Boogie Nights has been around so long, I’ve almost taken it for granted. It was certainly a big deal in 1997 and I’ve owned it on DVD and Blu-ray, but watching it in 4K after so many years made me wonder why it had been so long. My hot take is this is a really good movie.
It brings the ‘70s and ‘80s to life in energetic scene constructions. The milieu of adult films gives the underdog story an edge, like in gangster movies like Goodfellas. It is funny, yet played sincerely so you still feel for the characters during their downfalls.
The 4K UHD preserves the bright ‘70s glow and colors. The night sky of the San Fernando Valley deepens in high dynamic range. Visuals like the inner workings of the film camera and Philip Seymour Hoffman crying in his car at the New Year’s Eve party add deep shadow to the texture of the film.
Boogie Nights was one of New Line’s Platinum Series DVD loaded with extras. Those are included along with two recent American Cinematheque Q&As, both with Paul Thomas Anderson and one with John C. Reilly too.
Anderson shares the story of screening the film for ELO founder Jeff Lynne and the moment he knew he’d won Lynne over. His tales of MPAA edits both highlight a frustrating practice, but also gave him more time to hone the film. It’s also worth noting that MPAA appeals don’t mean you can send it back every day, so you have to give them some time. He also acknowledge’s “You’ve Got the Touch” was previoulsy in Transformers: The Movie.