Boogie Nights . Austin Chronicle . 05-03-98

Boogie Nights

DIRECTED BY: Paul Thomas Anderson

REVIEWED: 05-03-98

File under guilty pleasures. In retrospect, Boogie Nights is a sloppy, scattered movie that rambles on for far too long and has far too little in the way of a message, except to say, "Drugs are bad." But what a way to say it! Where else are you going to see Heather Graham in nothing but a pair of roller skates? Or a prosthetic "enhancement" on a young Mark Wahlberg that makes for one of the most memorable finales in the history of film? Julianne Moore acting the part of a drugged-out zombie... and pulling it off? Burt Reynolds with a toupée that doesn't look half bad? Only in Boogie Nights, probably the most memorable film of last year, if nothing else. Anderson's sophomore directorial effort may have suffered in the prudish theatrical marketplace, but home video seems the ironically perfect place to watch the film. The movie isn't so much an informational look back at the heyday of the porn industry as it's just a hysterical laugh riot. If you're so inclined, you can get lost in the minutiae of the settings and characters, and forget about the story altogether. Finally, a respectable way to have your porn.

--Christopher Null

Full Length Reviews
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights

Capsule Reviews
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights

Other Films by Paul Thomas Anderson
Magnolia

Film Vault Suggested Links
The Players Club
The Next Step
All the Rage

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