An early Paul Thomas Anderson breakthrough arrives on 4K
Paul Thomas Anderson began his film career in the early 1990s, and by the end of the century, he was well on his way to becoming known as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation. His feature film directorial debut, Hard Eight, was a critical success that flopped at the box office. One year later, he released his sophomore effort, Boogie Nights, which was once again a critical success but, unlike his first attempt, also did well at the box office. It was ultimately nominated for three Academy Awards and two BAFTAs. Over 25 years after its original release, Warner Bros. has made it available for purchase on 4K.
High school dropout Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg; Ted) lives at home and works at the Reseda nightclub. While working one night, he meets pornography filmmaker Jock Horner (Burt Reynolds; Striptease), who decides to hire Eddie to be in his latest movie. Over time, Eddie, under the pseudonym Dirk Diggler, becomes a star until he starts using cocaine and invests all his money into making a record. When that doesn't pan out, he eventually returns to Jack's home, where he had a falling out a year prior, and they reconcile. With the "gang" all back together again, they start making pornographic movies again.
Anderson wrote and directed the film, and from the onset, his distinct voice and unique style are evident. He tends to focus on characters who are desperate while he explores dysfunctional families, alienation, loneliness, and redemption. He is also known for using constantly moving cameras and long takes. This combination makes him a born storyteller who knows how to set up camera angles for compelling visuals.
The upgrade to 2160p, Native 4K resolution, showcases these video images beautifully while not distracting the viewer from the plot. Though this version was not scanned from the original negative, the quality is still very strong with little artifacting. Outdoor scenes are bright and vibrant, while darker ones are still clear.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is solid with some great reverb coming from the surround speakers, especially when there is background music. The audio quality highlights the soundtrack and showcases the dialogue well. I do wonder why they didn't upgrade the movie to Dolby Atmos, but perhaps it degraded the audio quality too much. We shall never know.
The combo pack comes with the 4K disc and the digital download. This set does not include a Blu-ray version of the film, which is fine since there was one released previously. There is only one new extra in this combo pack which is actually from 2003 entitled American Cinematheque Panels, The previously released extras include Audio Commentary with director Paul Thomas Anderson, Audio Commentary with director Paul Thomas Anderson and cast members Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, and Heather Graham, The John C. Reilly Files, Deleted Scenes, and a Music Video for the song "Try" by Michael Penn.
Paul Thomas Anderson has an eclectic resume as far as director projects are concerned, and while many of his films have been hits, including this year's Oscar buzzworthy movie, One Battle After Another, not all of them have achieved great success. Boogie Nights, however, seemed to jump-start his career and made him a filmmaker to watch. It takes a hard look at the porn industry and the people who make a living from having sex on screen. It humanizes them in a way no other filmmaker could. With a great cast and Anderson behind the camera, what could have been a mess of a movie instead became an often talked-about film.
Grade: B
