Paul Verhoeven, this is a guy who's been making movies since 1949, 17 of them in his home country of Holland. I've never even sought out any of this stuff, I've only seen the films he's made in America. His first being Flesh and Blood in 1985.
Paul hit it big with Robocop. Which I feel is still one of the best sci-fi films ever made. A very cynical look into the future. Where corporations run everything, including the police. Everything is done for profit, without care for the average citizen. That's not to far off from the truth. Plus it's just a great action film.
Paul followed this with Total Recall, another Sci-Fi favorite of mine. Besides the Terminator films, Arnold's best. Again a similar look into the future, a possible sequel to Robocop, just 200 years into the future. I love the way this film is set up with such ambiguity as to whether it's events are real.
Basic Instinct a decent murder mystery, with some very memorable scenes. Showgirls, a really horrible movie, atrocious acting, and a stupid plot. But it can be fun if you watch it with a MST3000 outlook.
Starship Troopers, or as some people call it Melrose Space, because of the perfect looking people and the soap opera love triangle. The beautiful people are well intended by Paul as this is a fascist society that they live in. If you don't join the military your a low-class citizen. Again I feel that this could be another 200 years into the future after Total Recall. Paul has covered the next 500 years of human progress in 3 films. A very fun film, with some outstanding giant CGI bugs.
I can't speak for his past films, but every American Verhoeven film takes either sex or violence to the extreme, often both. I think his 3 sci-fi films are at the top of the list on body counts for movies. He even had to edit Robocop down to keep it from being X rated, based purely on violence.
Expect a lot more of this in his new film Hollow Man.
This is my 2nd most anticipated film of 2000, behind Ridley Scott's
Gladiator. Probably a true vision of what a
invisible man would really do. Can't wait.
9/12/00: Boy was I wrong about Hollow Man, I saw it
opening night, that was over a month ago. I've tried to not think
about it since. Incredible special effects, a great trailer,
and a terrible film. Paul really messed this one up. There
was absolutely no suspense built in the scenes that were
supposed to be scary. They spent 3/4 of the movie trapped in
that boring science lab, I've seen a million Alien
clones, I really didn't need another one.
The most promising story-line
wasn't explored fully, that being Kevin going outside and messing with people,
killing them, raping them, whatever. I'm not some sicko wanting to see
this stuff. I just don't think a psycho invisible man would hang around
his own building and staff, the only people that know he exists, some of the only people that
have the technology to see him. On the outside, he could have gotten away with it forever. Then the ending, which really ruined the film, the kind of cliche's I hate most
in these kinds of films. Events that are impossible, I can believe
that they turn a guy invisible, for the sake of the film. But I just can't
believe that once he's invisible that he's now invincible. **Major Spoilers**
Kevin is lit on fire for a few minutes, hit in the head with
a crowbar, electrocuted, and is not only still alive, but has enough
strength to escape a huge explosion and attack our heroes one
last time. **Done** I can not stand this kind of movie stupidity.
Whatever his next film is, I sure hope it's better.
Paul Verhoeven, this is a guy who's been making movies since 1949, 17 of them in his home country of Holland. I've never even sought out any of this stuff, I've only seen the films he's made in America. His first being Flesh and Blood in 1985.
