Interview: "The Porn Next Door"

Philadelphia City Paper, Written By Cindy Fuchs
October 22nd, 1997


Boogie Nights director Paul Thomas Anderson looks back fondly on the glory days of skinflicks.

Paul Thomas Anderson appreciates porn. He not only watches it, he's studied and thought about it, as demonstrated by his much-acclaimed film Boogie Nights, which explores the many dimensions of porn, as genre, philosophy, business, cultural metaphor and art form.

In person, Anderson is an endearingly regular 27-year-old, lanky white guy, enthusiastically well-versed in movies of all types, visibly tired after attending last night's New York premiere party and doing interviews all day today. His shirttail is sort of untucked and his brownish hair is tousled; he wears glasses, smokes cigarettes, drinks coffee.

Boogie Nights follows the career of porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), from late '70s to early '80s, when the porn industry changed over from film to video. Before video, the porn industry seemed poised to do something new. "I think," says Anderson, "that a new genre could have been born: a sex film with a story and characters. These films existed for a time: Deep Throat, Behind the Green Door, Amanda By Night, or any of the early Johnny Wadd [John Holmes' recurring character] films. It was a great concept, a murder mystery and a fuck film, which scene do you want to watch more? Will he solve the case or is he gonna fuck the woman? It's great tension, sex while the bomb is ticking."