CNN - Home Movies: 'Boogie Nights': Yes, it is a prosthetic

By Scott Hettrick

Relative newcomer Mark Wahlberg delivers a convincing performance in the 2 1/2-hour "Boogie Nights," a rather ordinary rags-to-riches story in the unusual setting of the adult film world of the 1970s.

Wahlberg's shy but determined Eddie is endowed with an extra large organ (a view of which -- a prosthetic -- is reserved for the final shot of the movie) that positions him well for stardom in porno films. It's not long after he is discovered by a would-be legitimate filmmaker named Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) that Eddie decides to change his name to Dirk Diggler.

Both Diggler and Horner have larger aspirations, and these ultimately lead to their respective downfalls.

Diggler's problem is that he takes himself and his films too seriously, trying to create fully developed action characters who stand for something in between triple-X sex scenes. He even fancies himself a recording star despite having a voice that would ruin anyone's mood.

Horner is only slightly more realistic about the limitations of his station, directing porn flicks, but is unable to see the looming impact of home videos (the '80s have arrived) on his industry.

After the initial intrigue of this unusual environment for a dramatic story wears off, in the first 30 minutes or so, only the strong characters manage to maintain much interest for the viewer throughout the remainder of this picture. That is, except for a standout scene near the end in which a desperate Diggler and two companions find themselves in over their heads as they try to pull off a drug deal in the home of a man whom they intend to rob.

"Boogie Nights" also offers a tragic character whose purpose in the story isn't clear. Little Bill (William H. Macy) is one of Horner's production crew members whose wife takes pleasure in allowing her husband to happen upon her as she is engaged in sexual encounters with young men, often in public places where crowds have gathered to watch.

"Boogie Nights" is not without its merits, but one wonders if it would have garnered the accolades it has if the subject, the adult film industry, had been less titillating.

'Red Corner' a contrived courtroom drama

It's interesting to see in "Red Corner" that even China's court system is reduced to Perry Mason-like dramatic climaxes of criminal trials, with observers jumping up at the last second and confessing to everything.

One wonders if such theatrics are any more accurate of Chinese courts than those in America.

But one doesn't wonder long, because the impact of this movie does not leave the viewer pondering it much after pushing the VCR stop button.

"Red Corner" is sufficiently entertaining to hold one's attention for its entire two hours, but the film's contrived situation and characters are never quite credible enough to be taken seriously. The whole thing feels like an unsophisticated Cold War human rights drama from the 1950s in which an American is shown being victimized by an unjust and brutal Communist society.

This time it's American communications business attorney Jack Moore. He is framed for the brutal murder of a young woman who is found lying in a pool of blood in his hotel room.

It's clear from the beginning that this is a setup somehow related to the deal he is on the verge of finalizing that will bring American television, such as "Baywatch," to China via satellite, a prospect that would be lucrative to all involved parties, but which some Chinese officials worry will undermine the culture.

It's also clear that the court and legal system, which prides itself on speedy trials and executions, is under the control of government officials. The murdered woman just happens to be the daughter of one of these officials.

If the deck isn't stacked unfairly enough against Moore, American embassy officials show little compassion for his plight; it seems his situation could jeopardize tense relations with the United States, and the Chinese government will not allow Moore to be represented by anyone other than a Chinese lawyer. A young woman attorney is assigned to handle his case.

And isn't it convenient that the young attorney is attractive and sympathetic to Moore's case. Moore is also just a little too resilient after getting beat up by Chinese prison-guard thugs and outrunning a significant number of Chinese police officials through city streets while wearing handcuffs.

And to top it all off, the ending scene on the airport Tarmac with Moore's private airplane boldly presents every sappy and melodramatic element that "Casablanca" skillfully avoided.

VidTip: Behind the scenes on 'Titanic'

A special episode of the cable series "Movie Magic" has been released on home videocassette, laserdisc and DVD (Image, $19.98).

The 45-minute program subtitled "Disasters at Sea" provides a detailed look at the special effects of "Titanic," featuring interviews with director James Cameron and other artists involved in the creation of the elaborate sets, models and computer-generated images.

Among the more fascinating revelations is that all of the passengers shown milling around the deck of the ship in at least one shot are computer generated, including a woman picking up a baby.

The program also looks at the creation of the underwater effects created for "Crimson Tide" and "Deep Rising."

Copyright © 1998, Scott Hettrick
Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate