Showgirls Blu-ray - Elizabeth Berkley

directed by Paul Verhoeven
USA 1995

The film is not, in short, quite unredeemably bad, and despite its NC-17 rating, it isn't anywhere near as perverted as "Basic Instinct." The actors throw themselves into it with the abandon that material like this demands, and Verhoeven brings to it the same skill he once lavished on good movies, like "The Fourth Man" and "Total Recall." It's just that you can't believe a single second of it, and you do begin to wish that in his research for his next project, Eszterhas makes it his business to learn something about eroticism. "Showgirls" is such a waste of a perfectly good NC-17 rating.

Excerpt from Roger Ebert's review found HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: Sept. 22, 1995

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Comparison:

MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro for all the DVD screen caps!

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	MGM Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	2:10:52	2:11:08	2:11:22.332
Video	2.06:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.70 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.28:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.87 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,023,109,916 bytes Feature: 41,397,448,704 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Video Bitrate: 34.45 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: MGM (Std)
Bitrate: MGM (VIP)
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	English DD 5.1, French & Spanish DD 2.0	English DD 5.1, French & Spanish DD 2.0	DTS-HD Master Audio English 4466 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4466 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio French 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Subtitles	French, Spanish, none	English, French, Spanish, none	English, French, Spanish, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 2.06:1 Edition Details: • VOB file dates: 02/01/00 • Neon Lights Animated Menus • Trailer 2:01 • Making of Featurette 4:41 • 4 Page insert DVD Release Date: 05/02/00 Plastic Keepcase Chapters 36	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.28:1 Edition Details: • VOB file dates: 05/17/04 • James Bond Style Animated Menus • Trailer 1:57 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 7&8 2:48 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 19 2:23 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 30 3:24 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 43 2:08 • Lap Dance Tutorial 4:54 • Comm. with Showgirls expert David Schmader and two dancers from Scores • Subtitle Trivia Track like Pop Up Videos • Other Great MGM Movies Trailer 1:12 • Trailer for the DVD release of The Great Escape 0:49 • Trailer for the DVD release of Good,Bad,&Ugly 1:10 • Large Box with shot glasses, playing cards, foldout Berkeley poster, blindfold and 2 paste-on tassel DVD Release Date: 07/27/04 Box Set Chapters 32	Release Information: Studio: MGM 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,023,109,916 bytes Feature: 41,397,448,704 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Video Bitrate: 34.45 Mbps Edition Details: • Pole Dancing: Finding Your Inner Stripper (11:55) • Lap Dance Tutorial featuring the world famous Girls of Scores (4:57) • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 7&8 2:48 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 19 2:23 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 30 3:24 • Showgirls Video Diary Scene 43 2:08 • Lap Dance Tutorial 4:54 • Comm. with Showgirls expert David Schmader and two dancers from Scores • Subtitle Trivia Track like Pop Up Videos • Trailer 1:57 Blu-ray Release Date: June 15th, 2010 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 32

Comments

ADDITION: MGM Blu-ray June 2010 - Firstly, this film was painful to sit through again.

The widescreen continues to get wider with a shade more cropped off the very top of the frame in the new Blu-ray transfer. Why this continues to happen - I have no idea but I'll bet no one really cares. The peak of Vegas's Luxor hotel is still visible. The new image is bluer and brighter. It looks superior - better detail and colors seemed rendered and separated much tighter. In some scenes they do an about face compared to both DVDs (see dresses below). Unfortunately none of this helps the script or acting.

Audio is a huge advancement with the DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 4466 kbps sounding quite buoyant and strong. Strip club dancer music has aggressiveness and notable bass response. This is probably a bigger advancement than the video. There are optional subtitles and the disc appears to be region 'A'-locked although 'B' + 'C' are untested at this stage.

Extras duplicate with the video diary, commentary and pop-up trivia track but add some 'Pole Dancing' and 'Lap Dancing' tutorials <eyes roll to ceiling>. You don't get the shot glasses, playing cards, foldout Berkeley poster, blindfold and 2 paste-on tassels that come with the supercilious V.I.P. edition. But you do get the DVD as a second disc included in the Blu-ray package.

The movie is such a dichotomy. Verhoeven is a smart cookie and his blatant film seems to be sneakily thumbing it's nose at the very market it is geared towards. However, this doesn't give me any justification to endorse - so we recommend a pass - save the 2 1/4 hours of your life for some, far better, cinema. Essentially this is a waste of your time.

***

ON THE DVDs: Well, what is up here? - the 'new VIP' is cropped on top and bottom, relatively significantly. We have the old version at a ratio of 2.06: 1 and the new at a ratio of 2.28:1 (closer to the reported 2.35 but still showing less information than the old edition). The old edition has some missing information on the right edge. Colors seem more vibrant on the old edition and skin tones are decidedly redder on the new VIP. The old edition looks sharper to my eye (see native resolution capture below) or its at least a draw. Contrast is superior on the old edition. I can't even say with certainty that the anamorphic VIP DVD will absolutely appear superior on widescreen systems - that isn't going to fix the washed out colors, red skin tones and cropping. Audio is the same. ??? So what's so VIP about the new one - ahhhh - the extras - very... ummm... bountiful! None of the behind the scenes stuff from the old DVD featurette is in the new video diaries (4 min. worth), it depends on how much a fan you are, I guess.

- Gary W Tooze

DVD Menus

(MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Blu-ray

Screen Captures

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

NOTE: Trees don't look very green in the new VIP edition!

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) MGM (Std) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) MGM (VIP) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM (15th Anniversary) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

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Image:	Blu-ray
Sound:	Blu-ray
Extras:	VIP

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

MGM

Region 1 - NTSC

MGM
Region 1 - NTSC

MGM
Region 'A' - Blu-ray