Latest / All The Right Movies / Boogie Nights (1997) | Ep. 17 - Part 1
Transcript
- 0:04All right, movies. For Dirk Diggler, the future is
- 0:09something to look forward to, not to fear.
- 0:13He is a creative man of many interests.
- 0:15Film, poetry, karate, music and dance.
- 0:19He is a man of passion and mystery.
- 0:22He is a man of lust. Dirk Diggler's bright shining
- 0:34light blazes through the LA pawn scene as he heads up Jack
- 0:37Horner's adult empire. It all threatens to fall apart
- 0:40in a haze of drugs and violence, but Dirk's surrogate family
- 0:43stick together through thick and thin.
- 0:45Controversy surrounded Paul Thomas Anderson's dazzling
- 0:48odyssey through the golden age of pawn pride release, but
- 0:51critics and audiences embraced it.
- 0:53Megan PTA, the new Wunderkin director of the 90s.
- 0:56My name is Luke and with me are Brock Landers AKA Westy.
- 1:00I want to name something that can cut glass, you know, razor
- 1:03sharp. Like, yeah, when I close my
- 1:05eyes, I see this thing, this big sign and this name.
- 1:07It's bright blue neon lights with, like, purple outline.
- 1:10The name is just so bright and so sharp.
- 1:11And the sign, it just blows up because the name is so powerful.
- 1:14It says Westy. And chest Rockwell AKA Matt.
- 1:19My fucking wife, man. She's down there, some idiots
- 1:21Dick and her. Everybody's standing around
- 1:23watching. All the right movies like simple
- 1:25Pleasures, like butter in our ass and lollipops in our mouth.
- 1:28But that's just us. That's just something that we
- 1:31enjoy. Call us crazy, call us pervert,
- 1:33but we know one thing. We're not the King of Dirk.
- 1:55Hello and welcome to All the Right Movies, a podcast on
- 1:57classic and hit films with a great big reputation.
- 2:01Today we're delving into the murky waters of 70's porn
- 2:03industry as we discussed the dysfunctional family unit of
- 2:06Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights.
- 2:09Oh yeah. A very big one.
- 2:11Yeah, Yeah. Now before we get into it, we
- 2:14have got an important announcement, so listen up.
- 2:17Unfortunately we've lost a key member of our team.
- 2:19Pi has decided to wrap on ATRM, so we're now a four Wheeler.
- 2:24Obviously Pi will be a huge miss, but we're all still great
- 2:27pals. And what up to Pi if he's
- 2:29listening? What API?
- 2:31He's not listening, is he? He's not listening.
- 2:35So because our resources reduced, we've decided to
- 2:38suspend the podcast and put all of our time into YouTube.
- 2:42So this will be the very last podcast by us and we'll be
- 2:45moving to YouTube. You might have seen some of our
- 2:47YouTube videos which are great. Very high class, very high
- 2:51class. Always.
- 2:52Yeah, on videotape. That's the future.
- 2:56Yes, it is. Although we're very sad to see
- 2:59Pi go and not to be bringing your podcasts every two weeks,
- 3:03we are really excited about this new venture where we'll be doing
- 3:05a number of different videos. Among other things going up
- 3:08regularly will be episodes of The Cutting Room.
- 3:10That's where we discuss a film similar to what we do here and
- 3:13decide whether it makes the cut or is left on the cutting room
- 3:15floor. So you'll get to see our ugly
- 3:17mugs on a regular basis over on YouTube, and we're aiming to get
- 3:21those up every two weeks as well, just like the podcast.
- 3:23Yeah, exactly. It means we can start again.
- 3:25We can revisit films that we've already done.
- 3:27It's a new snappy format. So, you know, you get to see
- 3:29clips of the films. What's not alike?
- 3:31You know, exactly, Absolutely. Yeah.
- 3:33I mean I've been re listening to some of our earlier stuff and
- 3:37you know, Jaws, Ghostbusters, The Terminator, they need a
- 3:40redo. Yes.
- 3:41Unlistenable. Unprofessional.
- 3:48But you know, do sign up for peer on so you can listen to
- 3:50those unlistenable, Yeah, early episode.
- 3:52Compare and contrast. Compare and contrast, obviously.
- 3:54See where we came from, where it started.
- 3:56Which was nothing. Nothing.
- 3:58Absolutely nothing. Recorded Recorded on a potato,
- 4:01by the sounds of it. So we understand some of you may
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- 4:21and future episodes of The Cutting Room, all past and
- 4:23future episodes of our interview show Life and movies, any other
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- 4:32over the last three years or so. In total, there's an archive of
- 4:36121 episodes available now. That's available right now.
- 4:41Yeah. And always will be.
- 4:42Always, yeah. You're not losing anything by
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- 4:46anything. Gain 121 times.
- 4:48Yeah, exactly. If that wasn't enough, we'll
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- 4:59Loads of contents. Big.
- 5:01Changes, but still loads of content available.
- 5:03A list bigger than Dirk Douglas cock.
- 5:05Yeah, absolutely. Our presence will be bigger than
- 5:09Diggler's Dick. A beautiful thing.
- 5:15And your support on Patreon would really help us out to go
- 5:18to patreon.com/all the Right Movies to sign up.
- 5:21I mean as soon as you want to. Yeah, absolutely.
- 5:24We won't charge you $10 just to listen to it either.
- 5:27Well, pretty much we will monthly.
- 5:35All right, we'll charge you $20. It's worth it.
- 5:38OK, OK, back to business then fellas.
- 5:41For the last time, Matt, why do you want to talk about buggy
- 5:44nights? Because they are always the best
- 5:47in town. He's.
- 5:51The best of last, doesn't he? All the big ones.
- 5:53Yeah, all the jokes have been dying to get in here, even if
- 5:55it's about like untouchables I've got in any use for now,
- 5:58Yeah. All that.
- 5:59Yeah, all that. No, this one, I think first of
- 6:02all, there's a list of directors who we need to cover on classic
- 6:05before we wrap it up. And Paul Thomas Anderson is
- 6:07definitely on that list. And he's made a few films he
- 6:10could have covered. But for me, he's one of those
- 6:12film makers where to properly understand him, you go back to
- 6:15the beginning. And I know this isn't his debut.
- 6:18That's Hardy. That was a couple of years prior
- 6:20to this. But this is the first one where
- 6:22you had complete control. So it makes sense to to come to
- 6:25this film. And secondly, this film came out
- 6:28in a period that I've got a huge affection for, which is that
- 6:32late 90s period. I just turned 19, so there was
- 6:35no restrictions on what I could go and see the cinema anymore or
- 6:38what I could rent. And it was like the floodgates
- 6:40opened and it just seemed to coincide with all these new
- 6:43voices in cinemas or Tontino, Danny Boyle, Spike Jones and PTA
- 6:48was very much part of that in this film.
- 6:50Made me feel like what it must have been like to be in the 70s,
- 6:53watching the likes of The French Connection and Apocalypse Now.
- 6:58It felt like this is a film from my generation.
- 7:01Really felt like it was going to be talked about for decades.
- 7:04And indeed, here we are. Excellent.
- 7:06And, well, it's, I mean, obviously a really important
- 7:09film in the history of cinema, PDA's second film that you said,
- 7:12and one that really made people stand up and take note.
- 7:14But not for me. I saw it when it came out on VHS
- 7:18because of all the buzz surrounding it, but never went
- 7:21back to it. And I revisited it about four
- 7:23years ago. Wow.
- 7:25Yeah. For some reason I just didn't
- 7:27get pulled into it. So I had only seen it twice
- 7:29before we decided to talk about it today.
- 7:31So I don't have a history with it, no nostalgia, and I was
- 7:34pretty much a blank canvas going into it for this.
- 7:36So I'll save my thoughts for later to keep you in suspense.
- 7:40Nice. But fittingly, the film does
- 7:42celebrate its 25th anniversary later in the year.
- 7:44So we're keeping it relevant. Yeah, of course.
- 7:47What about you, Westie? I'm the same as you.
- 7:50Look, to be honest, this was one that I never really felt like I
- 7:52could engage with at the time when it came out.
- 7:54It always felt like a bit of a parody to me.
- 7:57So I was in the more, you know, at that time, 97.
- 7:59So we're talking what Pulp Fiction, we're talking about
- 8:01Soderbergh, we're talking about Tarantino, we're talking about,
- 8:03you know, this kind of like real video store directors who are
- 8:08coming out. And I know PTA was one of them.
- 8:10But to me, this this material never really interested me.
- 8:13It didn't really seem like it was going to be something that I
- 8:15could engage with. It just seemed a bit throwaway.
- 8:18Not a big porn guy. Well, I'm a huge porn guy, but I
- 8:21didn't really know it was about that because it was just like
- 8:24Boogie Nights. So I just thought it was that
- 8:25one of them 70s kind of, you know, I wasn't into like disco
- 8:28music at the time. I was quite serious.
- 8:30You're OK Computer had just come out.
- 8:31I was listening to Radiohead. I don't want to go watch Boogie
- 8:33Nights, you know what I mean? It was that kind of vibe.
- 8:36So for me it kind of went under the radar a little bit.
- 8:40And since then it is a really important film.
- 8:42I know how important it is to cinema and how how influential
- 8:45it is to a lot of film makers. How influential, influential it
- 8:48was and how much he was prepared to Tarantino.
- 8:50But it's almost like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles and I was
- 8:53like, I'm Tarantino and just made us kind of ignore this.
- 8:57You made your choice. Yeah.
- 8:58And I just for that reason, I kind of ignored it.
- 9:00And like you, I hadn't seen it for a very, very long time.
- 9:03I saw it about two years after it came out, watched it didn't
- 9:06really hit home and it just sat on the shelf for years and years
- 9:08and years. And like, yeah, I came back to
- 9:11it a pretty much a blank canvas again.
- 9:12I've forgotten a lot of it. I watched it again and yeah,
- 9:16I'll save it for as we go through and as we talk about it.
- 9:18And that's too in suspense and obviously Matt loves it, so
- 9:21we'll see where we go. Oh yes, excellent.
- 9:23A lot of drama there. Boogie Nice was written and
- 9:27directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and shot on location in earlier
- 9:30produced by PTA, Joanne Seller, Lloyd Levin and John Lyons for
- 9:34Lawrence Gordon Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema.
- 9:37Released on October 10th, 1997, it has an ensemble cast
- 9:41including Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C
- 9:45Reilly, Don Cheadle, William H Macy, Heather Graham, and Philip
- 9:48Seymour Hoffman. Yep.
- 9:50We're headed to Los Angeles, beautiful San Fernando Valley
- 9:54for the start of Boogie Nights. Never will I feel.
- 10:21This. That little instrumental piece
- 10:25you heard from the start of the film was put in specifically the
- 10:27IPTA, the bookend the film. You can hear it at the end as
- 10:30well. He wanted this kind of like
- 10:32broken circus tone, which sounded like a funeral dirge to
- 10:35then kick into this amazing Discord number, Best of my love
- 10:38by the emotions. And then bang.
- 10:41We're in 1977 at Hot Tracks nightclub.
- 10:44This is our first scene. And Westie, you're going to get
- 10:46the ball rolling here. Yeah, I'll get the ball rolling
- 10:49this the way this opens. I know PT had some trouble with
- 10:53the title of Hard 8, and he's kind of fighting with that.
- 10:56So he just put Boogie Nights up there in lights, right?
- 10:58You can't really change the title of this film.
- 11:00That's what it is. And the camera cranes down and
- 11:03it moves around and you've got this.
- 11:04It's an incredible, incredible piece of work this, and no pun
- 11:08intended, but this is a really cocky film.
- 11:11This is a really, it's a really pretentious, jumped up little
- 11:15bastard. And you can tell he's just so
- 11:18confident in what he's doing, where the cameras going.
- 11:21He's all of his characters, all of the performances, He knows
- 11:24everybody. He knows how to direct.
- 11:26Everybody knows where everybody's gone.
- 11:28Even from that hug that Guzman gives at the start of the camera
- 11:32just moves around seamlessly. And then it's in the club and
- 11:34the tracks back and it's just moving around everybody.
- 11:36The introduced to all of the characters in one shot.
- 11:40And I just thought to myself, well, that's an obvious kind of
- 11:43Goodfellas reference to that tracking shot going into the
- 11:45restaurant. Yeah.
- 11:46But then I've looked into it a little bit more and I thought
- 11:48the film popped into me head from 1992, which is The Player
- 11:51by Robert Altman. Sure.
- 11:53Have you seen that? The way that introduces every
- 11:56single character, that tracking shot at the opening of that
- 11:58film, that's 8 minutes long. Yeah, it's huge, isn't?
- 12:01It and I think that was far more of an influence on PTA of where
- 12:04he's coming from and he's kind of getting these real giants of
- 12:07cinema and almost trying to reinvent it with like this neon
- 12:11kind of real vibey fast twist. And this shot really just show
- 12:16you exactly what this film is and how confident it is and it
- 12:19just zips along from this moment.
- 12:21There's so many of these shots, like in nearly every scene where
- 12:25you introduce new characters or a new situation, there's one of
- 12:27these tracking shots as if it's just easy.
- 12:30It's one of the hardest things to do.
- 12:31It's one of the hardest things to choreograph, to block, to
- 12:34light, where you don't see any of the lights in the shot.
- 12:36And it's 360. It's all the way around and it's
- 12:38moving through different scenes and different scenarios and it's
- 12:41just really, really brilliant the way it introduces every
- 12:44character and they get enough time for you to for you to
- 12:47discover who they are. It's just a fleet moment, but
- 12:51nobody's wasted. You kind of see everybody.
- 12:54I just think the opening of this film is seriously one of the
- 12:58most confident openings to any film that I've ever seen from a
- 13:01like, well, almost the first time director to have complete
- 13:04control over everything and have cast and crew like this, this
- 13:06big, and to do this is just absolutely mind blown.
- 13:10It's brilliant. Yeah, just the staging and the
- 13:14blocking of that three minute tracking shot.
- 13:16Yeah, it's ridiculous, mind boggling, Anderson said.
- 13:18I saw the valley the way that David Lean saw the desert in
- 13:22Lawrence of Arabia. Yeah.
- 13:24And he did that shot when Burt Reynolds is Drake drives the car
- 13:26in and then the camera cranes down and then follows them in.
- 13:29And he said to Burt Reynolds, he was like, wasn't that amazing?
- 13:31And Burns, like I can name 50 films that have that same shot,
- 13:35Like you're not doing anything. Yeah.
- 13:37Paul Thomas Anderson kind of felt like he was doing something
- 13:39brand new, and what he's doing is he's reinventing cinema
- 13:42almost in a slick way, in a stylish way, in a really
- 13:46accessible way, like Matt said for a younger generation.
- 13:49You mentioned Goodfellas and the player there, Robert Altman and
- 13:53Martin Scorsese, surely the two biggest influences on PTA in
- 13:56this film. Yeah, absolutely.
- 13:58Without shout of doubt, yeah. No doubt that camera work, it's
- 14:01insanely good. But I do particularly like the
- 14:03introduction of Royal Girl and then Little Bill when they go to
- 14:06see Jack and Amber at the table because first of all, Roller
- 14:08Girl, it's that first glimpse you get into that mother
- 14:10daughter relationship. That's what's got going on with
- 14:13Amber when she's talking around. And I was like, don't forget to
- 14:16call that woman about the things.
- 14:17If you don't keep the appointment, you're going to
- 14:18miss out, blah, blah, blah. And then she can see there's
- 14:21something wrong with the way Roller Girl is standing.
- 14:23She's like, what's wrong with you?
- 14:24And goes, well, I have to go pee.
- 14:27So, yeah, Gordon. So she sells such a child, which
- 14:30is obviously a bit disturbed and considered what she's going to
- 14:33do later on in the film. But it's the first hint you get
- 14:36at what is the big theme in the film, which is that it's about
- 14:38family in this connection of people or family and they're the
- 14:41mother and daughter. But then I love little Bill as
- 14:44well because straight away you see he is that guy, you know,
- 14:47you're in this great nightclub, everyone's having an amazing
- 14:50time and he's worrying about work the next day, hustle and
- 14:54Jack about it, Which scene we do and what do we do and who's
- 14:57involved, What's going on? I got.
- 14:58To ring Scally, I got to ring these guys.
- 15:00Yeah, yeah, just. Can't relax for a minute and I
- 15:03think it's an amazing mullet and Tash combo from Macy that's
- 15:06huge. It's wonderful.
- 15:08I don't know if it's, I don't know if it's deliberate, but he
- 15:11kind of bumps into someone in this scene.
- 15:13Like. Really.
- 15:14Totally accidental. Yes, totally accidental and
- 15:17that's just like Macy to ATI think it's fantastic as well.
- 15:20And I know he was reluctant to take the part at first because
- 15:23he he was sick, he said of being the go to guy for losers in
- 15:27films of Fargo. PTA screened Hardy at forum and
- 15:29Macy watched it and rang up and said dude I'll do the Yellow
- 15:32Pages if you want I've to seen. It amazing.
- 15:37Lovely. But I want to talk about the
- 15:39moment that Eddie and Jack first see each other.
- 15:43Yeah, I think there is something sexual about the exchange that
- 15:46Eddie and Jack have. They see each other over the
- 15:48club and it goes into slow more, and it's almost like they're
- 15:51both locking eyes on the person who's going to change their
- 15:53life. And that's exactly how it turns
- 15:55out, kind of, for better or worse.
- 15:58And the kitchen scene, Jackass. Why he doesn't get a job washing
- 16:00dishes in Torrance, his hometown.
- 16:02Why take the bus all the way here?
- 16:04He knows there's something bringing them to LA.
- 16:06It's where all the depravity happens, where he can get his
- 16:08thing out for $5 and people are queuing up to see it.
- 16:10So in Jack's mind, I suppose if people are going to pay 5 or
- 16:14$10, then they'll spend money on seeing it on the big screen.
- 16:17He knows he's got something on his hands.
- 16:19So that, for me, sets up this world under the glitz and glam
- 16:21of the club with all the beautiful people.
- 16:23There's a CD underbelly just out the back and a kind of a
- 16:26metaphor for the film. Or really like that, yeah.
- 16:29Oh, I think you need all that bass.
- 16:32I mean, if you want a system to handle what you want, yeah, you
- 16:35need the. Bass.
- 16:37After this scene we catch glimpses of all the key players
- 16:39personal lives, Amber, Eddie, Roller girl, little bill and his
- 16:43adulterous wife book and the fabled TK421.
- 16:49You need that bass. Oh, you definitely need that
- 16:53bass. Take a 41.
- 16:56That's named after a Stormtrooper, isn't it?
- 16:57in Star Wars? Yeah, Brilliant.
- 17:01Jack and Eddie have a meeting. They go back to Jack and Eddie
- 17:03shows off his prowess with Roller Girl.
- 17:05He then quickly leaves home after a blaze and argument with
- 17:08his mother. And our next sequence is the
- 17:10pool party at Jack's, where we learn more about this family of
- 17:13porn. Really.
- 17:17Since for the week. Family of porn.
- 17:19Well, not me, it's the film. I'm just saying it as is.
- 17:26And I'm going to kick us off here.
- 17:27And I want to talk about the Colonel in this scene, but in
- 17:30general, a very complicated character to discuss because of
- 17:35what we find out later about his his hideous activities.
- 17:38Yeah, yeah. All his ass in jail and on re
- 17:41watches. That really resonates in this
- 17:43scene because he shows up at this party with a girl who looks
- 17:46really really young. So I'm guessing it's a good bed
- 17:49that she's underage, which obviously is hideous.
- 17:53And the first thing she says, the only thing she talks about
- 17:56is getting some coke. And the next time we see her,
- 17:59she's old deed and her limp body is dragged out of the party and
- 18:02going to be dumped at some hospital somewhere, potentially
- 18:04left for dead. And this is the story that the
- 18:07Colonel tells Jack when he gets arrested later on.
- 18:09It's another girl, but it's pretty much a carbon copy of
- 18:11what happens in this scene. So how many girls has he done
- 18:14this to get them cooked out of their mind and then take
- 18:16advantage of them? Yeah.
- 18:19So although the subject matter is really grim in the film, the
- 18:21tone for the most part is light and and often hilarious.
- 18:26But there are also these unspoken moments that aren't
- 18:28really explicit in the film, like this one, which give the
- 18:32film a lot of sinister, kind of unpalatable layers.
- 18:34When you come to rewatch and you come to think about the
- 18:36implications of this scene and that scene, although it's never
- 18:39shown on screen or talked about. And I think that happens a lot.
- 18:43A more upbeat tone is when John C Reilly and Mark Wahlberg
- 18:47finally meet. What a joy that is.
- 18:54We'll get into this with the right.
- 18:55And I think the dialogue, especially in this bit, is just
- 18:58so good. It is just back and forth, but
- 19:01it's John C Reilly, just pure John C Reilly.
- 19:03This is just almost himself. He's inventing himself in front
- 19:07of your eyes. You're just like, this guy is
- 19:09electric. He's amazing.
- 19:11And Wahlberg's brilliant in the scene as well.
- 19:13And it's just like, what do you squat?
- 19:15And they decide this back and forth.
- 19:16It's like, do you want to Margarita?
- 19:18Super super. You know, it's like 3.5.
- 19:21It's absolutely brilliant turns at every every single guy.
- 19:24He's like, what do you work out at?
- 19:26No, I would have seen you. I'm there every day once the
- 19:30Margarita and he's like drinking the tequila out the bottle as
- 19:33he's. Pouring in slug.
- 19:34Just damn little bits. And just as he kind of like
- 19:37flicks that blender on and he's just leaning on top, he's like,
- 19:41can't hear you. You know, He's just trying to be
- 19:43cool and he's trying to be hip. And it's just great.
- 19:45Like all the way through this whole sequence in the house
- 19:47party. I mean, there's a great tracking
- 19:48shop which we've discussed at the top of the film.
- 19:51It happens again here. It goes right way around the
- 19:53party and you kind of say everyone then happens again.
- 19:55So you've just got this real kind of movement, and this for
- 19:59me is when it kind of hits home what kind of film this is going
- 20:01to be. There's that exchange between
- 20:03them two which holds the film together for me.
- 20:05It's that kind of glue that they've got in their
- 20:07relationship. I think it really, really works
- 20:09from that to the pool scene when they kind of compete with each
- 20:12other and they're just jumping in and doing different.
- 20:13That's just so funny. Full flip.
- 20:16You've got to put your legs all the way around.
- 20:20He's like, yeah. And he's just underneath the
- 20:21water like Grimace and. You just think, well, that
- 20:24shouldn't really work. It should just be like, why?
- 20:26Why is it gone from 1 tone to the other tone?
- 20:28And it's not. It's just a young director who
- 20:30really is having loads of fun with this.
- 20:32That sequence between him at that exchange between John C
- 20:35Reilly and Mark, well, but when they first damn characters first
- 20:37meet each other, I just think it's absolutely fantastic.
- 20:40They're best friends. Immediately people tell me I
- 20:42look like Han Solo. Really.
- 20:46You see Star Wars? Yeah, like 100 times.
- 20:51Incredible, the shot that goes around the pool and the water
- 20:55and I was influenced by that insane one take shot from I Am
- 20:59Cuba. We, if you haven't seen that,
- 21:00it's I mean it's something else. We've tweeted about it a couple
- 21:03of times. It's got a huge reaction as well
- 21:05because it's outstanding. Yeah, it's unreal.
- 21:08PDA said that he was very proud that he we came back up out of
- 21:11the pool for dialogue. Yeah.
- 21:13Really complex shot. Really complex shot, ridiculous.
- 21:16And the soundtrack as well in this in this whole sequence is
- 21:19so so. Good.
- 21:21Well, it's one of the music choices I want to talk about
- 21:23because when that sequence. Yeah.
- 21:25When lonely boy players, are they?
- 21:27Fantastic Andrew Gold. Yeah, Andrew Gold.
- 21:30Yeah. Because, I mean, first of all,
- 21:32how on earth Don Cheadle and Louise Guzman kept a straight
- 21:35face to you in the sequence? I don't know.
- 21:37We just stood up having this really serious chap both from
- 21:40button to the waist, obviously. Yeah.
- 21:42She was wearing just like, cowboy suit kind of thing.
- 21:45But it's Guzman that that, like, yellow number that looks like
- 21:48your grand's curtains. And The thing is right, like
- 21:51Cheetos and decent shape, you know?
- 21:54Yeah, great. Great, great neck.
- 21:56Great neck, not huge good just hanging out dog tags.
- 21:59Like it? Doesn't.
- 22:00Care. It doesn't give a.
- 22:02Shit. Yeah.
- 22:03It doesn't give a shit. It's hilarious, but it's it's
- 22:05then it it turns out because, like, that phone keeps ringing
- 22:08and ringing and he answers and it's someone looking for Maggie
- 22:12and turns out someone's mother. So Right.
- 22:14Well, back on Finder, but no one knows who Maggie is.
- 22:16And it's actually quite sad when you think about because that's
- 22:19Amber and no one knows Amber's real name, the one you know what
- 22:22by a persona. And I just love that pushing you
- 22:24get on Julian Marsh's snort in the core.
- 22:27And the song ramps up and she looks up and she doesn't have a
- 22:30clue that her son's wanting to find her, despite the fact
- 22:32earlier on in the film. So it's desperate to speak to on
- 22:34the phone. Yeah.
- 22:35Yeah, yeah. It's in a different place, just
- 22:37playing a totally different person.
- 22:38It's that as well. It's really, really brilliant
- 22:41visual storytelling. It's like, oh, it's just some
- 22:43kid looking for a mum and then it cuts straight to her.
- 22:45They didn't mind the coat you just got.
- 22:47That's who he's talking about then.
- 22:48Brilliant. Not.
- 22:49Pushing and then you can see she's more concerned with Dirk
- 22:52outside buying them up there. Exactly, exactly.
- 22:55Yeah, Her attention is focused now on Eddie because she's the
- 22:59the kid. She's the she wants.
- 23:00She wants to mother him. She's forgotten about her actual
- 23:03kid. Horrendous.
- 23:04And As for she only goes back to her biological child when Dirk
- 23:08kicks off and leaves the business.
- 23:10Yeah, yeah. I must also mention this moment
- 23:13with Little Bill and his wife when she's having the second of
- 23:15her bunker thongs. You might have noticed that
- 23:20Little Bill says and and you know for the listener, he's a
- 23:23warning. Cover your ears for the easily
- 23:25offended. He says my fucking wife has an
- 23:27ass in her cock and that wasn't scripted.
- 23:31Macy got his words mixed up, but Anderson decided to keep it in.
- 23:34When he came back to the rewatch on this, I rewinded a few times.
- 23:37I was thinking as in what, what thoughts he talking about?
- 23:40Did he actually say? That.
- 23:42It's characters so flustered as well isn't she's played by Nina
- 23:46Hartley was like a real life porn star and she took like
- 23:49William H Macy on a few sets just so we can understand like
- 23:52the whole vibe of everything that was going on.
- 23:53But she's actually brilliant. She is in the film like she's
- 23:57just thinking about performance is just fantastic.
- 23:59She's great. Wouldn't expect her to be that
- 24:01good, but she is actually brilliant.
- 24:03PTA was a big fan of her work and thought she'd be able to
- 24:06give some point as to the cast about shooting upon scene, but
- 24:08things got a little wild there for a moment.
- 24:10Obviously hardly after all tricks.
- 24:12She was often walking around the set naked like porn sets instead
- 24:17of simulating the sex scene. She wanted to do them for real
- 24:20to speed things up, but obviously she couldn't do that.
- 24:23But Robert Elswick, the DP, swears blind that she was
- 24:26actually having sex in one of the scenes, but obviously she's
- 24:28denied this. Yeah, I know who I trust.
- 24:35Do you know what Hartley gave people or as a leave and gift
- 24:38when shooting wrapped? Yeah, she gave them like a copy
- 24:40of each of her films, didn't she?
- 24:42What did she give to Macy? Which one was it?
- 24:43Was it was a deluxe box said about anal penetration starring
- 24:46herself. That's how it's.
- 24:51Described. Deluxe, Butt said.
- 24:56Nina Hartley's guide to anal sex.
- 24:59Classic. I'm sure Macy used that going
- 25:04forward. Thanks, that'll come in handy.
- 25:09Wow. So at the end of the scene,
- 25:11blowing up in neon lettering, Eddie chooses a name which can
- 25:14cut glass. Dirk Diggler.
- 25:16Not Westy. Not Westy.
- 25:18Obviously, and that'll be shit. Second choice.
- 25:20Yeah, not to choose. Should we go westy?
- 25:31The director. As is often the case with films
- 25:37where the writer and director of the same, the story, the
- 25:39screenplay and the direction in Boogie Night is interlinked
- 25:41because it was written and directed by PTA.
- 25:44We're focusing our attention solely on his work as director
- 25:47on Boogie Nights in this section.
- 25:49Matt, what do you think of his work here?
- 25:51He's 26 when he makes this. Unbelievable. 26 This film has
- 25:57such scope and so many moving parts to it, and it's exactly
- 26:01what Wesley said. This film is cocky and it does
- 26:04have a youthful arrogance to it because he's basically on.
- 26:07I can handle all this amazing soundtrack, incredible camera
- 26:11setups, a huge cast of veteran actors.
- 26:13Yeah, I can do all that. And The thing is, he does.
- 26:16But when I say there's an arrogance to it, I don't mean in
- 26:18an off putting where I just mean in the way that he's just so
- 26:21confident in what he can do that he just doesn't have any doubts
- 26:25about the fact that he can pull all this on.
- 26:27It's. Arrogant, but it's not
- 26:28pretentious. Yeah, yeah, that's it.
- 26:30Well, that's why the film keeps me on its side, because it
- 26:32doesn't alienate me. And all these things that he's
- 26:35putting in this film, this huge cast, the soundtrack, the camera
- 26:37setups, it's all in a film about the porn industry as well.
- 26:41So it's not as even if he's picked an easy thing to make a
- 26:43film, Yeah. Exactly.
- 26:45In the film just has this whole energy to with this verve, this
- 26:49sense of creativity and through all these characters, all these
- 26:52like myriad of plot lines that are going on, he just keeps
- 26:55serving up like great scene after great scene after great
- 26:58scene. You get scenes that are tragic,
- 27:00scenes that are hilarious, scenes that are incredibly
- 27:02tense. But I think the thing that makes
- 27:05this film we watchable for me is he never makes the film feel
- 27:07sleazy, which I think is really key for film set in the porn
- 27:11industry. There's actually very little sex
- 27:13in this film and what you do see, it isn't meant to be
- 27:16titillating, which I think is surprisingly mature from a 26
- 27:20year old making a film about the porn industry.
- 27:22So it's ultra confident, it has this style, it has this energy.
- 27:26But I do look at this film now with the perspective of knowing
- 27:30what Anderson is like now as a film maker, because we've
- 27:33mentioned already it's obviously hugely influenced by Scorsese
- 27:36and Altman. And that's fine.
- 27:38We've all seen other film makers try to copy Scorsese and they've
- 27:41done it nowhere near as well as what PTA does here.
- 27:44And normally, you know, if it was easy to make films like
- 27:47Scorsese, everyone would make films like Scorsese.
- 27:50So it's not an easy thing, what he's done here.
- 27:52It's just it's not his voice yet.
- 27:55It's a 26 year old going, oh, do you like Scorsese?
- 27:58Because I love Scorsese and see what I can do.
- 28:00Isn't this like Scorsese? And at that age, it's completely
- 28:03understandable because I'd say he's.
- 28:04Just he's 20. Still.
- 28:06And if you're going with that now, I'm 41 exactly, yeah.
- 28:11And if you're going to copy a master like that, at least do it
- 28:14as well as Bucky Nights. But with the perspective of no
- 28:17one, what films he would later do.
- 28:18I think this is the work of a highly, highly gifted mimic,
- 28:22rather than someone who's got their own identity yet.
- 28:25And I get it. And that's going to come with
- 28:27it. OK.
- 28:28I will just reiterate something that you said as well there my
- 28:322626 and it's not a low key drama, no or anything like that.
- 28:372 1/2 hours. He wanted to make it longer
- 28:40ensemble peace period peace about the porn industry.
- 28:45That's that's a bold choice for your second feature as a 26 year
- 28:48old kid. I think you can tell his
- 28:51affection for the industry in the era because of the my new
- 28:54detail that he goes to, to make it authentic, like the
- 28:57attitudes, the location, the dialogue, but most of all the
- 28:59costume. The costumes are on fire in the
- 29:03film they're out of. Control on point as well.
- 29:06Oh, insane. Every single kind of, you know,
- 29:08year that is depicted, everything is on point.
- 29:11It's. Amazing it is.
- 29:13The majority of the wardrobe was picked up at this warehouse that
- 29:15had unused costumes from all eras, and they wound up spending
- 29:18about 15 grand at this place. And he picked out one of Sonny
- 29:23Borno's old stage costumes, which Cheadle wears in the film.
- 29:26Nice, nice. Amazing.
- 29:29What he wears with that wig. This is Rick James.
- 29:36It's original. I think it's a pretty impressive
- 29:45that a film with this subject matter and this runtime just
- 29:47whizzes along. It doesn't feel like a 2 1/2
- 29:50hour film and it's in the camera choices and the edit.
- 29:53In a lot of the sections the action is cross cut with a
- 29:56number of different storylines playing out over the top of each
- 29:58other. I think really great
- 29:59storytelling keeping things whizzing along at a fair place
- 30:02and all underpinned by a killer soundtrack as well.
- 30:06It's an explosion of a real talent in PTA.
- 30:09Go back to what you were saying. Maddie has made more mature
- 30:11films, more complex films, but I don't think he's made a film as
- 30:14fun as this in his career. And just to pick out a tiny
- 30:18moment, there's this incredible moment that holds on Turk for
- 30:22about a minute. Rahad Jackson's scene.
- 30:24Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He goes from this drug fueled
- 30:27out of his box to an awful realization of where his life is
- 30:31messed up. He's LED him to this place and
- 30:33then he snaps up and it's time to leave.
- 30:35He realizes how messed up his life has become and to get him
- 30:38to this place and it's. All.
- 30:41Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's a really bold choice
- 30:45to let the camera stay there, static for that long, and almost
- 30:48certainly inspired by the lingering shot of Jimmy in
- 30:52Goodfellas. Yeah.
- 30:53Turns you out of your love. Yeah, But it's just, it's
- 30:56captivating. How much can you read from just
- 30:58that one shot? Yeah, and he was told to cut
- 31:01that down, and then PTA said no, that's the best shot in the
- 31:03film. You're 26 when he made this, but
- 31:07when he wrote the Dirk Diggler story, he was 17, right?
- 31:12And he's enough. Spinal Tap doing a short film
- 31:15about a guy in the porn industry.
- 31:17And I've watched that and it is actually brilliant.
- 31:19It's, you know, it's really entertaining and it does whip
- 31:22by. And to me, this has the same
- 31:23kind of pace, the same kind of tone, the same kind of
- 31:26excitement as something like Casino.
- 31:28But to me, it's just like he's just got too much to play with.
- 31:31He's trying to say too many things at once.
- 31:33It's just a kid with just have too many sweets, too much cork.
- 31:36He's just talking about blah, blah, blah.
- 31:38Slow down, find a story, find a pace, find a narrative, find an
- 31:42underlying point to it all. And I think that's my main, my
- 31:45main problem with this is that a lot of it is style over
- 31:48substance, and a lot of the style does really work.
- 31:51And I don't think he's mature enough to understand what the
- 31:53substance is, what the context is, and what he's actually
- 31:56trying to say. I think it is quite a flawed
- 31:59film in that way and that it is very flashy, it is very
- 32:02entertaining and it is very funny.
- 32:03It does really work, but really it's quite thin.
- 32:06But I think from a direction point of view, you cannot really
- 32:09say anything negative about it. It's just so confident.
- 32:11I don't know if he regrets the direction of this.
- 32:14I mean, if you spoke to him now after he did like Phantom Thread
- 32:17and you go, what do you think your direction on Boogie Nights
- 32:19thing was a bit over the top? You'd be like, yeah, I think it
- 32:21was a bit over the top. Think you did too much there,
- 32:26Paul, do you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 32:27So enough shit. Some of it's got a stick and
- 32:29it's just like, it's just an onslaught of just everything
- 32:33that you've got access to. Good.
- 32:35Yeah, if someone said to be all W you were doing a film, right?
- 32:37It's going to be in LA. It's going to be a period piece
- 32:39about the porn industry. I'm like, yes, yes, 35 mil
- 32:43camera. OK, we're going to turn around.
- 32:45We're going to flip that. We're going to do like a real
- 32:47parody of like the 70s cop shows and we're going to make a real
- 32:50thing of that. We're going to shoot it on 35
- 32:52mil and project it, then just shoot it on the screen and we're
- 32:54going to make it look weird and we're going to do this and yes,
- 32:57three hours long. Yes.
- 32:59And I just felt he was just like that, just like, that's the vibe
- 33:05you get from it. Just a really excited, really
- 33:07talented young man. I don't think Paul Thomas
- 33:11Anderson is crafting a film here.
- 33:13I think he's just absolutely exploding a film here.
- 33:17It is. It feels like he's had this
- 33:18built up for so long that he's just, I am doing everything
- 33:22that's everything I want to do. Yeah.
- 33:25Everything that's in me brain. And I'm making it as complicated
- 33:27as possible for everyone around us just because I need that kind
- 33:30of satisfaction. And the good thing about that is
- 33:33the direction really pays off for the audience.
- 33:34You you're as satisfied as he is because you know he's not going
- 33:37to leave a scene until he is satisfied with it.
- 33:39It absolutely works. The direction of Boogie Nights
- 33:41is, yeah, there's nothing like it, I don't think.
- 33:44Yeah, Very, very vibrant, very exciting.
- 33:47Very much. Like Westie mentioned, the
- 33:50origin of Boogie Nights started in 1988 when he made the
- 33:53mockumentary short The Dirk Diggler Story.
- 33:56It did have the characters Jack Warner.
- 33:57Reed Rothschild was influenced by This Spinal Tap and inspired
- 34:01by porn actor John Holmes. It is available on YouTube if
- 34:05you're interested. Yeah, from Westy.
- 34:08Yeah, it's worth a watch. Do you know the guy who plays
- 34:10Dirk Diggler? Do you know he's in Boogie
- 34:11Nights? Yeah, he's in the record store,
- 34:13isn't he? At the start, Yeah, he's the.
- 34:14Guy trying to sell the stereo. Stereo two.
- 34:16Yeah, yeah. PTA wanted to expand the story
- 34:19into a feature and you got enough heat from his feature
- 34:22debut Hardy. It's to get studios interested
- 34:24in him as a talented director. New Line wanted to do a Miramax
- 34:27and we're looking for their own Quentin Tarantino and saw PTA as
- 34:31their guy after reading his 300 page script about a porn actor
- 34:36with an enormous penis. Mine would be like 2 pages long.
- 34:44PTA was really frustrated about his experience on Hardy.
- 34:47At his debut, he laid down strict ground rules to New Line.
- 34:50It's going to be 3 hours and it's going to be an NC 17
- 34:53rating. But they said pick one of those,
- 34:56you can only have one of the two.
- 34:57So he decided that getting an R rating was going to be a
- 34:59challenge and that he was up to the challenge.
- 35:01Yeah. He got inside the industry
- 35:04expertise in the shape of legendary porn actor Ron Jeremy,
- 35:07who advised on the film and even invited cast onto a real porn
- 35:11set to see how things went down. All of the cast accepted his
- 35:15invite apart from Burt Reynolds, who said and no porn.
- 35:19I don't need to see that because PT is a big porn guy.
- 35:27He had a stash of VHS tapes with porn bloopers and outtakes.
- 35:30I mean, who's got VHS of bloopers and outtakes from
- 35:33pornography? That's mental.
- 35:38Probably had them since he was like 17.
- 35:40As well. Brilliant.
- 35:43But he used those as inspiration for some of the lighter moments
- 35:45in the film. And The Dock Within.
- 35:47The film, directed by Amber Waves, was based on the 1981
- 35:50documentary Exhausted John C Holmes.
- 35:53The real story and the I Do My Own blocking bit was pretty much
- 35:58word for word. Nice.
- 35:59All right. In A Touching moment, the
- 36:01actress who plays Eddie's mother, Joanna Gleeson, when she
- 36:04was at the reading, she asked PTA for the scene between her
- 36:07and Wahlberg was based on his own experiences with his mother,
- 36:11and he went quiet and didn't answer.
- 36:13In an interview years and years later, he said that he went to
- 36:16his mother like years and years later to beg for forgiveness for
- 36:19his behavior as a kid. Touching moment all.
- 36:22Right. So that's pretty close to home
- 36:24then. Very.
- 36:25Close to home, tough moment. Before he threw out all of these
- 36:27porn bloopers. Get rid of that shit.
- 36:33I'm going to sign off our section on PTA with a quote from
- 36:35the great man himself, which kind of gives an insight into
- 36:38his morality, I suppose. He said.
- 36:40Most people don't share my moral sense, which is I'll must a bit,
- 36:44but I have to clean it up very quickly afterwards.
- 36:50PTA well, I'm. Not I'm not going to comment on
- 36:55that expand. On that.
- 36:57Just going to leave our listeners without thought to be
- 36:59honest the. Cast.
- 37:06We're starting off in the only place possible in the cast Mark
- 37:09Wahlberg as port karate expert and pawn king.
- 37:13Karate. A man of passion and mystery.
- 37:16A man of lust. Doug Diggler.
- 37:19He is a back belt. Westie Wahlberg is Diggler.
- 37:25What are your thoughts? Wahlberg is Diggler.
- 37:27I really enjoy his performance in this.
- 37:29I think he's really, really good.
- 37:30And like Paul Thomas Anderson said, he's like, it's not a
- 37:33trained actor and that's obvious.
- 37:35He's just a real ball of energy and talent.
- 37:37And I think he is Dirk Diggler, to be honest.
- 37:39He is the character. It's it kind of is Marky Mark
- 37:42looking for what he wants to look for, not knowing what he
- 37:44wants. But he wants something.
- 37:45He wants to be something. He wants to be big.
- 37:47He wants his name and lights. And I think that really, really
- 37:50translates to the Mark Wahlberg's kind of vibrancy and
- 37:53what he wanted from Hollywood. And I think it's perfect
- 37:56casting. I know the original custom was
- 37:58Leonardo DiCaprio and he worked with him on The Basketball
- 38:01Diaries where he plays Mickey. And I think he's that's a great
- 38:03performance. It's really under the radar, you
- 38:06know, Paul Thomas and was looking for the star.
- 38:07DiCaprio got Titanic and he suggested Wahlberg.
- 38:10Wahlberg, come on. But I do think this is perfect
- 38:12casting. I'm not a big fan of Wahlberg
- 38:14overall. I count about 5 films that I
- 38:16like him in. Yeah.
- 38:17This for me is that, you know, it's not Mark Wahlberg to me,
- 38:21it's Dirk Diggler. And that's one of the finest
- 38:24things I could possibly say when you get who becomes the part and
- 38:27becomes that role. And he's done really well not to
- 38:30just stick to this part. I think he saw that coming and
- 38:32didn't want to be type cast. To me, it's a, it's a full
- 38:35package and it really, really, really works.
- 38:37I think he's brilliant. It really is a full package.
- 38:41God Almighty, every fucking time.
- 38:46I mean, I mean, it's a pretty amazing transformation that from
- 38:49the kid that we see in hot tracks at the start, very
- 38:52unassumed and shy and nervous looking kid to the guy whose
- 38:55power and crystal meth has gone to his head when he becomes the
- 38:59king of Dirk. And throughout the film, I think
- 39:02he plays a few performances in the lifespan of the six odd
- 39:05years. And although Wahlberg isn't the
- 39:07finest actor in the world, like you were saying, Westie, I think
- 39:10he does very well here. Probably a career high in a
- 39:13career of relative laws. I would say it's.
- 39:16Up there. Dirk's success is charted by his
- 39:18appearance at the Adult Film Awards.
- 39:20He's at the second one. He's all enthusiastic, happy to
- 39:23be there, really like overwhelmed by the awards that
- 39:26he's getting for best cock and stuff like that.
- 39:30Well, you would be with. You wouldn't be, Of course you
- 39:33wouldn't. But by the 4th he's expecting of
- 39:37his awards and his speeches simply thank you.
- 39:40And then he's off, of course. Yeah, you know it's me again.
- 39:43Of course it is. And he plays the strung out
- 39:45junkie and Amber Heard doc really well.
- 39:48I like his claiming that that he saved 1000 marriages because of
- 39:51his porn acting did. I say this in the camera.
- 39:56Takes his glasses off. That's brilliant.
- 40:00And I think he's really great in that scene with his mother.
- 40:03I mentioned it under PTA. Heartbreaking.
- 40:05And it highlights just how much of a kid Eddie is.
- 40:08He's screaming why you're being mean to me and stuff like that's
- 40:10really quite unbearable to watch.
- 40:13And I think that's reinforced in the party scene after that when
- 40:17he's acting like a kid in the pool doing bombs and stuff like
- 40:20that. And it's pretty gut wrenching to
- 40:22see that innocence kind of ripped away from.
- 40:25Him. And finally, his patchwork denim
- 40:28suit as Brock Landers is a thing of beauty.
- 40:31It is a thing that is a stunning piece.
- 40:33What a piece. A joy to behold.
- 40:36It's a joy. Great hold.
- 40:37Yeah. Matt, what do you think of
- 40:40Wahlberg? Very much in agreement with you
- 40:42too. And I was kind of dreading this
- 40:44part a little bit because like Westie, I'm just not a Wahlberg
- 40:46fan in general. Like he's he's often quite bad a
- 40:49lot of the times or he can mean good things, but he's the worst
- 40:52thing about it. So coming back to this, I was, I
- 40:55was pleasantly surprised. I've forgotten how good he isn't
- 40:57this because I don't think he's the best actor in the film.
- 41:00I don't think it's the best performance in the film.
- 41:01But no, definitely, definitely better than you'd expect.
- 41:05Much better. And it is because I think PTA
- 41:08knows how he is. That naivety that he has didn't
- 41:11just channel that that as he says, that kind of rawness that
- 41:15he's got and put that on screen. So those things you mentioned
- 41:18like, yeah, totally great. Just convinced me, like, how
- 41:20naive he is at the beginning, how eager to please he is.
- 41:23And like, the awards and when he gets his house, like, how, like,
- 41:26delighted he is to show it all off to Amber, like, oh, I've got
- 41:28this and I've got this and I've got this over there.
- 41:31He is just like, yeah. And that painting's the worst
- 41:34fucking painting I've ever seen in my life.
- 41:36So he's saying that's really good.
- 41:37It's fucking atrocious. That painting of Little Bill.
- 41:41Yeah. It's done in Omar.
- 41:43She's wonderful. A massive forehead.
- 41:47Jack just laughs as he walks past it at the end.
- 41:52Yeah, but once you get out of that naivety stuff and you get
- 41:55into the 80s and you see that Igor take control and he gets
- 41:57coked up. He's really good nose bits, like
- 42:00you say look and he but he pushes the aspect just enough.
- 42:02He does become unlikable, but not so much that you totally
- 42:05lose. And it's in the form.
- 42:07So at the end, when he's had to resort to prostitution and he's
- 42:10in the car and he gets beaten up, you still feel sorry for him
- 42:13because deep down he can still see that young kid behind the
- 42:16eyes. And I think it's down to
- 42:17Wahlberg. And we'll talk about this one.
- 42:19We'll get there. But I think it is down to
- 42:21Wahlberg that that emotional beat at the end lambs when he
- 42:24does come back to track for forgiveness.
- 42:26So yeah, it's it's a really good performance like Wahlberg.
- 42:29And where I think he actually excels is the films within the
- 42:32films, because it's got to be wooden acting on purpose.
- 42:36It's it's really bad dialogue. They're ridiculous, but they've
- 42:39got to take it seriously at the same time.
- 42:41And I think that's a very difficult balance to pull off.
- 42:44And I think Wahlberg is brilliant in all laws, yeah.
- 42:46Yeah, it's not good. Yeah, it's excellent.
- 42:49Yeah, the. Best place seen in Los Angeles,
- 42:55It's. Excellent.
- 42:57It's excellent. There's an amazing bit when he's
- 43:00as Brock Landers and he's running towards the screen and
- 43:03it's just before the title card comes up to Diggler as
- 43:05Brooklanders and he's running across the roof.
- 43:08And he's really running crap. On his feet.
- 43:11But then he does his karate, shit karate, but it freeze
- 43:14frames and he looks amazing. As we like to hear.
- 43:21And as Westie mentioned as well, Mark Wahlberg wasn't first on
- 43:24the list to play Dirk Diggler. I mean he wasn't a star by any
- 43:27means apart from his Mark Mark pop career and this was a real
- 43:31star making turn for him. Leo DiCaprio was on board
- 43:34originally but ended up passing so he could star in Titanic.
- 43:37Joaquin Phoenix was asked but wanted no part of it.
- 43:39Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Ethan Hawke were
- 43:42also considered. DiCaprio eventually recommended
- 43:45Wahlberg to PDA, and he took a meeting with him.
- 43:48Wahlberg was initially unsure, especially considering the
- 43:51backlash that Showgirls got, which is based in the similar
- 43:54industry. But after reading 30 pages of
- 43:56the script he knew was something special.
- 43:58And when he met PTA, he said, listen, I love these 30 pages,
- 44:01and I know I'm going to love the rest of it.
- 44:03But I just want to make sure before I really fall in love
- 44:05with it and want to do it, that you don't want me because I'm
- 44:07the guy who will get in his underwear.
- 44:09Based on his Calvin Klein ads, Yeah.
- 44:11Yeah. But he also told PTA that he had
- 44:13an extra inch on Leo, which was the clincher.
- 44:18Of height. I.
- 44:21Don't in the research that wasn't specified, but I guess
- 44:25height I imagine. Height.
- 44:27What else could it be? DiCaprio would later say that
- 44:30turning down Boogie Nights was his biggest regret.
- 44:32Really. And despite Wahlberg's claim,
- 44:35that isn't all Wahlberg in Diggler's pants.
- 44:37A prosthetic was used. I mean, obviously, Christ.
- 44:40Digging tunnels like Charlie Bronson.
- 44:47The first one that was made was far too big.
- 44:49Wahlberg said that it was modelled on John Holmes and went
- 44:52past his knee, so the shorter one, which fit around Wahlberg's
- 44:56own penis. Now we're getting down and dirty
- 44:59here, but it's the subject. That is, you know, what do you
- 45:01expect? The film's DP, Robert Ellsworth,
- 45:05was impressed by Wahlberg's commitment to the role.
- 45:07He said. What Mark Wahlberg did in that
- 45:09movie was all sorts of things that he had to absolutely commit
- 45:12to. He had to put a prosthetic cock
- 45:14on his own cock, you know what I mean?
- 45:16That's, and an awful lot of an actor it is.
- 45:20Yes, I know what you mean. Robert, if you fairly.
- 45:25Literally. Specific, but most of the time
- 45:30during shooting they didn't use the oversized appendage.
- 45:33A Stockman was filled with bird seed and used as a stand in the
- 45:37Stockholm was kept warm in a trunk over the weekend and when
- 45:40they came back to it, it had to be replaced because the seeds
- 45:42started to sprout. Just a disgusting image.
- 45:45It is a. Disgusting image.
- 45:46She had a cucumber wrapping tinfoil.
- 45:50Get that in the power zone. You've got the touch.
- 45:57Mark Wahlberg was lucky enough to take the prosthetic home as a
- 46:00keepsake of the film. It keeps it locked away from his
- 46:03kids, of course, and he's recently said that it started to
- 46:05dereerate. It happens to us all.
- 46:09Well, he's up a certain age now. That's it for you.
- 46:14We've mentioned PT as influences, the scenes where
- 46:16Dirk's looking into the mirror, particularly at the end, second
- 46:18himself or talking to himself directly influenced by the final
- 46:21scene in Rachel Ball where Lamotta is doing a similar
- 46:24thing. Yeah.
- 46:25Which was itself an homage to Brando in On the Waterfront.
- 46:29Yeah, hey. Did you ever see that movie Star
- 46:32Wars? About four times.
- 46:35People tell my look like Han Solo.
- 46:38Really. Our second cast member is the
- 46:41pawn king of San Fernando Valley, the patriarchal Jack
- 46:44Horner, played by Burt Reynolds. I think he's very, very good
- 46:48here. Deadpan, funny, like not, not a
- 46:51flicker. His delivery, I think it's pitch
- 46:53perfect. And although he brought his
- 46:55movie star eco to the set, there are a number of stories, and
- 46:57we'll get to them, caused a lot of problems.
- 47:00I think it's that movie star Eco that makes Jack who he is and
- 47:04that you need somebody with that screen presence, somebody who's
- 47:06seen it all and been around the block a few times, the world
- 47:09weary, ham on fears because I've seen it all before kind of
- 47:12attitude, and I think Reynolds uniquely brings that to the
- 47:16character. Yeah, definitely.
- 47:18The character of Jack was based on Bob Chin, who was right?
- 47:22The director of the majority of John Holmes's work.
- 47:24They've been comparisons made to Gerald Demiano.
- 47:27He directed Deep Throat and he was innovative in the genre at
- 47:30the same outlook as Jack in that he wanted to make real films
- 47:33with story and character and. Hair as well.
- 47:36Hair is identical to Jack. Yeah.
- 47:40And Tarantino made this great point about the character.
- 47:42He loved the film, but he said that the one thing that sticks
- 47:44out is that Jack makes out like he's this great artist, like
- 47:47Damiano did. He wanted to legitimize the
- 47:49industry and make pieces of art, and he knows a good film from a
- 47:52piece of shit. But when he's in the editing
- 47:54room, he says that the Brocklanders film is probably
- 47:56his best yet. And it's absolute shit.
- 48:00Yeah, yeah, crap. He would know a good film when
- 48:02he sees one, yeah. Exactly.
- 48:03Tarantino argued that that character would know it's crap,
- 48:07and yeah, that that rings true with things.
- 48:09Doesn't really feel consistent about the character.
- 48:12It's supposed to be a shit film. Absolutely.
- 48:14Even the consistency of the gunshot sound is off when Brock
- 48:19shoots the first one, and then the second one's a completely
- 48:21different sound. So it's supposed to be shit, but
- 48:24that director shouldn't think it's good.
- 48:26Yeah. It's, it's a, it's a flaw on the
- 48:28character. It's a flow on the character.
- 48:29Yeah, yeah. Wesley, what do you think of
- 48:31Reynolds as Horner? I think he's fantastic and he's
- 48:34really, really brilliant. And I was surprised to learn
- 48:36that he wasn't having a great time on set and that he didn't
- 48:39get on with Paul Thomas Anderson because it does not come across
- 48:41at all in the film. He anchors the film and he
- 48:45brings a real kind of, you know, that that weight that we always
- 48:48talk about and that real kind of distinguished gentleman kind of
- 48:52vibe to it. And I think Burt Reynolds is one
- 48:54of the only things or not one of the only things, but he's one of
- 48:56the main things that stops this film going into that sleaze area
- 49:00to stop it going into that to that moment where, you know, he
- 49:04can say things. But it's just it is very
- 49:06grounded and it's very realistic and it's very believable.
- 49:09And you get that from the character.
- 49:10And when he's arguing about, you know, videotape coming in and
- 49:13he's on about film and he's young authors and artists and he
- 49:16believes in that. You kind of get that from from
- 49:18Burt Reynolds. You know, that's what he would
- 49:21believe in. He wouldn't go to videotape.
- 49:22He would say, I'm to stick with film.
- 49:24That's where I'm from. I'm not.
- 49:25Going to go to TV. I'm a movie star.
- 49:27Yeah, exactly. And he brings that, you know,
- 49:29that real gravitas to the character and he looks great.
- 49:33And it just seems that he's getting on so well with
- 49:35everyone. He's just this real character
- 49:37that you just trust in the whole film.
- 49:40And I think he stops it from becoming too miserable.
- 49:42He stops it to be from becoming too too much of A depravity, too
- 49:46much of AI Can't watch this. This is too CD.
- 49:48You know, he brings real elegance to the film.
- 49:51And I think that's, you know, to his real credit and the fact
- 49:54that he, you know, he didn't get on with Paul Thomas Anderson.
- 49:56But I can see why based on what we were talking about in the
- 49:59direction. And, you know, he's trying to
- 50:00tell the Reynolds what to do. But you wouldn't have that film
- 50:04with Burt Reynolds. And it's somebody had to lose.
- 50:06And unfortunately, it was Burt Reynolds turn around and saying,
- 50:08you know, I don't want anything to do with this film.
- 50:10For him to have a problem with this film.
- 50:12Surely you should have watched this back and go, you know what?
- 50:15I've got to swallow me pride and say Paul Thomas Anderson
- 50:17actually fucking nailed. This.
- 50:18Yeah. Because what else?
- 50:20What else has he done? He did striptease in 96 that was
- 50:24a shower of shit. And then he was in the Bean
- 50:26movie in 97 just before this. Why?
- 50:29And then he's in something like this where it's just a young
- 50:31director. Yes, he's a bit of an upstart.
- 50:33Yes, he's a bit of a pain in the ass, but look what he's done.
- 50:35Look how good you are in it. Look how good he's made you
- 50:37look. And he wanted him, you know, for
- 50:39the next film. We wanted them for Magnolia.
- 50:41Or I think anyway, you wanted to keep it going and better as I
- 50:44know I'm not doing it. And I think to me, that's just a
- 50:46pride thing, unfortunately, because if you'd embraced it the
- 50:49same way as Travolta embraced it, I guess in Pulp Fiction.
- 50:53And just when you know, this is a real resurgence for who I am
- 50:56and took it as a positive, I think will be in a completely
- 50:58different situation. But the the great thing is
- 51:01watching this film without doing research, he's having a great
- 51:03time. It looks like he's having a
- 51:04great time and it really works. And it's a.
- 51:06Fucking excellent. Great.
- 51:07Fucking excellent performance. He really, really shines in this
- 51:09for me. Probably the best performance in
- 51:11the film, I think. Yeah, superb.
- 51:13Love them. You need a huge alpha male star
- 51:16as Jack, but you what you need is an alpha male from a previous
- 51:18generation, which is exactly what you get with Reynolds.
- 51:21Who's not threatening either with no threats.
- 51:23Exactly, exactly. Yes, this huge aura, but it's
- 51:27charisma and it's charm. He doesn't come across like the
- 51:29kind of man you'd expect to be a veteran porn director.
- 51:32You feel like he genuinely cares about every single person on his
- 51:36film set. It's easy or or anything like
- 51:39that. You never lose sight of the fact
- 51:41that actually, though, if you put him too far, he could RIP
- 51:44someone apart with his bare hands if he's provoked enough.
- 51:46He's just got that feel to him. And I was saying like the big
- 51:49sauce the time. I know De Niro was linked with
- 51:52it one point and all. Nicholson was, and I just don't
- 51:55think any of them could have brought Reynolds to us because I
- 51:57think he judges that performed so perfectly and like we've just
- 52:01been saying, stops at feeling sleazy.
- 52:03And I'm not sure any of those others could have done that.
- 52:05Like that first scene where he talks to Eddie and he's
- 52:07essentially seducing him. He's seduced an amazing
- 52:09lifestyle. Yeah, that could.
- 52:11Have been horrible in the wrong hands.
- 52:13And it's the same as when he's talking about his films and he's
- 52:15he's given Eddie the whole spiel about how good his films are and
- 52:19you just sit there like enraptured as if he's talking
- 52:21about like proper Oscar winning cinema.
- 52:23Even when he gets to. And when they spurred out that
- 52:26joy juice, they just got to sit in it and you're like, yeah,
- 52:29totally. Yeah, yeah, you've got to sit in
- 52:32that. What's next?
- 52:33Yeah. Part of The thing is, which
- 52:36we've talked about already, it does feed into the film that
- 52:39Reynolds wasn't having the best of times.
- 52:41I think I've already came the fact that he was envious of
- 52:43Wahlberg because he was like, that was me 20 years ago, why
- 52:47didn't I have this role 20 years ago?
- 52:49And now I'm the old man on set. And yeah, he, he fell out pretty
- 52:52spectacularly with PTA because he wanted to improvise a bit.
- 52:55PTA wouldn't let him. He had a fight with Thomas Jane
- 52:58at one point. They got William.
- 53:00Mitch Macy tells his story where he was his first day on set with
- 53:03Reynolds. And apparently what Macy does
- 53:05whenever he's in the film with someone for the first time,
- 53:08he'll say something like really insulting about one of their
- 53:10films, but just as a joke to break the ice in a Macy's words,
- 53:13I said something about Smokey and the Bandit, and while we I
- 53:17thought Bert was going to jump across the bed of me and smack
- 53:20all my teeth out. So right.
- 53:21Right. You know, he was clearly not to
- 53:24be revoked. And it got so bad at one point.
- 53:27I know like an assistant who'd worked with him before I said
- 53:29one of the producers, look, Bert's got a thing in his
- 53:32contract that if he punches the director in the face, he can't
- 53:34be fired because he has a temper.
- 53:36It's just accepted that's going to happen at some point.
- 53:39Fucking yes man. What a guy.
- 53:41He's a great character, fantastic performance.
- 53:43Yeah, I think it just feels as though he's very sensitive about
- 53:46his reputation and he was surrounded by basically these
- 53:50young kids doing something quite sordid.
- 53:53And I think that really exposed him to, is this what I've I've
- 53:56become? I can't get a gig anywhere else
- 53:59and this is what I'm doing. I think that's I'm just reading
- 54:01between the lines, just like the Diggler role.
- 54:04Like the fellows have mentioned, there were a number of names in
- 54:07the mix for the part of Jack Warner, Bill Murray, Harvey
- 54:10Keitel, Jack Nicholson, De Niro, Albert Brooks, Warren Beatty,
- 54:14Sydney Pollock who are all either declined or were deemed
- 54:17unsuitable. I'd love to see Pollock in there
- 54:19minds. Pollock would have been great.
- 54:21Pollock would have worked, yeah. Yeah, very nice.
- 54:23BD declined because he saw himself more in the Dirk Diggler
- 54:27role. He did of.
- 54:31Course he did. Outrageous.
- 54:35Reynolds didn't want to do it and turned it down a few times.
- 54:37He felt like he'd been letting down his fan base doing a role
- 54:40like this. He angrily told PTA where to go
- 54:42after. Have you continued to pursue
- 54:45him? PTA said to him if he brought
- 54:46that energy to the role, he'd win an Oscar.
- 54:49And it was a much publicized spat on set.
- 54:52We've talked about it. Reynolds and PTA generally
- 54:55encouraged improvisation on set. All the actors, apart from Burt
- 54:58Reynolds, who insisted should read his lines verbatim.
- 55:01Reynolds got more and more pissed off considering his
- 55:03experience and PTA's inexperience.
- 55:06He screamed at him. You little fucking punk kid.
- 55:08Don't tell me what to do. That's what someone of the crew
- 55:11members said, and the whole thing culminated in a fistfight
- 55:14or would have A crew member didn't catch Reynolds arm as he
- 55:17went in for the kill. Cocked.
- 55:21Anderson and Wahlberg both suggested that Reynolds was high
- 55:23on set as well. Right, that doesn't help.
- 55:27And Reynolds continued this narrative after the shooting
- 55:29rapped when he saw a rough cut of the film.
- 55:31He fired his agent for recommending the role and made
- 55:34his unhappiness public knowledge.
- 55:36Wahlberg said that his behavior cost him a potential career
- 55:39comeback and was quoted as saying he would have won the
- 55:41Oscar. Has he not?
- 55:42Had he not dug himself such a hole?
- 55:44Yeah, he distanced himself from the film, which is why I think
- 55:46he didn't win it. Yeah, it was big news.
- 55:48I remember it come when he came out and it was big news, yeah.
- 55:51I'm looking forward to seeing you in action, Jackson.
- 55:53You've got a great big cock. I guess so.
- 55:57Yeah, I see it. Really.
- 56:00Please. OK, so moving on, it's a huge
- 56:02cast. We've mentioned it.
- 56:03We're not going to go through them all in detail, but we've
- 56:05got a couple of Patreon questions here to cover our
- 56:08favourites in the cast. So first Patreon question from
- 56:11Craig Rooney. Hello, Craig.
- 56:13Hello, Craig. Craig says in a cast of this
- 56:16size and quality, which actor gives the best performance of
- 56:19the film and why? We're not including Wahlberg or
- 56:22Reynolds here because we've already talked about them.
- 56:24So, Matt, do you want to go first?
- 56:27Who you're picking out as your fave?
- 56:29Yeah, we've talked about him already, but I do want to go up
- 56:31back to the Han Solo look alike. That is Johnson Riley.
- 56:34A. Dead ringer.
- 56:36It's a dead ringer. Uncanny.
- 56:39I mean, there's Is there ever a time when it's not a good thing?
- 56:41Now John C Reilly in your film. He's.
- 56:44Just wonderful. Isn't he always honored?
- 56:46He's always great and I love him.
- 56:47He's such a warm presence because he's not the type person
- 56:52you expect to be a porn star, which makes it all the funnier.
- 56:54He's slightly dopey. Terrible poetry.
- 56:58She's so. Great.
- 57:00Great magic though. Great magic.
- 57:02Magic. Amazing but so engaging as a
- 57:05presence. And what like is that?
- 57:07It's you get the instant friendship with Dirk.
- 57:09There's that little bit of one upmanship to go through.
- 57:11You know, we've said already what he benched 350, you know,
- 57:14when the countdown and neither of them see it after three.
- 57:16You didn't see it. It's it's it's friendly and he's
- 57:22straight in there as a mate, someone who's ultra reliable.
- 57:25He's a really confident presence and I think he does a lot, a bit
- 57:28like Reynolds, to just dispel any potential sleaze in this in
- 57:31this film, John C Riley, course, he's not sleazy.
- 57:34Yeah, brilliant. Yeah, he's great in surprisingly
- 57:37good nick, considering my mind's eye view of what John C Reilly
- 57:42looks like in Speedos, which I obviously don't think very
- 57:46often. I'll pull back on that.
- 57:50I might, that might not make the edit.
- 57:55I love his interview in the Diggler dock.
- 57:57He's got. He's actually got a kernel of a
- 57:59good point about movie violence, but then it all crumbles and his
- 58:02delivery is fucking atrocious as well.
- 58:04Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, let's.
- 58:07Just let's just forget, let's forget about movies.
- 58:09I'll fuck on my own time you. Can't fuck forever.
- 58:18Who's your cast member that you're picking out?
- 58:20I'm going to go for Julianne Moore because I think she's just
- 58:23incredible in this film and she has the most to do emotionally.
- 58:28She has the most to do in in terms of actually transforming
- 58:31from a character and going through something and having
- 58:34that being that mother figure. And I think she plays that so
- 58:37well. She plays the, you know, the
- 58:39distance from her own child so well.
- 58:41She plays the the emotion, but she brings a depth to it that
- 58:44you can actually buy into and that you actually, I believe.
- 58:48And I think it's just she's just fantastic.
- 58:51She's so watchable. I think when she has that scene
- 58:53with Roller Girl and she's like, are you going to be me mom?
- 58:55I'm going to say you me mom, and you just say yes, you know, and
- 58:57I don't want to leave this room. Yeah, I don't want to leave this
- 58:59room either. You know, just it just brings a
- 59:02real elegance and a real weight, just much like Burt Reynolds
- 59:05does, I think because she's just on his arm, you know, when you
- 59:09see her on screen, she's just electric.
- 59:11And this, I think she's just fantastic, a real presence
- 59:14before she was a real presence, to be honest.
- 59:17And she was, you know, she just shows that read.
- 59:19She's capable of anything. And what she went on to do after
- 59:21this is based on, probably based on this performance, it's just
- 59:25incredibly believable, incredibly lovable character as
- 59:28well, incredibly flawed at the same to just all of them things
- 59:32all mashed together. I think it's just incredible
- 59:34that she pulled that off. I think she's just absolutely
- 59:36100% fantastic in the film. It's a really complex character
- 59:40and it's a great performance and we probably could have had it in
- 59:44the cast, but it would been a much bigger conversation.
- 59:47And there was not much in the research about Julianne Moore's
- 59:49performance. But yeah, she is the architect
- 59:52of her own downfall. She loves Dirk and sees them,
- 59:55sees herself as a surrogate mother, but she does have sex
- 59:57with him and she's the reason he does.
- 59:59Cork in the 1st place is all very messed up, all very
- 1:00:02complicated. And I mentioned earlier, tapping
- 1:00:04into what I said, the sinister unspoken things that reveal
- 1:00:08themselves. After the credits roll, you
- 1:00:10start thinking about the film, that scene with Roller Girl and
- 1:00:12Amber where she's asking if she can be her mother.
- 1:00:14She says yes, all the while they're doing piles of cork.
- 1:00:17But what goes on said is that those two almost certainly do
- 1:00:21porn scenes together as well. The same with Dirk.
- 1:00:24It's just, it's all, it's all very.
- 1:00:26It's all very complex, all very, very.
- 1:00:29Yeah, it's a very confused of about, you know, an emotion and
- 1:00:32a family unit and this whole kind of belonging, really.
- 1:00:37Well, I'm going to go for Don Cheadle, who plays Buck Swap.
- 1:00:41Big Book. Big book.
- 1:00:43Incredible. This is hi Fidelity.
- 1:00:45Very important. Very important.
- 1:00:48I love him in that TK 421 scene. Oh, I think you really need all
- 1:00:52that bass. Yeah.
- 1:00:54Hilarious. Do that in store.
- 1:00:55Very little cut. Amazing.
- 1:00:58Yeah. Hilarious when the customers
- 1:01:01stumbling on the price and book just cuts in.
- 1:01:03Deadly serious. I have this very unit in my
- 1:01:06home. Do you?
- 1:01:07Yes, I do. Yes I do.
- 1:01:10I was going to put this a track in.
- 1:01:11No, you're listening. You get that freaky dicky.
- 1:01:15It helps me. You feel that?
- 1:01:20When he fumbles through the technical stuff that he's
- 1:01:22clearly bullshitting the modification that takes it up
- 1:01:25another 3 or 4 quarts per channel, but that's really kind
- 1:01:30of technical talk that doesn't concern you.
- 1:01:32But he's all about the technical and he doesn't know what he's
- 1:01:35talking about. Yeah.
- 1:01:36Brilliant. And yeah, that country western
- 1:01:39number without any irony whatsoever.
- 1:01:42But I think that's the tragedy of book.
- 1:01:44He's a man completely out of place and uncomfortable in his
- 1:01:47own skin. He wants to be a cowboy, you
- 1:01:49know, that's his thing. But it's not cool and he gets
- 1:01:52pushed back from everyone about it.
- 1:01:53So he tries to go with what's expected, including that Rick
- 1:01:57James braided wig that he's wearing at New Year's Eve party,
- 1:01:59for example. But it's beautiful that Jesse
- 1:02:02loves him for who he is, cowboy outfits, sunrises and all.
- 1:02:06And who the hell doesn't love Don Cheadle?
- 1:02:08He's a highlight in anything. Yeah, he's class.
- 1:02:11Unless he's a cockney, but it's fine.
- 1:02:13Apart from the Cockney Barney rabble.
- 1:02:17Barney Rabble Nice to be working with real crooks again.
- 1:02:22Hang on to your knickers. Oh, OK, now there's a certain
- 1:02:28whiff of indulgence here on my part with our second Patreon
- 1:02:32question. This one is from.
- 1:02:34You just want to answer this. This one is from Peter
- 1:02:37Sutcliffe. Hello, Peter.
- 1:02:39Hello, Peter. Peter asks, are there any films
- 1:02:42that Luis Guzman doesn't elevate with a sheer presence?
- 1:02:45I'll stay silent. Westie Go.
- 1:02:47Is there any that he doesn't? There's one that he doesn't,
- 1:02:49which is Black Ray and everything else, yes.
- 1:02:51And I even you guys, when you might not see Matt, you might
- 1:02:54have, but I have because I've got two young children.
- 1:02:56So I had to watch Journey to the Mysterious Island and he fucking
- 1:03:00elevates that as well. He's.
- 1:03:01Great in that and you know what else he's brilliant in and he
- 1:03:04really elevates is the hard way he's.
- 1:03:06Brilliant. He isn't in that.
- 1:03:07And he's also fucking excellent in Crocodile Dundee. 2
- 1:03:11Brilliant, yeah. The elevate, yeah, you're right.
- 1:03:14The elevates everything but black rain because that can't be
- 1:03:17elevated by anybody. But yeah, everything else.
- 1:03:19Absolutely agree. Oh, wonderful.
- 1:03:21Excellent. Matt, what about you?
- 1:03:23Yeah, shameless this like by you.
- 1:03:25I know you know, really interesting questions.
- 1:03:29You know, you'd be like. 15 questions in.
- 1:03:30Films within films, you know, What would your porn names be?
- 1:03:33You're like Guzman, no straight in with that.
- 1:03:36It's the last episode. Yeah.
- 1:03:40No, he he is a great character actor and obviously every film
- 1:03:43he's in, he does bring something to and and yeah, like any great
- 1:03:46actor, he does improve every film he's in.
- 1:03:48I don't know if I would go all the way and say elevates with
- 1:03:52she your presence. So because if you took him out
- 1:03:54of this, it's not going to be shit all of a sudden.
- 1:03:57Yeah, if you take him out of Magnolia, that's not going to be
- 1:03:59safe. You take him out of traffic,
- 1:04:01that's not going to be shit. So yeah, I always love to see
- 1:04:03him in something, but I wouldn't put him up there with like the
- 1:04:06best in terms of she presence. You see him on screen and you're
- 1:04:09like, that's. I'm happy.
- 1:04:11Yeah, great. Sadly, in two hours, boom, boom,
- 1:04:14boom. Yeah, I was, if you like, Yeah.
- 1:04:16Wow. Don't be don't be surprised if
- 1:04:19your piece doesn't make it in the final cut, OK?
- 1:04:23I've got a good story though all.
- 1:04:24Right. OK, great.
- 1:04:26Yeah, because he was one of the actors that went into an actual
- 1:04:28porn shoot at one point to take notes.
- 1:04:30And when he arrived to said that there's a balcony if you just go
- 1:04:33up there and watch. So he's watching the scene
- 1:04:35taking place and Goose and said, well, the guy who was involved
- 1:04:38looked up, pointed to me and yelled, hey, I know you and
- 1:04:41Gooseman just went, well, that's fucked up.
- 1:04:43And then, in his words, next thing you know, he goes limp.
- 1:04:49Did he have his belly out? He's just.
- 1:04:51Super proud of his expanding. Girth in this film, something to
- 1:04:55be applauded. Proud as a Peacock?
- 1:04:57Letting. It all hang out.
- 1:04:58Oily torso. Fantastic.
- 1:05:01In that opening scene, he's the king of the club.
- 1:05:03He knows everybody. Consummate Horst and his
- 1:05:06reaction to Book when he's showing off his cowboy outfit on
- 1:05:08the dance floor, it's just hilarious.
- 1:05:10He's clearly taken aback by it, but he doesn't want to hurt
- 1:05:13Books feelings. I like it if you like it man.
- 1:05:19Table #10. Yeah, so I'll watch.
- 1:05:22Guzman and. Anything personal favorite?
- 1:05:24As discussed on many occasions and will continue as well,
- 1:05:27continue to be. Yeah, just because I'm moving
- 1:05:30to. YouTube doesn't mean that Guzman
- 1:05:31won't. Be prominent?
- 1:05:32No, no, he'd be even more prominent in.
- 1:05:35The YouTube channel every time. So I think we've covered the big
- 1:05:41boys and girls. There, but there are a few other
- 1:05:43standouts and we'll get to those later in the show.
- 1:05:45But I think we all agree, stellar performances all around.
- 1:05:48Yes, huge. Hi, I'm Melanie Rose.
- 1:05:58I'm a voice actor. On that love podcast.
- 1:06:01Wow, that's a huge round of applause.
- 1:06:04I kind of have to say that I deserve it.
- 1:06:06I'm awesome. So why am I here?
- 1:06:09Where are my notes? OK, found it.
- 1:06:12I just wanted to promote why you, the audience, should listen
- 1:06:15to our lovely podcast one, we love romance.
- 1:06:19Actually, I don't. I'm more into noir films, but
- 1:06:23two, we entertain. At least that's what's written
- 1:06:26on here. I'm still not sure.
- 1:06:29Three, we're funny. I am.
- 1:06:32I'm not too sure about the other actors. 4 I guess there isn't a
- 1:06:37fourth reason why you should listen You love me.
- 1:06:41There's a reason to listen to us, or me to be precise.
- 1:06:45Anyway, check out that Love podcast and follow us.
- 1:06:49Bye bitches. Thank you to that Love podcast
- 1:06:52for sponsoring the show. This episode of All the Right
- 1:06:54Movies is also sponsored by Foul Play, a true crime podcast.
- 1:06:58Foul Play is a long run and true crime podcast that has earned
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- 1:08:21sponsoring this episode of All the Right Movies The Middle.
- 1:08:29With his name in place, Dirk makes a reputation for.
- 1:08:32Himself in the industry, climbs up the ladder, introduces us to
- 1:08:35his iconic character Brock Landers, picking up awards along
- 1:08:38the way. The next scene that we're
- 1:08:40looking at is at the dawn of a new decade.
- 1:08:42Hello, 80s, goodbye success and happy families.
- 1:08:45And I'm going to go first here. And I just want to talk about
- 1:08:48Philip Baker Hall as Floyd Gandoli in this scene.
- 1:08:51What a performance. Lovely Baker.
- 1:08:54Hall we've talked about. Him before he's got an ice cool
- 1:08:58entrance with driver's seat by sniffing the tears playing over
- 1:09:01the top. Amazing.
- 1:09:03And he's amazing in anything big hall.
- 1:09:05But he's in the meeting. He's talking about moving the
- 1:09:07videotape. He knows what time it is.
- 1:09:09The industry is going to be turned upside down with the new
- 1:09:11technology and Horner knows he's right.
- 1:09:14But he's resistant against it because he sees himself as the
- 1:09:17artist. Yeah.
- 1:09:19Really great scene yeah, but it's his dialogue in the scene
- 1:09:22with Jack I quoted at the top. Just just magnificence dialogue,
- 1:09:28comedy, gold butter in his ass and lollipops in his mouth.
- 1:09:31But that's just me. That's just something that I
- 1:09:33enjoy. What the fuck That is just me
- 1:09:36that could. I couldn't have anticipated that
- 1:09:38from this almost sweet look and unassuming old man actually
- 1:09:42didn't age Macy and got that the wrong way around the.
- 1:09:46Butter. In my mouth and lollipops in my
- 1:09:48ass. Just what I like.
- 1:09:52That's just me in the background.
- 1:09:54When Floyd is seeing these outrageous things, Robert
- 1:09:57Ridgley, who plays the Colonel, he's in there, and you can see
- 1:09:59him howling away at Baker Hall's dialogue, killing himself
- 1:10:04laughing, which I'm not surprised PTA blurred him out,
- 1:10:06but it's clear to see that he's laughing away.
- 1:10:09Yeah, because it's improvised, isn't it?
- 1:10:11It's improvised. Is it?
- 1:10:12Improvised. I did not know that.
- 1:10:14Wow. I mean, who improvised?
- 1:10:16Why? Dialogue.
- 1:10:19Holy shit. Just.
- 1:10:22Incredible like. That one's Emmy.
- 1:10:24I know he shows. Up later on, but he really makes
- 1:10:26an imprint on the film just with that 2 minutes thing.
- 1:10:29Yeah, I think there's another actor to talk about.
- 1:10:32Here and it's. A very tornly different scene
- 1:10:34because it's Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- 1:10:36Is Scotty the great Hoffman. Great Hoffman.
- 1:10:40And it's. Just that same way he tries to.
- 1:10:42Get Stirk. And then he has the emotional
- 1:10:43breakdown in the car when he gets rebelled and I'm just
- 1:10:46drunk, man. I'm just out of my mind.
- 1:10:48Yeah, I. Mean this scene in a lot of.
- 1:10:50Ways it sums up what's great about this film because you
- 1:10:53could watch the scene in isolation and think well well
- 1:10:56this must be about this guy. This must be Scott Eastville,
- 1:10:58not Dirk's because it has that ability to make everyone feel so
- 1:11:02important in their scene and you think well this scene it's so
- 1:11:05good and it's so emotional must be about this guy.
- 1:11:08How can it not be? But it's not it's just this
- 1:11:10little side plot that's written and performed really beautifully
- 1:11:14and you get so much from it. And the way that I personally
- 1:11:17read it is Scotty is this young gay guy who's probably
- 1:11:20ostracized from his actual family.
- 1:11:22So he's found this family instead, just like some point
- 1:11:24who don't care what his sexuality is.
- 1:11:26Yes, warm there, but it's still so sad to say how desperate he
- 1:11:30is to impress Dirk. You can see he's building up the
- 1:11:32courage to wait from because he wants to swore this new car and
- 1:11:36it's it's really pitiful in a lot of ways.
- 1:11:38I take you. We need to assault, begging him.
- 1:11:40Kind of kiss you, kind of kiss you.
- 1:11:43And please, do you want to kiss? Do you?
- 1:11:44Want me? Do you want to kiss me or?
- 1:11:46Yeah, if there's any difference. And I think Wahlberg plays that
- 1:11:50scene really well as well because it doesn't get
- 1:11:53unpleasant when he rejects them. It's just like, yeah, sorry,
- 1:11:56that's just not me. It's not what I'm interested in.
- 1:11:58There's not. I mean, he embraces him as well,
- 1:12:00doesn't he? But no judgment, yeah.
- 1:12:01Yeah, there's no embraces. Like, let's just let's just go
- 1:12:03back inside. It still tells him he loves him,
- 1:12:05which is so, yeah. But then obviously Scotty stays
- 1:12:08behind. He has that like, mini breakdown
- 1:12:09in the cards. It's just it's a small scene,
- 1:12:12but it's really heartbreaking. I think it's yeah, it is.
- 1:12:14It is. It is.
- 1:12:16And I think what you were. Saying Matt.
- 1:12:17As well is I think this encapsulates the tone of the
- 1:12:21entire film really, because you've got it is quite funny,
- 1:12:25but then it becomes heartbreaking.
- 1:12:27And I think the there's a really great choice from PTA to hold on
- 1:12:30him in the car calling himself an idiot and crying in his eyes
- 1:12:33because I think a different director would have cut when
- 1:12:36Dirk walks away, losing the emotion and the poignancy of the
- 1:12:39whole thing track back into the house with him.
- 1:12:41Yeah, just a really. Tragic figure.
- 1:12:44Yeah, I'm going. To go for another tracking shot,
- 1:12:46obviously. New Year, New Year's Eve, and
- 1:12:49it's little Bill is finally had enough.
- 1:12:52He witnesses his wife just one last time just taking the
- 1:12:56fucking piss out of who he is and he's just had enough and is
- 1:13:00that it's just a wonderful that wonderful tracking shot in, sees
- 1:13:04what's going on, walks out of the car, sits in the car, pulls
- 1:13:07a gun out. And Paul Thomas Anderson said in
- 1:13:09one of the screenings, there was a bunch of guys and once you got
- 1:13:13the car at the glove box, they were just like screaming and
- 1:13:15just cheering when he was loading it and walking back in
- 1:13:17like right, just going to fucking get his nice one.
- 1:13:19He's going to do what he needs to do.
- 1:13:21Goes back in. And then it's just so well
- 1:13:23played out. It's so well choreographed
- 1:13:25because you get the countdown as he goes in the room 543 and that
- 1:13:30you shoot some on the 321 and say they're three bullets, a
- 1:13:32Bang, Bang, bang the counter, right, Happy new year, boom,
- 1:13:36right. It's not happy new year.
- 1:13:37And they were cheering when he shot his wife and the guy, which
- 1:13:40was meant to be a lot more graphic.
- 1:13:42It was meant to be like bullets and really shot them.
- 1:13:45But they cut that out and just held that shot and Macy comes
- 1:13:49out again. I know it was spoke well,
- 1:13:50William H Macy, but I mean this kind of performance where he
- 1:13:53does play that complete lost soul.
- 1:13:56He's incredible. He's never going to be able to
- 1:13:59do it again because he did it so well at Fargo when he did it so
- 1:14:01well in this. And this sequence for me is just
- 1:14:04peak H Macy. This is what he is born to do.
- 1:14:07This, this very performance, this track and shot is what he
- 1:14:11was made to do as an actor because he just sells every
- 1:14:13second of it. And then when he turns a gun on
- 1:14:15himself and it's just bang, that is just an absolute shocker.
- 1:14:19And Paul Thomas Anderson said these guys were cheering when he
- 1:14:21shot his wife and the stopped and they were still cheering and
- 1:14:24he shot himself and then they were just silent.
- 1:14:27And he's like, that's the reaction that I.
- 1:14:28Wanted from that moment. That's the reaction I wanted
- 1:14:30from that scene. And that's how good Macy isn't,
- 1:14:33that it's perfect. It is, yeah, incredibly like
- 1:14:36comedy and. Tragedy again, combined he
- 1:14:39really juxtaposes and well because when the camera starts
- 1:14:41tracking little Bill, you know what's going to happen.
- 1:14:44He's going to find his his girlfriend or wife in bed with
- 1:14:47somebody else. Hilarious.
- 1:14:48Yeah, incredible because it's been played for laughs the
- 1:14:51previous. Two times exactly.
- 1:14:52Exactly. Yeah.
- 1:14:55His character is loosely based. On.
- 1:14:56Porn actor Kyle Jammer, whose girlfriend Jill Kelly was having
- 1:15:00an affair with actress PJ Sparks, spelled with 2X's and
- 1:15:04another porn actor. Jammer later shot himself in the
- 1:15:08face on Kelly's front lawn. The face.
- 1:15:10Yeah. Christ, wow, some people.
- 1:15:13Told me the food in here was really.
- 1:15:15Good, good It's not good it's. Probably the best place to eat
- 1:15:19in all Los. Angeles, it's excellent.
- 1:15:22So with the death of little Bill, the advent of.
- 1:15:24Videotapes and Dirk's burgeon and drug habit.
- 1:15:26The wheels start to come off. Amber director, hard hitting
- 1:15:30documentaries shown the real Dirk Diggler.
- 1:15:32The Colonel gets busted. There's a wedding in the family
- 1:15:35and a new addition to the team which threatens Dirk's
- 1:15:37dominance, leading to an explosive bust up with Jack.
- 1:15:41Our next sequence starts in 1983 at Sound City Recording Studios,
- 1:15:45where Reed and Dirk are laying down some classic tracks and
- 1:15:48ends with Amber's failed custody hearing.
- 1:15:52And I'm going to start us off by talking about Dirk and Reed in
- 1:15:54the recording studio and their failed attempts to get their
- 1:15:57tapes back. Please do.
- 1:16:00Yeah, I mean. 100. Percent comedy gold.
- 1:16:03You got the touch. I mean, I think you should
- 1:16:06repeat that then. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 1:16:11Reed in the background. Grooving away and Dirk.
- 1:16:13Claiming that the bass is taken away from the vocal.
- 1:16:17That was a fine that ever happened.
- 1:16:19The man Dirk Spectacular vote Golden Tonsils is what he is.
- 1:16:24I mean, that song, you've got the touch, which it'll sound
- 1:16:28familiar for for a couple of reasons.
- 1:16:30Firstly, it sounds to me that it's a RIP off of Jump by Van
- 1:16:33Halen, that synth intro. Yeah, yeah, do, do, do.
- 1:16:37But also, it's a real song by Stan Bush.
- 1:16:41It appeared in the 1986 film Transformers.
- 1:16:45Yes, the Transformers movie, and it was originally written for
- 1:16:48Cobra, but Stallone said no, which I understand considering
- 1:16:51the number of bangers on that soundtrack.
- 1:16:53Bangers. And now we're going to listen to
- 1:16:59a cut. Of Dirk's fine vocals.
- 1:17:02And then we're going to segue into the actual song just to
- 1:17:04give you a feel for the different, different versions.
- 1:17:07Get ready to punch the air. You got.
- 1:17:12The touch, you got the power. A great track.
- 1:17:42Sang twice beautifully there. Yeah, yeah, all, all the songs
- 1:17:47are great. Though.
- 1:17:49Feel Rock You. Feel, feel, feel my.
- 1:17:56Heat. Repeat that.
- 1:17:58Repeat that a bit more. Feel.
- 1:17:59Feel. Feel, feel, feel, feel.
- 1:18:02Feel my heat? Were you rolling on the
- 1:18:06rehearsal? Incredible, but my favorite.
- 1:18:09Part is the interaction with the recording studio guy, he says.
- 1:18:13It's not an. MP it's a YP your.
- 1:18:15Problem and Reed says, but now you're talking about my head
- 1:18:18MPYPI don't understand this industry jargon.
- 1:18:24There's magic on those tapes that's ours.
- 1:18:26I need to get that magic to the recording company and Dirk jumps
- 1:18:30in and he tries to. Explain it in.
- 1:18:32Simple arithmetic. Well, all right, 123.
- 1:18:34We're guaranteed a record deal, our stuff is that good.
- 1:18:38Amazing. And they're just absolutely.
- 1:18:41Frenzied Dirk doesn't know what a catch 22 is.
- 1:18:43He gets confused about that, but it just captures the man year of
- 1:18:47the. Whole segment.
- 1:18:48And I think it really feeds off the energy from the roller girl
- 1:18:51Amber storyline that's happening at the same time they cross cut
- 1:18:55and they all, like both of them, build up into this frenzy.
- 1:18:58Great movie director. And Robert Downey Junior's dad,
- 1:19:02Robert Downey senior plays the record studio guy that Durkan
- 1:19:06reader argument with, right? Yeah, yeah.
- 1:19:08And he plays a part in a moment. Later in the film.
- 1:19:10But we'll, we'll get to that. Yeah, OK.
- 1:19:13I think it's really important. Here.
- 1:19:16About the junk position between film and tape and how important
- 1:19:20tape is and how it's destroying everybody's lives that they
- 1:19:23can't get the tapes back. Jack doesn't want to record on
- 1:19:26tape. Very good.
- 1:19:27You know, it's got that real kind of negative connotation
- 1:19:30towards anything that has to do with with a taped kind of
- 1:19:34medium. And I really enjoy that.
- 1:19:35I love where it's cross cut with with a few different sequences
- 1:19:38here that really build the pace and it's really, really good.
- 1:19:41But the thing that sticks with me about the whole sequence is
- 1:19:43just book just trying to get that bank loan.
- 1:19:46And it's just he's just such a genuine character and it's the
- 1:19:49only character that you see not actually performing on the films
- 1:19:53sexually, you know, even though he is a pawn.
- 1:19:55So but you don't see it, you don't know.
- 1:19:56I don't really buy into the fact that he is one necessarily.
- 1:19:59It doesn't really come across to me that that way He wants to get
- 1:20:02out as well, doesn't he wants to he kind of wants to get out, but
- 1:20:04it doesn't really feel like he's in there.
- 1:20:06Doesn't feel like he's part of it.
- 1:20:07He's never really been happy. So he's got his own identity.
- 1:20:10And it's something that he just did kind of not really of his
- 1:20:14own accord, something that he wasn't necessarily proud of.
- 1:20:16And it was always the stereos and always, you know, trying to
- 1:20:19get his own way and make his own way, even though, you know, a
- 1:20:22black man in the late 70s, you should be in.
- 1:20:24You shouldn't be in the country and West and you should be into
- 1:20:26this. And I think it's a really
- 1:20:28interesting character from that regard.
- 1:20:30And he goes in and it's the fact that, you know, it's, it's
- 1:20:33covered over that, yeah, you're a porn star and you're not going
- 1:20:36to get any money from the bank. But it's also kind of this this
- 1:20:39racial undertone as well from this kind of, you know, this,
- 1:20:43this white kind of totalitarian, like I'm a I'm a bank manager
- 1:20:47and you're not getting anything. Oh, yeah, because you're a porn
- 1:20:50star. But I think it's also because
- 1:20:51he's a black man at that time asking for money from an
- 1:20:54establishment. And I don't think they trust him
- 1:20:56either way. And they're just happy that he
- 1:20:57has that as an excuse to say Noble can't because of that.
- 1:21:01And I love that. I love the way that everyone's
- 1:21:02choices in the past for what they've, you know, to become
- 1:21:07part of this family are now backfiring.
- 1:21:10And, you know, you've got you've got Amber and you've got Roller
- 1:21:12girl trying to make a new family together.
- 1:21:14But the whole sequence with with book on for that bank loan, I
- 1:21:17think it's just it's just heartbreaking.
- 1:21:18It really is heartbreaking stuff.
- 1:21:20One of the most, you know, genuine characters of the whole
- 1:21:22film, being denied something for doing something that he didn't
- 1:21:26necessarily want to do in the 1st place.
- 1:21:27Wants to be a genuine standard person of society and isn't
- 1:21:30allowed to. And I think that's it.
- 1:21:33Yeah. It's beautifully played out by
- 1:21:34Cheadle as well. I think his performance in that.
- 1:21:36Oh yeah, he's great. He's fantastic.
- 1:21:38Brilliant. Yeah.
- 1:21:39Yeah. The Human Torch was.
- 1:21:40Denied. A bank loan.
- 1:21:47We're to undermine everything I've just said.
- 1:21:55No, I think this. Whole sequence is created true
- 1:21:59and ramifications really, And I think it's really brilliantly
- 1:22:05illustrated with Amber here when she goes to that custody hearing
- 1:22:08because Amber is really fundamentally a very likable
- 1:22:12character. And you're watching a here where
- 1:22:14she's done up as smartly as she can make herself such completely
- 1:22:18presentable, completely respectable.
- 1:22:20But you can still see how fragile she is and she has no
- 1:22:24one on her side. He should just need to have a
- 1:22:26lawyer to represent her. And I think Anderson shoots us
- 1:22:29in a really interest rate because first of all, she's
- 1:22:31nearly cut out of the frame entirely.
- 1:22:33She's barely there on the side. And then when he slowly zooms in
- 1:22:37on her, it cuts off from the judges in the middle of the shot
- 1:22:40and it cuts off from her ex-husband and his lawyer who on
- 1:22:43the right hand side the shot. She was always isolated.
- 1:22:46She's always surrounded by Dead Space because everything is
- 1:22:49stacked against her in the scene.
- 1:22:51And even at the end when she stood out side sobbing, no one
- 1:22:54has support her and all these people just walking past her and
- 1:22:57not one stops to ask how she is like, why is this woman, you
- 1:23:00know, in absolute hysterics? And this is despite the fact
- 1:23:04that, yeah, we've seen her who run up the cork and, you know,
- 1:23:07not answering the phone when it's obviously a son on the
- 1:23:09other end. So, you know, she's clearly no
- 1:23:11Angel and she does lie about that in in this heroin.
- 1:23:14But I think more is so good and and the writing is is so good
- 1:23:19for her character in the scene that you're still on the side
- 1:23:21and you're pretty devastated. That's just not going to get the
- 1:23:24second chance with the Sun. That character has done as well.
- 1:23:28It is. Quite.
- 1:23:28Amazing that you are on her side and as well I mean in any other
- 1:23:33director I may have looked. This or any other, right, I
- 1:23:35would look at this and go, well, this is her redemption.
- 1:23:36This is her way back. And Jack would come in, Dirk
- 1:23:40would come in, Roller Girl would come in, and they would all sit
- 1:23:43with her and back her up and make sure that she gets custody.
- 1:23:45And it would all be like this real family coming together and
- 1:23:48her kind of, you know, repenting all of our sins and becoming a
- 1:23:51better person. But it doesn't work like that.
- 1:23:53She descends outside alone and broken down.
- 1:23:56And I think that's a really bold choice.
- 1:23:58Yeah, I think I like that it cuts.
- 1:24:00When the. Judge asks, what was that?
- 1:24:03When was the last time you were arrested and what was the
- 1:24:05charge? We don't need to know.
- 1:24:07It's fucked up immediately. It's not going to.
- 1:24:09It's not going to work out, No. Amber's family issues were
- 1:24:12inspired by similar events experienced by porn star
- 1:24:15Veronica Hart. And Veronica Hart plays the
- 1:24:18judge in the scene as well. All right, OK.
- 1:24:21PTA called her the Meryl Streep of porn.
- 1:24:24Well, he would know. Yeah.
- 1:24:26Yeah. Expert big porn guy.
- 1:24:28John. Doe plays Amber's.
- 1:24:30Estranged. Husband.
- 1:24:31He was the bassist and singer in LA punk band X.
- 1:24:35He also played the bartender with the Tash in Roadhouse.
- 1:24:39He's been a lot of other things. And keep your ears peeled and
- 1:24:43your eyes open because I will be interviewing him soon, so look
- 1:24:46out for that in the next few weeks.
- 1:24:48Brilliant. John Doe.
- 1:24:50Yeah. So inevitably, everything is
- 1:24:53crumbling. Around Dirk and his colleagues.
- 1:24:55And it's going to get a whole load worse before it gets any
- 1:24:58better. Yep.
- 1:25:03The crew. The crew on Boogie.
- 1:25:07Nights. We're starting with Paul Thomas
- 1:25:08Anderson here. Again, but this time we're
- 1:25:10talking about him as writer Westie.
- 1:25:12What do you think of the screenplay for Boogie Nights?
- 1:25:15It's to me evident that this was 3. 100 pages cut down to 180
- 1:25:20pages. I think he has a lot of ideas.
- 1:25:24He had a lot of ambition. The Dirk Douglas story obviously
- 1:25:28was the start of it, and right now, in your late teens is
- 1:25:31ridiculous. And then to make it into a
- 1:25:34screenplay that tries to flesh out a story and a narrative when
- 1:25:37it was based on Spinal Tap. If you try to flesh out Spinal
- 1:25:41Tap into a narrative, it'd be quite similar, but I hear you're
- 1:25:45going to follow. What they're going to do, it
- 1:25:48seems. To just be very linear.
- 1:25:49It's a very kind of linear arc, if there is such a thing.
- 1:25:53They all end up back where they started and just go through the
- 1:25:57motions and go through these experiences, and you go through
- 1:26:00these experiences with these people.
- 1:26:01But at the end of the story, I don't really feel like any of
- 1:26:04the characters learn anything apart from book.
- 1:26:06Obviously he gets his own place and leaves, but I think everyone
- 1:26:10else is just kind of stuck where they've always been.
- 1:26:13And that's to me quite depressing.
- 1:26:15Just kind of same of this is the life that these people have got,
- 1:26:18whether they like it or not. And no matter what choices they
- 1:26:22make, whether it's positive or negative, they're going to end
- 1:26:24up being back here because this is where they are and this is
- 1:26:27their life and this is where they deserve to be, I guess.
- 1:26:31And I've always found that quite, quite depressing and
- 1:26:33always wanted us to go to a not to a cheesy uplift, an ending,
- 1:26:37but at least something else where it didn't, it didn't
- 1:26:40settle where it feels that you're starting to watch the
- 1:26:42film again. Yeah.
- 1:26:44And I think Paul Thomas Anderson had.
- 1:26:47He must have. Had a lot of choices of what
- 1:26:49he's going to put in here. Some of the scenes that he does
- 1:26:50decide to put in here are absolutely flawless.
- 1:26:52Don't get us wrong, brilliant set pieces, brilliant, brilliant
- 1:26:56sequences. But I think he's chosen these
- 1:26:58sequences and cut it down to 180 pages because he's read it and
- 1:27:01went what's going to look the best?
- 1:27:04Which scenes can I make look really good?
- 1:27:07Which are the? Most.
- 1:27:07Dynamic visually, which are the most dynamic stylistically.
- 1:27:12And I think he's chosen the story based on the stylistic
- 1:27:15nature of the scenes as opposed to the emotional or the content
- 1:27:19of the scenes. And that's where the writing for
- 1:27:21me becomes quite mixed for Boogie Nights.
- 1:27:23So I have got a bit of an issue with it because it's not one of
- 1:27:26them films where I feel fulfilled by the end of it.
- 1:27:29Visually, it's stunning, but emotionally, I don't really feel
- 1:27:32like I get any kind of resolution.
- 1:27:33And I think that is down to him and I think that is down to the
- 1:27:36right and then the choices that he makes within that, right.
- 1:27:38OK, fair points. I don't think that PTA.
- 1:27:41Is moralizing with this story. It's not an indictment of the
- 1:27:44porn industry and those within. I think he's got great affection
- 1:27:47for it, and that despite the sleaze that surrounds that,
- 1:27:49there are still good people who deserve happiness and a family
- 1:27:52around them. Yeah, but I think it would be
- 1:27:55irresponsible. For him to make a celebration.
- 1:27:57Of the year without you on the pitfalls of the excess and the
- 1:27:59potential corruption of youth and morals.
- 1:28:01So we get Dirk's spiral and drug use, Amber's inability to have
- 1:28:05access to a son as a result of the choices that these
- 1:28:07characters have made. So I think the balance in the
- 1:28:09writing is very good. OK, now I mentioned family
- 1:28:13there, and I think this is something that.
- 1:28:14Obviously he's. Interested in something you
- 1:28:16mentioned on a period episode a few months back, Matt?
- 1:28:19He puts these weed characters together with these fascinating
- 1:28:22results and Jack and Amber, surrogate parents, book, Dirk
- 1:28:26Roll a girl, etcetera. The children and amazingly the
- 1:28:28results are quite touching. These people who are on the
- 1:28:31fringes of society and being let down or have let down their
- 1:28:35family have found happiness or people they can relate to.
- 1:28:40If I do have some complaints, it's in a couple of areas in the
- 1:28:43writing, and they are nitpicks. But we really don't get to
- 1:28:47understand how and why Dirk's home life is so bad, why he's
- 1:28:50pushed to the point of leaving. Although that blazing scene with
- 1:28:53him and his mother does do a good job of taking a shortcut
- 1:28:56because it is really hard to watch and you can't feel the
- 1:28:58emotion there. But it's just it's plunked in.
- 1:29:01He's he's already having a bad time, but we don't know why.
- 1:29:04Yeah. And the other thing is the
- 1:29:06character of Todd Parker, played by Thomas Jane Allore.
- 1:29:09I think it's a good performance. It just shows up in the midpoint
- 1:29:12of the film and it's not really made clear to me who he is or
- 1:29:15what his role is. But he needs to be in there
- 1:29:18because he's a major partner in the Rahad.
- 1:29:20Jackson scene at the. End.
- 1:29:22But for me, I don't know what he.
- 1:29:23I think like listening back and reading and watching back of the
- 1:29:27film. He's a dancer.
- 1:29:28Yeah, but I don't really. But that's not made very clear.
- 1:29:32He's introduction to the character.
- 1:29:33You think he's going to be a threat to Duke?
- 1:29:35You definitely do. You definitely do need to.
- 1:29:38Be a bad influence on him, Yeah. So I think that character is not
- 1:29:42written very well. Matt, what do you think of the
- 1:29:45writing on Boogie Nights again? It's very striking that he's 26
- 1:29:50running. Rights this and I think it's
- 1:29:52unbelievable. It's unbelievable with a little.
- 1:29:55Bit of naivety. Thrown in there for me.
- 1:29:57I think, I mean, from a positive angle, he just has this really
- 1:30:02uncanny ability to create so many believable and different
- 1:30:05and interesting characters all in this one film.
- 1:30:08And I kind of mentioned it, I suppose, when I talked about
- 1:30:11Scotty. This feels like this film could
- 1:30:13be about anyone if it wanted to be so.
- 1:30:15It could be about Amber and Roller Girl and their
- 1:30:17relationship. Like say, it could be about
- 1:30:19Scotty. It could be about book story,
- 1:30:21trying to leave the pawn industry behind, and it's not
- 1:30:25it's about Doug. But I still feel I know those
- 1:30:27characters and I know the background each and one of them.
- 1:30:29And that's really cleverly done. No one is there for me just as a
- 1:30:32fill of character and the way that Anderson weaves all the
- 1:30:36characters together and all that different storylines that's, you
- 1:30:39know, really pretty accomplished and pretty impressive.
- 1:30:42What really resonates for me or and it's the reason I find the
- 1:30:46film very watchable is is why you've essentially been seen
- 1:30:49there, Luke. I think it's a very warm and
- 1:30:51affectionate film for all these characters.
- 1:30:54I think you've said it yourself, it's incredibly non judgmental
- 1:30:57about these characters and it makes a big deal about the fact
- 1:31:00that the Aura family, yes, they're in an industry where
- 1:31:03people will make these big, instant and big moral judgments
- 1:31:07about them. But I don't think PTA ever does
- 1:31:10that and never feels like anyone has been punished.
- 1:31:12No, he does. So some ramifications, but
- 1:31:16doesn't go over the top of those.
- 1:31:18Yeah, I think there's real compassion to his writing here.
- 1:31:21Where the naivety is for me is that he's like a dog.
- 1:31:25And if you throw a ball for a dog will go after the ball.
- 1:31:27This is like someone's thrown 10 balls in the air and like he
- 1:31:30wants to go for the ball and he's got so many plates
- 1:31:32spinning. So he will do things like that
- 1:31:34amazing scene with Bill and his wife when he kills and then he
- 1:31:36kills himself. But I would like to see a bit of
- 1:31:39after effect of that. I'd like to see what do people
- 1:31:41think of Bill's decision to do that.
- 1:31:43I'd like to see a little more reaction from Amber is to lose
- 1:31:46in custody because it's it's amazing that scene.
- 1:31:48I said it is, but it kind of gets forgotten about as the film
- 1:31:51goes on. And I think that's just him
- 1:31:53being young and naive and just so many plates in the air, which
- 1:31:57is impressive. And it's got so much ambition.
- 1:31:59But just a few of them could be a bit more finely drawn, I
- 1:32:01think. OK.
- 1:32:03Yeah. Fairpoint.
- 1:32:04Fairpoint all round I think. Anderson was raised in San
- 1:32:08Fernando Valley. And was heavily influenced.
- 1:32:10By the pawn studios around him. He found his dad's video copy of
- 1:32:14porn classic The Opening of Misty Beethoven and was hooked.
- 1:32:17From that day on. He was nine years old.
- 1:32:21Wow. Outrageous.
- 1:32:23Yeah. Jesus Christ, he said when I was
- 1:32:26a 17. Year old.
- 1:32:27I was completely immersed. In watching porno in a kind of
- 1:32:30horny young boy way, but also in a sort of filmmaking way, which,
- 1:32:34you know, an education. And he was getting his kicks at
- 1:32:36the same time, which is nice. Win, win.
- 1:32:38But it's nice, Yeah. And this was the time when he
- 1:32:41conceived and shot. The Dirk Diggler story.
- 1:32:43He said the real seduction of the porn industry was in the
- 1:32:45imagined backstories, the circumstantial tragic comedies
- 1:32:49of the cast and the crew on the name Dirk Diggler, he.
- 1:32:53Said, you know he wasn't. Too sure how he came up with it.
- 1:32:56He just came to him when he was 17 years old, he said.
- 1:32:59I think a good pawn name has to have two GS in it.
- 1:33:02It just looks good and sounds good.
- 1:33:04And a key is pretty important as well.
- 1:33:06So there you go, if that's what you're looking for.
- 1:33:12And the moment at the end. The hilarious moment when?
- 1:33:14They're unveiling the Rodriguez brothers sign and it's
- 1:33:18misspelled. That wasn't planned.
- 1:33:20That's a cue. It's a cue.
- 1:33:22The Rodriguez. Brothers.
- 1:33:24That's obvious. It's supposed to be.
- 1:33:29AG. Anderson misspelled it in the
- 1:33:30screenplay. And decided that it would make a
- 1:33:32funny. Scene.
- 1:33:32And it absolutely does. Yeah, absolutely incredible.
- 1:33:37I want to fuck. It's my big Dick.
- 1:33:39So everybody get ready. Fucking.
- 1:33:40Now moving over to our next crew member, we're talking about
- 1:33:44cinematography. By Robert Elswit Matt, what do
- 1:33:48you think of the cinematography here?
- 1:33:50I think it's great. I think Goodfellas is as we've
- 1:33:53said. Before the very, very big
- 1:33:55influence on the film, and I think you get that he was well
- 1:33:57because those amazing shots like the Open, we've talked about the
- 1:34:01one at the pool where that camera's sneaking around in
- 1:34:03between counters, in and out of the pool.
- 1:34:06It's clear to see where it's coming from.
- 1:34:07But it's like that direction, You've still got to be able to
- 1:34:10pull it off. And this feels like he's just
- 1:34:13pulled it off without break in a sweat.
- 1:34:14And I love the various looks that this film goes through.
- 1:34:17So it's really sunny and pride at the beginning gets
- 1:34:20progressively dark as the film goes on.
- 1:34:23And I do love the recreation of all those porn films, that
- 1:34:25crappy film quality, they are excellently done.
- 1:34:29Really, really feel like not like the genuine thing.
- 1:34:31And you know, you look at Elswit, there's a
- 1:34:33cinematographer, you know, the guy knows what he's doing.
- 1:34:36He did 6 films with PTA. He's done Good Night and Good
- 1:34:39Luck. He's done Night Crawl.
- 1:34:40He did two of the Mission Impossible films as well.
- 1:34:42So the guy is great. And I think he just delivers
- 1:34:45everything this film needs in terms of Torn, in terms of look
- 1:34:48and in terms of camera movements.
- 1:34:50And I think what he does is he's 20 years older than PTA, but he
- 1:34:53takes all that youthful energy that PTA has probably quite
- 1:34:57undisciplined energy as well. And he puts it on screen.
- 1:35:02But I know when Elsewhere took the gig at first his.
- 1:35:04Wife told him. Not to do it because she'd read
- 1:35:07the script and he gave her this big speech about, Oh no, it's
- 1:35:10about love, it's about family. This is going to be a classic
- 1:35:12American film. And she just looked at him and
- 1:35:14went, You're so full of shit, you just want to see the naked
- 1:35:17girls. It's a fair cop.
- 1:35:27The cinematography, I think it's dazzling, these.
- 1:35:29Amazing long takes like, you know, we've said it the one at
- 1:35:32the start, the one that tracks little Bill when he goes on the
- 1:35:34the murder suicide spree, the one around the pool, the one
- 1:35:37right at the end that tracks Jack through the house and picks
- 1:35:39up with everybody playing happy families, right Oh yeah, yeah,
- 1:35:42yeah. I think PT is really flexing his
- 1:35:44muscles because you. Know he can and.
- 1:35:46In else, but he's got someone who can keep up with him and
- 1:35:49bring his vision to vibrant life.
- 1:35:50And I don't think that that's no main feat because PT is going
- 1:35:54off like a firecracker and for somebody just to keep up with
- 1:35:57him, I think he's amazing. Quite literally in some scenes.
- 1:36:03The steady Cam. Operator Robert Vidor said Else.
- 1:36:05What was the dominant organizer of everything?
- 1:36:08The DP. He was very strong, and if the
- 1:36:10director said something, he would rebold it.
- 1:36:12Yeah. Matt, did you see what I did
- 1:36:15there? We went first.
- 1:36:16We didn't let didn't let Wesley kind of come in and embarrass
- 1:36:21us, but that's what he's going to do now.
- 1:36:23So Wesley, would you like to embarrass us elsewhere?
- 1:36:25The cinematographer? Not at all.
- 1:36:27I just I totally agree. We'll leave it there.
- 1:36:35No, not at all. Yeah, like you guys have said,
- 1:36:38he's a very, very. Grounded figure.
- 1:36:39And I think this is the rule that Burt Reynolds should have
- 1:36:41had from an actress point of view.
- 1:36:43And he does it from a cinematographer's point of view.
- 1:36:45He takes the energy of a young man.
- 1:36:47He takes the the vibrance of a young man turns into something
- 1:36:50very mature, very watchable, very elegant, very expensive.
- 1:36:54And you could he could have been easily the one who turns around
- 1:36:57and has a fistfight as opposed to Burt Reynolds.
- 1:36:59It could have been Ellswick or you want a crane and you want to
- 1:37:01track that down. You want to do a tracking shot
- 1:37:02that's too many. You want to introduce all the
- 1:37:03cup what you're doing that for. But he doesn't argue and he
- 1:37:06allows that camera to move. He allows that camera to flow.
- 1:37:09He did hard 8 and they didn't have the money to do an
- 1:37:12anamorphic film. So the kind of just cheated it a
- 1:37:14little bit by putting the, you know, the lines on for 2:30 for
- 1:37:182/3 to one, which is an anamorphic ratio.
- 1:37:20So they get the money in. So what does he do?
- 1:37:22Anamorphic lenses to shoot this 2-3 to one anamorphic ratio.
- 1:37:26So it looks very cinematic. There's no way to hide with it.
- 1:37:29Else but knows what he's doing. And I feel honestly that else
- 1:37:32but it was as excited as Paul Thomas Anderson shooting this
- 1:37:35film. I think you get that vibe from
- 1:37:38it. He's really enjoying what he's
- 1:37:39doing. He's allowed to become, you
- 1:37:42know, a real father figure. And I think you're talking about
- 1:37:44a family within the film. I think there's a family within
- 1:37:46the crew. And I think the amount of times
- 1:37:48that Else but worked with Paul Thomas Anderson after this is
- 1:37:51testament to that. It's not in any way any kind of
- 1:37:56ego or pretentiousness in the way that this is shot.
- 1:37:59It is very much somebody with open arms welcoming and of brand
- 1:38:02new talent. And I really think, I mean, it
- 1:38:05almost brings fucking tears to me eyes to think that somebody
- 1:38:08who's 20 years older has embraced a young talent to this
- 1:38:11degree where people don't even know who Robert Elswood is.
- 1:38:14Everyone knows who Paul Thomas Anderson is and that's the step
- 1:38:17back that he took on this film and he has got every single part
- 1:38:22to play as much as Paul Thomas Anderson, if not more, in how
- 1:38:25good this film looks and how good this film flows and how
- 1:38:28good this film feels and how good this film is.
- 1:38:31Fantastic. Wonderful words, as expected.
- 1:38:37Cinematographer and later director Barry Sonnenfeld was
- 1:38:40bummed out when he heard like Boogie Nights was in production
- 1:38:42because he'd always planned to make a film about his experience
- 1:38:45of being a porn DP. He actually shot 9 porn films in
- 1:38:49a nine year stretch. OK, Bang Bang bang.
- 1:38:53More. Than one.
- 1:38:56Nine bangs. That's.
- 1:39:01Not an MP, that's a wipe. Your.
- 1:39:04Problem. I'm up with the money and I'll
- 1:39:06give you. The tapes, that's it.
- 1:39:08Okay, all right, now you're talking about my head, all
- 1:39:10right? I don't know this industry
- 1:39:11jargon. Why PMP?
- 1:39:12Whatever. Okay, finally, as part of the
- 1:39:14crew, we're talking about the music in the film soundtrack.
- 1:39:18Westie. Yes, you've got the touch.
- 1:39:20Go for it, You've got the power. Yeah, this is going to be one of
- 1:39:22the top five soundtracks. Of all time.
- 1:39:29In the way that Scorsese does it so well, In the way that
- 1:39:32Tarantino. Does it so well in the way that
- 1:39:33was spoke about it countless times on these classic episodes
- 1:39:37and how easily this could have just been a cliche.
- 1:39:39How easily this could have been an eye roll or a yawn.
- 1:39:43You know, like, you sexy thing, buy hot chocolate.
- 1:39:46Yeah, right. I'm doing it.
- 1:39:48It's seventies, 1977. It's it's based on, you know, at
- 1:39:51the porn industry. Yeah.
- 1:39:52Do you want a hot chocolate? You know, you sexy thing?
- 1:39:55The first I would alarm bells would go off in my head if that
- 1:39:57was not. Yeah, I can't.
- 1:39:59No, there's no chance. There's no way that's not.
- 1:40:01That's no way that's going to work.
- 1:40:03And you just kind of go Afternoon Delight by the
- 1:40:05Starland Vocal Band. Do you want that in there?
- 1:40:07No, that's not going to work. That's too.
- 1:40:09It's too on the nose, It's too cheesy.
- 1:40:11Every single song in this film is almost like a master class
- 1:40:17like Scorsese does in Casino, where it just basically marries
- 1:40:21the scene. Everything.
- 1:40:23Every song marries the scene. It marries the narrative, it
- 1:40:26marries the tone, it marries the characters.
- 1:40:28It does everything. You know, a fight with his mom
- 1:40:31kicks him out the house, he runs out the house, he goes to Jack's
- 1:40:34house where he's been invited. And then you've got that
- 1:40:36incredible version of Mama told me not to come by, you know,
- 1:40:39Three Dog Night, not the fucking Stereophonics Tom Jones.
- 1:40:42I'm asking fuck off this version.
- 1:40:45And it's just Mama told me not to come.
- 1:40:48It's so obvious and so much like if anyone else had done this,
- 1:40:53they would just it would just be almost like, oh God, it's tired.
- 1:40:56I feel a bit, you know, a bit sick about how obvious that is,
- 1:40:59but it works. It's just one of them
- 1:41:01soundtracks where like Matt mentioned on the Casino episode
- 1:41:05where he said I'll I love this soundtrack when I'm watching the
- 1:41:08film and it's the same, this is my basically exactly the same as
- 1:41:11Matt, but this is my version is I love this soundtrack when I'm
- 1:41:14watching the film, But if I listen to the soundtrack, I get
- 1:41:17bored very quickly. Just independently by itself.
- 1:41:20It doesn't really work for me because I've heard these songs a
- 1:41:22million times and the cliches upon themselves.
- 1:41:26Yeah, OK, they all work. But when you put them in this
- 1:41:28film and they just have this energy and it builds the film
- 1:41:33for him to pick these and to play them when he does, and for
- 1:41:36it not to be a cliche, it's nothing short of a fucking
- 1:41:39miracle. And it really works.
- 1:41:41It's amazing. It is amazing.
- 1:41:43What do you think? Yeah.
- 1:41:45I just don't know how he gets away with you sexy.
- 1:41:48Thing in this it's like that should have been the first one
- 1:41:51you could yeah, it works and I can't explain it the whole
- 1:41:54thing. I mean I've been humming these
- 1:41:56songs to myself last few days. All different ones to gloriously
- 1:42:00or to revisit. Huge wealth of songs to choose
- 1:42:03from and I like how he does pick massive numbers.
- 1:42:05So, you know, opening with Best of My Love at the beginning,
- 1:42:08ending religion thing at the end, but the song isn't that to
- 1:42:11me anyway, which were much more obscure.
- 1:42:14And, you know, I mentioned Lonely boy band of gold I love
- 1:42:17Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Alvin Bishop as well.
- 1:42:21Yeah, we're just having sex in the driveway.
- 1:42:23That's New Years and so. Jessie's girl, Obviously we'll
- 1:42:27get to that whole scene later. I just think great songs used
- 1:42:30amazingly well in Simon's. That you just think it's one of
- 1:42:33the Sandra acts speaks for itself.
- 1:42:36You know, just the amount of great scenes that are great
- 1:42:38because of the songs in them. And I know when he got the right
- 1:42:41to live and think Jeff Lynne asked for preview, which he was
- 1:42:44really nervous about in case he didn't like it and took the
- 1:42:47rights back. So when he was screening it, he
- 1:42:49sat a few rows behind him and he was just watching the back of
- 1:42:52Jifflin, Jeff Lynne's head, trying to gauge reaction.
- 1:42:54He said when the film ends and living thing kicks in,
- 1:42:57apparently just Jeff Lynne's both of his arms that just shot
- 1:43:00up in triumph and he walked out. That's when he knew he was old.
- 1:43:04Yeah, because Jeff. Lynne's against.
- 1:43:06Violence and sex in movies, right?
- 1:43:07But if? The if you hear living thing you
- 1:43:09think of a massive Dick. That'll do.
- 1:43:11Yeah, you can use it, Paul. Not a problem.
- 1:43:13I'll I can handle. That.
- 1:43:15That's my song. You know you would.
- 1:43:19Expect a film called Boogie Nights to include.
- 1:43:21The disco classic of the. Same name by Heat Wave, but Heat
- 1:43:24Wave lead lead singer Johnny Wilder.
- 1:43:26Junior was a devout Christian and said that the song was about
- 1:43:29dancing, not porn. Fair enough.
- 1:43:32Yeah, fair enough. Yeah.
- 1:43:33It's not right. It's fine.
- 1:43:35So. PT is all over the crew with.
- 1:43:37His writing and his. Song choices.
- 1:43:38But he found ADP in Robert Ellsworth that really spoke his
- 1:43:41language. Absolutely.
- 1:43:46The end. Picking up where we.
- 1:43:50Left off, we're looking at the sequence where Jack conducts an.
- 1:43:53Experiment with Royal Girl called On the Lookout an
- 1:43:56inventive name. I think he just made that up on
- 1:43:58the spot. This is cross cut with Dirk
- 1:44:00being picked up at a drive through and book.
- 1:44:02Getting in deep with doughnuts. That isn't a metaphor.
- 1:44:08That could have gone. Very wrong if you, yeah.
- 1:44:12When you said cross cut there, I thought you.
- 1:44:13Want to say something very different?
- 1:44:15Yeah, tender hoot, here are. We going to finish this soon.
- 1:44:21We've done so well so far, a few mistakes along the way.
- 1:44:26But you'll never hear. So.
- 1:44:32I'm going to start off with Roller Girl.
- 1:44:34And there's a really ominous presence in this scene, with
- 1:44:36those bells of doom ringing in the soundtrack.
- 1:44:40We know something's up. Roller Girl trying.
- 1:44:42And feeling to be sexy with. Those pouty glances at the
- 1:44:44camera? Awful.
- 1:44:47And it all gets uneasy when the guy says that he.
- 1:44:49Used to go to school with. Roller Girl, that's him right at
- 1:44:52the start of the film in the class.
- 1:44:54But nevertheless, he went to school there.
- 1:44:55But he's in there. And despite how uncomfortable
- 1:44:58and uneasy it all feels, Jack's dialogue is hilarious.
- 1:45:03And he's saying things like don't just ram it in there.
- 1:45:05This isn't a hole in the wall. This is Roller Girl.
- 1:45:07Be respectful. This is Roller Girl.
- 1:45:09Yeah, you know something's going to go wrong, and things really
- 1:45:12do. Change when the.
- 1:45:13Car stops, the footage goes from being the handheld like film,
- 1:45:18like the stock film, to actually part of this film.
- 1:45:21It switches and the guy says that Jack film.
- 1:45:23Jack's films are shit now and that really touches a nerve with
- 1:45:26them. And the reason that he explores
- 1:45:28into this geyser of violence is because he knows what the kids
- 1:45:31saying is true. Yeah, he's really touched
- 1:45:34enough. He's making shit films.
- 1:45:35He's sold out, he's making video or the arts, gone out of his
- 1:45:38work and has really, really disturbing when rolling the
- 1:45:41girl, slamming her skates into his head while he's helpless.
- 1:45:44Yeah, yeah, horrendous. And talk about Roller Girl for a
- 1:45:48moment. Taking the role did seem.
- 1:45:50To backfire on Heather Graham, who couldn't get a gig in
- 1:45:52Hollywood for a couple of years after this and she even
- 1:45:56considered taking a role in a soft core erotic film before
- 1:45:59being cast in the second Austin Powers Powers film.
- 1:46:01It was things got that bad and in my head she kind of just
- 1:46:05disappeared from public view. A real shame because I think
- 1:46:08she's fantastic. She's really fantastic in this.
- 1:46:11But that's which from the character, from this sweet and
- 1:46:14innocent, you know, bubble gum girl to this monster that she
- 1:46:18unleashes on this guy and she's being dragged out in the car.
- 1:46:21Fuck you and hope you die and all this kind of stuff that it's
- 1:46:24chill and stuff. Yeah.
- 1:46:26Brilliantly done though. It's totally believable.
- 1:46:28It's totally. Believable and the rule she got
- 1:46:30an awesome powers. It's a parody.
- 1:46:32Of this one, really. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, you're right.
- 1:46:35Yeah. I never thought of it like that.
- 1:46:36Yeah. Felicity shag.
- 1:46:37Well, it's when it all goes a. Bit sour this part of the film
- 1:46:42isn't. It and it is a bit, it is a bit
- 1:46:44hard to watch because not one character really gets away with
- 1:46:47anything positive or pleasant that happens.
- 1:46:50And I think when Dirk gets picked up by Joe in the truck,
- 1:46:54you just think, right, OK. And it seems quite genuine.
- 1:46:58And you think, oh, you fall into a false senses of purity where
- 1:47:01you just think because the film has been quite safe to that
- 1:47:04point. But you see the violence from
- 1:47:06Roller Girl, you see what's happening there and it kind of
- 1:47:08cross cuts between the two. And you think, I think Derek's
- 1:47:12just not look for it anymore. And he's just, you know, he's
- 1:47:14past his best. And just think, oh, that's as
- 1:47:16bad as it's going to get. And you don't.
- 1:47:17I didn't see this coming. And I didn't again, when I
- 1:47:19watched it again, actually, I totally forgot about it.
- 1:47:21And it does take you from left field.
- 1:47:23It's just, it's horrible the way that switches and that torn
- 1:47:26switches and you get put through that.
- 1:47:29But the worst thing about the whole thing is that Dirk's just
- 1:47:31back where he was. It's $10.
- 1:47:33It's $5, you know, and he had this, he had this whole empire
- 1:47:38and he kind of ruined it for himself.
- 1:47:39And you just think, well, is there any coming back from this?
- 1:47:42The way that it's shot, the way Paul Thomas Anderson puts you in
- 1:47:45that truck, you're right next to him, you're in that, you're in
- 1:47:48there. It's quite claustrophobic.
- 1:47:49And then when it kicks back and it fires, it nose dives a little
- 1:47:53bit too hard, do you think? I think so, personally.
- 1:47:58I think it just nose dives a little bit.
- 1:47:59Too hard and then comes back. But to me it could be a bit more
- 1:48:02of a subtle dive for one of the IT could nose dive for one of
- 1:48:06the characters. That's fine, but when everyone
- 1:48:08starts getting hit at once, to me it just seems like a really
- 1:48:12dark, shadowy, kind of real murky part of the film that's
- 1:48:17quite swampy for me. I don't really feel like there's
- 1:48:20any point. I don't feel there's any
- 1:48:21retribution for it. I don't think anyone learns
- 1:48:23anything by it because they always just ended back where
- 1:48:25they were anyway. So I think it's just a bit of a
- 1:48:28kick in the guts because Thomas Anderson knows you can pull that
- 1:48:32emotion because you've been with that character.
- 1:48:34You've been with all of these characters and he's just like,
- 1:48:37oh, well, let's just give them a kick in and let you let you
- 1:48:39watch them have a kick in. But there's no real point in
- 1:48:42that because it's just going to be fine anyway.
- 1:48:44There's no retribution, there's no consequences.
- 1:48:46That yeah, there's no consequences, no.
- 1:48:47Retribution. There's no redemption.
- 1:48:49There's no point. Nobody learns anything by it
- 1:48:52because they just go back to where they were from.
- 1:48:54So for me it's a real dip, this part of the film and it really
- 1:48:56takes it takes a few kind of notches off of me.
- 1:49:01It's a bit too, it's a bit too low.
- 1:49:02It's a bit of too low blow for me.
- 1:49:04It's a bit of a sick now. So this is the part of the film
- 1:49:07that really kind of just pulls me back a little bit and and and
- 1:49:10spoils it a little bit, to be honest.
- 1:49:12OK, OK, hey, it's interesting. He's seen.
- 1:49:16Here because there's a scene after this.
- 1:49:17Thought I thought was going to end really badly for the
- 1:49:20character in this went book. Buys those doughnut.
- 1:49:22Me too. Yeah.
- 1:49:23So I was just on edge throughout.
- 1:49:25Because I thought. Oh, no, where this is going soon
- 1:49:28as that robber Anderson, of course, slow more first time saw
- 1:49:31thought, oh God, he's just going to be out of there, isn't he?
- 1:49:33Yeah, then he doesn't. But then it goes even worse
- 1:49:37because obviously the robber gets taken out.
- 1:49:38The guy sitting with a gun, he takes him up.
- 1:49:41He gets taken up by the Rodney accident, takes the cashier out.
- 1:49:44And all this carnage is happening while Silent Night is
- 1:49:46playing over the section saying this over over Christmas.
- 1:49:50And then when Focus was standing there, like covered in blood,
- 1:49:53he's in his white suit. So it's an amazing image.
- 1:49:55But I was like, and he's looking at the cash on the floor.
- 1:49:57I was like, Oh yeah, I know what's going to happen.
- 1:50:00He's going to take the money, but the cops are going to show
- 1:50:02up because they've had the gunshots and he's a black guy,
- 1:50:04the scene of the crime, and he's got the money in his hands and
- 1:50:07they're just going to get him down, no questions asked.
- 1:50:09And there's going to be a real sickener.
- 1:50:11So I like it how it doesn't do that.
- 1:50:13He actually gets away Scott free with this money.
- 1:50:15And, you know, I definitely agree with Wesley's point that
- 1:50:18this whole section is, is quite grim.
- 1:50:20But this I think is, is the, the, the positive note that you
- 1:50:23need because before this, you've had the scene in the bank where
- 1:50:26he gets turned down unjustly for the money, which has been really
- 1:50:29harsh on him. So, you know, which is nonsense
- 1:50:32when you think about it. Just this moral judgement of the
- 1:50:35job that he's had saw that can't be seen to be doing business
- 1:50:38with somebody like him. Yeah.
- 1:50:40Which is, which is again, racial and there's that little tone as.
- 1:50:43Well, not necessarily where he's been from.
- 1:50:45Yeah, courses so to see. Book get this money and.
- 1:50:48Obviously his wife heavily pregnant as well, which just
- 1:50:50adds to the tension. God, is he going to get killed
- 1:50:52before, you know, his child is born?
- 1:50:54For this scene to go completely the opposite way I was expecting
- 1:50:57it to, it's it turns out to be real highlight actually, because
- 1:51:00it just starts off so obviously. But it ends with a big kind of
- 1:51:03like sigh of life, who he actually got away with it and
- 1:51:06got. Yeah, it is a big relief to me.
- 1:51:10He's in a desperate situation when he created when he leaves
- 1:51:13the. Car and she's pregnant and he
- 1:51:14goes into the into the door. I think he's going to hold that
- 1:51:17place up. He's desperate.
- 1:51:19I feel like he's good. He's walking.
- 1:51:21He's looking at the door and say I'll have that 10, that's for
- 1:51:23Christmas, all right? They give us the money.
- 1:51:24And I expect him to be like, right.
- 1:51:26And I think if there was an undertone where he was going to
- 1:51:28do that but had to have the gun in his pocket and didn't, and
- 1:51:33someone else did it anyway, that for me would be joyous.
- 1:51:36Yes. Great.
- 1:51:38Yeah. Yeah.
- 1:51:39And I do get you what you mean there.
- 1:51:41Are there are there are no consequences for roller girl,
- 1:51:43There's no consequences for what happens to to Dirk and no
- 1:51:46consequences to book ad I do like.
- 1:51:51That like the previous scene, it all.
- 1:51:53Crosscuts and the energy from Roller Girl feeds into the Dirk
- 1:51:55scene, which both feed into the book scene.
- 1:51:58Because you know something terrible is going to happen and
- 1:52:00you think, well, I certainly think that book's going to go
- 1:52:03because of what's going on in those two scenes, and also
- 1:52:07better. Still, that they all.
- 1:52:08Happen in the same location. The the the aftermath of all of
- 1:52:12those. Those two scenes are picked up
- 1:52:15when Buck comes into the donut shop, which I think is a smart
- 1:52:18move. Very nice.
- 1:52:19It's Cosmo. It's Chinese in our final
- 1:52:26section. We're headed the long.
- 1:52:27Way down as. Dirk Reed and Todd masterminded
- 1:52:31a drug deal with silk and bathrobe lunatic Rahad Jackson
- 1:52:35and all hell breaks loose. We're obviously talking about
- 1:52:38the drug deal gone wrong. Westie, kick us off.
- 1:52:42I mean, it's just great from the get go.
- 1:52:44Isn't it just a set up for this? Whole scene is just fantastic
- 1:52:47when they're sat around the table and that camera is just
- 1:52:50spinning. You get vibes of the planning
- 1:52:52from Reservoir Dogs when they're all just sat around the table
- 1:52:55and the cameras kind of going around.
- 1:52:56Well, countless of the films where you've just got that
- 1:52:59spinning camera, where there's just working on certain things.
- 1:53:02But the dialogue here works really well.
- 1:53:04I think Thomas J And when he say he's got more money than God,
- 1:53:08fucking great like. Fill it up with big and powder.
- 1:53:11He's not going. To try it and you just think,
- 1:53:13hold on a second, this is quite flawed from the start.
- 1:53:15Yeah, it's a crap plan. Probably is going to try it like
- 1:53:18this is. This is shit plan.
- 1:53:21And then it just, it spins around and they get more and
- 1:53:24more convinced. And he's like, look, I know what
- 1:53:25I'm doing, Trust me. And you just don't trust this
- 1:53:28character whatsoever. But even, like, predating this,
- 1:53:32there's a great, great sequence that's just like a montage.
- 1:53:34It was so well shot by elsewhere where Thomas James keeps coming
- 1:53:37into the room and then snapped past them.
- 1:53:39And they're just like, they sit up and they're in the same
- 1:53:42position with different clothes every time.
- 1:53:44Like, yeah, well, you found it. They close up on the knife.
- 1:53:46And it's just all these different things.
- 1:53:48You can tell he's not to be trusted and kind of builds that.
- 1:53:50And then that spiral and round the round the table just builds
- 1:53:53the tension, builds the tension, ramps it up, ramps it up, ramps
- 1:53:55it up. And then when they arrive at the
- 1:53:57house and he's like he'd be got, he's got the gun.
- 1:54:00And like, say if you've got a gun as well, he's like, no, just
- 1:54:05be quiet. And then.
- 1:54:06That's where the humor. Comes into it and you.
- 1:54:07Just think, right, OK, I've witnessed what's going to
- 1:54:09happen, surely this is going to be bad.
- 1:54:11But at the same time, he injects that comedy and carries it
- 1:54:14forward and probably one of the most memorable sequences of the
- 1:54:17whole film and one of the most memorable performances of the
- 1:54:20whole film. And Alfred Molina, I think the
- 1:54:22whole thing is just absolutely brilliant from start to finish.
- 1:54:26Yes, it is. Yes it is.
- 1:54:28I mean, I just want to talk about.
- 1:54:29Alfred Molina here, like forever.
- 1:54:31Yeah, I'll be here forever. I can't get enough of this
- 1:54:35performance. I mean take it like the actor is
- 1:54:39this mild mannered English fella and he inhabits this role like
- 1:54:42very few have ever known. I put him up there with Oldman's
- 1:54:45Drexel from True Romance. He's amazing.
- 1:54:49Sean Penn and John Turturro were both considered for the role.
- 1:54:52I love both of those guys but Molina is so unbelievably good.
- 1:54:56I just wouldn't change anything about it.
- 1:54:59I want a Netflix spin off. Who doesn't?
- 1:55:02That would be amazing. Laugh out loud funny like when
- 1:55:05he's doing the. Full band.
- 1:55:07Main thing for Sister Christie. Incredible.
- 1:55:30I love that song. Great.
- 1:55:32Hadn't heard the songs until. Three days before.
- 1:55:35Yeah. Brilliant.
- 1:55:39He's. Completely out of control.
- 1:55:40When he's playing Russian roulette.
- 1:55:42And things. Have gone downhill quickly for
- 1:55:44doing. That image of.
- 1:55:49Laughing with a gun. Hilarious.
- 1:55:53When he's talking about his mixtapes.
- 1:55:55He he dislikes. The order of albums and then it
- 1:55:57goes silent and a firecracker goes off.
- 1:56:00The first time he acknowledges it and his explanation is
- 1:56:03priceless. It's Cosmo.
- 1:56:05Like, you know, don't worry about it.
- 1:56:06It's Cosmo. He's Chinese, Chinese.
- 1:56:08And then this is a. Slightly about experience.
- 1:56:17Everything. He's Chinese.
- 1:56:18Oh, that's fine. It's brilliant though, again.
- 1:56:21We're talking about. Tapes and how they.
- 1:56:22Rule. And like, I don't like anything
- 1:56:25telling me what I should listen to, when I should listen to it.
- 1:56:27And then the tape stops and then plays the side B.
- 1:56:30It goes on to side B because it's got to stop somehow.
- 1:56:32You've got to be dictated to somehow.
- 1:56:35And even the tape has to stop and then tell you when it's
- 1:56:37going to start again, which is fucking brilliant.
- 1:56:39He pulls his face when it stops. Like, what are you going to do?
- 1:56:42He. Said this fucking thing.
- 1:56:44Yeah, Wahlberg. Riley and Jane start reaction.
- 1:56:48To the. Firecrackers going off were
- 1:56:49real. The reason that Molina doesn't
- 1:56:51react to them is because he's got an earpiece in playing the
- 1:56:53music and the dialogue, but muffling everything out.
- 1:56:56Incredible. PTA said that much.
- 1:56:59Porno and. Cocaine, it's bound to lead the
- 1:57:01sister Christian, which is fair enough.
- 1:57:04Yes, it's absolutely fair enough.
- 1:57:06I mentioned that Robert Downey. Senior plays a part in the.
- 1:57:09Film. And this is the scene where the
- 1:57:11guy who's dropping the firecrackers is lifted from a
- 1:57:13moment in his film Putney Swap, a character in that does the
- 1:57:16same thing. Yeah.
- 1:57:18And Peter used the word swap from that film.
- 1:57:20For Don Cheadle's. Character in this oh OK but then
- 1:57:23jessie's girl comes on and he's. Dancing around, adding.
- 1:57:26Lyrics getting the real lyrics wrong.
- 1:57:29Just an incredible sight in his bathroom probe.
- 1:57:32Incredible. I'm so jealous.
- 1:57:41I'm so jealous. I wish I had Jesus and.
- 1:57:46I when it all kicks. Off his bodyguards, down, and he
- 1:57:48comes. Blazing out of his room with a
- 1:57:50shotgun crazed. Just my favorite performance in
- 1:57:54in a film of great performances and he isn't actually the scene
- 1:57:58was cut. There was a three hour cut of
- 1:58:00the film initially and there was a seat a part of the scene cut
- 1:58:03where the cops arrive and he keeps on getting bigger and
- 1:58:07bigger arsenal of weapons until the end.
- 1:58:08He gets like an anti tank gun glory like.
- 1:58:14Scarface, Scarface. To Jessie's girl.
- 1:58:18That'll be fucking brilliant. I'm so jealous.
- 1:58:22So with Jessie's. Girl.
- 1:58:26The whole. Scene was influenced by a
- 1:58:28similar incident that happened involving.
- 1:58:30Porn actor John Holmes. In 1981, Holmes and a gang of
- 1:58:34mafia heavies reportedly broke into a drug house and murdered
- 1:58:37three people in an act of retaliation known as the
- 1:58:40Wonderland Murders. Holmes and the gang were later
- 1:58:43tried and acquitted. It's a fascinating story if you
- 1:58:45want to look further into it. Yeah, yeah, it is.
- 1:58:47I mean, horrendous, awful, but yeah, I mean, Sister Christian
- 1:58:53can't, can't get enough. 99 red balloons coming on.
- 1:58:56Just yeah. Yeah, doesn't even kick in.
- 1:58:58Just the intro, just until he comes.
- 1:58:59Outside and then. It's when they go outside and
- 1:59:01yeah, the shotgun, the. Window blows up.
- 1:59:07That's so good. Yeah, because after this, this
- 1:59:09is when it all starts. To wind down isn't.
- 1:59:11It and I think for all this huge sprawling cast, multiple
- 1:59:16storylines, it ties them all so beautifully, and specifically
- 1:59:20with Dirk and Jack. And I don't think Wahlberg's
- 1:59:22ever had a better scene than after the deal goes wrong and he
- 1:59:25gets back to Jack's and he just apologizes and he just asks for
- 1:59:29help because he's at rock bottom, nearly throwing his life
- 1:59:33away. Literally all that ego, all that
- 1:59:35cork is gone and he's just that little kid again.
- 1:59:38We saw at the beginning getting upset because his mother's
- 1:59:41turned pictures off the wall. And I just love Jack's reaction
- 1:59:45as well because there's no bitterness.
- 1:59:47He's not holding a grudge about this.
- 1:59:48It's just, yeah, you're forgiven.
- 1:59:50Come get it, OK? Come back home.
- 1:59:53It's. It's where you've always
- 1:59:54belonged, I think. That's really.
- 1:59:56Beautifully played by the pair of them.
- 1:59:58And then you go from that into the final montage of the film,
- 2:00:00which is God only knows which. That song, I mean, it's almost a
- 2:00:04cheaty as that song. All the songs are almost a cheat
- 2:00:09on there. That's the point.
- 2:00:11I mean this one mean, I think Paul McCartney said it best, he
- 2:00:13said. It's one of the.
- 2:00:14Fewest few songs that would uses them to tease every time, which
- 2:00:17are totally wonderful and it's when it all comes together.
- 2:00:20I think it's only then that you realize God, I've got so much
- 2:00:23affection for all these characters.
- 2:00:25Absolutely. You know when he started to say
- 2:00:27like how their stories who have ended.
- 2:00:30CC book has finally got a store. Reed's got.
- 2:00:33Reed's got his magic show on stage.
- 2:00:36So fucking brilliant. Naughty, naughty.
- 2:00:41Whoops. Maurice has got the school
- 2:00:46blokes even though the name spelled wrong.
- 2:00:49And the bit that really sounds out to me, though, it's just so
- 2:00:51nice to see Scotty there and he's happy and he's filming the
- 2:00:54birth of Book and Jesse. So yeah, because it would be
- 2:00:57awful. He's right in there, like it
- 2:01:00would have. Been awful if the.
- 2:01:01Last thing you saw of him was that shot of him sobbing in the
- 2:01:03car. You never saw him again.
- 2:01:05He's seen me like, oh, he's all right.
- 2:01:07He's got his friends. He's going to get through this,
- 2:01:09you know, Even the Colonel gets the end.
- 2:01:11He deserves being made someone's bitch in prison.
- 2:01:14Sure, Yeah, absolutely. This monarch works.
- 2:01:16Out. Yeah.
- 2:01:17Ties it all up beautifully. And then you see a massive.
- 2:01:20Cock. But that's it.
- 2:01:25You spoke about my, you know, when he went to goes.
- 2:01:28Back or Eddie goes back and sees Jack and apologize and ask for
- 2:01:31help. Like how did Burt Reynolds say
- 2:01:33that and not like it? Yeah, yeah, exactly.
- 2:01:36How did you watch that? And just what?
- 2:01:37I don't like this. Film like, yeah, come on.
- 2:01:40Yeah, it's got so much hard right at the end there.
- 2:01:42Yeah, I think it must be an. Ego thing.
- 2:01:44He must have saw that. You know what?
- 2:01:45That's fucking. Brilliant.
- 2:01:47Yeah. I don't think he wanted to back
- 2:01:48down, did he? From Yeah.
- 2:01:50Basically, the He'd made his school Hollywood bravado.
- 2:01:53Isn't it? It's just a real.
- 2:01:54Shame. So everyone is back together.
- 2:01:57One weird messed. Up dysfunctional.
- 2:01:59Family and we finally get Dirk's big reveal. 13 inches is a tough
- 2:02:03load. Looks normal to me.
- 2:02:14Reception and awards. Despite the studio.
- 2:02:19'S. Demands PDA's original cut at
- 2:02:20Boogie Nights. Was three hours long.
- 2:02:22New Line Co founder Bob Shea made his own 2 hour cut of the
- 2:02:25film and test screened it in Pasadena.
- 2:02:28Anderson was so enraged that he walked among the viewers and
- 2:02:30told them how shit the film was and that they were all going to
- 2:02:32hate it. He did this to encourage low
- 2:02:35test scores, which the film got. Brilliant.
- 2:02:38Jumped up a little prick. Brilliant.
- 2:02:42He's struggling. Compromise on the.
- 2:02:45Runtime of the film. By cutting some big scenes out,
- 2:02:47one of which is where it's revealed that Dirk's parents
- 2:02:50have been killed in a car crash by his porn rival Johnny Doe.
- 2:02:54Yeah. Too much.
- 2:02:56Yeah. Yeah, No.
- 2:02:57Not too complicated, Totally not.
- 2:02:59Necessary. Despite the cuts, PTA to submit
- 2:03:02the film to the. MPAA 18 times before getting an
- 2:03:06R written they were threatened to slap it with an NC 17.
- 2:03:09And their main problem with the scenes with the little Bill's
- 2:03:12wife, they complained that there was a lot of humping and talking
- 2:03:15at the same time and which they didn't didn't care for at all.
- 2:03:19But just wondering what the unrealistic one or the other so.
- 2:03:22They should reshot the scene so she.
- 2:03:23Could do a. Couple of thrusts, then talk,
- 2:03:26then go back to thruston. They were happy with that.
- 2:03:30Yeah, OK, keeps. Keep that in mind.
- 2:03:31Keep that in mind. Listeners, Yeah.
- 2:03:38But when it finally got its release, it was a big hit
- 2:03:41considering the. Subject matter on a budget of
- 2:03:43$15 million, it returned 43.1 million worldwide.
- 2:03:47Not in the billions that Titanic got that year, or even the 250
- 2:03:51million that been returned that year have been, we've referenced
- 2:03:55it a couple of times already. 250 million?
- 2:03:58What the fucker? God.
- 2:04:00But still a hell of a lot more than expected.
- 2:04:02By a rookie. Director.
- 2:04:03About the porn industry, a period piece as well.
- 2:04:06Yeah, critically, you've gotten a universal acclaim, The
- 2:04:10Observer said not since the mysteriously reclusive Terrence
- 2:04:13Malick has there been such an explosion of sheer talent on the
- 2:04:16American movie scene. Yeah, Entertainment Weekly said
- 2:04:19Boogie Nights an epic tale. Of porn pleasure.
- 2:04:21And excess offers a pure hit of exhilaration than any movie this
- 2:04:25year. And finally, our final time with
- 2:04:28Ebert Roger. What did he give it out to?
- 2:04:31Four 3 1/2 cocks. How many cocks for you?
- 2:04:37Man 3 for ME3. Take 3 can you?
- 2:04:48I don't know where the third one is.
- 2:04:54Roger gave it. A big four out of four.
- 2:04:57Four cocks. Yeah, yeah, just the four.
- 2:05:00He said Boogie Nights. Is an epic of the low Rd. a
- 2:05:03classic Hollywood story set in the shadows instead of the
- 2:05:06spotlights, but containing the same ingredients, fame, envy,
- 2:05:09greed, talent, sex and money. He loved it.
- 2:05:12Couldn't get enough of it all. 13 inches.
- 2:05:19And now Boogie Nights has an IMDb score of seven point. 9 out
- 2:05:23of 10 and 93% on Rotten. Tomorrow's big news.
- 2:05:27Yeah, everyone loved it, and that's consistent with the
- 2:05:29award. Season as well.
- 2:05:30Where Boogie? Nights got nominated at a number
- 2:05:32of ceremonies. PTA Reynolds and Julianne Moore
- 2:05:35were nominated at the Oscars, Moore was nominated at the
- 2:05:38Golden Globes, and Reynolds picked up Golden Globe for best
- 2:05:41supporting. He later sold his award for
- 2:05:43$21,000, taking his dislike of the film to the grave.
- 2:05:50So just one major reward. I'm guessing that the.
- 2:05:52Subject matter was. A little too hot to handle for
- 2:05:56the the Academy, yeah. All the right movies ranking.
- 2:06:04We have our very own. 13 inch big reveal here.
- 2:06:07The huge ATRM written our final section ever.
- 2:06:13Big news. Yeah, Matt, summary and score
- 2:06:16out of 10 for. Boogie Nights.
- 2:06:18I've really enjoyed going back to Boogie Nights.
- 2:06:20There's a. Real joy to it.
- 2:06:22It's full of energy and it's definitely the kind of film you
- 2:06:25watch and you go, well Jesus Christ, this guy, someone to
- 2:06:28watch, isn't he? I mean, how does he do all this
- 2:06:30at that age? Because put together that cast
- 2:06:33to match with that soundtrack, to keep hold of all these
- 2:06:36storylines, to fill it with such creativity and amazing
- 2:06:40cinematography, but above all else, to put all these things in
- 2:06:43the film about pornography. And like I said, when we talk
- 2:06:47about the direction, it never once feels seedy or unpleasant
- 2:06:51in in that respect. I mean, it doesn't back away
- 2:06:54from the consequences to some people's actions here and some
- 2:06:57people's sources. But I think the tone of the
- 2:06:59script is so well judged, which is why so re watchable.
- 2:07:04And also because performances across the board are just
- 2:07:07excellent. It's one of the best acted films
- 2:07:10of the 90s, I would say. So the only flaw for me, and
- 2:07:14it's a very. Personal thing.
- 2:07:16It's how you look at a film is I think I have to look at this
- 2:07:19from the perspective of who Paul Thomas Anderson is now, and I
- 2:07:22look at this film and I enjoy so much.
- 2:07:24But I know he's got there Will be Blood in two films time and I
- 2:07:28know he's got Inherent Vice and even Licorice Pizza.
- 2:07:32Those films for me, his his voice, that's who he is as a
- 2:07:37person. Like I said when I talked about
- 2:07:39him in the director, this is a film by an incredibly talented
- 2:07:42mimic who just want to show you that he can do what Scott says
- 2:07:45he can do, and that's fine and he does it brilliantly.
- 2:07:49But ultimately I just think because there was more to come
- 2:07:51from Paul Thomas Hanson and better to come from him, I have
- 2:07:54to to talk to Mark. So it gets a nine from me.
- 2:07:59Still big? Yeah, it is still big.
- 2:08:01Not. 13 inches but still big but I'd be.
- 2:08:03Happy with it. We.
- 2:08:06Were 9 inches. Yeah, fucking right.
- 2:08:12SD what about you? Yeah, very much the same.
- 2:08:15As Matt, I mean, I feel like this is one of them films.
- 2:08:17That when I come back to it, it's just like I've said, I have
- 2:08:20got issues with it. I did thoroughly enjoy it.
- 2:08:22It zips along. It's got so much confidence.
- 2:08:25It's got so much energy. It's got so much vibrance.
- 2:08:27It's got so much confidence. It's it's just brilliant to have
- 2:08:31somebody of that age at that time in Hollywood making
- 2:08:34something like this and just going, this is what I want to
- 2:08:36make. Fuck you.
- 2:08:37And we need more people like that now.
- 2:08:38We need more people to stand up be especially now with the
- 2:08:41access that we've got to film making equipment.
- 2:08:45You can make it on your phone. Just you need somebody just
- 2:08:47good. Now this is what I want to make.
- 2:08:48Fuck you. And it's just you can tell he
- 2:08:50believed in the material. Tell he believed in himself.
- 2:08:52More importantly, which I think is what anyone should take from
- 2:08:54this film, is that self belief that Paul Thomas Anderson has,
- 2:08:57no matter how big the crew, no matter how intricate the camera
- 2:09:00moves, no matter how of an ensemble of the cast it was.
- 2:09:03He was not fazed by any of it. And that needs to be applauded.
- 2:09:06And that will always be applauded by me every single
- 2:09:09step of the way. But it does fall down in the
- 2:09:11story element. It does fall down in the content
- 2:09:15of where this is going, what the characters are doing, what they
- 2:09:17learn from it, what the moral compass is.
- 2:09:20It doesn't seem to have one. To me.
- 2:09:22It's very much style over substance.
- 2:09:24And like Matt said, I would, I'd go to Magnolia after this and
- 2:09:27say that's him, right? He will go.
- 2:09:30That's a voice that's completely original film.
- 2:09:32This, like Matt said perfectly, is a mimic of like who he wants
- 2:09:37to be and he's not quite there yet.
- 2:09:39It's still a really enjoyable film, but for me it's not one
- 2:09:42that I'll go back to again and again, and I probably won't for
- 2:09:44another couple of years. And I like to go on a journey
- 2:09:47when I watch a film and I like to feel moved and changed by the
- 2:09:49end of it, and I don't by the end of Boogie Nights.
- 2:09:51I do stylistically, I do technically.
- 2:09:54And for me, that's the reason this will probably get one of
- 2:09:56the lowest marks I've given anything and I'm going to get a
- 2:09:59given in the hour. 10. Yeah, fair enough.
- 2:10:01Yeah, that's fine. Covered.
- 2:10:03With relative fresh eyes, like I said at the top, I found a lot
- 2:10:06more than I anticipated having watched it about 3 or 4 times in
- 2:10:09the last week or so. I think the performances, like
- 2:10:12you say, Matt, top notch across the board, an ensemble piece,
- 2:10:15and I really love an ensemble cast and this is really one of
- 2:10:19the best soundtrack. The same PTA is an incredible
- 2:10:22talent and you can see that from the first real to the last.
- 2:10:25I think his judgment of Tony is very, very good.
- 2:10:28It's equal parts hilarious, sinister heartbreak, and it's a
- 2:10:32film I will now rewatch many times, I think.
- 2:10:36But I'm not going to give a top marks because there are those
- 2:10:39net fix that I mentioned in the screenplay.
- 2:10:41And I can't help thinking that AV is too closely into being
- 2:10:44derivative of Scorsese. Just that shared too much for
- 2:10:47me. Yeah.
- 2:10:48Yeah. So Boogie Nights gets a huge 9
- 2:10:50out of 10 for me. OK.
- 2:10:53Fair scores. I think.
- 2:10:54I think so, yeah. All round, yeah.
- 2:10:57Nothing outrageous there. Nothing outrageous.
- 2:10:59Well, wait. Until the Patriots goes.
- 2:11:01OK, 5. Our. 4th score for Boogie Nights
- 2:11:06comes from our ever dependable and Much.
- 2:11:08Loved period supporters. They've been voting in their
- 2:11:11droves, but I've picked out some comments first, so here they
- 2:11:14come final time and thank you everybody for voting, commenting
- 2:11:18on every episode that we do. Yes, thank you guys, Justin
- 2:11:21fellas, said Virtuoso. Period piece.
- 2:11:24Direction and cinematography. Great performances and casts
- 2:11:27which remind us of how cool Burt Reynolds can be.
- 2:11:31And best of all, a killer soundtrack which manages to
- 2:11:33include Jethro Tull and the 1986 Transformers animated film Power
- 2:11:37Ballad. You got the touch. 10 out of 10
- 2:11:43Transformers took it. Over the top there about.
- 2:11:46Dean Jones said one of those films.
- 2:11:48That could go on forever and I wouldn't.
- 2:11:50Get bored. Expertly made with an amazing
- 2:11:52balance of comedy and drama. Has to be a 10 for me.
- 2:11:55Wow. Yeah.
- 2:11:57Andy Freeman. Less of a review, more a comment
- 2:12:00on his life, I suppose. He said PTA made this incredibly
- 2:12:05confident film when he was only 26.
- 2:12:08What have I done with my life? That's it.
- 2:12:11No review. No.
- 2:12:12No score. No score.
- 2:12:14No, it's. All it's all right mate.
- 2:12:15We all feel the same. Yeah, if you can, don't worry.
- 2:12:17About it we're not called Paul Thomas.
- 2:12:19Anderson. We're talking about his life.
- 2:12:2615. Years older than him when he was
- 2:12:28doing this. And finally, a cold.
- 2:12:32Cup of coffee from a new patron. This is Jeff Stanczyk, Jeff
- 2:12:36said. Boogie Nights is slimy and
- 2:12:38erratic. Thin story all around.
- 2:12:41Perfect characterization of the universe it is filmed in.
- 2:12:44Not a fan of Wahlberg, but Alfred Molina's scenes kept me
- 2:12:47tuned in 5 out of 10 hitting us where it hurts.
- 2:12:52Yeah, got to have your. Critics.
- 2:12:54Yeah. A slight mixed.
- 2:12:56Bag there so taking all. Votes into consideration.
- 2:12:59What do you think Boogie Nights averaged out of 10 from our
- 2:13:01patrons, fellas, Nine, I'll go. 8.50.
- 2:13:08Westie. The final time, you got it.
- 2:13:10Right, 9 out of 10. Yes, very nice.
- 2:13:14What an achievement. Well, the final time I thought
- 2:13:20that we might have been a bit more fanfare.
- 2:13:22Than that to be. No, it's good.
- 2:13:23I mean, yeah, fantastic. I'm not going to blow me on
- 2:13:25trumpet, though. I'm 13.
- 2:13:26Inches 13 inches you could not with.
- 2:13:30Your back anyway. It's what the Zimmer frames for
- 2:13:36get better leverage. Wow, I don't know.
- 2:13:40How many of these are? Going to make the cut but.
- 2:13:42Hopefully all of them. It's the last episode we can get
- 2:13:44away with. Give us a shit.
- 2:13:45This is what we're going to lose, parents.
- 2:13:48On. There were no.
- 2:13:50Consequences for roller girl or books well.
- 2:13:52There should be no. Consequences for us.
- 2:13:54Exactly. It's the Boogie Nights of a
- 2:13:55podcast. We can do anything.
- 2:13:58So with all four scores combined, Boogie.
- 2:14:00Nights overall score is 35 out of 40.
- 2:14:04Fair, fair, very good score. To.
- 2:14:08Check that out and. How it fares against?
- 2:14:10All the other films that we've. Covered on the podcast, go to
- 2:14:13alltherightmovies.com/leaderboard. Yeah, as mentioned, you can sign
- 2:14:17up to be an ATRM Patreon support of I visit andpatreon.com/all
- 2:14:21the Right Movies, get access to all of the podcasts that we've
- 2:14:24produced and more besides as we transition to YouTube and bring
- 2:14:28you hours of outstanding video content.
- 2:14:31You could even say they are excellent.
- 2:14:35You could say that. You will be saying that yes,
- 2:14:38excellent, yes. So.
- 2:14:41As we said, this is our last. Episode of the.
- 2:14:44Podcast, but we will be back in two weeks where you'll be able
- 2:14:47to hear highlights show from the podcast from the last three
- 2:14:52years, almost three years. That should be almost too funny,
- 2:14:55I would imagine. Yeah, that would be the best
- 2:14:57episode. Most downloaded we'll get loads.
- 2:15:01Of advertising for all the glads.
- 2:15:02We're going to do this again. And also get in touch if you've
- 2:15:09got some highlights. From our podcasts over the last
- 2:15:13three years. Then get in touch.
- 2:15:14You can get in touch with us on Twitter, all social media
- 2:15:17platforms. You can get in touch with us on
- 2:15:19our website as well and let us know what parts you think we
- 2:15:23should conclude in the highlights reel.
- 2:15:25Yes, please do, because if you're as you're listening, just
- 2:15:27if there's anything. That stands out because we're
- 2:15:29going to have to go through everything.
- 2:15:30I can't remember anything I've said in the last three years, if
- 2:15:32I'm completely honest. Yeah.
- 2:15:34And it's going to be down to me to call it so if everybody could
- 2:15:36just. Get involved, please.
- 2:15:38Give it, give it the Great. That'd be fine, yeah.
- 2:15:42And after that? We will be putting out that.
- 2:15:45Interview with John Doe that will come out after and then
- 2:15:48that will be it. We'll be moving everything to
- 2:15:50YouTube. That's youtube.com/all the right
- 2:15:53movies. We'd love it if you can join us
- 2:15:55over there. Yes, we will see you over there
- 2:15:57and you will see us over there. Absolutely.
- 2:15:59Yeah. So not the end of an era, but
- 2:16:02the. End of a chapter in the
- 2:16:03fascinating history of all the right movies.
- 2:16:05We're moving to pastures new and we'd encourage everybody to come
- 2:16:08on the ride with us. Yes please, we're moving over.
- 2:16:10Still going to be the same though.
- 2:16:12Still, yeah, it's just going. To be the same old magic.
- 2:16:15There's magic in those tapes and there's magic in those videos.
- 2:16:18Exactly. We're going to get a deal.
- 2:16:20No one needs them tapes. We're guaranteed a record
- 2:16:24contract. We'll just.
- 2:16:28Repeat the same bit over and over again.
- 2:16:30Really fine. For our patrons, we will be back
- 2:16:33with. Our Patreon exclusive double.
- 2:16:35Feature podcast for the last time, where we'll be discussing
- 2:16:382 great films. The poll for that is live as we
- 2:16:40record now, so it's not confirmed what the films will
- 2:16:43be, but very far in the lead, surprisingly.
- 2:16:47Skyfall and Nights Out. Oh, nice, great.
- 2:16:50Yeah, yeah. Because we are.
- 2:16:53Changing to YouTube Our presence won't change on social media.
- 2:16:57As always, we are at 80 right movies on Twitter at all the
- 2:17:01under score right movies on Instagram.
- 2:17:03There's our Facebook group search for that join that lively
- 2:17:06discussions great guys where on these do yes loads of stuff and
- 2:17:10of course our website is all the right.
- 2:17:11Movies.com. And that is a rap, fellas.
- 2:17:13Almost three years and 121 podcasts in total.
- 2:17:18Yeah, yeah. Thank you everybody for being
- 2:17:20the best. Audience we could hope for,
- 2:17:22hopefully. You'll join us on YouTube.
- 2:17:24Until the next time, everyone, thank you very much for
- 2:17:26listening. Thank you very much for
- 2:17:27listening. We didn't think anybody would,
- 2:17:29so we are as. Surprised as well.
- 2:17:31Yes, thank you so much. Three years, that's incredible.
- 2:17:34So thank you. All yeah, everyone, thank you so
- 2:17:36much. I like cinnamon in particular.
- 2:17:59I like to see people fucking on. Film and I don't want to win an
- 2:18:02Oscar and I don't want to reinvent a wheel.
- 2:18:05I like simple pleasures, like butter in my ass, lollipops in
- 2:18:09my mouth. That's just me.
- 2:18:10That's just something that I enjoy.
- 2:18:11Call me crazy. Call me a pervert.