Is "Boogie Nights" Overrated? | MovieMacro #8: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz

What makes Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" (1997) is a cult classic? In MovieMacro #8, Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz tackle the film's characters, its use of music, the mis-use of its great acting talent, and more. "Boogie Nights" is then contrasted against Robert Altman's "Nashville" (1975) in the patron-only show.

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"Nashville" discussion topics: music in “Nashville” vs. “This Is Spinal Tap”; a Gospel Nina Simone?; Hal Philip Walker as a central conceit; some unexpected interactions between characters small & large; how “Nashville” rewards multiple viewings; Del’s shame over his deaf children; Opal’s best joke; Opal shaped a similar character in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown”; clout sharks vs. groupies; what polyamory says about socioeconomics; why Nashville’s politics don’t damage the film; “I’m Easy” highlights the emotional life of the film’s women; Barbara Jean as a character; how the political fundraisers naturally become pimps; Wade as a 1970s Armond White; & more

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Timestamps:

0:00 – introduction: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” vs. Robert Altman’s “Nashville”

1:18 – Boogie Nights; Paul Thomas Anderson; Robert Altman was a grown-up who dealt with grown-up topics; mommy & daddy issues in Anderson; Boogie Nights depicts dumb, loser characters but doesn’t really comment on them; Philip Seymour Hoffman is put to poor use here; Paul Thomas Anderson is a “Young Adult” director;

8:00 –Boogie Nights vs. similar themes in Woody Allen; density of character in Boogie Nights vs. Nashville; Anderson kills off Bill early on because he didn’t know what to do with him

13:46 – describing the plot of Boogie Nights; Dirk Diggler’s only gift; Jack Horner’s self-understanding; the myth of the Golden Age of Pornography

20:25 – the Golden Age was based on cultural penetration; only thing analogous to big pornographic releases is the Adam22 / LenaThePlug sex tape; the role of Dirk’s father; the use of “iconic” characters such as Roller Girl; Boogie Nights & BangBus

28:12 – Boogie Nights & the use of time; the use of empty and/or unintelligent characters; assessing Dirk Diggler vs. Reed; how the film’s men compete with each other

37:33 – the use of music in Nashville vs. Boogie Nights; some good character interactions; homoeroticism in Boogie Nights; Michael Rappaport’s dumb character in Woody Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite”; loose vs. central stories; the “big cast” aesthetic; why Buck is an expendable character

51:46 – assessing Philip Seymour Hoffman in Boogie Nights & beyond; Anderson mangles writing a gay character; Boogie Nights does not transcend the flaws of “art as therapy”; how an early scene with the name, “Maggie”, pays multiple viewings

01:03:00 – the film’s “true” ending; closure of character arcs; Boogie Nights moves on humor

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