Following the success of his erotic thriller Basic Instinct, boundary-pushing director Paul Verhoeven returned with a film that would confound and divide audiences until this day: Showgirls. The film starring Elizabeth Berkley as Nomi, a drifter who makes her way to Vegas to become a showgirl, was the first and only NC-17 film to be given a wide release. This audience restriction mixed with an immense critical backlash made the film a box office bomb and a punchline in pop culture. Critics cited it as needlessly exploitative, over the top and poorly made. In You Don’t Nomi, filmmaker Jeffrey McHale gives the film a fresh evaluation and presents the case that it might be a misunderstood masterpiece. Audiences have since found Showgirls to be something of a cult favorite that has inspired rowdy midnight screening and even a stage play. While your opinion may have been formed long ago, it is worth hearing the arguments for why this movie works for so many.
The documentary comes at the film from many angles. Is it a bad movie? Is it a campy classic? It is genuinely good? The answer is a resolute yes depending on the person. The documentary foregoes standard talking head interviews in favor of audio-only takes over clips of Showgirls and other related material. The filmmaker puts the film into context so that those who have never seen the film, such as myself, can easily understand the culture in which it landed. When Showgirls debuted 1995, critics were quick to eviscerate the film with pithy headlines that rapidly dismissed the film as vile, misogynistic and poorly made. As the critical contributors of You Don’t Nomi are quick to point out, the last point could not be further from the truth. Showgirls is clearly an immaculately shot film with symbolic imagery carefully placed throughout. Verhoeven may have made a film that evoked a particularly negative response, but it is argued that he was aiming to do exactly that. Verhoeven’s filmography is analyzed in great detail not to vindicate everything he puts on screen, but to show that he is working on a motif that can be traced throughout all of his work.
The latter half of the film gives further exploration to the cult following the film developed following its disastrous initial release. David Schmader, who would go on to record a commentary for the DVD, reveals his own history with the film and how he started hosting midnight screenings that spread like wildfire with rapturous enthusiasm. The audiences appreciated the wild mood swings and bizarre choices the film made in the vein of cult classics such as Mommie Dearest and Valley of the Dolls. The stage show of Showgirls is also given proper representation by many, including the actress who plays Nomi in that iteration. Everyone has their own personal relationship with the property, and it is fascinating to hear the different takes. The documentary does not completely let the film off the hook, though. There is serious criticism lobbed at Showgirls when it comes to certain topics like rape that make even the most supportive fans recoil. This kind of debate keeps the documentary from being solely a puff piece lacking any kind of critical eye.
You Don’t Nomi is a very entertaining look at a film that most people seem like they would rather forget. The beautiful thing about art, though, is that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Fandoms come in all shapes and sizes, and hearing impassioned accounts of why these people are still wrapped up in this movie after 25 years is worthy of documenting. The movie occasionally drifts into subtle tangents that do not entirely relate to Showgirls, but even those bits are compelling. The only thing that could have really put a nice bow on the film is to get some first hand accounts of the actors involved in the film. Director Paul Verhoeven gets the opportunity to comment on the legacy and intentions with this film courtesy of more recent footage, but the actors are largely not given a voice. There is one nice moment when Elizabeth Berkley is able to get the recognition she has been denied all these years that is a highlight of the film. Whether you are a fan of Showgirls, you dislike it or you simply have not seen it, this is compelling documentary on critically evaluating art through different perspectives.
Video Quality
You Don’t Nomi comes to Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer courtesy of RJLE Films. The documentary uses a variety of different sources including movie clips, televised interviews and amateur footage of performances, which results in a wide range in quality visually. Overall, the presentation is sleek and detailed without any noticeable issues such as compression artifacts or banding. Each source looks as good as it can look, which is all you can really ask for in this situation. The Showgirls clips largely look excellent with fine detail and bold colors in the big performance numbers. When you get to sources like episodes of Saved by the Bell, the transfer looks a bit rough, but that is unavoidable given the quality of the master. The image is as crisp as you would expect any modern documentary to be.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that likewise runs a bit inconsistent due to the original sources of the clips. When you are greeted with musical numbers from the film, the mix appropriately comes to life with activity in the rear speakers. Otherwise, you mostly have the narration settled in the center channel where words flow freely and clearly without any issues of fidelity. The voice over is given priority in the mix so it never gets stepped on by any of the music or sound effects happening in the clips. This track handles everything beautifully with no hint of audio issues near this presentation.
Special Features
No special features are provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Has Showgirls been unfairly maligned for the last 25 years? You Don’t Nomi sets out to make a strong case for such an assertion through a careful mixture of interviews from impassioned figures and elegantly edited clip packages that highlight aspects of the film could easily be missed otherwise. RLJE Films has given the film a great A/V presentation that should please fans. If you are looking to deep dive into a niche part of cinema, You Don’t Nomi is an illuminating journey worth taking. Recommended
You Don’t Nomi will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 21, 2020.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
