Quentin Tarantino seems to be a big fan of this criticized film: “It’s really very funny”
Quentin Tarantino has always presented himself as a man of good taste, who never misses the opportunity to share his opinion about the movies he likes or hates. The director revealed that he is a big fan of a film that is seen as one of the biggest flops of all time, which led to the end of the protagonist’s career.
That film was directed by Paul Verhoeven, best known for films like Robocop, Full withdrawal in Basic instinct. She rose to fame for a different reason in 1995 after the release of the erotic drama film Showgirls, starring Elizabeth Berkley. Tarantino seems to be a big fan of this film.
Negatively received
chorus girls follows Nomi Malone (Berkley), an ambitious young woman who arrives in Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a professional dancer and showgirl. The film was not well received by most viewers and criticized by critics, who saw it as a deliberately bad film with over-the-top and poor performances, making it difficult to understand the message behind the story.
The film was produced on a budget of approximately $45 million and became famous before its release for its explicit sexual content and graphic nudity. This led to an NC-17 rating in the United States. It was the first (and so far only) NC-17 film to be widely released in mainstream theaters. This rating, combined with overwhelmingly negative reviews, led to a disastrous box office performance, with only $37.8 million in gross receipts.
Revaluation
Despite its initial critical and commercial failure chorus girls has undergone significant reappraisal over time, and many now view the film as a satirical critique of the entertainment industry, particularly its exploitation of women. Tarantino also began to express his love for the film, saying: “I love Showgirls! It’s selfless, crazy, wild and so much fun.”
Continuous: “I think Paul Verhoeven got the joke and Joe Eszterhas (the film’s writer) didn’t, that’s my feeling. I think a lot of people didn’t understand where this movie came from. They’re not used to exploitation movies, there’s no context. “One of the things I love most about Showgirls is that it’s Hollywood’s biggest attempt at pure exploitation since Mandingo.”
Classic
The controversy surrounding the film has made it a classic and a spectacle in both the good and the bad. movies like chorus girls challenge audiences by using explicit sexual content to criticize our misogynistic culture, something that was largely lost upon its release.
However, with the rise of more socially relevant exploitation films, we are beginning to see a new era of this type of cinema, which addresses uncomfortable topics and is entertaining at the same time. Perhaps the reaction would be different if chorus girls would be released now.
To look at?
Want chorus girls to see? You can find the movie at Pathe Thuis.