Showgirls

• Cat.no: G8837S
• Cert: 18
• Running time: 131 minutes
• Year: 1995
• Released: 10th March 1997
• Sound: Dolby Surround
• Presented in fullscreen
• Price: £9.99
• Extras : None

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Director:

Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Total Recall, Robocop)

Producers:

Alan Marshall and Charles Evans

Screenplay:

Joe Eszterhas

Music:

David A. Stewart

Cast:

Nomi Malone : Elizabeth Berkeley (First Wives Club, “Saved By The Bell”)
Zack Carey : Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Dune)
Cristal Connors : Gina Gershon (Bound)
James Smith : Glenn Plummer (South Central LA, Up Close and Personal, “E.R.”)
Al Torres : Robert Davi (Die Hard, Licence To Kill)
Tony Moss : Alan Rachins (Lady Boss, Violation of Trust)

Paul Verhoeven‘s latest breast-fest, Showgirls, stars Elizabeth Berkeleyas Nomi Malone, a young girl who wants to make her way to the top in Vegas,starting in the Cheetah Club as a stripper and a lap-dancer. After beingspotted by Cristal Connors (Gina Gershon), star of the hottest show in town,Goddess, she and her lover Zack (Kyle MacLachlan) help Nomi to fulfillher wildest dreams.

Naturally, controversy is never far away from a Paul Verhoeven, and not onlydoes Nomi bed Zack (in the outside pool), but she also embarks on an affairwith Cristal which leads to competition between the two, edging closer totragedy.

Showgirls, from the same writer as Basic Instinct, doesn’t reachthe heights of its predecessor, and the acting, for what there is of it,consists mainly of facial expressions inbetween dancing spectaculars andpeople having sex. However, it has gained a cult following in the USA where itgets regular airings at select cinemas where people flock to see it. To themit’s good because it’s so bad.

The picture quality of the video is good, and the film isn’t hampered too muchby not being presented in widescreen. Although it was shown in cinemas at a2.35:1 ratio, it was shot in Super-35 so the matte can be opened to reveal morepicture top and bottom, while losing a little off the sides, in most scenes.

For those interested, the NTSC laserdisc only measures approx. 2.00:1 with thematte opened slightly while losing nothing from the sides.

The sound is excellent, particularly during the dance sequences which are fullof rock and dance music. The surround soundfield also comes into action forspot effects, such as at the start of the film when Nomi hitches a ride in atruck which begins to swerve about all over the place after she distracts thedriver.

Overall, the film is definitely a curiosity, and for less than a tenner it’sworth checking out to see what all the fuss is about.

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1997.