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2002

The life of a dreamer, the days of a business and the nights in between.
In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.

In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.
Mark WahlbergEddie Adams / Dirk Diggler
Burt ReynoldsJack Horner
Julianne MooreAmber Waves
John C. ReillyReed Rothchild
Heather GrahamRollergirl
Don CheadleBuck Swope
Philip Seymour HoffmanScotty J.
William H. MacyLittle Bill
Thomas JaneTodd Parker
Luis GuzmánMaurice t.t. Rodriguez
Melora WaltersJessie St. Vincent
Robert RidgelyThe Colonel James
Ricky JayKurt Longjohn
Nicole Ari ParkerBecky Barnett
Alfred MolinaRahad Jackson
Philip Baker HallFloyd Gondolli
Robert Downey Sr.Burt, Studio Manager
Nina HartleyLittle Bill's Wife
Laurel HollomanSheryl Lynn
Michael PennNick the Engineer










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Yikes, but was there fuss around this when it was released? A film about porn, yes, but a film about men in porn - and with the ribbed and toned "Marky Mark" too! What will we see? What will he show? I remember the general interest in this hitherto rather unsavoury topic was insatiable. Well, what we do get is a rather interesting and lively exposé of just how the porn industry might have worked in the late 1970s. Experienced producer "Horner" (Burt Reynolds) spots hunky waiter "Eddie" (Mark Wahlberg) in a restaurant and next thing, the young man is the hottest of properties. With the timeless moniker of "Dirk Diggler" (try finding that on PornHub!) he is soon a true star with money and girls and drugs galore. Fame is a fickle friend, however, and the writing is soon on the wall for our emotionally ill-equipped young man who never for a moment considers that this escalator can go down as well as up. This story is filled with engaging and enigmatic characters - ranging from the stoic "Amber Waves" (a cracking effort from Julianne Moore) who seems to try and instil a sense of proportion and responsibility to the gorgeously stereotypical "Reed Rothschild" (an unlikely casting, I thought, in John C. Reilly). It's Mark Wahlberg who proves to be the revelation here, though. He works quite naturally with the on-form, and entirely plausible, veteran Reynolds and for quite a while, their roller-coaster of sex and success is compelling and quite enjoyable to follow. Is anything real in that scene at the end? Well who knows - but 2½ hours peppered with some great disco just flew by in a cinema that was packed to the rafters.
While I can admire the production design recreating the 70s and 80s and a great performance from Burt Reynolds, I didn't find this terribly engaging. The first part and last section were very good but found the middle to be meandering. I didn't think the various character arcs came together (compared to Magnolia which I loved) and I think 15-20 minutes could've been removed. Still, it's worth watching at least. **3.25/5**

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