“Boogie Nights,” writer and director P.T. Anderson’s second major motion picture, caused a fuss when it was released in 1997. Marking a comeback for Burt Reynolds and a starting point for Heather Graham, the film showed Anderson as one of Hollywood’s most promising and gifted writers.
An unadorned version of “Boogie Nights” was released to DVD a few years later, and since then a newer version, released under the New Line Platinum Series line, was released. The newer two-disc DVD set includes special features such as two expanded commentaries, 10 deleted scenes and outtakes, a music video and the John C. Reilly files, a collection of archive footage from the making of the film.
Reynolds plays Jack Horner, an aging porn director who stumbles upon young Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a “swollen boy” and sexual prodigy unlike anything the porn industry has ever seen.
After Eddie adopts the stage name Dirk Diggler, the director and actor make porn history as Dirk fulfills his dream of being a “big, bright shining star” and eschews the industry into a new era. Dirk descends into a life of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll (in that order) and must climb his way out in one of the most engaging and refreshing films of the past 10 years.
The screenplay is full of fresh, vivid characters, each unique and smacking of great fiction. Included are a black cowboy named Buck (Don Cheadle); Rollergirl (Heather Graham), a porn actress never caught without her skates on; and Amber Waves (Julianne Moore), a redhead with a frightening addiction to cocaine. The characters, rather than the plot, drive the film. Add Anderson’s aesthetically pleasing cinematography and appropriate choice of music, and the final result is a film that is candy for the ear as well as the eye.
The bonus features included on the discs are top-notch. The two commentaries, one by Anderson and one by the cast, show the complexity of the film on both the technical and literary levels. Anderson’s commentary in particular exemplifies what a commentary should be. His continuous stream of fascinating information keeps the viewer eager to hear about the next scene.
The deleted scenes, too, are outstanding. Often directors cut scenes for a reason such as poor acting or even poorer writing. Those included on the “Boogie Nights” DVD are unique in that each one is just as charming as the movie itself. The John C. Reilly files include rehearsals and different versions of some scenes in the film.
The entire package glows with Anderson’s personality. Special touches lie everywhere. The back of the DVD has a note to the viewer from Anderson explaining the impressiveness of the DVD, ending with his trademark humor and reminding the viewer to keep the DVD “stored in a cool, dry place under ‘B’ for ‘Boogie.'” His advice is sound, for this is one DVD that deserves preserving and repeated viewing.