Showgirls (1995) **** [Trash Cinema Double Feature Pt. 2]

I've always unironically liked Showgirls (1995). I first saw it on VHS and, having been a fan of Paul Verhoeven's previous American films—RoboCop (1987) (review), Total Recall (1990) (review), and Basic Instinct (1992)—it didn't feel terribly out of character for the director. Verhoeven has always been an over the top provocateur and SG simply pushed his extreme tendencies into a mega-budget mainstream version of All About Eve (1950) (review) in Vegas (which was always intended to carry an NC-17 rating). Overflowing with nudity, visually dazzling, and featuring a fearless central performance by Elizabeth Berkley, SG is deliberately excessive, satirical, glittery, glamorous, frenetic, and it's an incredibly entertaining, quotable, and rewatchable film.

Paul Verhoeven Feature Films Ranked