Boogie Nights is an often playful, sometimes intense look at the porn industry, revolving around the life of Dirk Diggler, a well-endowed young man played by Mark Wahlberg. His natural talent doesn't go unnoticed, and he is brought into the world of porn, becoming one of its brightest stars. The story has some tragic twists and turns, but it is at the very end that the audience receives its biggest shock. After continually being shown the amazed reactions of those who had seen Dirk's man-zone throughout the film we are finally rewarded with the ultimate payoff: a sneaky peek at the trouser-snake ourselves. Stood in front of a mirror, psyching himself up for his big comeback, Dirk whips out his weapon. Nothing is censored as we finally get to see what all the fuss was about, and suddenly every male viewer is left with a deep and painful sense of inadequacy. The true power of this shot comes from the shock factor of seeing the purple helmeted warrior in all its glory. In hindsight this was an awkward movie to watch with my parents...
