Showgirls: Portrait of a Film (A Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)

Rating:
Summary: Reality 1, Verhoeven & Ezsterhas' (sp?) vision 0
Review: After hearing 'Showgirls' superfan David Schmader mentioning and goofing a little bit on this "miracle in (movie tie-in) publishing" in the 'Showgirls' VIP edition DVD commentary track (check out the Showgirls VIP Edition DVD collector box set and my August 22, 2004 review of it at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00020X88O/ref=cm_aya_asin.title/103-1978159-0347843?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance), I knew I hadda check it out. This is mainly due to the fact that director Paul Verhoeven wrote the text to this glorified picture book, discussing his thoughts on the message and hifalutin vision he and screenwriter Joe Ezsterhas (sp?) were trying to convey through the movie.

If you've ever wondered, "just what the #ell was he thinking?!" after seeing this legend in the annals of bad cinema, Verhoeven's written thoughts here pretty much say it all. He talks about the evolution of Nomi's character from a sassy, bratty emotional roller coaster who'll do almost anything to reach her goals, to-- well, a sassy, somewhat-less-bratty emotional roller-coaster who gains a bit of wisdom from her experiences working the scummy underbelly of the Vegas night life... or something like that. But the funniest part has to be his notion of Nomi's misadventures being something of a "Christian morality tale". Personally, all I see is a horribly-acted and over-the-top yet oddly compelling cheese-fest with a lotta BOOBIES BOOBIES BOOBIES BOOB-

*SMACK* (OW!)

*Ahem* ...in it. Then again, I don't usually watch movies, good or bad, for underlying messages or moral lessons-- I just wanna be entertained. Which 'Showgirls' does, only not in the way the director envisioned...

Also brought up in the intro are Verhoeven's pontifications on the difference between the European and Hollywood styles of filming movies, and his thoughts on the over-the-top sex and violence depicted in his flicks are an exaggerated reflection of society rather than the cause of real-world violence and sexual promiscuity. He even gets a little political when he talks bout how censorship is "a sign of society's weakness", and how the First Amendment is a "statement of belief in the strength in the American citizen" (words I concur with, BTW). He also discusses the hang-ups the American public seems to have with sex and the expression of sexuality, which was something he was apparently attempting to take on with this project. Only thing is, like many others I found 'Showgirls' one of the LEAST sexy flicks ever made, in spite of all the bump-and-grinding, and scads of T&A.

After the intro, the gallery begins, featuring the photographic expressions of four noted professional shutterbugs, with a couple paragraphs of commentary by Verhoeven for each gallery. While most of the pics were well done, I did find it creepy that Verhoeven pointed out that Elizabeth Berkley was showin' some "camel toe" (no, I'm NOT gonna explain the term; look it up!) in one of the photos. I was also kinda weirded out by one black-and-white behind-the-scenes pic featuring one of the topless Cheetah club dancers standing next to some nerdy-looking bespectacled chubby dude wearing a really bad fedora. I think the main reason I was weirded out by this pic was because I used to look just like that nerdy chubby dude about five years and fifty pounds ago. Well, except for the fact that I'm not a hat person. And the glasses I wore weren't nearly as big or as thick as his are. Anyhoo, I found it a real shame that Robert Mapplethorpe was no longer around at the time this came out to do some photos. I'd have been really curious (no, NOT bi-curious) to see what he'd have pulled out of-- er, never mind...

On a final note: I think it'd be kinda cool if they re-released this next year as a special tenth anniversary "celebration" of one of Hollywood's most horrific cinematic misfires. It would include a "Ten Years Later" afterword by Verhoeven, featuring his thoughts on what went wrong, and his feelings about 'Showgirls' being celebrated and/or reviled for its badness by midnight moviegoers the world over, rather than celebrated and/or reviled for what he had envisioned it to be. He could even go into how the flick almost single-handedly destroyed the careers of many of the cast & crew that were a part of it. I think that would make for some really compelling reading...

'Late

Rating:
Summary: GREAT PHOTOS,DIRECTOR COMMENTS VERY INTERESTING!
Review: The photos are fantastic,the comments much more interesting,worth buying it.You can really understand why it is more than what you see at first in the movie.I loved it.

Rating:
Summary: As gorgeous as the movie.
Review: This is a must-have coffee-table book (it's also available in paperback) for all fans of Paul Verhoeven's brilliant, moving epic; it comes close to capturing the lush beauty of the movie itself. Anyone with taste, style, and/or half a brain will cherish both the gorgeous book and the inspiring, elegant movie. Thank you to the publishers of the book as well as the filmmakers.

Rating:
Summary: It doesn't suck!!
Review: What can I say about Showgirls that hasn't been said? I am sure I echo the sentiments of anyone who's seen this film when I say it's the best movie ever made. This book is also amazing. It features an in depth look at the talent that made this movie happen. Verhoven helps us to understand the seedy underworld of Las Vegas and why this movie is truly the story of a girl in search of herself. Where, oh where, is the sequel to this stunning masterpeice?