Another Reader Question.

Over the last year I have gotten several, hard to answer questions. Yet, the one I recently received from Jeremy in Minnesota is a real bear (and I mean a tough one, not a fat, hairy, gay one). Jeremy's question is this.

" Is Paul Verhoeven the greatest director that's ever lived, or what?"

Alright, I admit it. Jeremy is a friend of mine and we often joke about Paul Verhoeven. Yes, he is a good director but the greatest of all time? Definitely not. Paul has given us some good times though. Who can forget RoboCop's thigh gun holster, or the way that guy splattered on the hood of the cop car after being partially melted on toxic waste? Where would the world be without the line about turning on the reactor in Total Recall. Oh yeah, there was the hooker with three bigguns too, that was pretty sweet and pure Verhoeven. I actually enjoy Starship Troopers for the campy, silliness that it is. Sure it is a complete bastardization of one of my top three Robert Heinlen books but that film introduced the world to a few great things. Dizzy's Knockers, Denise Richards cleavage and a psychic Doogie Hauser and I dare you to debate the relevancy of any of them. Paul also gave up the infamous "beaver shot", in basic instinct. Alas, with all bright points, there must be shadow and at least two of paul's films have left black marks on the world that may never be swept away. I of course speak of Showgirls, the only movie, ever, that made me not want to see girls naked for about six months of my life. The way Elizabeth Berkley would throw her jacket over her shoulder and poorly emote the line, "I'M NOT A WHORE!", could wilt the sex drive of even the most amorous of oversexed monkeys. Then you have the true stinker on the pasture, Hollow Man. Wow, Kevin Bacon as an insane, egomaniacal, invisible murderer/rapist. I try to suspend my belief when I watch a movie but the shear fact is that the Bacon Brothers music is the only scary thing about Kevin. Well, yes, the white guy dances in Footloose were scary but that was not a Verhoeven.

Well Jeremy, I guess I didn't really answer your question as much as just catch up on my PV trivia and reminisce about boobies, a love that I share with Paul.

I shall now introduce all my loyal readers to a game we Verhoeven fans play. Any time, anyone mentions, the name Paul Verhoeven, or one of his movies, you must say "Paul Verhoeven" to another person and shake hands. If the are savvy, they will respond in kind. It is the Paul Verhoeven game and it comes from one drunken night when someone realized that the words Paul Verhoeven sound a lot like a Swedish greeting, I know, he's Dutch but what do I know about Dutch?

I hope that answers some of your question Jeremy.