Films To Watch Before You Die #60 - Boogie Nights (1997)

D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die...

Boogie Nights, 1997.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, Heather Graham and William H. Macy.

Boogie Nights is the story of Dirk Diggler (Wahlberg) and how he and his extremely large penis take the Golden Age of Porn by storm as success brings him everything he dreamed of before he loses it all.

Eddie Adams is a nobody working in a San Fernando Valley nightclub when porn director Jack Horner (Reynolds) discovers him. After and audition that sees Jack watch Adams have sex with Rollergirl (Graham), a roller skate wearing porn starlet, he is thrown into the industry and takes on the screen name Dirk Diggler.

Diggler achieves huge success and stars in a host of action themed porn films with his friends Reed Rothchild (Reilly). As the money rolls in Diggler is able to buy everything he dreamed of – a house, an extensive wardrobe and his prized Chevrolet Corvette. The big movers and shakers of the Golden Age of Porn live the dream as they all revel in each other’s success, but it doesn’t all last. As the drugs get out of control and each of their lives becomes complicated with their own personal issues the dream begins to turn sour. Diggler falls out with Jack and decides on doing his own thing.

As fun turns into addiction and violence Diggler finds himself penniless and turning to prostitution and drugs scams for cash. When a deal goes wrong and Diggler realises he has nowhere to go he reconciles with Jack and attempts to get back to what he does best – making porn films.

Boogie Nights is a film you must see before you die as director Paul Thomas Anderson’s classic take on the porn industry manages to bring sex, violence and drama all together with a clear tongue-in-cheek comedy that shows the story behind the scenes of an industry that on film looks so glamorous. Sex is work for these people and nothing to be prudish about.


D.J. Haza

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