Slog - Comments on On Being Eternally Affiliated with the Worst Movie Ever Made http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w In 1999, on the advice of an intelligent female friend, I watched Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls. This was four years after the film's theatrical release, which I'd ignored out of solidarity with good taste and political correctness. But when the most intelligent feminist I knew all but ordered me to stop what I was doing and rent Showgirls, I obeyed, and soon learned one of life's great truths: Paul Verhoeven's critically savaged, thoroughly diastrous stripper drama is the most amazing inadvertant comedy in the history of cinema, and with some slight contextualization and one major cut, the funniest movie ever... Copyright 2008 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:47:32 -0800 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:41:39 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by candi Sounds amazing. I had no idea. None at all.

]]> candi http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797041 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797041 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:30:40 -0800 Comment by Chris in Tampa Where in Florida?

]]> Chris in Tampa http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797043 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797043 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:39:06 -0800 Comment by Dougsf Not the worst movie ever made - not by a long shot. It's a bad movie for sure, but if Verhoeven were to come up with some sort of subversive explanation for WHY it was so bad ("it's a statement on _____"), I think we'd buy it.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797052 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797052 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:52:03 -0800 Comment by StrangerDanger I have seen David show the movie before and laughed hysterically. Truly funny and I am really sorry I cannot view the movie with him again.

]]> StrangerDanger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797057 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797057 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:03:36 -0800 Comment by E. Steven From a Cinema Scope interview:

SCOPE: Does this dichotomy between your Hollywood work and your generally more historical work in the Netherlands say something about the differences between the two places?

VERHOEVEN: I’m not sure. You could also argue that I was typecast after RoboCop and that as long as it was in Fantasyland, I could get projects. But if I wanted to do something realistic—and the most realistic one was Showgirls. It’s very interesting to consider that. A lot of the events in Showgirls are taken from real incidents, which is perhaps why so many people hated it. Mario Kassar, who ran Carolco, which produced a number of my films, knew my Dutch work and that I could do something like Basic Instinct, but after RoboCop and Total Recall, the studios wouldn’t have even thought of me as a thriller director. So I got out of that mode, and then after Showgirls, I couldn’t go there anymore. All the doors that opened with Basic Instinct closed with Showgirls. Not all was lost: I could continue to make expensive and interesting movies like Starship Troopers and Hollow Man. But I also think that once people in Hollywood see Black Book, they’ll be able to trust me with material beyond science fiction.

]]> E. Steven http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797064 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797064 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:13:23 -0800 Comment by CourtSea Every time I see the live commentary it's like a religious experience. I am so happy now there is a DVD that I can pop in during the off season to introduce people to it's wonder. I saw Showgirls in the theater. I was the only female there and that added to the stank of the film. Yes, film. I love you David for showing others the light. You and me...we got ties.

]]> CourtSea http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797067 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797067 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:15:11 -0800 Comment by sniggles "Oooh... SCARY MONSTER"

]]> sniggles http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797072 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797072 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:24:47 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Ummm.

No.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797076 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797076 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:26:53 -0800 Comment by Shaniqua Jackson yeah, Will will stay home and watch videos of old Seattle Storm games, y'all.

]]> Shaniqua Jackson http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797082 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797082 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:31:03 -0800 Comment by Emma Leigh Squeee!! Thank you, David, and thank you, MGM!

]]> Emma Leigh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797112 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797112 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:16:01 -0800 Comment by nomi malone i think y'all should know, i'm totally going to this for my anniversary.
i also saw this film in the theater, in high school, and it kinda changed my life. for years, no one appreciated the comic genius of that dolphin sex pool scene quite as much as my friend kelly and i. it was like watching john waters' movies for the first time. but unintentionally funny.
(we were also the only ladies in the audience, and i can't remember how we made it into the theater while still being far younger than eighteen, but i'm glad we pulled it off.)
somebody should try to talk my boyfriend into getting my the coffee table book for said anniversary.
also, schmader, did you steal that image from my myspace post about this show? because that would make me feel extra special. and meta.

]]> nomi malone http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797130 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797130 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:41:37 -0800 Comment by chrisdiani "...with some slight contextualization and one major cut, the funniest movie ever made."


David, what major cut are you recommending?

]]> chrisdiani http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797133 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797133 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:44:52 -0800 Comment by lostboy And does the DVD have its chapter marks adjusted to facilitate that major cut?

]]> lostboy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797144 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797144 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:52:07 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Um, they have videos of old Seattle Storm games?

I seriously don't think it's that funny.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797159 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797159 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:03:20 -0800 Comment by fnarf The only movie that comes close to Showgirls for greatness is Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Dolls loses out, barely, because it has slightly better acting.

]]> fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797162 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797162 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:05:17 -0800 Comment by David Schmader The cut is (spoiler alert) the raping of Molly.

On the DVD, it works out so that if you push "next chapter" when the rape scene begins, it takes you right to the end of the scene.

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797166 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797166 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:09:44 -0800 Comment by circularbreath Am I the only one hung up on the Kenny G. thing? That freaks me out...

]]> circularbreath http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797172 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797172 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:29:43 -0800 Comment by Dougsf I think the funniest part is where she throws up - inexplicably (Stress? Drugs? On command to be funny?). You just kind of stare at the screen blankly well into the next scene thinking, "why they hell did she throw up?"

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797184 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797184 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:02:00 -0800 Comment by Jude Fawley FYI, if it is of interest, there is some Prof. at Wesleyan University Film Dept. that is really into Verhoeven and showed Showgirls to his classes... at least, there was about 8 years ago. But I don't think he was joking...

]]> Jude Fawley http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797220 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797220 Conflict of Interest Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:13:23 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle @15 - what about Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill, Kill?

or the Woody Allen remake?

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797264 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797264 Conflict of Interest Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:46:28 -0800 Comment by It's Mark Mitchell I saw Showgirls at the Egyptian on opening day with another fag in tow. We were the only ones laughing at the start of the film, but by the end, the whole audience was in breaking up.

Except the rape scene, which is scary.

But we were laughing again when Nomi rouged her nipples and kicked the ass of Michael Bolton.

And every time Gina Gershon says the word "darlin'" you have to do a line of coke.

]]> It's Mark Mitchell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797342 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797342 Conflict of Interest Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:45:47 -0800 Comment by Nick I have taken most of my friends to see David's commentary and they all come away with a new perspective! It's freakin' HILARIOUS. I love every chip, nail and tit about the film 'Darlin'.

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797395 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797395 Conflict of Interest Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:20:29 -0800 Comment by Original Andrew I read a brilliant interview a few months back with Gina Gershon where she mentioned that Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters recently took her to a Showgirls screening in NYC. Needless to say, everyone in the audience was in complete shock to see her in person. She also said that it’s been so long since she made the movie that it’s like watching someone else on screen which is really funny.

My fave: The entire sequence at the Cheetah when Gina demands a lap dance from hell from Nomi, and Nomi's *ahem* hysterical "performance." There should be a Showgirls channel that just shows that scene. By the way, do you like my nails?

]]> Original Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797404 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797404 Conflict of Interest Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:33:08 -0800 Comment by Nick Gina Gershon really makes that film delicious! She has the best lines.

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797458 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c797458 Conflict of Interest Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:28:17 -0800 Comment by Kristin Bell @21: "you have to do a line of coke"??? Really? That is so 1980. Wow!

Anyway, I guess I'll have to see this movie to see what all the fuss is about.

]]> Kristin Bell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c799708 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/on_being_eternally_affiliated_with_the_w#c799708 Conflict of Interest Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:41:39 -0800