I saw Showgirls when it came out in theaters. The Theater was PACKED. After the movie was over in the cab home, I said to my girlfriend that this was a genius movie. It showed Vegas as it really is...in ALL aspects. How ridiculous it is. Nobody would have been able to make this movie but Verhoeven. Its a Genius film.
I wasn't alive when it came out, but I decided to watch it 2 weeks ago because I like movies with sex and nudity in it because hey, I'm horny you know. This was recommended on the internet. When I started watching it, I thought "Damn, so this is going to be over the top. Already the theme of greedy Vegas and starting a new life is made evident with the hitchhiking and crazy bitch as the protagonist". As I got more through the movie, sex and the nudity were the least thing on my mind. All I could think about was the gorgeous cinematography, interesting camera angles, and all that film appreciation stuff. I went in thinking "awe, yeah. This is going to be my personal, fetish, guilty-pleasure hour!" and came out thinking "Wow....WTF did I just see???? This is was literally amazing! This is sooo Vegas. Now, I've seen a lot of classic movies...............If this isn't at least a 9/10 movie then No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, and Silence (with difficult to understand themes that are constantly built upon throughout the film) are horrible movies too. Gina Gershon's acting was hands down the best acting in the movie (in my opinion) because it had vision, and every gesture told me what she was thinking and I totally loved what she was going for. 4.7/10 rating on IMDB? Makes me cry! One of the most underrated movies. Props for Paul Verhoeven for being a good sport and being the only person to ever accept Razzie Award in person for worst film of the year. He seems like a guy that can take a joke and suck in his pride despite knowing he's right. After watching this movie, I'm convinced that Paul Verhoeven is one of the most underrated directors. So I'm in the middle of watching Basic Instinct and OMG it's so good I wanna cry!!! Sharon Stone in Casino made me a huge fan and Michael Douglas in Wall Street made me a huge fan. So yup, I guess I'm one of those people that completely loves this film. The only scene that I don't really get and through me off was the scene where Elizabeth Berkley beats up the famous singer that raped her friend. It didn't fit the film when I saw it and it changed the atmosphere. But the only way, I can explain it (I'm sure there's a good reason because that's the climax and there's no way there's not a meaning behind it. I just personally don't fully understand it. Everything else I understand.) If someone could explain that to me that'd be great, because it's bugging me about what it means. Another movie that I would recommend from an underrated director is Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). That film reminds me of this Showgirls movie where it's brilliant yet misunderstood. It was supposed to be comedic, meaningful, surreal, and it's still somewhat scary but it was definitely meant to be more funny than scary, but that gore all over the walls totally makes the atmosphere amazing. I'm telling you guys The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) is so good that it makes me cry. It's brilliant and way funnier and even better than the 1st one. Sorry, for the long response for anybody reading, but when I love a movie this much, I get so passionate and talkative about it.
FallenX100 I think I can explain the scene’s significance. Nomi finds herself at a crossroads. She has everything she has ever wanted, fame, money, fortune, but when she realized what kind of people she was dealing with, people who were ruthless and cruel with no morals or conscience. Molly was the only person who had been a true friend to her without any hooks. She felt like she had to get revenge. The police weren’t going to do anything to Andrew Carver. Molly was an innocent star struck girl and she was horribly taken advantage of. He got what he deserved.
Unfortunately I was not old enough to see it when it came into theaters I was 15 but as soon it was on VHS I saw the R-rated version. I instantly fell in love with the movie I never saw it as a campy movie. I actually watched it over and over about four times that day. Eventually I got the NC-17 version and realized it was only 12 seconds longer. It was really just a few seconds extra of two scenes nothing crazy as this movie is crazy enough LOL. This is so my favorite movie to this day and I saw a serious movie with a really good story line. As I got older around 18 years old I moved to New York City and my twenties I was living in LA and my mid-twenties I was in Vegas until about 30. It was these places and people I came in contact with that made me realize this movie is a true depiction of just how it is sometimes in real life when you strive to become something and you have a dream and you will do almost anything to get to that dream, and you have to look at your morals and beliefs and sacrifices and think yourself is it really worth it? Paul verhoeven was a genius with this movie and I do see are the undertones he speaks about in the coffee table book
Gina is an Icon for Showgirls and Bound. Saw Showgirls on opening weekend, and thought it was the most deliberately OTT movie I had seen. It definetly holds up.
I watch Showgirls with my husband every year, at least two times a year for about five years now, we have the DVD and the Blu-ray, also the soundtrack CD. We quote the movie all the time and when somebody eats fries violently, says Versayce instead of Versace or says "different places" we instantly look at each other before laughing maniacally. We also won't take any decision without first asking ourselves what Nomi Malone would do. One day we went all the way to Paris to see Paul Verhoeven discussing the movie at the Cinémathèque de Paris and we were very bummed when they imploded the Stardust. The strongest bond between us is love, but Showgirls is a very close second.
Yes you read that quote from her. She stated when she saw the stage set she thought "I'm in a Britney Spears concert" yet Britney didn't come around till 1998
absolutely right. I think the bad acting was clearly on purpose and Gina alone "got" it. The rest were just bad actors hired to act badly. So brilliant.
@@pjeffries301 umm no actors and actresses are DIRECTED to act a certain way by the DIRECTOR. Their performances are the result of the director. If Verhoeven didn't want Berkley to over-act then why did he say nothing during the entire filming process. We're talking months and months of filming and reshoots and he said nothing?
Saw Showgirls for the first time yesterday. Some people say it's very different from Paul's other cult movies. I disagree. It fits right in. The themes of the systematic exploitation of people stuck in the bottom part of asymmetric power dynamics are still present and it's wonderfully visually gaudy.
Have you considered writing professionally if you don't already? You sure have some great prose. Deadly serious. I'm not being sarcastic. You write very well.
Showgirls was ahead of its time. It was "me too" movie 25 years before "me too". Misunderstood masterpiece. Mulholland Drive is surprisingly similar movie which also nobody understood, but it wasn't hated, maybe because of the mysterious atmosphere
Mulholland Drive was such a mindbender. Also, that scene behind the diner is one of the most intense i've ever seen in a movie. I got nightmares about it the first time i saw that 🤣
LOL. No it wasn't. It was a hypocrite movie where they put a ton of T & A in front of you then wanted you to feel bad about it. Even in the movie's story, the women are all adults and know what they are doing. It is absurd to claim they are being exploited. It was terrible.
Showgirls is not a "misunderstood masterpiece". Showgirls is the 1990's equivalent of Mommie Dearest - when Berkeley or Gershon emit lines; particularly Berkeley's emotions - they're like a seething volcano of emotions; when they erupt, the effect is laughable rather than taken seriously. Berkeley invested the part with so much power that the scenes transcend camp.
I had the unfortunate experience of living in Las Vegas for over 3 years, and I have always said that the movie Showgirls was over the top, but still and accurate depiction of Las Vegas.
Absolutely. In an America where Donald Trump is President (the ultimate Las Vegas figure!), Showgirls completely reflected the culture and has proved to be no so exaggerated after all.
I love Showgirls! It is already a classic. For me it is still one of the sexiest and most daring movies and Paul Verhoeven is one of the boldest directors. I was pleasantly surprised that he has a great sense of humour.
'Showgirls' is the best. Loved it when it came out, still love it today. I always thought of it as a comedy because of its hypo-realism and fabulous fun dancing. And, of course, the crazy memorable lines. It made my top 10 insta films: images, no words...
Love Gina Gershon! Entertaining and insightful interview from both Gina and Paul Verhoeven. I wish Elizabeth Berkley had been included in the interview as well, since "Showgirls" had the biggest impact on both her personal and professional life. At the time the movie was released she paid, I think, an unfairly steep price for it...
Gina was also very clever about her career, since she knew that showgirls would be ripped apart, by the way the studio marketed it. So she said, you got to find another movie to do. Quickly. Funnily enough she took the part of Corky on Bound (with equal controversy) , against her agents advice. They said she would ruin her career playing a lesbian, but Gina loved the project and stayed with the movie. Her agency fired her. Gay people have a special place in their heart for Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, because they stuck up for what they believed in, faced public scrutiny and still prevailed. True gay Icons. They walked, so all the other actors playing lesbians could run. Now actresses fight tooth and nails playing a lesbian.
Glen, Gina, and Elizabeth ALL ROCKED this movie! Its a fabulous story with great characters! And WHOA She’s still my fave 90’s actress ❤️❤️❤️. Smokin fine
I always defend this movie. I'm glad to hear Tarantino loves it as well. And I agree with Verhoeven; people get very uncomfortable with nudity in the theater. It's an incredibly original out there and brave movie, all the things people are against.
Nudity? This was filled w over the top hyper-sex.did you see the pool scene? Never even seen that violent type of sex in porn in all my life. Don't get me wrong. I liked it 👌
From 1996 when I first saw it til now, May 23, 2021 I'm still obsessed with this movie. I would always quote their lines with my sister who is also obsessed with it. We would even do the boob-fight and the "slave girl" thing. Literally still obsessed with it.
I will always defend this movie! It’s so damn good and misunderstood as hell. It baffles me that people who enjoy Verhoeven’s other American movies like Robocop and Starship Troopers don’t pick up on the satire in this one. I mean the guy is a master filmmaker, the downright strange nature of the sex scenes not being erotic and the heightened performances and dialog…how do they not think that it’s got intention behind it? Why would he suddenly become incapable of making a sex scene erotic right after Basic Instinct? It wasn’t an accident. A lot more going on here!
“Showgirls” One of my favorite & the best movie ever‼️Beautiful & talented actress: Gina Gershon & Elizabeth Berkeley ‼️Girls must watching it every time since 14 to see the real world…‼️🧿
The story around Showgirls shows how long the split in puritan, conservative rollback and liberal, human development of the US still lasts. And the film is maybe a test of the audience in understanding the presentation of the U.S. moral and double standards or to be obstructed by that incl. NC-17.
This was and is the best movie ever ... this is about dancing ... and real life ... I don't know what anyone's problem is about it or how anyone could not love it .. except if you know nothing about dancing or life ... that would explain a lot
I was 15 when I saw this in the theaters, I paid money for one movie and went in to see showgirls instead. I thought it was gonna be a movie about dance or Broadway. Part of my adolescence was lost after I watched it lol, but til this day I love the costumes, the makeup, the hair and the choreography. I've never liked the movie, I thought it had ridiculous dialog, it's crass, its vulgar. But I own the box set, I have the movie, and I still watch it anyway lol The biggest shocker for me was seeing Gina Gershon dance, I didn't know she could dance like that!!!!
Gina is right. American cinema does seem to put the hammer down on nudity more than violence. There's a huge disproportion in censorship. Maybe cause classic cinema doesn't want to be associated with, what they consider, "pornography" but with all the violence they may as well be snuff films at times.
I was obsessed with Showgirls since the first time I first watched it back in 2006. I watch it a few times a year and it will always be one of my absolute favorite movies.
I think the move get the "scarface" edit. In the sense that when scarface released, people thought it was a joke and bad made movie. But over the years in transcended into being a cult classic and how people praise it (in my opinion for the wrong reasons) for how to go up in the class system.
I had no idea that Show Girls was controversial and rejected until many years later when I was reading up about it on the Internet. In my opinion, the backlash was because of shame. People resented the fact that they were tempted by sex when there were societal rules against enjoying that, and resented the fact that anyone could possibly enjoy it because of the sex, so they had to try as hard as they could to bring it down. It's kind of like the envious backlash when a 50 year old dates a woman of 20, except on a Hollywood scale. I didn't have any such problem with shame, and I liked the film a great deal! But I'm European :D
I remember I was very young when I watched this film I had an older friend of mine rent the movie for me to watch it(me being a huge Verhoeven fan). Till that point I had watched almost every film made by the director. Having loved Robocop; Total Recal and Basic Instinct ;which I thought were just great films, I felt this one was substandard to what Paul usually makes. I guess because I was so young it escaped me what the film intent was.👍
I thought Showgirls explored things in American Cinema that weren't being examined at that time in 1995. In fact, I thought 1994-1995 was a watershed year for film in general because a LOT of "sub-group" films came out that year. Showgirls, Priscilla, To Wong Foo, Lie Down With Dogs, Doom Generation etc....I found it an INCREDIBLY interesting time to be studying Film (I was right in between my second and third years in college) and some of the BEST cinema I'd EVER SEEN in the U.S., came out that year.
Gina looks wonderful, and she is such an underrated actress. I think she is always aware of what kind of movie she is making, and is why her performances are so genuine. Everyone else who was acting in Showgirls looks like they didn't know what kind of movie they were in. What I never understood was the casting. Rena Riffel should have been the lead and not Elizabeth Berkley. Rena looks the part, is more attractive and likable, and Elizabeth Berkley was not a good actress at the time. She was simply exploited because she used to play a teen on that Saved by the Bell show. Either way, the movie is a cult classic and as bad as it is, is quite entertaining to this day, except for the rape scene, of course.
One key factor was that, at the time, people were expecting an follow-up to Basic Instinct, an erotic thriller. If you watch Showgirls with that expectation, the movie is like a horrible cold shower.
I think they were trying to set the movie up and tell you what it is supposed to be about. Because its gotting so many bad reviews. To get you in the mindset.
@@ponrix it would still be more interesting after, especially to the audience members who didn't like it. That could illuminate what a Rohrschach test the movie is more effectively, whereas the discussion prior to the screening primes you for what you are going to see.
I like Showgirls, elizabeth berkley is hot in her time, I do like verhoeven movies. So bad it good on the 90s. One of the cult classics in the 90s. Cool, man
Verhoeven is an amazing director that has a colorful imagination. The trick to enjoying his films is for the viewer to have a good imagination too. While a film like Basic Instinct had a decent script, it was Verhoeven that made it a classic.
Why are people saying the dialogue is more like a comedy? I feel like that’s very misleading. I first discovered this movie randomly a few years ago, and it intrigued me so much, I didn’t find it comical though whatsoever.
I think people were expecting something very very raunchy. And it's precisely not that. It's not a "so bad its good" film either, I think its actually just good, but it does take a little... something from the audience to handle the hyperbolic style Paul describes.
first time I watch this movie back in the day, I thought is an awesome film, is sexy, drama, musical, I m surprise later it is the worst film of all time! like really? I like Gina's Character, she still look good after more than 20+ years, damn~!
That's a fair enough point by paul but I disagree I never feel distracted while watching the nudity in the movie because it's so well edited and energetic to the point were your completely focused on the movie that's just my opinion
I just saw it for the first time and am blown away. I cannot believe how much hate this gem gets. It’s based on shame. Before seeing it I always heard that it was good because of camp value. Even the defenders couch it in shame. Utterly ridiculous. Elizabeth Berkely is incredible. Her eyes burn through the screen. The only thing I can think of is that the bad acting people see is that they don’t get that they are watching the characters themselves act. That’s the whole point of the movie. As for the criticism that the plot is recycled, sure it is, but it’s done savagely to put the classic Hollywood tropes on their head. I feel bad for Verhoeven, the poor reception did him harm and I wonder what movies he could have made in line with his heyday instead of trying to put his touch on crap like hollow man.
It just proves that people can't think for themselves. Now that there is a cult following they love it but they didnt love it until other people told them they could.
Wow! Such great insight into a fantastic film. The dancing is so incredible. Gina Gershons's Crystal as a villain & the lesbian undertones of the two's dynamic.
You can tell that Gina is having fun with it, but Elizabeth is taking it totally seriously. It's really noticeable in the 'Doggy Chow' scene, you can tell Gina is trying not to laugh and is camping it up, but Elizabeth is so serious, it's hilarious. The director seems to have convinced himself that people panned it because of the nudity and we weren't ready for it etc. But it was just a terrible movie lol. The dialogue was absurd, nothing in the story was realistic or made sense. How on earth could they think this was a 'dark film'- that's what I find so funny. It's such a shallow movie.
There was an interview with Verhoeven where he explained that she (Elizabeth) tried to play the role differently but he demanded her to play the way you can see now in the movie. He also said that he thinks he's responsible for her career to crash as a result.
@@leopardprints Umm no. The acting style is a result of the director's direction. If the director didn't want her to act that way then surely he would have mentioned it during the months and months of filming huh?
I was 24 years old studying Film at Berkeley and I thought this was the best thing! Which is a huge contradiction with what is supposed to be Credible and Valued. I got it! There was a European perspective of some kind regarding a hidden culture in the sex industry that would make its way to mainstream society. That was the fear. Also Tarantino was breaking out of the conservative box and Gina’s marketing idea is an example of how people were not open to new ideas at the time the way people are today with social media.
I think the newer generation starting with the millennials got the movie when they played it on tv bc around that time social media had come out and trolling became popular. I think we recognized the fun and trolling in show girls right away.
Showgirls is a great movie. I saw it movie theaters when it came out and loved it. It is a misunderstood movie. I think you had to be in the right frame of find to watch it. I tvink it's a classic and perhaps his best movie.
Showgirls is great fun! It is so bad in so many ways, but truly great! You want a bad movie to really go for it, and Showgirls goes for it! SO BAD IT IS GREAT!
The film is over-the-top and very campy. Gina Gershon was the one actor who knew what she was in and had fun with it. She didn't take it too seriously. The soundtrack is the one aspect that was brilliantly done and it's good to dance to.
Liv Tyler and Gina were my first TV crushes. I was just a kid but I always found Gina to be such an incredibly sexy woman, even from before the movie came out. To find beautiful blonde blue eyed girls? That's easy... But to find such an appealing, exotic and sexy woman is a true rarity. Her beauty and personality is capable of hypnotising any man.
Greatest film director of all times! And great commentary to his work too! Sadly movies are going to be made by AI in the future…so let’s look forward to that! 🤖
I saw Showgirls when it came out in theaters. The Theater was PACKED. After the movie was over in the cab home, I said to my girlfriend that this was a genius movie. It showed Vegas as it really is...in ALL aspects. How ridiculous it is. Nobody would have been able to make this movie but Verhoeven. Its a Genius film.
YES. There are more of us out there
I LOVE THE FILM!
I wasn't alive when it came out, but I decided to watch it 2 weeks ago because I like movies with sex and nudity in it because hey, I'm horny you know. This was recommended on the internet.
When I started watching it, I thought "Damn, so this is going to be over the top. Already the theme of greedy Vegas and starting a new life is made evident with the hitchhiking and crazy bitch as the protagonist". As I got more through the movie, sex and the nudity were the least thing on my mind. All I could think about was the gorgeous cinematography, interesting camera angles, and all that film appreciation stuff. I went in thinking "awe, yeah. This is going to be my personal, fetish, guilty-pleasure hour!" and came out thinking "Wow....WTF did I just see???? This is was literally amazing! This is sooo Vegas. Now, I've seen a lot of classic movies...............If this isn't at least a 9/10 movie then No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, and Silence (with difficult to understand themes that are constantly built upon throughout the film) are horrible movies too. Gina Gershon's acting was hands down the best acting in the movie (in my opinion) because it had vision, and every gesture told me what she was thinking and I totally loved what she was going for.
4.7/10 rating on IMDB? Makes me cry! One of the most underrated movies. Props for Paul Verhoeven for being a good sport and being the only person to ever accept Razzie Award in person for worst film of the year. He seems like a guy that can take a joke and suck in his pride despite knowing he's right.
After watching this movie, I'm convinced that Paul Verhoeven is one of the most underrated directors. So I'm in the middle of watching Basic Instinct and OMG it's so good I wanna cry!!! Sharon Stone in Casino made me a huge fan and Michael Douglas in Wall Street made me a huge fan.
So yup, I guess I'm one of those people that completely loves this film. The only scene that I don't really get and through me off was the scene where Elizabeth Berkley beats up the famous singer that raped her friend. It didn't fit the film when I saw it and it changed the atmosphere. But the only way, I can explain it (I'm sure there's a good reason because that's the climax and there's no way there's not a meaning behind it. I just personally don't fully understand it. Everything else I understand.) If someone could explain that to me that'd be great, because it's bugging me about what it means.
Another movie that I would recommend from an underrated director is Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). That film reminds me of this Showgirls movie where it's brilliant yet misunderstood. It was supposed to be comedic, meaningful, surreal, and it's still somewhat scary but it was definitely meant to be more funny than scary, but that gore all over the walls totally makes the atmosphere amazing. I'm telling you guys The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) is so good that it makes me cry. It's brilliant and way funnier and even better than the 1st one.
Sorry, for the long response for anybody reading, but when I love a movie this much, I get so passionate and talkative about it.
FallenX100 I think I can explain the scene’s significance. Nomi finds herself at a crossroads. She has everything she has ever wanted, fame, money, fortune,
but when she realized what kind of people she was dealing with, people who were ruthless and cruel with no morals or conscience. Molly was the only person who had been a true friend to her without any hooks. She felt like she had to get revenge. The police weren’t going to do anything to Andrew Carver. Molly was an innocent star struck girl and she was horribly taken advantage of. He got what he deserved.
Unfortunately I was not old enough to see it when it came into theaters I was 15 but as soon it was on VHS I saw the R-rated version. I instantly fell in love with the movie I never saw it as a campy movie. I actually watched it over and over about four times that day. Eventually I got the NC-17 version and realized it was only 12 seconds longer. It was really just a few seconds extra of two scenes nothing crazy as this movie is crazy enough LOL. This is so my favorite movie to this day and I saw a serious movie with a really good story line. As I got older around 18 years old I moved to New York City and my twenties I was living in LA and my mid-twenties I was in Vegas until about 30. It was these places and people I came in contact with that made me realize this movie is a true depiction of just how it is sometimes in real life when you strive to become something and you have a dream and you will do almost anything to get to that dream, and you have to look at your morals and beliefs and sacrifices and think yourself is it really worth it? Paul verhoeven was a genius with this movie and I do see are the undertones he speaks about in the coffee table book
Gina is an Icon for Showgirls and Bound.
Saw Showgirls on opening weekend, and thought it was the most deliberately OTT movie I had seen.
It definetly holds up.
I watch Showgirls with my husband every year, at least two times a year for about five years now, we have the DVD and the Blu-ray, also the soundtrack CD.
We quote the movie all the time and when somebody eats fries violently, says Versayce instead of Versace or says "different places" we instantly look at each other before laughing maniacally.
We also won't take any decision without first asking ourselves what Nomi Malone would do.
One day we went all the way to Paris to see Paul Verhoeven discussing the movie at the Cinémathèque de Paris and we were very bummed when they imploded the Stardust.
The strongest bond between us is love, but Showgirls is a very close second.
I love this!
Is Nomi a good role model though?
A family that watches shit-movies together, stays together.
@@orangewarm1 Chaotic good is still good.
Your name is Ricardo and you claim to have a husband? Error 404
I always feel like Gina was the only actor/actress that knew what movie she was in
Yes you read that quote from her. She stated when she saw the stage set she thought "I'm in a Britney Spears concert" yet Britney didn't come around till 1998
absolutely right. I think the bad acting was clearly on purpose and Gina alone "got" it. The rest were just bad actors hired to act badly. So brilliant.
@@pjeffries301 I actually think Verhoeven knew all along what it was and was trolling us back in ‘95
@@pjeffries301 umm no actors and actresses are DIRECTED to act a certain way by the DIRECTOR. Their performances are the result of the director. If Verhoeven didn't want Berkley to over-act then why did he say nothing during the entire filming process. We're talking months and months of filming and reshoots and he said nothing?
And thats on period
Saw Showgirls for the first time yesterday.
Some people say it's very different from Paul's other cult movies. I disagree. It fits right in. The themes of the systematic exploitation of people stuck in the bottom part of asymmetric power dynamics are still present and it's wonderfully visually gaudy.
Showgirls flips the script on sex the same way Starship Troopers flipped the script on violence. A lot of people tend to miss that aspect.
So true.❤
@silversnail1413 thank you! Finally the right comment
Have you considered writing professionally if you don't already? You sure have some great prose. Deadly serious. I'm not being sarcastic. You write very well.
Showgirls was ahead of its time. It was "me too" movie 25 years before "me too". Misunderstood masterpiece. Mulholland Drive is surprisingly similar movie which also nobody understood, but it wasn't hated, maybe because of the mysterious atmosphere
Mulholland Drive was such a mindbender. Also, that scene behind the diner is one of the most intense i've ever seen in a movie. I got nightmares about it the first time i saw that 🤣
LOL. No it wasn't. It was a hypocrite movie where they put a ton of T & A in front of you then wanted you to feel bad about it. Even in the movie's story, the women are all adults and know what they are doing. It is absurd to claim they are being exploited. It was terrible.
@@timreeves8937 Ehm...no. For some, it is still ahead of its time, obviously.
@@MartinPeroutkas LOL no it wasnt
Showgirls is not a "misunderstood masterpiece". Showgirls is the 1990's equivalent of Mommie Dearest - when Berkeley or Gershon emit lines; particularly Berkeley's emotions - they're like a seething volcano of emotions; when they erupt, the effect is laughable rather than taken seriously. Berkeley invested the part with so much power that the scenes transcend camp.
Showgirls is legendary
Facts.
I had the unfortunate experience of living in Las Vegas for over 3 years, and I have always said that the movie Showgirls was over the top, but still and accurate depiction of Las Vegas.
I lived there in 2018 to 2019 and it was the best time of my life. Sorry your experience was so bad.
Unfortunate? I lived there too '99-00. It is a crazy town. So much fun!
this movie is very underrated. I think the acting is very well done by Gina and Elizabeth.
Absolutely. In an America where Donald Trump is President (the ultimate Las Vegas figure!), Showgirls completely reflected the culture and has proved to be no so exaggerated after all.
@@DeepScreenAnalysis 3 years later and still holding to the truth.
Love Liz!
A very underrated movie. People were just afraid to admit they liked it. ☺️
When they talk about eating Dog Food... Iconic
THRUST IT! This movie is fun and over-the-top, but it works that way. It’s totally the vibe of Las Vegas. Gina was the best.
I love Showgirls! It is already a classic. For me it is still one of the sexiest and most daring movies and Paul Verhoeven is one of the boldest directors. I was pleasantly surprised that he has a great sense of humour.
I love Showgirls!! It is so Vegas, glamours and ridiculous. This is the only movie that shows how overtop people act on their way to fame.
It really pissed off critics and that’s what made me a fan.
'Showgirls' is the best. Loved it when it came out, still love it today. I always thought of it as a comedy because of its hypo-realism and fabulous fun dancing. And, of course, the crazy memorable lines. It made my top 10 insta films: images, no words...
I always loved Showgirls, but nothing about it is comedic, in my opinion. I always thought of it as a really great drama.
@@justinbryson5548 That's how I feel about Valley of the Dolls.
@@justinbryson5548it’s a comedy for sure
Paul really called the modern state of Hollywood didn't he? Always loved this guy
Love Gina Gershon! Entertaining and insightful interview from both Gina and Paul Verhoeven. I wish Elizabeth Berkley had been included in the interview as well, since "Showgirls" had the biggest impact on both her personal and professional life. At the time the movie was released she paid, I think, an unfairly steep price for it...
Gina was also very clever about her career, since she knew that showgirls would be ripped apart, by the way the studio marketed it. So she said, you got to find another movie to do. Quickly.
Funnily enough she took the part of Corky on Bound (with equal controversy) , against her agents advice. They said she would ruin her career playing a lesbian, but Gina loved the project and stayed with the movie.
Her agency fired her.
Gay people have a special place in their heart for Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, because they stuck up for what they believed in, faced public scrutiny and still prevailed.
True gay Icons. They walked, so all the other actors playing lesbians could run.
Now actresses fight tooth and nails playing a lesbian.
Verhoeven made a number of greats films but this is my favorite of his works
Omg. She mentioned All About Eve, and during my first watch of the movie, I was thinking this was a heightened version of All About Eve!
Maximus Prime YES.
Love the interwiewer, he just let them speak out and talk!
That "Diva" story is so good! What a smart actress!
Gina Gershon is a fascinating woman. Love her work.
Can't belive this was 1995 the film looks like it was from yesterday
i watched showgirl for the first time last night oh boy did i love it what a fantastic movie
One of the best Horror films of the 90s. A hyperbolic nightmare covered in glitter.
LMAO
ShowGirls is a Fantastic Movie
Thank you Paul Verhoeven
The Soundtrack is Amazing ! and the movie is a Masterpiece !
Gina always makes me laughs. I hadn't watched Paul before and he is really funny. Love the movie and this Q&A made me want to watch it again :)
Anything that tries to deconstruct and attack a taboo so secretly loved will initially be rejected. Just like the best comedy.
LOVE this movie! I remember being shocked and confused when it got bad reviews.
Glen, Gina, and Elizabeth ALL ROCKED this movie! Its a fabulous story with great characters! And WHOA She’s still my fave 90’s actress ❤️❤️❤️. Smokin fine
I always defend this movie. I'm glad to hear Tarantino loves it as well. And I agree with Verhoeven; people get very uncomfortable with nudity in the theater. It's an incredibly original out there and brave movie, all the things people are against.
@AutomobileFunk
But... he liked the film XD
Nudity? This was filled w over the top hyper-sex.did you see the pool scene? Never even seen that violent type of sex in porn in all my life. Don't get me wrong. I liked it 👌
Paul Verhoeven is a genius.
Gina is a great actor/actress that is why she shined. She was believable at acting.
From 1996 when I first saw it til now, May 23, 2021 I'm still obsessed with this movie. I would always quote their lines with my sister who is also obsessed with it. We would even do the boob-fight and the "slave girl" thing. Literally still obsessed with it.
"I don't know how good you are, darlin', and I don't know what it is you're good at, but if it's at 'The Cheetah', it's not dancing."
I will always defend this movie! It’s so damn good and misunderstood as hell. It baffles me that people who enjoy Verhoeven’s other American movies like Robocop and Starship Troopers don’t pick up on the satire in this one. I mean the guy is a master filmmaker, the downright strange nature of the sex scenes not being erotic and the heightened performances and dialog…how do they not think that it’s got intention behind it? Why would he suddenly become incapable of making a sex scene erotic right after Basic Instinct? It wasn’t an accident. A lot more going on here!
“Showgirls” One of my favorite & the best movie ever‼️Beautiful & talented actress: Gina Gershon & Elizabeth Berkeley ‼️Girls must watching it every time since 14 to see the real world…‼️🧿
The story around Showgirls shows how long the split in puritan, conservative rollback and liberal, human development of the US still lasts. And the film is maybe a test of the audience in understanding the presentation of the U.S. moral and double standards or to be obstructed by that incl. NC-17.
one of the best Hollywood movies
Bah I m not agree. Nice the dancers and the colours of the scenes. Kyle Mac Lachlan at his top. But he took the razzie award for that movie😁🐀
This was and is the best movie ever ... this is about dancing ... and real life ... I don't know what anyone's problem is about it or how anyone could not love it .. except if you know nothing about dancing or life ... that would explain a lot
I was 15 when I saw this in the theaters, I paid money for one movie and went in to see showgirls instead. I thought it was gonna be a movie about dance or Broadway. Part of my adolescence was lost after I watched it lol, but til this day I love the costumes, the makeup, the hair and the choreography. I've never liked the movie, I thought it had ridiculous dialog, it's crass, its vulgar. But I own the box set, I have the movie, and I still watch it anyway lol
The biggest shocker for me was seeing Gina Gershon dance, I didn't know she could dance like that!!!!
Awesome story bet your 15 year old jaw was on the floor
Gina is right. American cinema does seem to put the hammer down on nudity more than violence. There's a huge disproportion in censorship. Maybe cause classic cinema doesn't want to be associated with, what they consider, "pornography" but with all the violence they may as well be snuff films at times.
Fair assessment. Perhaps America sees extremely violent sex as bad. Violence by itself though, not so much
@@edub9930
America was founded and born through the gun so of course we worship it. Not that I agree.
I was obsessed with Showgirls since the first time I first watched it back in 2006. I watch it a few times a year and it will always be one of my absolute favorite movies.
I think the move get the "scarface" edit. In the sense that when scarface released, people thought it was a joke and bad made movie. But over the years in transcended into being a cult classic and how people praise it (in my opinion for the wrong reasons) for how to go up in the class system.
it was my coming of age movie, knew i was gay once i saw this movie. its a great watch. to me it read : documentary turned into a movie
Gina cracks me up! God, I love her.
I had no idea that Show Girls was controversial and rejected until many years later when I was reading up about it on the Internet. In my opinion, the backlash was because of shame. People resented the fact that they were tempted by sex when there were societal rules against enjoying that, and resented the fact that anyone could possibly enjoy it because of the sex, so they had to try as hard as they could to bring it down. It's kind of like the envious backlash when a 50 year old dates a woman of 20, except on a Hollywood scale.
I didn't have any such problem with shame, and I liked the film a great deal! But I'm European :D
Naw, it wasn't because of the nudity. It was because of the weak script and dopey dialogue.
Greatest movie ever! Absolutely,underrated!
I remember I was very young when I watched this film I had an older friend of mine rent the movie for me to watch it(me being a huge Verhoeven fan). Till that point I had watched almost every film made by the director. Having loved Robocop; Total Recal and Basic Instinct ;which I thought were just great films, I felt this one was substandard to what Paul usually makes. I guess because I was so young it escaped me what the film intent was.👍
I thought Showgirls explored things in American Cinema that weren't being examined at that time in 1995. In fact, I thought 1994-1995 was a watershed year for film in general because a LOT of "sub-group" films came out that year. Showgirls, Priscilla, To Wong Foo, Lie Down With Dogs, Doom Generation etc....I found it an INCREDIBLY interesting time to be studying Film (I was right in between my second and third years in college) and some of the BEST cinema I'd EVER SEEN in the U.S., came out that year.
Like or dislike this movie is a classic.. the aesthetic is everything it was a time
Gina looks wonderful, and she is such an underrated actress. I think she is always aware of what kind of movie she is making, and is why her performances are so genuine. Everyone else who was acting in Showgirls looks like they didn't know what kind of movie they were in. What I never understood was the casting. Rena Riffel should have been the lead and not Elizabeth Berkley. Rena looks the part, is more attractive and likable, and Elizabeth Berkley was not a good actress at the time. She was simply exploited because she used to play a teen on that Saved by the Bell show. Either way, the movie is a cult classic and as bad as it is, is quite entertaining to this day, except for the rape scene, of course.
Absolutely not! Paul Verhoueven nailed this movie. We in Europe love Elizabeth Berkley ❤️
One key factor was that, at the time, people were expecting an follow-up to Basic Instinct, an erotic thriller. If you watch Showgirls with that expectation, the movie is like a horrible cold shower.
Why didn’t you freaking interview them AFTER the film?? Would have been much more informative I feel.
Yeah, that made no sense to me. At the film festivals, the director takes questions after the film is over with.
I think they were trying to set the movie up and tell you what it is supposed to be about. Because its gotting so many bad reviews. To get you in the mindset.
@@ponrix it would still be more interesting after, especially to the audience members who didn't like it. That could illuminate what a Rohrschach test the movie is more effectively, whereas the discussion prior to the screening primes you for what you are going to see.
They probably went home after the QandA XD
I like Showgirls, elizabeth berkley is hot in her time, I do like verhoeven movies. So bad it good on the 90s. One of the cult classics in the 90s. Cool, man
Verhoeven is an amazing director that has a colorful imagination. The trick to enjoying his films is for the viewer to have a good imagination too. While a film like Basic Instinct had a decent script, it was Verhoeven that made it a classic.
Reminds me of the Fellini film 'Satyricon". Over the top entertaining critique.
Showgirls has aged like a fine wine. It's incredibly daring and entirely beautiful! It has a bizarre heart and a sharp mind.
❤
In Startrooper and Showgirls Verhoeven shows America is rotten to the bone. Great films though.
I LOVE THIS FILM!
Why are people saying the dialogue is more like a comedy? I feel like that’s very misleading. I first discovered this movie randomly a few years ago, and it intrigued me so much, I didn’t find it comical though whatsoever.
Some of the dialogue sounds fake but i wonder if it was designed that way.
TigerMonthlyHits I just watched it for the first time. The dialogue was fucking hilariously terrible! Come on, the bit about dog food?? Like wtf?
@@vhscopyofseinfeld Dog Chow was the name of a popular snack. It does sound like dog food. And the dialog is terrible.
I think people were expecting something very very raunchy. And it's precisely not that. It's not a "so bad its good" film either, I think its actually just good, but it does take a little... something from the audience to handle the hyperbolic style Paul describes.
first time I watch this movie back in the day, I thought is an awesome film, is sexy, drama, musical, I m surprise later it is the worst film of all time! like really?
I like Gina's Character, she still look good after more than 20+ years, damn~!
Yeah, Gina is so beautiful. Love her.
greatness
That's a fair enough point by paul but I disagree I never feel distracted while watching the nudity in the movie because it's so well edited and energetic to the point were your completely focused on the movie that's just my opinion
Paul verhoeven is a fucking genius.
This might be my favorite Verhoeven film. Its exaggerated style and acting only further heightens the satire, an assault on American values.
I just saw it for the first time and am blown away. I cannot believe how much hate this gem gets. It’s based on shame. Before seeing it I always heard that it was good because of camp value. Even the defenders couch it in shame. Utterly ridiculous. Elizabeth Berkely is incredible. Her eyes burn through the screen. The only thing I can think of is that the bad acting people see is that they don’t get that they are watching the characters themselves act. That’s the whole point of the movie. As for the criticism that the plot is recycled, sure it is, but it’s done savagely to put the classic Hollywood tropes on their head. I feel bad for Verhoeven, the poor reception did him harm and I wonder what movies he could have made in line with his heyday instead of trying to put his touch on crap like hollow man.
It’s just bad acting and bad writing.
It just proves that people can't think for themselves. Now that there is a cult following they love it but they didnt love it until other people told them they could.
I saw the movie at the Astor theatre in Melbourne, with my partners sister. It was an amazing night.
I don’t know 1 woman from my generation (that generation) that doesn’t love that movie
Wow! Such great insight into a fantastic film. The dancing is so incredible. Gina Gershons's Crystal as a villain & the lesbian undertones of the two's dynamic.
My movie!!!! Love it. All his 90s movie are cult🔥💗💟
The dialog in the movie was more like a comedy. Gina Gershon understood that but Elizabeth Berkley did not.
You can tell that Gina is having fun with it, but Elizabeth is taking it totally seriously. It's really noticeable in the 'Doggy Chow' scene, you can tell Gina is trying not to laugh and is camping it up, but Elizabeth is so serious, it's hilarious.
The director seems to have convinced himself that people panned it because of the nudity and we weren't ready for it etc. But it was just a terrible movie lol.
The dialogue was absurd, nothing in the story was realistic or made sense. How on earth could they think this was a 'dark film'- that's what I find so funny. It's such a shallow movie.
There was an interview with Verhoeven where he explained that she (Elizabeth) tried to play the role differently but he demanded her to play the way you can see now in the movie. He also said that he thinks he's responsible for her career to crash as a result.
@@leopardprints , this analysis of the film shows why people may had such a bad taste over Showgirls: ua-cam.com/video/kFi9zqSidps/v-deo.html
@@leopardprints Umm no. The acting style is a result of the director's direction. If the director didn't want her to act that way then surely he would have mentioned it during the months and months of filming huh?
I was 24 years old studying Film at Berkeley and I thought this was the best thing! Which is a huge contradiction with what is supposed to be Credible and Valued. I got it! There was a European perspective of some kind regarding a hidden culture in the sex industry that would make its way to mainstream society. That was the fear. Also Tarantino was breaking out of the conservative box and Gina’s marketing idea is an example of how people were not open to new ideas at the time the way people are today with social media.
In Joe Eszterhas's memoir Hollywood Animal, he says Gina thought Elizabeth couldn't act.
Have Paul and Liz talked since the film was released?
It's nice to see Gina Gershon working again. I hope that they bought her lunch. Maybe a nice chicken sandwich.
I think the newer generation starting with the millennials got the movie when they played it on tv bc around that time social media had come out and trolling became popular. I think we recognized the fun and trolling in show girls right away.
Showgirls is a great movie. I saw it movie theaters when it came out and loved it. It is a misunderstood movie. I think you had to be in the right frame of find to watch it. I tvink it's a classic and perhaps his best movie.
Showgirls is great fun! It is so bad in so many ways, but truly great! You want a bad movie to really go for it, and Showgirls goes for it! SO BAD IT IS GREAT!
It’s kinda sad that even though we all love showgirls and both girls embrace the film, they never seem to embrace each other.
Very well made movie. Not an easy watch.
Perhaps the things that happen in Vegas should stay in Vegas (as Ms. Gershon said).
the boat show part even bothered me we sing???? lol no thats not what those guys meant im glad nomi sensed that right away and told personnel about it
Gina has aged very well!!
Oh fuck off with this sexist "she aged well" crap. Her worth isn't how young she looks at middle age.
She's absolutely beautiful
shes still gorgeous
I believe in Paul.
Very abrupt ending, they should've done the interview after the movie lol
total recall is his best
The film is over-the-top and very campy. Gina Gershon was the one actor who knew what she was in and had fun with it. She didn't take it too seriously. The soundtrack is the one aspect that was brilliantly done and it's good to dance to.
God, Gina Gershon is breathtakingly gorgeous.
Liv Tyler and Gina were my first TV crushes. I was just a kid but I always found Gina to be such an incredibly sexy woman, even from before the movie came out.
To find beautiful blonde blue eyed girls? That's easy... But to find such an appealing, exotic and sexy woman is a true rarity. Her beauty and personality is capable of hypnotising any man.
Wow must be born in the 2000's never have to seen Showgirls? I have the Vinegar Syndrome Blu ray
Nothing wrong with well documented movies.
Greatest film director of all times! And great commentary to his work too! Sadly movies are going to be made by AI in the future…so let’s look forward to that! 🤖
I agree with Tarantino. 🎉
I love this movie!!!!!!!!
Funnily enough i realky liked it. Sure, some of the performances are overdone and its gaudy and camp but weirdly appropriate.