The year was 1995 and Joe Eszterhas, the top of writer of the day for mainstream exploitation films, released (unleashed) his most exploitative script of all time -- Showgirls.
At the time, it seemed like a slam dunk. It had something to push everyone's buttons. It was about strippers. It had dancing and sex. It had backstory. And just as additional insurance to guarantee greatness, the casting director deliberately picked the female star of a popular teen sitcom for the leading role -- guaranteeing a "shock" factor as the world watched a sweet teen icon go down the darkside.
It should have worked but it didn't. The mass audience, the gestalt, seemed to belatedly develop a conscience and punished the film, presumably, as payback for all the earlier works of of Eszterhas' they enjoyed but probably shouldn't have.
A major TV comic talking about the film (which was a flop within weeks of release) said "I haven't seen so many poles abused since WW2."
Ironically 20 years later, with TV in full-on stratification and everyone with a video camera offering a new series, the writers of Flesh and Bone have taken the ideas comprising Showgirls and fixed them and repaired them.
It is exploitative but does not make you feel guilty.
Pretty good TV.
