Supposedly, if you go west long enough, you'll end up east. And political theorists suggest that the far right and the far left frequently have more in common with one another than they think, simply because they're so far around the great big circle of political life that sooner or later, they have to meet up. I guess these theories get their cinematic counterpart in the revival of Showgirls, the film that was so incredibly bad even Gigli is no comparison. It's the Rocky Horror Picture Show concept: after a while, even bad movies end up campy fun.
Since it imploded critically and commercially in 1995, "Showgirls" has gained such a fringe following of movie masochists that distributor MGM is releasing a "V.I.P. Edition" DVD set on Tuesday, playing up the film's campy atrociousness.
The elaborate package includes shot glasses and playing cards for "Showgirls" drinking games; glossy pictures of star Elizabeth Berkley; plus pasties, a blindfold and a poster of Berkley for a "pin-the-pasties-on-the-showgirl" game.
Among DVD extras are a tutorial on how to give a lap dance and audio commentary titled "The Greatest Movie Ever Made."
As a writer, I really appreciated the assessment of Joe Eszterhas' writing, which included a "bizarre exchange" where [stars Berkley and Gershon] discuss eating dog food: "'That one is so surreal you just can't believe you're watching it,' said Schmader, who estimates he has seen Showgirls 100 times. 'It seems like this great lost Pinter scene where subtext is everything, until you realize that there absolutely is no subtext. They're just talking about eating dog food.'" Simple rule of thumb: if the scene's about what the scene's about, you're in deep doo-doo.
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Article comments
1 - DuctapeFatwa
OK I have heard so much praise for the awfulness of Showgirls I am going to have to break down and Netflix it.
You have convinced me on Showgirls, but Gigli got a bad rap. With JLo as a Lesbian Mafia worker, and lines like "God bless you, penis," what's not to like?
2 - Chris Kent
I don't buy into this "It's fun to watch Showgirls" bullshit for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, there's a savage rape scene in this film which is about as offensively violent as anything I've seen in a motion picture. During these "Showgirls Parties," do people just fast forward or clap their hands in glee? Paul Verhoeven enjoys dropping at least one rape scene in each of his films as if they were a car chase (please see Flesh & Blood, Robocop and Basic Instinct for examples).....
I love good "bad" movies (Beyond the Valley of the Dolls anyone?)and will admit with great guilt that the look on Kyle MacLachlan's sweaty face after a lap dance is one of the most outrageous moments in cinematic history, but watching a woman's violent rape for fun is ethically and morally wrong.......I'm sorry, but this movie is vile, hateful trash.......
3 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
i have yet to see Showgirls, but the main reason has been just what Chris pointed out. I can find no fun in a film depicting sexual violence. Even if what surrounds it is the most camp nonsense you ever seen, that right there pushes it over some sort of line in my mind.
It's like when the recent Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in London had a screening of Olympia, a nazi propoghanda film by Leni Reifensthal. Obviously it was shown because of the very homoerotic depictions of masculinity, but there was also a sense of how camp it all was, something which i find hard to relate to. There's jsut no way i can enjoy something so morally offensive. (i'm talking about the nazi element, by the way, not the gay one).
But, as anyone who reads my witterings will know, i am an advocate of the bad movie. Some, though, are unjustly slapped with such a distasteful badge.
But, again, as Chris noted, i can't get any enjoyment from a rape scene, even if it is laughably incompetent with regards the aesthetics. There ain't enough irony in Seattle for that, as far as im concerned.
4 - Jim Carruthers
I haven't seen "Showgirls" in a while, but Esterhaus is a singularity repulsive example of humanoid expression. That said, is "Showgirls" worse than "I Spit On Your Grave"?
No.
And it is better than "Battlefield Earth" which is a truly vile movie.