Is ‘Showgirls’ still the worst movie ever made?
“Hollywood turned their backs on her. If somebody has to be blamed, it should be me, because I thought that it was interesting to portray somebody like that.”
There are bad movies ... and then there’s “Showgirls.”
Paul Verhoeven’s lurid erotic thriller was a critical and commercial failure when it was released in theaters 25 years ago on Sept. 22, 1995. Charting the rags-to-riches story of Las Vegas stripper-turned-star Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley), the NC-17 rated film earned just $20 million against a $45 million budget, and a measly 22% positive reviews on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
Legendary movie critic Gene Siskel dubbed it “‘All About Eve’ in a G-string,” slamming it as “sordid,” “laughable” and “high-gloss trash.” (USA TODAY’S Susan Wloszczyna was kinder in her ee1⁄2-star review, writing, “Who knew such a seamy swim in the misogynistic swill of life could be so entertaining?”) The smutty melodrama received a record 13 Razzie Awards nominations and “won” seven, including worst picture, actress (Berkley) and screenplay (Joe Eszterhas).
Unsurprisingly, “Showgirls” has become a cult classic: lovingly mocked and parodied at drag shows, midnight movie screenings and in an off-broadway musical. The phenomenon around the film is explored in the new documentary “You Don’t Nomi” (available on VOD and digital platforms), which asks us to reconsider whether “Showgirls” is truly the worst movie ever made.
“There’s no way, especially in a post ‘cats’ world, it’s one of the worst movies out there,” says journalist Mary Grace Garis, who saw “Showgirls” for the first time in 2015 and wrote about its most ridiculous moments for Bustle. “While mythically bad films tend to underwhelm (years later), it still managed to have an impactful feeling of ‘Oh, yikes’ while watching it.”
Part of what makes “Showgirls” so insanely rewatchable are its many eccentricities: the monkeys who randomly invade the topless dancers’ dressing room; every character’s inexplicable obsession with Nomi’s fingernails; and Nomi’s mispronunciation of fashion brand Versace (“Thanks, I bought it at Ver-sayce!”).
Then there’s Nomi’s champagne lunch with her diva nemesis Cristal Connors (Gina Gershon), in which the two casually discuss their fondness for eating dog food. “I used to LOVE doggy chow,” Cristal purrs, before they laugh and “clink” tortilla chips.
“What’s unique about ‘Showgirls’ is how unaware it seems of what the movie amounts to,” says journalist Naveen Kumar, who wrote about the movie’s camp appeal for Them. “There’s
Paul Verhoeven
a level of vulgarity and garishness that’s obviously conscious, but you get the sense they thought they were making another ‘Basic Instinct.’ The twisted relationship between Berkley and Gershon’s characters was clearly meant to excite straight male viewers, but its absurdity tips it over into genuine queer cult status.”
“Showgirls” wouldn’t be so memorable without Berkley, who was looking to prove herself as a serious actress when she was cast, after her breakthrough role as Jessie Spano on teen sitcom “Saved by the Bell.” Berkley brings a wild-eyed aggression to every shouted line reading, manic lap dance and bonkers pool sex scene with Kyle Maclachlan (playing Cristal’s skeezy boyfriend).
Her performance was roundly derided by critics and moviegoers, and Berkley’s agent dropped her after the film’s release. Verhoeven (“Total Recall,” “Robocop”) publicly apologized to Berkley in 2015, telling the New York Daily News, “Hollywood turned their backs on her. If somebody has to be blamed, it should be me, because I thought that it was interesting to portray somebody like that.”
“It was really kind of disgusting what was said (in the reviews), not just about her performance but her looks,” says “You Don’t Nomi” director Jeffrey Mchale. “I don’t think it’d be the same film if somebody else was cast, and I was happy to see Paul finally take ownership of the performance. I’m sure she would’ve appreciated it a bit earlier, but regardless, it was great to see him acknowledge she was following his direction.”
The movie’s one-note female characters, violence against women, and excessive nudity have (rightfully) been criticized as misogynistic and exploitative, while others have called it a “misunderstood feminist masterpiece.” Mchale sees both sides of the coin.
“A lot of times we decide a movie is good or bad, and we’re done with it,” Mchale says. “But with something like this, the reason we’re still talking about it today is because we’re not done with it. People will still be trying to figure out ‘Showgirls’ for years to come.”