one paragraph like it is for other movies. But with all of the crisscrossing story lines going on parallel to each other, not a single one gets lost in the mix, or feels unnecessary in the grand scheme of the film's world.
One last thing regarding this masterful film - its ensemble cast may be one of the best casts ever assembled - Don Cheedle, William H. Macy, Jullian Moore, Burt Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, and even a few cameos by real p0rn industry actors really seal the deal on this film's sense of authenticity. I wasn't born until 1995, but I felt like I existed in their world, felt what they felt, and had an enveloping sense of closure and satisfaction as the credits rolled.
Video:
Shot on a myriad of formats - 35mm anamorphic for the real life scenes, 16mm for the p0rn scenes, and even video tape for the 80's p0rn scenes, Boogie Nights looks as good as one can expect from a mid 1990's Laserdisc. Scenes from real life are full of color and generally detail is excellent, with an authentic filmic feel to it - there weren't any digitally manipulated effects scenes that my eyes saw, which suits the period film feeling generated. Sourced from what I can only assume was a mint condition interpositive, print damage is nonexistant unless intentionally placed there. From this reviewer's perspective, an eye popping Laserdisc does Boogie Nights make.
Audio:
Released to theaters with a 6 track Dolby Digital soundtrack, Boogie Nights features all of the subtleties of the finest country western 8 track tapes played through your TK-421 modified Hi Fi Stereo System. Perhaps Quadrophonic would be a more appropriate title given, seeing as there's some mild surround activity - especially during the party scenes. Generally, seeing as it is a dialogue driven film, your front soundstage will see most of the action. Your LFE channel will see plenty of action too - 70s and 80s music is brought to life through the beats and rhythms of bass, and it shows through this film's driving LFE reproduction. Is it the most exciting AC-3 track on Laserdisc? Probably not. Is it an accurate representation of how the movie sounds? Being that I was two when this film made its rounds in theaters, I'm going to assume it does, as I can't imagine it sounding any more active or exciting than it sounds here on Laserdisc.
Overall:
Paul Thomas Anderson's first big break into motion picture may be one of his finest, and perhaps the greatest film to ever portray the pornography industry. Keep an eye out for this one, it's a gem if there ever was one, although the criterion release has more goodies to its name. This one should be found relatively cheap( I had my parent acquire it at a local record store, boy was that awkward when they learned what it was about) for around 5 dollars. I wholeheartedly recommend Boogie Nights. Great cast, great soundtrack, great movie.
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