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Showgirls: Portrait of a Film
Capturing the extravagance of the controversial film, this lavishly illustrated photography/film book brilliantly displays the erotically-charged steamy drama of the sex-soaked world of Las Vegas lap dancing, strip clubs, and top-of-the-line topless showgirl revues. Set against the bright lights, glitz, and glamour of the Las Vegas stage, Showgirls is an erotic, exotic, and often gritty expose of life behind the scenes on the strip. Here are portfolios of four distinguished photographers who were invited to the production of this film to capture the glittery world of Las Vegas sex, glamour and spectacle. The more than seventy powerful images--with over fifty in vibrant full-color, the others in rich, quadratone black-and-white--are introduced by the director's candid essay about the artists, and his own approach to moviemaking. 96 65 color plates, 35 quadratone.
- GenresPhotographyErotica
96 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1995
About the author
Paul Verhoeven
19 books16 followersPaul Verhoeven is a Dutch director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for films such as RoboCop, Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers and Blackbook.
He is also a bible scholar and critical thinker.
He is also a bible scholar and critical thinker.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 14, 2020
Some people want a time machine so they can go back and kill Baby Hitler. Some want to go ahead and buy a sports almanac they can use to win a living. Some want to sell their tech to GenCorp and maybe impress old flame Lisa who mixes her plaids and wears mom jeans and doesn't give a care.
I just want to go to 1995 and give Paul Verhoeven a hug, and maybe take him out for Egg McMuffins. Oh my fuck.
I just want to go to 1995 and give Paul Verhoeven a hug, and maybe take him out for Egg McMuffins. Oh my fuck.
January 2, 2022
Este es el libro en el que Verhoeven admite de forma explícita una cosa que siempre ha dejado intuir sobre él: que, al estar formado en física matemática y ser un estudioso en su juventud de la relatividad y la teoría cuántica, coexisten sin fricción en sus películas múltiples universos en base a la toma de decisiones morales de los personajes que en ellas hay.
December 15, 2021
incredibly lucky that this film exists and will rule forever
June 13, 2020
I’m going to repeat some things I’ve said in my review for the documentary You Don’t Nomi: it’s a fact that Showgirls is one of the greatest films of the 20th century. If you disagree with that opinion, you should probably bail out now. Or better yet, stick around and join me on this surprising journey.
This book was mentioned in the documentary as proof-positive that director Paul Verhoeven always intended his classic to be taken as art (which it is), but the critical community has viewed it as camp. That is, to use the definition laid out by Susan Sontag, failed seriousness. Released in 1995 as a companion to film release, it’s part essay and part photography book, coupled with sketches and script breakdowns of key scenes.
Regardless of your feeling on the film itself, Verhoeven makes a compelling case for his masterpiece here. He takes us on a surprising trip through the First Amendment and censorship, the meaning of sex and violence in cinema, his early Dutch filmography and even the very nature of reality itself. After all, Verhoeven has a doctorandus (MSc) with a double major in Mathematics and Physics. Bet you didn’t see that coming.
Following the essay, we get a collection of (mostly nude) photography from a really interesting selection of artists: Douglas Kirkland, Bettina Rheims, Mary Ellen Mark and Murray Close. Each have a different interpretation of the film, and the seedier side of Las Vegas in general. As Verhoeven says about Mark’s work, for example, “she takes these people…and she puts them somewhere else and you suddenly see how unreal they are. Her photographs achieve a rather alienating effect…”
Which is kind of where we land with this book. With 25 years between us and the release of the film and this book, it’s a rather odd time capsule of a time when $45 million pseudo-art/musical/soft-core film was given all the marketing pizazz of a modern blockbuster. After all, Showgirls came off the back of the success of director Paul Verhoeven and Joe Eszterhas’ Basic Instinct. If nothing else, this book confirms Showgirls’ place as a continuation of Verhoeven’s strongest themes - as well as being a very handsome volume!
This book was mentioned in the documentary as proof-positive that director Paul Verhoeven always intended his classic to be taken as art (which it is), but the critical community has viewed it as camp. That is, to use the definition laid out by Susan Sontag, failed seriousness. Released in 1995 as a companion to film release, it’s part essay and part photography book, coupled with sketches and script breakdowns of key scenes.
Regardless of your feeling on the film itself, Verhoeven makes a compelling case for his masterpiece here. He takes us on a surprising trip through the First Amendment and censorship, the meaning of sex and violence in cinema, his early Dutch filmography and even the very nature of reality itself. After all, Verhoeven has a doctorandus (MSc) with a double major in Mathematics and Physics. Bet you didn’t see that coming.
Following the essay, we get a collection of (mostly nude) photography from a really interesting selection of artists: Douglas Kirkland, Bettina Rheims, Mary Ellen Mark and Murray Close. Each have a different interpretation of the film, and the seedier side of Las Vegas in general. As Verhoeven says about Mark’s work, for example, “she takes these people…and she puts them somewhere else and you suddenly see how unreal they are. Her photographs achieve a rather alienating effect…”
Which is kind of where we land with this book. With 25 years between us and the release of the film and this book, it’s a rather odd time capsule of a time when $45 million pseudo-art/musical/soft-core film was given all the marketing pizazz of a modern blockbuster. After all, Showgirls came off the back of the success of director Paul Verhoeven and Joe Eszterhas’ Basic Instinct. If nothing else, this book confirms Showgirls’ place as a continuation of Verhoeven’s strongest themes - as well as being a very handsome volume!
November 28, 2007
It's not as entertaining as the movie... but how can it compete?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews