Rating: 
Summary: Awesome skin flick
Review: I finally rented it after hearing all the negative [stuff] about it. Just goes to show you need to see a movie and judge it for YOURSELF! I enjoyed it beyond any expectations. I have now purchased it for my DVD collection. Elizabeth Berkley is hot (except her rear view wasn't all that great...) but Gina... YUMMY. The very ending was a bit easy, but comical. I loved the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing and Amazing
Review: This is a great movie. Verhoeven has made many great movies, with the exception of his last "Hollow man" which I found incomplete. However, I think Showgirls is an instance where most Americans don't get the point, whereas (Northern?) Europeans do get it. Americans seem to think that humorous movies have to be inherently inoffensive. That's not the case, and that is obviously not what Verhoeven (who is Dutch) did here. This is not a "good bad movie", and it's not inane in any way. It's obscene, it's camp and it is a dramaturgical masterpiece. Also the acting is top notch and the photography wonderful. The only thing that made people hate this movie is because it deals with sex in a camp and unpretentious way. It's a modern "All about Eve" and it's right up there among the Ninja-feminist flicks such as Faster Pussycat by Russ Meyer (but the ending of the movie is better). It's already reached cult status.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Underrated, The Plan 9 From Outer Space Of Our Time
Review: Showgirls, by Paul Verhoeven, is definatly the sleaziest movie ever made. But is is also really underrated. Showgirls is basicly a American Dream movie, about a girl who goes to a town to make it big. Showgirls is filled of nudity, but not very much hardcore sex. If you wanna see a so bad it is good movie, see this one.
Rating:
Summary: haunting, lingering beauty..,
Review: (Revised) Art at the prow, and beauty at the helm, so saileth we. . . Please forgive me as I get off to a slow start: I can barely press the keys as I write this review. Such haunting beauty, such lofty mind stimulation does this film contain: America shall surely defeat its enemies once its brain-power is finally built upon rich cultural assimilations such as these.
My mind reels to think of the true-to-life, bare-bones description of the struggling starlet in the nightmare/romance world of modern burlesque. This is the essential theme of the mighty SHOWGIRLS, and I wish that all persons would vibrate to its theme with the heartfelt concern that I and others have.
Many claim to have been healed by the seeing of this film. Souls cleansed, minds and spirits renewed, it has been as a laying-on of hands. I make no guarantees, but it is certainly worth a try. It may function also, as a sort of insurance for the future, for those who may live, yet suffer not at present. Do, please, consider the possibility of its thaumaturgical powers. Again I make no claims, or promises...yet, one never knows, does one...
It is available in a few different forms, or editions. One is VHS, and is rectangular and box-like, recalling Pandora. Another is DVD, and is round, flat, and disc-like. It is very shiny on one side. It features a hole in the middle. It recalls many ancient depictions of the Sun. These solar depictions can be found in the religious and mythological artwork of many cultures. They are rich in meaning.
Buy this film. Buy many copies. For friends, family, far and wide. For shut-ins, the ill, the disenfranchised, the struggling, the homeless. Perhaps our President could see to it that copies are included in C.A.R.E. packages sent 'round the world, that the needy and underprivileged everywhere may partake of our rich cultural heritage and the enlightenment it has to offer.
Let no stone remained unturned. Is there a better kind of diplomacy?
However, I can endure this no longer, my good reader. I must retire from this task. Tears line my eyes. I have shared with you. My hands shudder from the experience. I falter. I quiver. I am palsied with bliss. I have longed to offer to humanity. I have now taken full advantage of that opportunity.
The thought of such mutually enriched brotherhood is staggering, dizzying -- as it should, as it must be. But, if I can bring just one person out of the darkness to the paradise, ecstasy, and consciousness-raising experience that is SHOWGIRLS, it will have all been worthwhile.
I have done all I can, for now. Please do your part. Buy, rent, see, 'OWN' this film. Let it possess you. You are safe now. You are free...
And get the t-shirt. And go out and stand in the rain. ... and Look Upwards... and Wonder...
Rating:
Summary: i'm not afraid to say this
Review: no one wants to admit this but i think if show girls didn't have as much oposition that it had it would have done quite well at the box office (yeah i said it).what i mean about oposition is the fact some theaters refused to show it.but honestly nobody watched this to see good acting or plot.even if this movie did have it it still wouldn't matter.people wanted the strong sexual content even some female viewers.
Rating:
Summary: Showgirls = Superb!
Review: Showgirls is a daring movie. The script is absolutely intriguing while the girl we all remembered as "jessi" from Saved by the Bell (Elizabeth Berkley) performed beautifully. I bought this DVD ...from a local electronic store thinking that it'd be one of those funny movies to own for fun (i.e. Glitter). It turned out that this film is deep. Aside from the frequent nude scenes of Elizabeth Berkley's gorgeous body, I was completely drawn into the twisted and bazaar events that occurs in Las Vegas show biz. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are expecting "jessi" then look away, cuz Elizabeth Berkeley is a dynamite in this film. I'd recommend this film to anyone over the age of 18. ay of irvine
Rating:
Summary: so just kill me then, i liked this film.....
Review: despite all the horrible things you've read about showgirls or the many jokes people tell, we've all seen films which were much worse than showgirls. i can honestly state that elizabeth berkeley is a beautiful woman no matter what previous reviewers have stated & i believe her acting skills could actually be harnessed with given time. honestly, i can't understand why this film didn't fair better aside from the obvious nc-17 rating which seems to be a tremendous threat to the multiplex cinemas or general family-oriented theatres. showgirls really has something here for which should appeal to many viewers. first of all, paul verhoeven made this film on a humongous budget which should satisfy all you big-budget freaks who only open your wallet to see the most expensive films ever made. i don't have to point you out because you know who you are. secondly, the film does bost some terrific choreography not to mention fairly decent performances from the majority of the cast here. ok, so the script may be a bit campy & the dialogue cheesy at times but who really cares?? how many people actually go the movies anymore & comment on how much they enjoyed the dialogue? those of you who attended fast and the furious at your local movie theatre needn't bother to answer this question. all the timeless themes such as greed, revenge, and constant struggle to succeed in a dog eat dog world are present here. most importantly, this film reminds me of something russ meyer might've created such as beyond the valley of the dolls which should hold up well over a period of time. showgirls may not have been oscar worthy material but it's atleast entertaining and appears to be selling quite well when you look at the current amazon rank. despite all bad reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, showgirls has the potential to become a cult classic which people will be watching for years to come. this may be a guilty pleasure for most but i will not confess to being guilty on this one folks.
Rating:
Summary: Over-the-top Campiness makes a GREAT film!
Review: I'm not sure if the director intended for this movie to be as campy, melodramatic, and over-the-top tackiness to the extreme as it is. If he did though, then he made one of the best movies I've ever seen. It's so bad that it's good!
Rating: 
Summary: Time for reappraisal?
Review: In a recent episode of 'Black Books', the fabulous British sitcom set in a second-hand bookstore, a volume was promoted entitled 'Tempocalypse' which, in its cynical combination of women's issues and violent thriller, was designed to appeal to both genders. Something of the sort seems to have been the thinking behind 'Showgirls', a film which tries to attract a (heterosexual) male demographic, with its extensive scenes of lapdancing, er, show-girling and sex, all fetishising women's bodies (naturally) rather than men's; yet tries to claim itself as a feminist narrative about a young women trying to negotiate her own identity in a violently exploitative and sleazy male subculture, that turns women from potential allies into ruthless rivals. Throw in some campy musical sequences and a lesbian subplot, and you've got something for everyone. In this, it is no different from any Hollywood blockbuster, which tries to reach as wide and varied an audience as possible, at the expense of originality, individuality and clarity. In the end, these things rarely please anyone, and with the exception of a few dirty macs, nobody went to 'Showgirls'. Verhoeven's film, in its schizophrenic attempt to unite male and female pleasure; or, more precisely, a female story filmed with a male gaze, mixes the music with the Western. 'Showgirls' is basically an update of '42nd Street', with its story of an unknown becoming an unexpected star, and all those Warners backstage musicals, with auditions, rehearsals, backstage life, sleazy financiers, tough-but-decent producers etc. And in a way, Verhoeven is only making literal the erotic euphemisms choreographed by Busby Berkeley in his big numbers. But by removing the element of play, that contract between choreographer and audience that knew these were more than groups of girls dancing, by simply exhibiting sexuality, Verhoeven removes all those psychic proceses that create the ideas, fantasies and experiences of sexuality for audience. But Verhoeven can argue that he was trying to avoid fantasy, that this documentary-like hard look at an exploitative industry is why his film is feminist. This doesn't explain the lingering framing of female flesh, but theoretically, a film about lap-dancing should reveal the tools of the trade just as a film about doctors or soldiers would focus on scalpels and guns. I read that 'Showgirls' was actually a satire on contemporary Hollywood and its behind-the-scenes machinations - this makes the film more forceful, as it's always interesting to see the corrupted Ozes behind glittering Emerald Cities, but it doesn't make it any more competent a piece of film-making. Ultimately, 'Showgirls' is a Western, about a heroine who moves from East to West, from New York to Las Vegas; a character who tries to create a new identity, lifestyle and freedom for herself away from the oppressions of the past and authority. If it hadn't been such a gawpfest, you'd almost be tempted to think the film WAS feminist, such is the way Verhoeven and Esterhaz play with genres and cliches only to confound them - see the road-to-damnation drug subplot for example. But it is a gawpfest.
Rating:
Summary: A fun, campy riot!
Review: Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) has just arrived in Las Vegas, hitching a ride with a truck driver named Jeff who listens to Garth Brooks. She is a dancer, she tells him. She is also a drama queen. When he not altogether surprisingly steals her suitcase, she punches a random car with her fist, attempts to punch the random car's owner, runs into the road and is almost mowed down, vomits and finally sinks gratefully into the random car's owner's arms. In the space of about ten seconds. The car owner's name is Molly (Gina Ravera). She is the only nice person in the movie, which is never a good thing to be in a movie like this. She says that Nomi can stay with her if she wants, and so six weeks later Nomi is happily living with Molly in a trailer by day and making her money as a lapdancer at the Cheetah club by night. Molly works behind the scenes at 'Goddess', the dance extravaganza at the Stardust Hotel. One day she takes Nomi along with her to meet the girls and watch the show, and this is when the story really begins. Enter Cristal Connors (Gina Gershon), head showgirl, who bursts into the movie in an appropriate way - rather than coming through a door or anything mundane like that, she bursts naked out of a glittering gold volcano in a whoosh of fire and spangles, while the other dancers on the stage peel off their clothes and simulate copulation in awe. Cristal is by far the most interesting character in the script, and Gershon's performance is perfect - she realises the fun and nonsense of the situation and camps it up. Cristal ends every drawling sentence with the word "darrrrrlin'", ... Nomi, on the other hand, lusts for Zach (Kyle Maclachlan), Cristal's boyfriend/stage manager at the Stardust. Well, Nomi gets herself on stage alongside Cristal in 'Goddess', and that's pretty much the storyline. This is a wonderful movie. It's something along the lines of a daytime soap opera crossed with a [B type] movie, with a healthy dose of drag queen eye make-up and energetic, wiggling dance routines. On one level, it's pure camp. Gershon has an inordinate amount of fun as she licks her lips and woos Nomi with lines like, "You are a ..., darrrlin'." Winning. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Berkley delivers a performance straight out of 'Days Of Our Lives'. She takes off her jacket, dramatically; storms out of rooms, dramatically; and even manages to eat fries dramatically. Which is pretty much the perfect performance for this movie. Underneath the glitter, this movie is a cold satire of American culture. 'Showgirls' is also almost a remake of 'All About Eve', but porny - although having said that, after about five minutes you stop noticing that there are naked ladies everywhere. There are quite a few in-jokes too - Nomi dances/strips at the Cheetah Club to Prince's "319", and later on in the movie, Cristal's room number is... well, you guessed it. And check out the scene where Nomi sits, gazing wistfully into the distance, in front of a huge fake version of the Sphinx. She also sits and blissfully watches a flashing neon sunset. Many people saw this as a huge mistake on director Paul Verhoeven's part. Perhaps what they didn't realise is that this was exactly what he was aiming for.
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