Paul Verhoeven
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BOOM!’s ‘Robocop’ #1 and #2 are the best ‘Robocop’ sequels we’ve ever gotten
As everyone knows, Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop is a science fiction classic, but after two terrible sequels and a middle-of-the-road reboot, the character hasn’t had much success outside the initial film. Thankfully things may be changing with BOOM! Studios’ new ongoing Robocop series by writer Joshua Williamson and artist Carlos Magno. Taking place directly after the […] More
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The Definitive War Movies: 30-21
As we continue with the list, we still see a lot of World War II, but throw in some World War I and Persian Gulf War, too. While some of the films in this portion of the list spin the war film into something a little more ingenious, it doesn’t completely rule out the idea […] More
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Sordid Cinema Podcast #74: Paul Verhoeven Special Part 2
This week we celebrate the career of filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, starting with his stylish erotic thriller The 4th Man, his last Dutch film which gained a cult following for its frank treatment of bisexuality, bizarre visuals, and twisted narrative. After we discuss Flesh + Blood, a medieval anti-romance starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Finally we end […] More
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Appetites: Surveying Paul Verhoeven
The Paul Verhoeven filmography screens at the TIFF Bell Lightbox through April 4th, culminating in a screening of his new “crowdsourced” film, Tricked. Common wisdom dictates that cynicism and sentimentality are carefully linked, if not outright synonymous. In filmic terms, the most comfortable formulation of that argument is to align, for instance, romantic comedies with […] More
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‘Total Recall’ is arguably among the very best science-fiction films of the 90’s
Based on a Philip K. Dick short story (We Can Remember It for You Wholesale), Total Recall is set in a futuristic society, where “it has become scientifically possible to implant fake memories into a person’s mind, while erasing their previous identity, thus creating a fictitious persona in such that the subject believes he or she is someone else.” The filmmakers took great liberty with the original story, but, luckily Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett (respected writers of some of the greatest science fiction films), whipped up one of the best produced Hollywood screenplays of the 1990’s. More
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‘Imagining ‘Total Recall’ – How Verhoeven and His Team Made the Film
Based on a Philip K. Dick short story (We Can Remember It for You Wholesale), Total Recall is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best films, and one of the best action films of the 1990’s. Under Paul Verhoeven’s frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, action, and humor that never, for a minute, […] More
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‘From Holland to Hollywood” – Watch A 45-Minute Documentary on Paul Verhoeven
Paul Verhoeven: From Holland to Hollywood is a 45 minute documentary on the Dutch-born film director, created back in 1996 to coincide with the London release of his film Showgirls and the publication of his authorized biography. The documentary made for the television show Omnibus, features Verhoeven’s always, fascinating commentary, along with interviews from several […] More
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Recommended Reading: Remembering Sid Caesar,The Real Awesomeness of ‘The Lego Movie,’ Alan Moore’s School Daze and more
Clint Eastwood’s 1977 Thank You Letter to Critic Andrew Sarris for ‘Dirty Harry’ Article via IndieWire: “Check out this unearthed 1977 letter from Clint Eastwood to film critic Andrew Sarris, wherein Eastwood thanks Sarris for his Village Voice article on the “Dirty Harry” franchise, titled “Is Harry Too Dirty?” Eastwood gets to expound on the perceived […] More
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‘RoboCop’ remake merely forgettable, instead of being an outright misfire
RoboCop Written by Joshua Zetumer & Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner Directed by José Padilha USA, 2014 Paul Verhoeven’s science-fiction films RoboCop and Total Recall take place in different environments and eras, but share a similarly raucous, ramshackle, satiric attitude. These films are products of their time, filled with garishly practical effects and grimy, tactile […] More
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Must Watch: ‘From the Future with Love’ feels and looks like old-school Verhoeven
If your a fan of old school Paul Verhoeven sci-fi flicks, you’re going to really dig K-Michel Parandi’s From the Future with Love. In what is initially a showreel by the filmmakers looking to kickstart a campaign for a bigger budget, this short boasts a great premise, top-notch production design impressive world building, some dark […] More
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‘Total Recall’ ironically forgettable
Total Recall Directed by Len Wiseman Written by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback USA, 2012 Taken on its own terms, Total Recall is a passable but not particularly dazzling sci-fi action film that survives almost entirely because its cast isn’t unpleasant to watch. But it’s hard to take this remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger […] More
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TIFF Bell Lightbox Presents The Rise of Beefcake Cinema: ‘Total Recall’ becomes progressively endearing with age
Total Recall Directed by Paul Verhoeven Written by Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman USA, 1990 Thanks to some of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century, we’ve come to discover that the moon is, in fact, not full of cheese. But thanks to Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi action adventure movie, Total Recall, […] More