Flipside Movie Emporium

[matt header]

An awesome article:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=1171

Now I've never seen Showgirls, and have never really intended on doing so, but if this article is telling it straight, I might have to change my mind.

Has anyone here seen it? How close is this review?
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"I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers I have no problem with." -- Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

[the night watchman]

In all honesty, the review is much more interesting and entertaining than the movie itself. Showgirls isn't bad because it's tasteless, stupid, and politically incorrect (three qualities that don't necessarily condemn a movie for me anyway). It's bad because it's boring. Really, really boring, and really, really unsexy, regardless of how many tits and labia are shoved in our eyes. But, best of luck if you choose to watch it, Matt.
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"If you're talking about censorship, and what things should be shown and what things shouldn't be shown, I've said that as an artist you have no social responsibility whatsoever."

-David Cronenberg

[beltmann]

You're absolutely right, NW. Showgirls is terrible because it is terribly dull.

Incidentally, Matt's link reminded me of a Round Table Film Quarterly printed in the spring of 2003, which consisted of seven essays by distinguished scholars, all writing in defense of Showgirls. Out of curiosity, I dug the old issue out of my "archive." Here's the introduction:

"...It turns out that there is a significant number of secret and not-so-secret devotees of the film--although their admiration takes different forms. And apparently--if unexpectedly--Showgirls has served to stimulate scholarly thought around what the film is, how to describe it, and issues of camp, satire, class, gender, the fallen woman, the showgirl musicals, trash cinema, sexploitation films, hedonistic criticism, and reading and teaching the film."

I remember enjoying the pieces without ever being persuaded--much like the Slant review.

Eric
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"When I was in Barcelona they showed pornography on regular television. I'm assuming it's the same way in Mexico since they also speak Spanish." - IMDb user comment

[HoRRoRFaN]

SHOWGIRLS is a movie that a lot of people will talk about how it is "not as bad as they say." But I thought it was when I saw it. It's a lot of things all at once: hilarious, stupid, tasteless, tedious, dissapointing, laughable, uninsightful, unerotic, etc.