A young bellboy with a special natural endowment is plucked from obscurity in 1970’s L.A. and turned into the next big thing in the fascinating, ever-growing world of adult film.

Boogie Nights is the kind of flick you watch with your jaw on the floor- and not for reasons you’d expect from a film about the heyday of porn.

Rather, I watch this film with mouth agape at how mature and self-assured Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction is. At how smoothly the film blends numerous tones and genres in each and every scene. At how distinct and colorful and real each of the characters are (all twenty-somethin’ of them). And at how Anderson (a mere 26 years old at the time of production) was able to make a film about a bunch of San Fernando Valley nobodies feel like a truly epic event, much in the way Scorsese did with a handful of B-level Italian thugs in Goodfellas.

The short and easy plot summary can be found above, but to truly explain the film’s storyline, I’d need several pages at least. Mark Wahlberg first showed his potential here as Eddie Adams, the young man with the huge wang who would become known to the world as “Dirk Diggler”. The film follows his rise from modest bellboy to arrogant, hard-partying porn legend, and then ultimately to his fall…and then potential rise again (maybe).

Along the way, incredible insight is given into backstage machinations of the porn industry of the late 70’s and early 80’s, featuring an amazing ensemble of characters that includes John C. Reilly as Dirk’s partner in crime, Julianne Moore as an aging, coke addicted porn matriarch (Oscar-nominated here), Burt Reynolds as a porn director and producer extraordinaire (also Oscar-nominated), and Philip Seymour Hoffman as a closet homosexual boom operator, to name a few. Don Cheadle, Luis Guzman, Heather Graham, Alfred Molina, William H. Macy, Thomas Jane and Melora Walters round out the cast in equally powerful (and unique) roles.

Where the film sets itself apart (other than in it’s spellbinding long takes of course) is in its ability to constantly defy expectation and to always resist making the easy choices. Rather than demonize the sleazy porn industry and its members, Anderson creates a very sincere family dynamic between his characters and relationships that are in no way based around sex. At the same time, Boogie Nights makes sure not to glorify the industry or the questionable choices its characters make.

Another mind-blower is how Anderson is able to make a single scene equal parts intense, hilarious, and heartbreaking (see the firecracker scene for an example). It gives the film quite the emotional punch and takes the viewer on quite the unexpected ride. All in all, as you can tell from my review, I’m high on Paul Thomas Anderson and the wonders he can bring behind the camera. This was the film that introduced me to the man, and despite my glowing review, it’s not even (in my opinion) his finest film.

Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 - The transfer is clean and all, but not as sharp and the 70's neon lights don't pop as much as I was hoping for some reason. Nonetheless, the beautiful wide frame and dreamy long takes more than make up for it.

Audio: Doly True HD 5.1 in English, Dolby Digital 5.1 in English, Spanish and German, with subtitles in English, Spanish and German. This is an audio track worthy of one of Buck Swope's premium sound systems.

Feature Commentary by Paul Thomas Anderson - I was thrilled to see that PTA sat down to do a commentary, as many autuers shy away from this kind of thing. Very surprised to hear him speak like an everyday dude, cursing when he feels like it, rarely using big words or getting technical, and constantly keeping things honest and personal. A pretty interesting listen.

Feature Commentary by Don Cheadle, Luis Guzman, Heather Graham, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Mark Wahlberg, Melora Walters (and Paul Thomas Anderson) - A crazy commentary track in that each of these actors record separate tracks in various people’s apartments. Alcohol is flowing, children are screaming, phones are ringing, lighters are flicking, with PTA steering the track. It’s a bit strange but at the same time, engrossing and entertaining. The things Anderson discusses with and gets out of his actors (like Guzman being stoned and Wahlberg having sex with extras) are pretty fascinating.

The John C Reilly Files (15:03) - A few outtakes and extended scenes with the curly-haired goofball. I love the man, but this coulda been cut down to 3 or 4 minutes long.

Deleted Scenes (29:28) - A whole lotta deleted stuff, some pretty intriguing, others the polar opposite, but none very crucial to the story.

“Try” Music Video by Michael Penn (3:11) - Cool video for a pretty awful song by the composer of Boogie Nights, clearly directed by PTA and, true to his style, all shot in a single, extremely impressive take. A few of the film’s cast show up here as well. Watch it with the commentary by PTA.

You also get the film's Theatrical Trailer.

This movie is a star. It's a big, bright, shining star. If you haven't seen it, and aren't an ultra-conservative religious nut, you need to get off the couch and rent or buy this instant classic, stat.