The movie seems to be garnering big praise from heavyweight filmmakers such as quentin tarantino. The movie is also top 20 grossing film all-time for MGM and Entertainment Weekly rated it in the top 50 cult classics of all time.
Boobs. Lots and lots of boobs. Plus some full frontal nudity. I was 15 when that came out. I couldn't see it in theaters due to the NC-17 rating. But every single 17+ year old boy in my high school saw it as soon as it came out and all of us underclassmen, having grown up on Saved By The Bell, were envious.
Showgirls, much like the film's protagonist, sucked. It ruined several careers and deservedly so. It would have been an excellent high budget p*rn film, though.
Give Elizabeth Berkley a beak, it's not as if anyone else off of that show went on to do anything, even the main star Mark Paul-Glossenger (Zack Morris).
I've read where even the TV version has some of its own cult following because of ridiculous editing. I think Showgirls legacy grew cuz of aesthetic reasons. It came out with the emergence of DVD and bigger TVs, and the T&A looked very good on-screen. And it was right at the emergence of internet when you can get "NAKED pics" of JESSIE Spano! And its carried on from there for different reasons. Tarantino's opinion is very REVISIONIST, and self serving I think. Tarantino will tell they're in "on the joke". It'd get credit for being ahead of its time if it INTENDED to be that way. But there's no agreement on if it was intentionally campy. I don't know if its quite the same as art-schlock "Spring Breakers".
Tarantino praised it for the same reason Toby Keith listens to rap music. Artists evaluate and respond to completely different things than their fans. The movie had a ripe premise and setting that could have been exploited into a great feature and even follow-up TV series: Vegas was still being lampooned in mass media back then for quickie weddings and tacky lounge acts; something darker and sexier without exhorting prostitution would have thread a nice creative needle. Unfortunately, Joe Eszterhas was a combative perv who had one very well-timed script in him and should have rested on that laurel.
No, it was just bad. I don't believe for a second that it was intentionally crappy. It was just very, very bad.
Actually, Mark-Paul Gosselaar had a 4 year run in a principal role on NYPD Blue and had a starring role in Raising the Bar. He also has had numerous smaller appearances in TV shows. All in all, he has had a pretty good career so far.
What's funny is I didn't believe that or Schroeder coming on when they initially announced their castings. Add to that Amber-Theissen's prime time appearances on the original 90210; sharing the lead with Facinelli and Bellamy on Drive, and all kinds of Lifetime type films. Also, Lopez was on Pacific Blue for several seasons and has a fairly permanent career as an entertainment journalist and emcee/event host.
lol i remember channel surfing years ago and seeing it on tv and thinking wtf is going on here.. <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/stWqOShaH6Y" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>
Cult Status: If you read between the lines here, it's obvious that it's cult status is due to it's enthusiastic support by the artsy-angsty young gay crowd and their beholden single lady friends. "Girls" night! Shopping, dinner, fruity drinks, gay movies, pass out, mimosas!
