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Film Reviews

Zack and Miri And The Sex Industry On The Silver Screen
David Bax , November 21st, 2008 09:49

Can Kevin Smith regain his crown from Judd Apatow? David Bax doesn't think so. We also cast an eye over the numerous ways the sex industry has been portrayed on the big screen.

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Show Girls

Yes, everyone agrees that Showgirls is bad but at least it's fascinatingly bad. Just like Boogie Nights, this melodrama elevates the career of a stripper (oh, I'm sorry 'Showgirl', my mistake) to the level of Shakespearean tradgedy. Just like its subject matter - those awful Vegas Shows which are essentially topless musical theatre with gratuitous dystopian landscapes and cavegirl outfits - this film is at pains to appear higher class than it is. Paul Verhooven is a highly underrated director, and this debacle is not really his fault, it's the basic premise that a censor baiting, straight to Cinemax soft core porn flick could be critically respected which is flawed. The sex scene with Kyle MacLachlan in the pool is hysterical and worth a youtube search, though I won't lower the bar by embedding it here.