Watch: ‘Boogie Nights' Inspiration ‘Exhausted: John C. Holmes, The Real Story' With PTA Commentary

Most PTA fans are aware of "Exhausted: John C. Holmes, The Real Story" and its huge influence over "Boogie Nights" but probably few of you have actually seen it. About 35 minutes of excerpts from the doc appeared on the Criterion Laserdisc 15 years ago as a special feature with commentary by PTA. It was scheduled to go on the DVD release as well but for some reason or other got pulled and has been buried ever since, viewable only by the lucky few who held onto their Laserdisc players....until now. We're surprised it took this long honestly but some enterprising fellow named bodian26 has uploaded the doc to YouTube in 4 parts and even taken the liberty of cutting to a title card to block out the naughty bits so you can consider this SFW. In the opening minutes, PTA calls says the film is "a major inspiration for 'Boogie Nights'" and goes on to chronicle the various similarities as well as the things he loves just because they're funny/sad. Happy Friday. (via Richard Iaeger)



"The Master" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.    
Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Flashback Friday: Exclusive Melora Walters Interview

For today's installment of Flashback Friday, we have a site exclusive interview with Melora Walters that was conducted in 2000 called "Minutes With Melora" because apparently alliterations are awesome.

Minutes with Melora

After numerous TV appearances in such shows as Roseanne, The Wonder Years & Seinfeld, Melora Walters appeared in supporting roles in the feature films Dead Poet's Society, Ed Wood, Cabin Boy & Eraser. But it's her roles in Paul Thomas Anderson's films that have propelled her into the spotlight. Each of her roles have continued to increase in PTA's films culminating with her starring role in Magnolia. I spoke to Melora about her relationship with Paul, bringing her characters to life & future film projects.

C&RV: How did you first meet PTA & get involved with Hard Eight?

MW: I auditioned for Paul. You know, one of those audition things? I guess Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't going to do the part of Clementine for a while due to a scheduling conflict, so I actually auditioned for that part. I read the script & thought this was the most wonderful script that I'd ever read. Then when I met him, I thought he was amazing. 

Anyways, Gwyneth ended up doing it & in the middle of shooting there was this little part & they asked if I wanted to do it & I was like "Yeah!" I wanted to work with Samuel L. Jackson & I wanted to work with Paul & I wanted to be part of that story. 

C&RV: So, did he mention the Boogie Nights script to you during or after filming Hard Eight?

MW: No. It came up a few days before he started shooting Boogie Nights. Paul said, I want you to read the script & look at the part of Jessie St. Vincent. I said they'll never let me play that part. Paul said, "Trust me." I told him that I didn't want to read it & fall in love with it & not be able to do it. That would kill me. He said, No. Trust me." Three days later, they were dying my hair that color!

C&RV: What kind of research did you do for your character in Boogie Nights? Were you involved in the infamous porno film visits?

MW: No. I did watch the "Exhausted" documentary & that was very important, but I didn't want it to be about the way porno is now. I felt Jessie St. Vincent was just so much of a misfit among these people. She was very genuine. She didn't take drugs. She was just an actress. She got married, had babies & she was an artist. That was what it was about.

C&RV: Did you have fun doing the commentary track with Paul on the new Boogie Nights DVD?

MW: It sounded kind of crazy with my children in the background. I drove Paul home afterwards & told him that I think we should do it again. He said, no, It was fine." I told him that we should do it again because I thought I was acting like Jessie St. Vincent & the kids were talking.

C&RV: How did you become involved with Michael Penn's "Try" music video?

MW: Paul just said, "Will you come down & be in this video?"  I said sure. It was only one day of shooting & was a lot of fun.

C&RV: How flattered were you that after the success of Boogie Nights, Paul specifically wrote the part of Claudia, the center of Magnolia, for you?

MW: It was the most amazing gift in the world. I was completely flattered. It's an opportunity that you dream of.

C&RV: When you first read the Magnolia script & your part, were there any doubts that you could handle the emotional intensity of Claudia?

MW: Not really. I did get scared. I get scared every time I start something new. I told Paul that I will go in my darkest depths as long as he was there to save me if I start drowning. And he was always there.

C&RV: So, did you lean on him heavily for some of the more intense scenes? Did he provide you direction or just let you go?

MW: It guess it was a combination. He created her. It's all there. You just know this person. She's alive on the page. So, then you just follow what he's created & he kind of steers you. It was very intimate & very intense.

C&RV: What sort of research did you do for Claudia?

MW: I started with the script & Aimee Mann's music. I had some friends in New York who had really horrid childhoods. So, I've been around people who have been damaged. I suppose we all have been damaged in one way or another. I don't know how, but she just made sense to me. 

C&RV: Was it hard to escape the character & not take it home with you?

MW: It's funny because when I think of it, it was very cathartic & I went home happy because all my demons came out during the day. But my husband did say later, when the film was finished, that he was glad I was done, because I was starting to bring it home. I didn't think I was, so that's kinda of telling right there.

C&RV: Tell me about singing Wise Up?

MW: That was the scariest part, because I can't sing. I was absolutely terrified. I listened to the music a lot. The whole movie set was such a safe, nurturing, intimate environment. That provided a great place where you were safe to do anything. 

C&RV: How many times did you have to shoot the last scene?

MW: I can't remember how many, but we did it quite a few times.

C&RV: What's it like working with John C. Reilly?

MW: He's amazing. He's really funny. He's really sweet.

C&RV: How has Paul helped your personal development as an actor?

MW: Paul was the first one who saw how I can change into different characters & he's taken advantage of that. Because his films are so amazing, then people see that, & it's giving me wonderful opportunities.

C&RV: Why is it that virtually everyone that works with PTA devotes themselves to him for the rest of his life?  What does he have that no one else does?  

MW: I don't say genius lightly. I really think that's what he is. He really taps into something very deep when he creates these stories. Whenever somebody can do that, the people around cannot help but be touched by it. You feel it & then you're just committed to it, because it's rare. It's like Mozart. If you listen to his music, it touches something in you. Paul's films touch something very primal within you & how can you resist that?

C&RV: Paul is so vocal about his respect for actors in general and for specific actors (you included).  Does this respect ever lead to expectations that you have found difficult to live up to?  

MW: I try not to think of those things. I try to simply focus on the part I'm playing completely & make that person as true & real as I can. I can't worry about the rest or I would go crazy. Paul is always communicating with me & making constant adjustments when necessary. I would do anything for him.

C&RV: Were you disappointed over the lack of recognition you received for Claudia?

MW: No. I just think that the only thing you can do is just try to do really good work. The rest is all gravy. I was disappointed that Paul didn't win because I think in the whole film business, he is one very unique voice. I mean he doesn't make big special effects movies. Although the frogs were a special effect. [Laughs] That made me really mad that he didn't win.

C&RV: Let's talk about your upcoming films. Tell me about Desert Saints with Kiefer Sutherland?

MW: I play an undercover cop. It was really fun. I haven't seen a final cut yet. Kiefer is a bad guy & you get the sense he can kill you at a moment's notice. And you think, don't go with him, but I turn out to be worse than him! So I thought this is gonna be fun!

C&RV: What about Speaking of Sex with James Spader, Jay Mohr & Bill Murray?

MW: I finished that in July & it was so much fun. It's a big comedy farce about marriage, sex, marriage counselors, therapists & divorce lawyers. I'm married to Jay Mohr & he has a problem. In the process of trying to save my marriage, I end up sleeping with my therapist & then all hell breaks loose.

C&RV: Tell me about Rain, which is being executive produced by Martin Scorsese?

MW: I'm getting ready to do that now. It takes place in a very small town with deep, dark secrets. I will be filming this in Iowa.

C&RV: What do you think about Paul working with Adam Sandler?

MW: I think it's great. We talked about me being involved, but I don't think I'm supposed to say anything about it yet. It's top secret! [Laughs] It should be really interesting & fun.

Join Cigarettes & Red Vines on Twitter and Facebook for extra updates & content.

August 9, 2000

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

There's good news & bad news in the world of PTA DVD today. Let's start with the good. DVD File has the first review of the new Boogie Nights DVD & it includes all the features that were previously mentioned here. I have also added some screenshots of the menu (courtesy of DVD Angle & New Line). Since this early check disc was released to a few select sites, New Line has opted to remove the excerpts of the John Holmes Exhausted documentary. This was done a deal. What happened? Well, this is not gospel, but it's my best guess.

Julia St. Vincent, director of Exhausted, was not happy with the use of Exhausted on the Criterion LaserDisc. The use of the footage supposedly fell into a gray area & she was unable to stop it. Since DVD is much more mainstream than LaserDisc was, Julia threatened New Line with a lawsuit unless they could settle on a fee for the documentary. The last I heard, the deal was settled & the documentary would be included. Now, New Line is saying that it won't happen. It's too bad something couldn't be worked out. It's great to see some of the inspiration for Boogie & hear PTA speak about it on the alternate commentary track. It looks like the Criterion LaserDisc's will still have some value. 

Click here to view the menu screens for the double disc Boogie Nights DVD

I've been busy digging through the great new Magnolia DVD. Just some quick thoughts. The packaging is great, the outtakes are a treat & the documentary is very insightful (I only wish it was longer & a tad louder....). You won't be disappointed & I don't want to spoil it for you. Trust me, it's been worth the wait.

July 14, 2000

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

There's a New Line flyer in the recent release of the Boiler Room DVD which includes info on the upcoming Boogie Nights DVD. The features listed include "The Dirk Diggler Story - a short film by P.T. Anderson." Before you get too excited, I suspect these were early specifications. If you recall, PTA toyed with the idea of including this, but ultimately changed his mind. I would be shocked if things have changed in the last few weeks. These flyers were probably printed some time ago (Note: they are missing the Exhausted documentary, The John C. Reilly Files, etc.).

I'm very pleased to present an incredible interview from Millimeter Magazine. This very detailed piece discusses the painstaking special effects work for the frog storm & includes numerous quotes from ILM's Joe Letteri, Magnolia's visual effects supervisor. There's been much written about the frog sequence, but little on it's creation from script to screen. It's well worth your time & a great look inside the making of this truly unforgettable sequence.

Finally, I'm going to end today's lengthy update with various PTA related quotes (some old, some new). You'll notice Gwyneth Paltrow isn't afraid to speak her mind. I'll see you next Wednesday!

"Frogs are a walk in the park compared to these waves. Frogs are a little less [harmful] than 2,000 gallons of water hitting you in the face."

- John C. Reilly on comparing what he's had to face on screen
(Entertainment Weekly - 7/21)

"The Wave is incredible - there's no bigger way to end a movie, although my penis in Boogie Nights was a bigger personal moment."

- Mark Wahlberg on the oversize climax in The Perfect Storm
(Entertainment Weekly - 7/21)

''I think 'Magnolia' is one of the best films I've ever seen. And if anyone disagrees with me, I'll fight them to the death.''

- Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Entertainment Weekly - 3/24)

“I thought it was brilliant. I thought parts of it were absolute genius, but I think it is too long and I thought it got repetitive. It makes you want to kick Paul’s ass. Paul needs someone to say ‘Cut it out, you’re going crazy,’ because he is a genius and he is the most incredible filmmaker of our generation. I think he will continue to make great films, but you don’t want to lose sight of what you are trying to say and some of it could have been trimmed down. His technical skills are just incredible, but it’s too long.” 

- Gwyneth Paltrow on her reaction to Magnolia
(Reel West Magazine)

“It was easy to get this money and it was easy to make this movie. But I think that it’s a one time thing after the success of Boogie Nights. I’m in a great position to have final cut over my movies and control over their elements, but I know that I have to use it productively and hopefully make some money.”

- Paul Thomas Anderson on his future after Magnolia
(Reel West Magazine)

''I have a tuxedo and I went once before and I didn't win, and I want to win. I want an Oscar.'' 

- Paul Thomas Anderson (Entertainment Weekly - 3/24)

"I wanted to be supportive of PTA. He’s a filmmaker I really enjoy. He’s just unique. He’s an old soul kid. He’s a good guy."

- Tom Cruise (On Rosie O’Donnell's show)

June 5, 2000

Archived update from Cigarettes & Coffee, run by Greg Mariotti & CJ Wallis from 1999-2005

According to the excellent DVD File site, the new Boogie Nights DVD will also include the edited John C. Holmes documentary Exhausted which was on the old Criterion LaserDisc. This is the wonderful 30 minute documentary (minus most of the nudity), that "inspired" many of the "artistic" choices for the Brock Landers scenes in Boogie Nights. PTA gives a hilarious commentary on the documentary as well. DVD File is also reporting that there will be a total of 13 deleted scenes included. The previous 9 scenes plus 4 new ones. 

The licensing of Criterion supplements is typically a "no win proposition" but DVD file learned from PTA's publicist that PTA produced & owns the commentary track & artwork so this allowed for easy inclusion on this release.