You Don't Nomi (Showgirls documentary) - July 21, 2020

[DR Herbert West]

paul verhoeven's showgirls (1995) was met by critics and audiences with near universal derision. You don't nomi traces the film's redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece.

[dallywhitty]

I didn't even know this documentary existed until a couple of weeks ago, but needless to say, it'll be mine.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I didn't even know this documentary existed until a couple of weeks ago, but needless to say, it'll be mine.

[prkchopexpress]

i think there might be another showgirls documentary too.

i’m very curious to see this. showgirls is not a movie that gets a lot of hate, but not because it’s a bad movie. the marketing is terrible. they sell the movie like it’s going to be sexy, but there is literally nothing sexy in the movie,

i unironically genuinely enjoy showgirls. verhoeven was always subversive, and it’s definitely evident here.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

i think there might be another showgirls documentary too.

i’m very curious to see this. showgirls is not a movie that gets a lot of hate, but not because it’s a bad movie. the marketing is terrible. they sell the movie like it’s going to be sexy, but there is literally nothing sexy in the movie,

i unironically genuinely enjoy showgirls. verhoeven was always subversive, and it’s definitely evident here.

Ahem...

[DanTheMan]

You don't nomi traces the film's redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece.

What do they mean.....maybe?

[GeoffOliver]

Would be a nice companion piece for the Blu-ray.

[Aunt Peg]

The documentary is very entertaining and done without the participation of anybody involved from Showgirls. For anybody who is a big fan of Showgirls this is a must-see.

[meremortal]

This movie was such a novelty at the time. It carried a certain level of taboo because of the rating and had a mystery surrounding it if you were a kid back then. It also had one of Saved By the Bell's main stars in the lead. I remember hearing of police who would stand by the door checking for id which was never a thing back then. In the 90s, theaters were still pretty relaxed and you'd generally see a decent amount of kids in R rated movies without parents. I remember seeing it later on vhs and was like "all that hype over this?" From what I recall it was pretty campy but could probably have been rated R. It's a movie I've wanted to revisit, but I'd probably need some time when the spouse is out of the house since she has an issue with these kinds of films.

[DVD Josh]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

i think there might be another showgirls documentary too.

i’m very curious to see this. showgirls is not a movie that gets a lot of hate, but not because it’s a bad movie. the marketing is terrible. they sell the movie like it’s going to be sexy, but there is literally nothing sexy in the movie,

Check your pulse my friend.

[UnionJackMix]

Originally Posted by meremortal

This movie was such a novelty at the time. It carried a certain level of taboo because of the rating and had a mystery surrounding it if you were a kid back then. It also had one of Saved By the Bell's main stars in the lead. I remember hearing of police who would stand by the door checking for id which was never a thing back then. In the 90s, theaters were still pretty relaxed and you'd generally see a decent amount of kids in R rated movies without parents. I remember seeing it later on vhs and was like "all that hype over this?" From what I recall it was pretty campy but could probably have been rated R. It's a movie I've wanted to revisit, but I'd probably need some time when the spouse is out of the house since she has an issue with these kinds of films.

Hmmm, are you sure? There are some scenes that in a (sorry I can't think of a better word) mainstream movie of any rating not higher than R are quite shocking and take you by surprise, like the guy putting his fingers there to check himself it's her time of the month, the sexual scene in the pool, the lap dances, the teasing of the nipples with the icecubes, the gratuitous nudity throughout the film, it's not every day you see these in a mainstream movie, and this was one.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by UnionJackMix

Hmmm, are you sure? There are some scenes that in a (sorry I can't think of a better word) mainstream movie of any rating not higher than R are quite shocking and take you by surprise, like the guy putting his fingers there to check himself it's her time of the month, the sexual scene in the pool, the lap dances, the teasing of the nipples with the icecubes, the gratuitous nudity throughout the film, it's not every day you see these in a mainstream movie, and this was one.

My wife and I both still make fun of, and crack up every time we think about, the pool sex scene. Such amazing over-acting by Liz there.

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

The documentary is very entertaining and done without the participation of anybody involved from Showgirls. For anybody who is a big fan of Showgirls this is a must-see.

I'm certainly interested, but bummed to hear no one involved in the film is in the doc. Not even Penny (Rena Riffel)? Speaking of which, I still need to see Pennies from Heaven.

Also curious how many other members here know who Aunt Peg is, without googling.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by UnionJackMix

Hmmm, are you sure? There are some scenes that in a (sorry I can't think of a better word) mainstream movie of any rating not higher than R are quite shocking and take you by surprise, like the guy putting his fingers there to check himself it's her time of the month, the sexual scene in the pool, the lap dances, the teasing of the nipples with the icecubes, the gratuitous nudity throughout the film, it's not every day you see these in a mainstream movie, and this was one.

Funny, I don't consider any of those scenes you listed all that shocking or gratuitous and anything that would truly constitute anything higher than an R.

The

[Show spoiler]rape scene and subsequent scene where Nomi kicks the shit out of the rapist though are what, to me, probably

pushes it over the edge.

[meremortal]

Originally Posted by UnionJackMix

Hmmm, are you sure? There are some scenes that in a (sorry I can't think of a better word) mainstream movie of any rating not higher than R are quite shocking and take you by surprise, like the guy putting his fingers there to check himself it's her time of the month, the sexual scene in the pool, the lap dances, the teasing of the nipples with the icecubes, the gratuitous nudity throughout the film, it's not every day you see these in a mainstream movie, and this was one.

Perhaps it might've been pretty risque back then. I don't think I've seen this movie since around 1996 as a kid on vhs. Some of you guys have cool wives - I'd never get to watch this with mine and she'd probably get triggered if she even knew I owned it.

[UnionJackMix]

Well, to put it into context: this was pre-internet, I only knew about the movie and maybe saw a trailer, had to wait for it to be shown on tv, and it was free terrestrial tv, not pay tv or cable, but it was shown around midnight.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by UnionJackMix

Well, to put it into context: this was pre-internet, I only knew about the movie and maybe saw a trailer, had to wait for it to be shown on tv, and it was free terrestrial tv, not pay tv or cable, but it was shown around midnight.

Was that the "digital bra" version?
I know some local channels would play uncut R films at midnight when I was a kid, saw Friday the 13th part 2 that way, although that was in 1982. I don't recall much of it happening since then.
Anyway....

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

Was that the "digital bra" version?

That would make a great double feature with the Disney+ version of Splash:

[Bumblefeet]

OK I'll bite; is this really such a cult classic that it deserves a standalone docu? Wouldn't it be better to just do a documentary on Verhoeven's entire output or perhaps sex thrillers of the 90s?

At the time Showgirls came out I was too young to see it, but I remember it flopping but also encountered it many times in VHS stores and later DVD bins.
I also remember it being the movie that middle-age married men could get away with renting that wasn't a porno.

With today's access to hardcore porn on the web, it's funny to think back about those pre-internet days where these type of movies got rented because people just wanted to see a pair of boobs.

I own Showgirls on blu-ray and despite the nudity and sex, it's actually a more compelling parabel on Vegas by Verhoeven, and works better that way. But put it next to Basic Instinct and you have one movie that's cinema and another that's exploitation pulp.

To get back to my point, everything seems to be getting a seperate documentary and with many of these documentaries I often question wether they really add much analysis or meaning, and aren't simply an excuse to hear people discuss these movies, often not remembering much about them or getting praised for when they do LOL. Cause I imagine many of the people who worked on it probably wanted to forget they ever did given the reception it got.

It's a shame that most if not all interviews for movies done at that time were press junket prepped answers to sell the movie, with only A-list actors allowed to kavetch about their roles from time to time. But how relevant is a documentary when it's made 20 years after the fact?

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Bumblefeet

OK I'll bite; is this really such a cult classic that it deserves a standalone docu? Wouldn't it be better to just do a documentary on Verhoeven's entire output or perhaps sex thrillers of the 90s?

Yes, Showgirls has a huge cult following and it's not really middle-aged straight men wanting to look at some boobs either... many of the camp aspects of the film have endeared it to gay men as well as other groups of people who enjoy it on a "so bad it's good" level. It wouldn't be appropriate to wrap this up with a documentary on sex thrillers of the 90s because the films appeal to different audience demographics.

[UnionJackMix]

I guess we shall see. I can't wait to see it, especially as it says nobody from Showgirls took part in it. Will they show scenes of it though?

It definitely is a cult movie, you wouldn't believe it! I even just enjoy just reading these comments about it. I'd watch it now if I could.
I still think it's not a great movie, but it's incredibly entertaining and you can't really look away.

I've never seen any movie with digital censoring! Please tell me you're joking and just painted on the bra yourself there!