Showgirls (1995)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writer (WGA):

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

22 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Leave Your Inhibitions At The Door

Plot:

A young drifter, named Nomi, arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become the top of the Vegas showgirls.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Stripper | Ambition | Casino | Exotic Dancer

Awards:

9 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Berkley	...	Nomi Malone
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Zack Carey
Gina Gershon	...	Cristal Connors
Glenn Plummer	...	James Smith
Robert Davi	...	Al Torres
Alan Rachins	...	Tony Moss
Gina Ravera	...	Molly Abrams
Lin Tucci	...	Henrietta 'Mama' Bazoom
Greg Travis	...	Phil Newkirk
Al Ruscio	...	Mr. Karlman
Patrick Bristow	...	Marty Jacobsen
William Shockley	...	Andrew Carver
Michelle Johnston	...	Gay Carpenter
Dewey Weber	...	Jeff
Rena Riffel	...	Penny / Hope

Also Known As:

Showgirls (France)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, and for some graphic language and sexual violence.; Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, language, a rape scene and drug use. (edited version)

Runtime:

128 min | USA:131 min (NC-17 version)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:R | Brazil:18 | Denmark:15 | India:A | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 (re-release) (cut) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:18 | Belgium:KNT | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iran:(Banned) (DVD rating) | Ireland:(Banned) | Israel:18 (video rating) | Israel:X (original rating) | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) (cut) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:R-18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:R (cut) | UK:18 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Carson City, Nevada, USA

Company:

Carolco Pictures

Trivia:

Jenny McCarthy auditioned for the lead and was very much in the running until it was discovered that she couldn't dance.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Cristal falls down the stairs at the end, she is nearly at the bottom when she is pushed, yet the next shot shows her falling from much nearer the top.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jeff: Hop in, pard!
Nomi Malone: Where are you going?
Jeff: Vegas! Come on! This is your lucky day!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Real Time (2008)

Soundtrack:

THE FIREMAN

Enthralling, and not bad at all

I'm glad I didn't turn this off 20 minutes in, thinking that it was basically what I'd heard and expected. Despite all the early embarrassing missteps and clunky lines delivered by Ms Berkeley, the film actually grew into an experience that I didn't want to turn off. It's ten times as good as Striptease.

It's not Citizen Kane, but it's not a soft-core porn version of Rock Star (awful film) either. Most of the characters were well-developed and believable, even it the situations were not. And there's plenty of humor, the vast majority of it intentional.

I'm wondering if most of the heavy derision of the film comes from Puritanical attitudes, rather than from an honest evaluation. If unromanticized sex and heavy nudity -- literally, in the case of one character -- make you (or your viewing companions) uncomfortable, Showgirls probably not for you.

I enjoyed it and would watch it again.