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Boogie Nights 4K Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Idealistic producer Jack Horner has always dreamed of elevating his films into an art form. When he discovers young actor Eddie Adams, Jack begins to turn his dreams into reality. Under the stage name of Dirk Diggler, Eddie soon gives the adult entertainment world a star the likes of which it has never seen. But the rise to fame has its costs, and soon Dirk finds himself sliding down the slippery slope of sex, drugs and violence. The only question: can he get himself back together before it's too late?
For more about Boogie Nights 4K and the Boogie Nights 4K Blu-ray release, see Boogie Nights 4K Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on December 13, 2025 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Breaking their usual habit of revisiting catalog titles on anniversaries divisible by five, Warner Bros. presents Paul Thomas Anderson's breakout 1997
film Boogie Nights on UHD, replacing a 15 year-old, VC-1 encoded Blu-ray edition. Oddly enough, the studio's press release made no mention of this new disc's technical specs... other than it offering an "HDR presentation of the film",
igniting suspicions that it wouldn't offer as massive a visual upgrade as expected for the format. Those suspicions have turned out to be
mostly true, but that doesn't mean this 4K release still doesn't offer the most authentic home video presentation currently available. A
cheeky Steelbook variant is also out
there.
For a synopsis and appreciation of this wildly entertaining 156-minute journey into the 1970s world of adult films via well-endowed performer Dirk
Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), please read Casey Broadwater's above-linked review of WB's 2010 Blu-ray edition. I've seen and enjoyed this film multiple
times since New Line's Platinum Series DVD, which took
most of its cues (including the cover art) from an even older Criterion Collection laserdisc, and it's earned every well-deserved accolade for its stellar
cast, endlessly quotable script, intoxicating atmosphere, and a style that somehow feels at home in at least three different decades of filmmaking.
Simply put, it still plays like gangbusters.
NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the Blu-ray edition, which is not included.
Boogie Nights' new 2160p/HDR10 transfer may prove divisive to fans for the exact same reasons that make it difficult to grade. Earlier home
video releases have been all sourced from an interpositive at director Paul Thomas Anderson's request (even dating back to Criterion's 1998
laserdisc) and, from that looks of it, that most likely holds true here as well. Rather than the razor-sharp appearance of an original camera negative
scan, what we have here looks a lot more like a theatrical print: softer textures, slightly dialed-back colors, and clearly visible but not overwhelming
amounts of film grain. None of these are negatives, of course, but anyone who uses words like "pop" favorably will probably be underwhelmed, as quite
honestly the level of perceivable fine detail here doesn't exceed most Blu-rays.
Where this presentation is more universally appealing is in its handling of color and highlights; both are supported by a subtle but appreciated
HDR layer that produces more accurate tones that look slightly warmer and more natural than the Blu-ray without feeling like any attempt at color
revisionism. Brighter values and other highlights likewise look more tightly controlled, no longer slightly "shorn off" at the brightest levels like the
Blu-ray, which I'll assume was subjected to a certain amount of boosting to simulate higher contrast levels. Encoding is likewise solid as this
100GB disc has a roller coaster of bit rate levels, peaking near 100Mbps but dipping to 30-40Mpbs in less demanding moments.
All things considered, it's not a perfect scenario by all metrics, but instead feels like a carefully optimized version of what we've seen before
which, like it or not, is the director's unyielding preference. Whether or not you agree is where "your mileage may vary" comes in... but personally, I
found it to be a sturdy and clean four-star effort.
Boogie Nights' audio stays even more close to previous presentations, as this DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track seems to be a direct port
of the Blu-ray edition's lossless TrueHD 5.1
mix; it's a decidedly front-heavy affair that only occasionally depends on the rear channels for modest support during crowded situations or for
diegetic music as well as the original soundtrack and score by composer Michael Penn. I'd have loved to hear a more immersive remix option just for
fun... but if we're only going to get one audio track on here, I'd rather it be the original.
Optional subtitles (including English SDH) are also included during the main feature and extras, as are a few foreign dub options that were promised on
the Blu-ray's packaging but didn't actually appear on the disc.
This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with cover artwork featuring Rollergirl (Heather Graham) that, unlike the Steelbook, actually looks like her.
A matching matte-finish slipcover is included, as is a Digital Copy code and several bonus features including two new ones and most of the
familir legacy extras from WB's Blu-ray
edition and earlier releases -- only the theatrical trailer is absent, which is always a shame.
Audio Commentary #1 - A steady and informative director-only track with Paul Thomas Anderson.
Audio Commentary #2 - A more lively group track with Anderson flanked by cast members Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly,
Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, and Heather Graham.
NEW! American Cinematheque Panels (2 clips, 50:27 total) - In July 2003, the American
Cinematheque hosted a five-night event at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica celebrating WB's 100th Anniversary with 70mm screenings of Boogie
Nights. The first two screenings featured live panels hosted by AC director of programming Grant Moninger, who sits down with Paul Thomas
Anderson and John C. Reilly ("Night #1") and Anderson again ("Night 2") to discuss the film's inception, assembling the cast, filming challenges
related to the subject matter, the rehearsal process, six-track stereo, and much more. As you might imagine, there's at least a little overlap
between both panels... but this is the only new extra, so die-hard fans will enjoy every minute.
The John C. Reilly Files (15:10) - Three chunks of outtakes and extended scenes prominently featuring the actor including
"Swim Trunks", "Waiting for Todd", and "Mixing with Nick".
Deleted Scenes (29:10) - Ten more deleted scenes, this time with optional commentary by Anderson.
Music Video (3:11) - "Try" by Michael Penn, directed by Anderson and again with optional commentary.
Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights landed with a splash in 1997 and allowed the young director to further his career with later classics like
Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and of course, There Will Be Blood during the next
decade. It received ample home video support on laserdisc and DVD but barely improved on Blu-ray... and as a whole, this 4K UHD release feels like
the same baby step forward, though it objectively remains the best-looking version currently available. Recommended to die-hard fans, but
casuals and newcomers may want to wait for a price drop.
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has provided final details for the upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997), starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, and John C. Reilly. The release is scheduled to arrive ...
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is preparing a 4K Blu-ray release of Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997), starring Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, and John C. Reilly. The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on December ...