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Paul Verhoeven Appreciation Thread

Black Narcissus

Black Narcissus

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I often call him the greatest perv of cinema on a huge budget, but the man has great gems under his name.

Robocop
Showgirls
Starship Troopers
Hollow Man
Elle
Total Recall
The 4th Man

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He is currently working on a lesbian nun movie, which will no doubt cause controversy, but I can't wait for it.
 
Bless you for this thread. This man is a true artist.

If only he had made Crusade with Arnold! I need to see Flesh and Blood.

Showgirls gave me a headache, but I actually liked it.
 
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Black Narcissus said:
Man, what I wouldn't give to see him and Carpenter have one of them director sit downs and just talk.

Verhoeven is a master!
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He's really been fotgotten and it's a shame. He was once one of the most cutting edge types to ever make mainstream big budget blockbusters and in a way that I am betting would be today compared unfairly to the likes of Bay. The difference is... I think Paul comes by his perversions and cynicisms honestly and in a way that is gleeful in its way of trying to do something entertaining and engaging. Bay is 95% of the time just doing lowest common denominator pandering. Paul genuinely adds the odd, the exploitive even in ways that show a lot of creative bravery, but also a willingness to even be offensive to the audience's general sensibilities.

Which I think for sure puts him in a very similar category as Carpenter as film makers who have their own very distinct voices that were also with a lot of gusto trying to make more than just niche films for a select viewership. Along with their specific vision there was also for sure a sense of wanting to make movies the masses could embrace, which of course both men didn't always succeed at but I suspect is pretty much their intent once they pick up some notoriety early on.

The big difference is that I think Carpenter, once he slowed down his output went through a good 10-15 year long reassessment by both the film fanbase as well as the critics and academic types. Certainly by the middle of the 90's his work, both his passion projects and his more accessible output were being looked at with new found respect across a wide spectrum. P.V.?

Not so much, even today, and I think that's a shame.
 
Did you see 'Elle'? I often don't call films brave, but that is balls to the wall type of filmmaking. It is also done so subtle with a touch of elegance as the snobs say. He couldn't get funding to make it in english with a hollywood actress, so he went with the french pervs and god bless them for it.
 
Black Narcissus said:
Did you see 'Elle'? I often don't call films brave, but that is balls to the wall type of filmmaking. It is also done so subtle with a touch of elegance as the snobs say. He couldn't get funding to make it in english with a hollywood actress, so he went with the french pervs and god bless them for it.
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There was this guy, middle aged Harry Potter lookin' muthaeffer that worked in book design for a company. He sublet an office at the building where I worked. He would leave to go back to Brooklyn some days REALLY late and we'd get to talking. Cool dude, REALLY far Left in his POV, but also a bit standoffish in terms of his pop culture taste. Some how his firm got work on that book P.V. wrote years and years back about Jesus Christ, which was prett much a passion project where he analyzed Christianity and Jesus through the lens of a master storyteller's eyes. Talk about slaying sacred cows! So Harry Potter got some early copy of the book and gave me it. Hell I am an atheist and even I didn't agree with all he wrote there but it showed how P.V. doesn't have the self censoring filter of most. I guess coming face to face with actual Nazis as a child will liberate some from any hesitations about offense.

No, I haven't seen Elle yet. I must admit... I'm getting lazier as a film goer/watcher. I need to make more effort, especially when it comes to non-genre work out there.
 
Showgirls is sexy dud and haven't seen Elle or The 4th Man but..

Robocop - Pop Culture Classic for good reason.

Total Recall - Great

Starship Troopers - Fun

Hollow Man - Underrated goodness

So I sure appreciate him!
 
Maybe you guys can settle a debate I’ve had with some friends. I’ve never been quite sure if Showgirls is just a trashy film, or if Paul was doing his usual thing and making a satire of the old “small town girl moves to the big city and becomes a dancer” story. Because there are scenes and dialogue in that movie that are SO trashy, SO over-the-top, that I think he was doing a little bit more than just making a typical Razzie winner.
 
Deck Rickard said:
Maybe you guys can settle a debate I’ve had with some friends. I’ve never been quite sure if Showgirls is just a trashy film, or if Paul was doing his usual thing and making a satire of the old “small town girl moves to the big city and becomes a dancer” story. Because there are scenes and dialogue in that movie that are SO trashy, SO over-the-top, that I think he was doing a little bit more than just making a typical Razzie winner.
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I think he sold the screenplay for a huge amount at the time too. lol

I forget in which interview Paul talked about real strippers helping him with lines of dialogue. Him taking bits and pieces of things that actually happened to a few of them. I definitely feel like he was trying to do a legit character study of a girl moves to the big city and ends up in this world etc, but his perv nature got in the way, and I'm kinda glad that it did.
 
I think Basic Instinct is underrated as an atmospheric thriller. Most people remember it for nudity. But it's in my top 3 of Verhoeven.
James.B said:
Best picture 2021
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This is great, haha.
Black Narcissus said:
Did you see 'Elle'? I often don't call films brave, but that is balls to the wall type of filmmaking. It is also done so subtle with a touch of elegance as the snobs say. He couldn't get funding to make it in english with a hollywood actress, so he went with the french pervs and god bless them for it.
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Yeah, considering the subject and how it was handled - absolute masterclass.

I'm still waiting for Benedetta.
 
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Showgirls is truly a WTF experience. I can't recall ever watching a cast of characters in a film with such extreme levels of mood swings.
 
Paul Verhoeven is one of the greatest filmmakers of our times. And that's a fact.

It's a pity that Carolco chose to produce Cutthroat Island over Crusade as their last chance at survival.

Not that I didn't like Cutthroat Island, but... CRUSADE!!
 
****! I love that cast! (And the concept art, as well)

I read Tales From Development Hell, which had a section dedicated to the movie, but it's been a while. I don't remember much, except for a couple of details from the script, such as Arnie's character hiding/sleeping inside dead amimals' bodies and the fact that they pulled the plug shortly before they were supposed to start filming.
 
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