by MATTHEW HAYS

Ask film critics what the worst part of their job is and they’ll tell you. It’s not the truly horrendous films; the roughest part of all is the fact that the vast majority of what you end up seeing is simply mediocre.

And that’s one charge that could never be laid against Showgirls, the ’95 Paul Verhoeven film that purports to tell us something about the hard-luck lives of gals wanting to make it on the Vegas dancer circuit. There is a wayward-girl protagonist with a shady past, loads of ridiculous outfits, nasty strip-house politics, raunchy sex scenes and gratuitous cat fights. Bring it on!

Critics universally panned the film upon its release, condemning it as one of the biggest flops in Hollywood studio history. Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Ezterhas, amazingly, maintained that they intended the film sincerely and began to look around for someone to blame for their mess. Sadly, they both turned on leading star Elizabeth Berkley.

To me, Showgirls felt like a sublime gift, a holy work of kitsch of the highest order. What does Berkley do in one scene to show how frustrated she is? Why, she sprays her French fries with ketchup! (Come on, now: how many of you can say you’ve never lost your cool and done that?) And who can forget the ludicrous lesbian flirtation between Berkley and Gina Gershon? Or Berkley’s legendary mispronunciation of the designer Versace?

With its sheer over-the-topness, that Showgirls would emerge as a cult classic was really an inevitability. Scott Thompson and John Waters began to sing the movie’s praises in interviews. Lynn Fernie (co-director of Forbidden Love) revealed that lesbians were rejoicing about the movie, holding their own Showgirls parties.

Basically, it’s close to impossible to separate the obtuse tone (is this intentional camp?) of Showgirls from the oeuvre of its director. With contentious stuff like Starship Troopers and Basic Instinct, Verhoeven has a made a career out of cleverly confounding his audiences, making him one of the most intriguing directors working today. :

Showgirls screens this weekend at the Parc

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