Black Book, of course.
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:22 (fourteen years ago) link
always been curious about his pre/non-Hollywood stuff. But when he's bad he is TERRIBLE... voted Starship Troopers out of the ones I've seen.
― Suckanoosik Chamber of Commerce (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:23 (fourteen years ago) link
He's a high-class (and gloss) hack.
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:24 (fourteen years ago) link
Flesh & Blood.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Hollow Man really stands out as a waste of time, doesn't it?
― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:26 (fourteen years ago) link
hollow man was totally weak but still pretty twisted and kind of entertaining. dude's got some classics up there, kind of a tough choice tbh.
― "jesus on the cross seems like classic homoerotic imagery" (omar little), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:28 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm curious about his Dutch work too, according to wiki they were phenonemally popular in his home country. Themes seem familiar from his later Hollywood work.
― DJ Angoreinhardt (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:29 (fourteen years ago) link
'soldier of orange' is a good companion film to 'black book'. definitely the same kind of take on WW2.
― "jesus on the cross seems like classic homoerotic imagery" (omar little), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:30 (fourteen years ago) link
first instinct is 2 go for robocop but starship troopers is dope too and turkish delight was pretty good
idk
― Lamp, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Cannot for the life of me remember Flesh + Blood, but I'm sure I've seen it (Rutger Hauer's ahem "sword" looks awfully distinctive on the front cover.)
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Probably voting Robocop.
voted total recall, which i prefer to any of the more prestige dick adaptations
(except maaaaybe a scanner darkly, for robert downey jr and woody harrelson's delivery of the bike conversation)
― thomp, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:47 (fourteen years ago) link
Nah Bladerunner's better than Total Recall.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Total Recall way behind Bladerunner and Scanner Darkly in my book - just marginally above the shitheap that is most PKD adaptations
― Suckanoosik Chamber of Commerce (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:52 (fourteen years ago) link
Scanner Darkly isn't very good, but given how highly I rate the book there was no way it would be in my eyes.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 21:57 (fourteen years ago) link
Total Recall was and still is holy scripture in my household 'o boys.
C'mon, the tri-breasted woman!
― Beth Parker, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:11 (fourteen years ago) link
have only seen robocop -->
black book was great
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:14 (fourteen years ago) link
Starship Troopers.
Always thought Verhoeven should do a Judge Dredd film.
― chap, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:17 (fourteen years ago) link
Black Book by far. Never rated Starship Troopers. Rewatched Robocop last month, and it wasn't as good as I remembered. Hollow Man is fucking AWFUL. But I've seen none of the earlier Dutch ones.
― James Morrison, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:38 (fourteen years ago) link
he deserves a worst and best poll. best would be Starship troopers or Robocop.
― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:42 (fourteen years ago) link
what movie is better than robocop? like on earth
― king of ^ flowers (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:44 (fourteen years ago) link
i've seen spetters. it's terrible!
― moonship journey to baja, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:46 (fourteen years ago) link
maybe if you're dutch and my age it has some nostalgic irony value, like the karate kid or something
Total Recall is probably the most accurate representation of what reading PKD is like (right down to Perky Pat Messiah and PKD's obsession with speaking German (Ahnold))fully captures the pot-boiler flavor of PKD.
Haven't read Starship Troopers but am willing to bet it pins down the essence of the book more than defenders of the book would like to admit.
― Philip Nunez, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:57 (fourteen years ago) link
"fully captures the pot-boiler flavor of PKD."
Uh yeah but there's more to most Dick novels than just that.
― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:59 (fourteen years ago) link
no one is voting for showgirls??? it's more outrageous and twisted and brilliant than all the rest of these combined
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Total Recall is holy-shit-is-this-really-happening violent. I mean, I can't think of a major studio release today that could get away with using a bystander as A SHIELD, or shooting in closeup a guy screaming as a javelin or whatever sticks out of his eye.
― My name is Kenny! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:10 (fourteen years ago) link
what's total recall missing in the PKD checklist?high-concept paranoia, pull-rug-from-underneath ending, stiffly acting protagonist -- it's got it all!
― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:11 (fourteen years ago) link
The Fourth Man has a thing sticking out of a guy's eye as well.
― Eazy, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:27 (fourteen years ago) link
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 8:08 AM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark
Came here to ask this - probably the most harrowing of all his films that I've seen. For me it's between Starship Troopers and Showgirls.
― The 400 LOLs (dyao), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:31 (fourteen years ago) link
― chap, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:17 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
The one we have now is actually pretty good until Rob Schneider unceremoniously sinks it halfway through. Agreed though, Verhoeven on Dredd would be pretty amazing.
― The 400 LOLs (dyao), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 00:34 (fourteen years ago) link
― moonship journey to baja, Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:46 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
It actually does! It's a terrible movie, but has that value nonetheless. Went with Turkish Delight (Turks Fruit) though, because of it's sincere emotion and eroticism, and perhaps a bit of the before-mentioned nostalgia value. Yet I don't know if that indeed has to do with being Dutch.Starship Troopers - although a movie of an entire other planet all together - is a close, close second though.
― Gerard (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 01:31 (fourteen years ago) link
"Does this hurt? Does this hurt???"
"...and she was sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, mmmm! I took her out! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
"I got the muscle to shove so much of this factory up yer smelly wop ass that you'll shit snow for a year."
"Guns! Guns! Come on, boys! Tigers are playin'... to-night! I never miss a game."
"You... just... FUCKED! with the wrong guy!"
"Cops don't like me. So I don't like cops."
"I LIKE IT!!"
Do I have to mention the awesome and hilarious fake TV commercials? Or the ED-209 robot?
― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 04:01 (fourteen years ago) link
voted total recall - considered showgirls, black gook (not fixing that) but noted cumbeards shakey and AiSF voicing their disapproval of TR only strengthens my stance
― (╬ ಠ益ಠ) (cankles), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 04:55 (fourteen years ago) link
One of the few directors where I've seen basically everything they've done (at least his films, haven't seen his TV stuff from the 1960s). Probably going to vote for Soldier Of Orange (difficult to vote against Rutger Hauer), but could just as easily vote Robocop or Black Book
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 06:21 (fourteen years ago) link
Flesh + Blood is one of the most strangely overlooked AWESOME movies ever. I can understand someone voting Robocop over it, but F+M gets my vote every time.
― Nate Carson, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 07:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Spetters is so terribly dutch. It has some nostalgic value but it ain't my thing really (as I'm Belgian).
oO How on earth did you blurt out that line?!? Blade Runner! Come on! :-)
I haven't seen Black Book. I didn't pick Flesh'n'Blood even though I do remember the juicy scenes. So I went with Starship Troopers.
― I GOTTA BRAKE FREEEEE (stevienixed), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 07:19 (fourteen years ago) link
His work is incredibly varied, but there's something about his style which is instantly recognisable regardless of genre.
And yeah, Starship Troopers ftw. (With Black Book and Total Recall close behind).
― Bill A, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 07:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Blade Runner may look better and have better actors, but I think Total Recall does the whole PKD paranoia/identity/existentialism thing better. It's hard to say which one is better though.
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 08:55 (fourteen years ago) link
blade runner is gay as hell and no one wants to admit it
― (╬ ಠ益ಠ) (cankles), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 08:58 (fourteen years ago) link
Fourth Man was a belter, Verhoeven does not make bad movies ever but I know people who I'm gonna ignore will disagree. I'm voting RoboCop here because I think it will be the movie he's most remembered for, because it spawned 14 million straight-to-video rip-offs and because it totally fleshes out all his hi-larious cynical old fuck capitalism fetishes with the best splatter to laughs ratio.
Also cankles kind of otm
― Eastürzendes Annoybaten (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 09:00 (fourteen years ago) link
or to expand, Blade Runner is aight but it's fucking shit at filming PKD whereas Total Recall is way closer to his spirit.
― Eastürzendes Annoybaten (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 09:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Black Book was a great movie and totally recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it, but Starship Troopers and Robocop are some obscenely classic re-re-re-watchable shit. Tough choice.
― ¥€$ (gnarly sceptre), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Fuck. And Total Recall. Still haven't seen Showgirls though. Sounds amazing.
― ¥€$ (gnarly sceptre), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:03 (fourteen years ago) link
"The Fourth Man" and "Soldier of Orange" are both absolutely perfect. The rest of his work? Not so much.
― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:58 (fourteen years ago) link
Okay, I'll give ya "Robocop" as well.
― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:59 (fourteen years ago) link
I always assumed he'd had some sort of frontal lobotomy between his Dutch films and his Hollywood films, as seemingly all thought, finesse and restraint went right out the window.
― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 13:00 (fourteen years ago) link
Hmmm, I wonder if comedy anarchist Verhoeven might be doing that deliberately or not?
― my so-called trife (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 13:21 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm convinced the lobotomy is just "veneer". You could assume that Starship Troopers is just a silly movie he made and that the critique was unintentional. But he is aware of it. Sort of adopted the Hollywood fluo-silliness but simultaneously mocking American culture.
― I GOTTA BRAKE FREEEEE (stevienixed), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 13:34 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah I dunno how anyone could watch those war propaganda "The More You Know" shorts/their Robocop predecessors and not see Verhoeven with hand outstretched and perpendicular to the face, thumb touching the nose.
― The 400 LOLs (dyao), Wednesday, 24 June 2009 13:38 (fourteen years ago) link
as someone who's actually read his book on the subject I maintain there is absolutely no way he ever gets his Jesus movie made
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Wednesday, 14 December 2016 02:22 (seven years ago) link
IIRC he hasn't yet figured out how to film the parables.
― Wes Brodicus, Wednesday, 14 December 2016 11:36 (seven years ago) link
i just watched the fourth man and the placement of the fourth man in that verhoeven ranking upthread is rong rong rong
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Friday, 23 December 2016 07:03 (seven years ago) link
I don't think I've ever seen the entirety of that one, for some reason, despite all the times I borrowed the (now quite rare/expensive, I think) early-Verhoeven box from the video store I used to work in
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Friday, 23 December 2016 12:54 (seven years ago) link
Likes: VerhoevenDislikes: Eszterhas
I had never seen Basic Instinct - I started it once years ago, when I was snobbier, and could barely watch - and now that I have:
1) Looks great! Not bad, Jan de Bont. 2) For all it luridness, it's pretty old fashioned. 3) Like at least half of his stuff, it's Hitchcock with a wink (I think), totally ridiculous to the point of hard boiled parody. It's super hard to discern if this is simply the writing or how Verhoeven is approaching the writing. (This is more of a problem with Showgirls, or of course, maybe just a problem with Eszterhas.)4) Great score! Goldsmith does Herrmann. 5) Stephen Tobolowsky!
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 14:53 (seven years ago) link
i think basic instinct is maybe goldsmith's best ever score
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Tuesday, 25 April 2017 15:04 (seven years ago) link
Poltergeist for me.
― insidious assymetrical weapons (Eric H.), Tuesday, 25 April 2017 15:23 (seven years ago) link
There's this, Poltergeist, Omen, Apes, Patton, Alien, Chinatown ... those are the ones that come to mind.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 16:15 (seven years ago) link
Oh, forgot 6) Rob Bottin!
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 16:30 (seven years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-SSul3XkAAEdb_.jpg
Seems like this is going to happen!
― On Some Faraday Beach (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 26 April 2017 14:07 (seven years ago) link
https://variety.com/2017/film/global/paul-verhoeven-approaches-blessed-virgin-with-elle-star-virginie-efira-1202399023/
― On Some Faraday Beach (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 26 April 2017 14:08 (seven years ago) link
My humble rankings.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 24 September 2017 05:22 (six years ago) link
Verhoeven + that concept + soeteman sounds like a winner to me
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, 24 September 2017 05:44 (six years ago) link
Watching Total Recall for the first time in maybe 15 years. Verhoeven and DP Jost Vacano had such a weird, almost unique look going on, totally drab and flat (both the look *and* Arnie) but it works, not least because the blood is so rich and vibrant. Arnie, for his part, is totally game for this strange mix of almost old-fashioned cornball and state of the art and the gleeful embrace of sheer absurdity. I kept thinking to myself how patient he must have been for all these crazy set pieces, esp. considering he's the least coked out looking/acting of the whole cast.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 20:41 (five years ago) link
yeah it’s super-entertaining and the supporting cast is great - sharon stone in particular has a blast playing a character which probably seemed pretty flat on the pagei watched this again fairly recently and one thing which really struck me is how good arnold is as the super-spy quaid who appears in video messages to the regular quaid - he’s got this laidback cockiness that schwarzenegger never really played in any other role, weirdly. i wish we got to see more of that side of arnold onscreen during his career!
― Effectively Big Jim with a beard. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 21:57 (five years ago) link
also the visual of construction-worker arnold holding a jackhammer will never not be amazing and hilarious
― Effectively Big Jim with a beard. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 21:58 (five years ago) link
Boy, “Benedetta” gets a poop joke in there less than five mnutes into the movie and then it just keeps going.iCan’t say I didn’t enjoy lots of it, though, regardless. This is full throttle trashy Verhoeven.
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 21:17 (two years ago) link
i wanna see the nun titty movie so bad
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 21:20 (two years ago) link
You ain't never seen Jesus like this!
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 21:34 (two years ago) link
It's wild.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 20 November 2021 00:04 (two years ago) link
and, yeah, it's trash with verve
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 20 November 2021 00:05 (two years ago) link
attempting a ranking of verhoeven films which will make no sense whatsoever
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Sunday, 5 December 2021 01:18 (two years ago) link
total recallshowgirlsellerobocopthe fourth manbenedettastarship trooperskatie tippelblack bookturkish delightsoldier of orangeflesh & bloodhollow manspetters
still haven't seen: business is business, tricked
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Sunday, 5 December 2021 01:23 (two years ago) link
thought Elle was surprisingly good but otherwise am not that interested in his films
― Dan S, Sunday, 5 December 2021 01:47 (two years ago) link
really liked Total Recall at the time. I should see it again, but I already know I'm going to be disappointed
― Dan S, Sunday, 5 December 2021 01:51 (two years ago) link
watched Showgirls again recently. loved the scene showing her companionship with the drifter she hitchhikes a ride with at the beginning of the film, who robs her. she ends up getting the better of him at the end
― Dan S, Sunday, 5 December 2021 02:21 (two years ago) link
Total Recall ruled when I watched it last year.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 5 December 2021 03:54 (two years ago) link
Really love Soldier of Orange. Just a great buddy war film, although I can understand if one would consider it lacking in Verhoevenesque tendencies. It’s played pretty straight.
― Mule, Sunday, 5 December 2021 10:43 (two years ago) link
He's made only two films in the 12 years since this poll and yet I think he's due for a repoll.
― Milm & Foovies (Eric H.), Sunday, 5 December 2021 17:46 (two years ago) link
ive always liked-but-not-loved robocop, but total recall just delivers a full buffet of insanity and then some, outrageously fun when i revisited it recently, forever #1 PV for me
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Sunday, 5 December 2021 18:56 (two years ago) link
GIVE ZEZE PEOPLE ZEH AIIIR
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 5 December 2021 19:08 (two years ago) link
black book higher for me, maybe no. 2 after showgirls and just ahead of total recall
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 6 December 2021 11:17 (two years ago) link
i need to see it a second time for sure
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Monday, 6 December 2021 11:22 (two years ago) link
Benedetta was quite good but I feel just a little underwhelmed. Still worth seeing.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 18 April 2022 23:58 (two years ago) link
Benedetta was enjoyable enough in the old-fashioned sense of trashy-arty Euro films like Just Jaeckin’s ‘Emmanuelle’ and ‘The Story of O’
― Josefa, Tuesday, 19 April 2022 00:23 (two years ago) link
it’s wild how I always have to be reminded that he did Basic Instinct. which I’m assuming was his biggest earner?
― OG Bob Sacamano (will), Tuesday, 19 April 2022 01:30 (two years ago) link
and Robocop.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 April 2022 15:29 (two years ago) link
It's been years since I've seen Soldier of Orange, but I remember liking it a lot.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Tuesday, 19 April 2022 15:34 (two years ago) link
Huh, I wonder what happened to the RoboCop documentary, "RoboDoc"? This piece claims it finally wrapped (after four years) over a year ago:
https://deadline.com/2021/04/robocop-robodoc-documentary-peter-weller-movie-paul-verhoeven-1234747420
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 28 July 2022 16:41 (one year ago) link
looks like RoboDoc is finally coming to streaming: https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3775706/robodoc-the-creation-of-robocop-four-part-docuseries-premieres-august-29-on-screambox/but what I really revived this for is to say that I finally watched Benedetta and it was a lot of fun! every powerful character see-sawing between what they believe and their ambitions was great. was not expecting it to be as funny as it was
― mh, Saturday, 19 August 2023 15:59 (nine months ago) link
How long as that been in the works, a decade?
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 19 August 2023 16:29 (nine months ago) link
having seen Reservation Dogs before Benedetta, I kept thinking of her visions in terms of the visions in that show. which isn’t that far off, really
― mh, Sunday, 20 August 2023 01:30 (nine months ago) link
Benedetta is wonderful, and I highly recommend reading its source material, Immodest Acts, too. I love its really dry humour.
Not listed in the poll, but his experimental Dutch mini-feature TRICKED is definitely worth a watch.
― beamish13, Sunday, 20 August 2023 01:46 (nine months ago) link
Gave Showgirls a fresh rewatch thanks to the new 4K and it feels even more of an otherworldly miracle now, in the nu-puritanical ‘20s
― fair but so uncool beliefs here (Eric H.), Sunday, 20 August 2023 16:59 (nine months ago) link
Not one vote for Soldier of Orange? Surprising.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Sunday, 20 August 2023 17:12 (nine months ago) link
While he hasn’t found a sci-fi project that piqued his interest, Verhoeven has plenty to keep him busy. He is currently preparing to shoot a political thriller called “Young Sinner,” which would mark his fist American film since he released “Hollow Man” in 2000. Verhoeven said that the film, which sees him reteaming with “RoboCop” writer Ed Neumeier, could be ready to enter production as early as this year.“I’m working with Ed Neumeier, who wrote RoboCop. You could say it’s a political thriller, if you want, situated in Washington,” he said of the project. “The last couple of years I’ve been working in France because I couldn’t find something interesting here at that time. But Ed came up with a really interesting proposal. For two years we have been working on the screenplay. It should be done in two months and then we can find out if someone can finance it.”
“I’m working with Ed Neumeier, who wrote RoboCop. You could say it’s a political thriller, if you want, situated in Washington,” he said of the project. “The last couple of years I’ve been working in France because I couldn’t find something interesting here at that time. But Ed came up with a really interesting proposal. For two years we have been working on the screenplay. It should be done in two months and then we can find out if someone can finance it.”
BTW, Verhoeven is 85!!!
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 7 January 2024 14:51 (four months ago) link
That probably sneaks up on a lot of American viewers - he had a long and extensive filmmaking career before making Robocop.
Thankfully he makes a lot of appearances in NYC - highly recommended, but Lincoln Center usually records and uploads his talks so you can see them on their YouTube channel. A few recommended ones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6_0CwGuiMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QotxGy4CKk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O5QZncVjuw
He's definitely a filmmaker who's grown on me in recent years. Starship Troopers alone seems very underrated and sadly a film that the country's lived down to thanks to the increasingly warped right wing.
― birdistheword, Sunday, 7 January 2024 19:21 (four months ago) link
(FWIW, I would've voted for Black Book)
― birdistheword, Sunday, 7 January 2024 19:22 (four months ago) link