Sem Controle

Spetters was heavily criticized in the Netherlands. Many critics accused the movie of being anti-women, anti-gay, anti-invalid, and anti-Christian. They also called it devoid of morals and needlessly decadent. This criticism was one of the contributing factors in director Paul Verhoeven's decision to begin making movies in America rather than his native land. In fact, on the movie's commentary track, Verhoeven has stated that the reason he was not fazed by the negative criticism of Showgirls (1995) was because he'd already been through it with Sem Controle (1980). He also pointed out that he also moved to America because it grew difficult to get funding. "All Dutch movies were fifty to sixty percent subsidized by the government. I was denied government funding because my movies were considered to be decadent, perverted, and antigovernment. That's when I had to leave. The problem was the leftists -- they are so fucking dogmatic. At that time in Holland, they were often more fascistic than the right."

During the first bike race which Hans (Maarten Spanjer) loses because his bike breaks down, he gets splattered with dirt/mud all over his white jersey. But when he is at the trailer getting food moments later, his jersey is free of mud and dirt.

Was released uncut in the UK before the video recordings act, on a laserdisc by Embassy Video

Featured in Allemaal film: De magie van het witte doek (2007)