The common narrative is that “Showgirls” ended Paul Verhoeven‘s career in Hollywood, and so it’s easy to forget that he actually helmed two more studio pictures after the infamous stripper drama flop. It certainly didn’t help that they were “Starship Troopers” (which has since gained much greater appreciation) and “Hollow Man,” which both were commercial and critical misfires at the time. And following 2006’s “Black Book,” Verhoeven didn’t make a feature until this year’s triumphant return and possible Oscar contender “Elle.” But time tends to be kind to the director’s films, and while no one would call “Showgirls” a masterpiece, his lurid picture has certainly gained cult favor in the two plus decades since it was released.
READ MORE: NSFW Supercut Celebrates The Action & Sleaze In The Films Of Paul Verhoeven
Now, the film has been given a new restoration and is returning to the big screen overseas, which is surely some kind of event. And as for Verhoeven, he’s long defended his picture, and has remained a bit puzzled by the beating it took.
“Even now, when I see the movie, I think it’s shot in an extremely elegant way. There are beautiful movements of the camera, and beautiful choreography of how the camera worked with the actors and how the actors moved. I think it’s Felliniesque, certainly, in its over-the-top stuff. And I think that the whole thing, somehow, was completely rejected,” he said last fall.
“Showgirls” returns to cinemas in France, and will also be re-released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 14th. Check out the new trailer for below, and warning, it’s NSFW right from the start.
Nouvelle bande-annonce pour SHOWGIRLS !
Retrouvez la version restaurée le 14/09 en salles, DVD, Blu-Ray et VOD !https://t.co/3F7YGiNUQB— Pathé Films (@PatheFilms) July 31, 2016
