Arguably the most infamous box-office dud of the '90s,
Showgirls is given the deluxe treatment on this DVD release. The film itself is presented in a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. Subtitles are accessible in all three of those languages. Supplemental materials on the disc include a playful and highly entertaining commentary by David Schmader, who claims to have held hundreds of annotated screenings of the film. He offers a variety of cogent comments on the film, such as the fact that the main character, Nomi, has two basic moods -- staring and kicking. There is also commentary from professional strippers during the "dance" sequences in the film. An onscreen trivia track is accessible, as is a storyboard-to-screen comparison, and a brief tutorial on how to give a lap dance. In addition to all the goodies on the disc, this VIP box-set edition of the film contains a "stick the pasties on the stripper" game (pasties, blindfold, and topless picture of
Elizabeth Berkley included), a pair of
Showgirls shot glasses, and a deck of
Showgirls playing cards. Also included are a set of lobby cards that, on the back of each one, presents rules on how to use the shot glasses, the cards, and the movie itself in order to play various drinking games. If you have ever wondered if it is possible to laugh at soulless trashiness while immersing yourself in it, this special limited edition of
Showgirls should provide the necessary ingredients to find out. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide