| SHOWGIRLS | |
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1995 - USA
Director: Paul Verhoeven |
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- Reviewed by Linda 
I have Showgirls on my exclusive list of guilty pleasures. It is a truly
awful film. Part of the reason it's so icky is that the atrocious screenplay
famously earned scribe Joe Esterhas a freakin' $2 million dollar paycheck! It
was supposed to be "cutting edge". It was supposed to be
"gritty". It was supposed to launch former good-girl TV actress
Elizabeth Berkley (Saved By the Bell) into superstardom for her portrayal
of a smutty Las Vegas dancer who claws her way to the top. Little did the
filmmakers know that in no time Showgirls would be universally reviled by
critics and audiences alike... that is until cult viewers adopted it as one of
the most guffaw-worthy "klassics" of recent years.
Some sample quotes (go here for more... and believe me, there's a LOT more!):
The 2000 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival screened the film as a Saturday late-show with colorful commentary by local smart-ass journalist David Schmader (The Stranger) who sat at a desk on the stage, and would literally pause the film with a remote control at crucial moments to add commentary. Schmader had recently hosted Showgirls screenings, but in much much smaller theaters (which would always sell out). So it was a tribute to the film's subtle brilliance to see an 800+ seat theater packed to the rafters to give Showgirls the just attention it so very much deserves.
But overall, Showgirls is surprisingly watchable. The plot moves along at a brisk pace, and I have to say, it is never boring. But please keep in mind, this is not a movie to rent and watch alone. That defeats the whole purpose. You will only feel soiled and ashamed at the end, alone in your living room. Showgirls is a crowd-pleaser... it is definitely best enjoyed with a group of people, whether it be with a cozy gathering (the first time I saw it was at a little party of 6 or 7 people), or in a packed theater filled with the sounds of screaming laughter. Don't say I didn't warn you! |
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Overall
film
quality rating
Shameless
enjoyability rating
The story follows a dancer ("not a whore!") named Nomi (Berkley) as
she infiltrates the world of Las Vegas showgirl dancing, and cat-fights her way
to the top. Gina Gershon plays Crystal, who has been at the top of the
showgirl-pinnacle for years, as the lead in the Stardust production
"Goddess". Of course she is just waiting to be brought crashing down (Schmader
points out that Gershon is the only one who knows what movie she is in). Kyle
MacLachlan plays the talent director for the show, and shares the infamous
pool-sex scene with Nomi that really has to be seen to believed (people in the
audience were practically throwing chairs... one audience member yelled out,
"Rewind! Show it again!" but Schmader responded, "No! It's too
icky!").
Unfortunately, towards the end there is an extremely wrong rape scene of the
only "pure" character in the film, Nomi's best friend Molly (