UNITED STATES: DIRECTOR PAUL VERHOEVEN SPEAKS ABOUT HIS FILM 'SHOWGIRLS'

Record ID: 336031

  • Title: UNITED STATES: DIRECTOR PAUL VERHOEVEN SPEAKS ABOUT HIS FILM 'SHOWGIRLS'
  • Date: 12th January 1995
  • Summary: (REUTERS TELEVISION) DIRECTOR OF SHOWGIRLS, PAUL VERHOEVEN TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN U.S. AND EUROPEAN SEXUALITY, SAYING THE UNITED STATES IS MORE RESTRICTIVE ON HOW MUCH SEXUALITY A DIRECTOR CAN INCLUDE IN A FILM (ENGLISH)
  • Embargoed: 27th January 1995 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/ FILM LOCATION
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA1TVBESGVFUVAWIQFGEEET0Y1
  • Story Text: The director of Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven, has been defending the sexual content of his movie, saying that Europeans are "much more at ease" with sex than Americans.

    Showgirls -- set in the world of show dancing in Las Vegas and featuring topless women rehearsing and performing -- is reported to have had a disappointing run in the United States.

    Verhoeven believes this was due to it being given a NC-17 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, which restricted its viewing to those who are 17 or older. The trailer for the film's American release, however, capitalised on the film's raunchy reputation. It did not show scenes from "Showgirls", but simply said that it was "So errotic, so dangerous and so controversial" that they could not even show clips from the movie.

    But, with the more relaxed rules governing the portrayal of sex in Europe, Verhoeven says he hopes the film will be more successful.

    Staring Elizabeth Berkeley and Alan Rachins, Showgirls has been given a fairly hostile reception from the European critics, but the box office receipts are so far reported to be higher than expected.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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