User reviews

Or don't I? Actually who knows ... Nomi? And of course there are other interpretations of that word. Maybe one of the most wicked things about the movie - the characters name. Know me - no me - no! Me! - as you can see you make it what you think it should be. And maybe some won't like how certain people view this movie. But then again, why are watching this? I personally thought the audio commentary was enjoyable enough and most topics that are being highlighted there, get repeated here.

But you also get to see how some just cherish the movie, by reanacting it. But also how different some view it! Is it a feminists worst nightmare or does it show and depict how powerful women are? I don't have to tell you how to feel about the movie, you are the one deciding. And no one can make you have fun watching the movie Showgirls, but maybe the documentary brings you closer to that point. Especially considering where Berkley came from and where she went after that movie ... all depicted here. I almost feel sorry for her. But she accepted that the movie will always be a part of her and she relishes in it. One of the things you will learn here ... for fans of Showgirls mostly, but can work for others too. Still it makes sense to have seen the movie to fully understand or have the complete context

Reading the reviews for this documentary on IMDB, it seems clear to me most viewers didn't understand that the context for the various critical commentaries made in the documentary changes all the time as you watch. The fact almost nobody gets that this is happening is totally the documentary's fault. The editing is simply not clear enough with in its intentions.

What happens in this documentary is that its author, David Schmader, who sees a lot in Showgirls both in the positive and negative, and from both the genuine and camp angles, gets various critics - and/or actors standing in for critics, it's not clear - to read out their genuine and mostly negative critical reviews or thoughts of the film on the soundtrack. You never know if these thoughts were written today or back in 1995, or a mixture of both; the documentary never fully declares the sources.

Schmader then contrasts each of these critical attacks with his own additional commentary (or perhaps in some cases, other people's, but again, it's hard to tell) on the same themes or scenes from the film, pointing out value, directorial skill or just other ideas that people might have missed. He also shows clips from other Verhoeven films. These are illuminating when they're used to show recurring Verhoeven themes. Unfortunately, he also alters some of these shots as a sort of gag where the people in the other Verhoeven films are 'interacting' with elements of Showgirls, and these moments are usually downright confusing.

So people ranting on about 'wokeness' of this film and such - blame each critic David was quoting. Neither he nor the documentary is outright endorsing these views. They present them in order to either comment on them, refute them or expand on them. But because the doco is really bad at saying who's speaking from what time period, and when or why, it's understandable viewers miss this.

The crucial point is, this is NOT a single point of view film. It invites a pile of points of view, mostly bundling them into positive or negative camps (which you might expect - polarisation is the hallmark of Showgirls) and compares them, through unfortunately bad editing, usually giving the positive camp the last word. By stepping away from the critics' views late in the film, it ends with other kinds of positives. But make no mistake, you will hear a lot of negative commentary on Showgirls in this film.

This exploration of what makes Showgirls such a great cult film is at times interesting, but with one main speaker on the subject, it can feel a bit like attending someone's lecture about this in a film school hall. No idea how prohibitive that would have been, but more input from some of the people who helped bring it to life would be interesting.

I've never seen Showgirls, and I probably never will. But this movie does a nice job of laying out its history and exploring its cult-movie status. It also gives you all the nudity without having to watch the movie itself.

I see about half the reviews here hate this movie for being "woke," i.e. exploring how the movie portrays women. Having not seen the movie I can't speak to how persuasive the analysis is, but it's pretty interesting and they do make a good case. And I have never heard the opinion of anyone using "woke" or "feminist" as a criticism who wasn't a complete idiot, so that's a point for the movie over its critics.

The talking heads are smart and often witty, there are some interesting personal stories, there are a range of perspectives, its fun to see how the makers tried to spin their disaster, and there are some attractive naked ladies, so all-in-all worth watching.

A documentary about a terrible movie. A story about a movie so bad, that it got a cult following. An interpretation of kitsch, making it valuable again.

This is quite a fun watch, because listening to this huge fan of "Showgirls" explain to us viewers why this terrible flop has still got some worth to it, is quite interesting.

Should I watch it again? No, I dont think so. But terrible movies can become great cult movies and they sure can turn into fun documentaries!

If you're a fan of Showgirls for what it is, an over-the-top disaster that you can't look away from, then you'll enjoy this documentary. I found it entertaining and witty. Whether people want to admit it or not, Showgirls has become a cult-classic. You can analyze to death just l how bad it is, or you can just sit back and enjoy it in all of its awfulness. I choose to do the latter. To me, Showgirls is so bad that's it's good. This documentary does a good job of playing to that angle for fans, with the exception of one thing....

There is one "feminist" female commentator who chooses to pick the movie apart for its depiction of women. She must use the word 'misogynist' 50 times!!! It's exhausting listening to her. Isn't true feminism being able to do whatever the hell you want with your own body??? If that's showing your boobs on the big screen for 90 minutes and getting paid to do it, well so be it. She seems to only be in favor of female-empowerment when it fits her mold of what that encompasses.

If you can just tune her out, this is a really enjoyable documentary for fans of Showgirls.

This documentary puts forward the idea that perhaps Paul Verhoeven's Razzie winning film "Showgirls" needs reappraisal.

If you haven't already seen it I would suggest you watch "Showgirls" first and then wait at least a day, if not a week, before watching this documentary.

My overall impression of the original film was it was a mis-fire from an over the top, intelligent and creative director who likes to provoke and entertain at the same time. The performances throughout the film are so exaggerated that it is not enjoyable to watch, and while there is a lot of nudity this film is not sexy or titillating at all. As with all the Verhoeven films I've seen there is sex and graphic violence.

This documentary takes the viewer on the journey of how the film has been received over the years, and how it has gained cult status. Fans of the original film praise it, books have been written about it.

The use of excerpts from Verhoeven's other films with insert images of Showgirls on TVs and monitors was interesting, as well as cutting excerpts from other films to compliment the narration/interviews from various critics.

Showing how Paul Verhoeven's stance towards "Showgirls" has changed over the years is interesting, but In the end the film is still a bad film and not the masterpiece that some of the participants in this documentary put forward.

I've always loved 'Showgirls' so was delighted to see that a documentary had been released exploring a film dragged through the ringer & accused of being sleazy garbage.

As a queer female, lots of things about Showgirls and Nomi's crazy journey spoke to me such as the concept of 'chosen families'.

'You Don't Nomi' is an absolute must see, putting 'Showgirls' in its rightful spot amongst high camp, delightfully & unashamedly OTT classics including 'Mommie Dearest', 'Valley of the Dolls', 'Cobra Woman', 'The Room', 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' & 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'.

This thoughtful documentary deserves all the awards it will certainly win.

The great thing about Showgirls (1995) is that it gives a semi-futuristic image of a wasteland while at the moment it was shot it is taking place in reality. It was history in the making. In fact Paul Verhoeven created a dramatized documentary by hiring actors and a scenario writer. It was not a bad movie but a bad dream about American society. That's against the American Dream. Showing Americans that they are in a Third World Country was in those years the biggest taboo. The documentary You Don't Nomi does not come to this conclusion, it describes the fuzz and confusion from a film press perspective, wondering why after so many years the movie regained respect. Ask Paul Verhoeven to do a movie about the recent Capitol attack and he will show the ugliness of the patriots, including woman. Showgirls is about that. Show the ugliness of the American way of setting up a sex industry and not able to handle it. A third world country, in 1995 nobody in the US was thinking of it this way... only an outsider could see it.

Remember Claire from Six Feet Under? She goes to Art School and she befriends teenagers who are always high and will bring politics into every single thing for no reason. Now imagine those art school teenagers making a documentary about Showgirls and distorting every single thing in the movie to fit their narrative, that's You Don't Nomi. Everything you don't want in a Showgirls doc is here. Personal stories of random people I couldn't care less about and political commentary all over the place. What could have been an interesting dissection of the film and how it impacted Pop Culture, became a bad drinking game and if you take a shot everytime someone says "straight white male" you'll be drunk in no time. Ironically enough, this mess, completely misses the point about black characters, reducing Molly to a sidekick who only exists to serve Nomi, while in truth, Molly has the best and most interesting and sinister storyline in the film. Anyway, don't bother with this, get your friends together, watch the movie and discuss it among yourselves, you'll have a much better time.

"You Don't Nomi" (2019), directed by Jeffrey McHale, is a documentary that affectionately and meticulously examines the infamous "Showgirls" (1995), the film by Paul Verhoeven and Joe Eszterhas that was harshly criticized upon its release and has since gained a cult following. Through a montage of archival footage and audio interviews with critics and fans, the documentary attempts to answer a central question: where does the true value of "Showgirls" lie?

One of the main focuses of "You Don't Nomi" is the theory that "Showgirls" is not simply a poorly executed film but rather a biting satire and sociocultural commentary that deliberately uses sex and nudity to unsettle the audience. According to this interpretation, Elizabeth Berkley's supposedly "terrible acting" is not a reflection of her lack of talent but a conscious choice by Verhoeven to amplify the film's intentions.

The documentary also examines Paul Verhoeven's career, highlighting his tendency to use provocative material to elicit strong reactions from audiences. However, this exploration feels somewhat superficial and does not delve deeply enough into the impact of his filmography. Despite this, the film offers intriguing observations about visual and narrative elements of "Showgirls," such as the recurring use of mirrors, the symbolism of the name "Nomi," and the widescreen compositions that establish connections with other works by the director.

One of the most notable contributions comes from April Kidwell, who played Nomi in the Off-Broadway parody adaptation "Showgirls! The Musical." However, her participation focuses more on the personal significance the film had for her rather than an analysis of its artistic value. Through a vast array of clips, including negative reviews, parodies, fan gatherings, and iconic scenes from the original film, "You Don't Nomi" documents the critical and popular reevaluation that "Showgirls" has undergone over time.

For "Showgirls" fans, this documentary represents a vindication and provides ample evidence to support their defense of the film. However, for those who still see it as a cinematic disaster, "You Don't Nomi" is unlikely to change their perception. Ultimately, McHale offers a passionate yet biased analysis of a work that continues to divide opinions and whose legacy keeps evolving in pop culture.

This is not a documentary. It's a 90min movie review by a bunch of irrelevant "critics" spouting their irrelevant opinions no one cares about and no one asked for. They sit around pontificating the meaning behind every little thing and how the movie is full of "misogyny" and "racism". None of which is true. Most of the commentary is done by basement dweller Schmader the schmuck from back in 2004/05. Don't even get me started on that. There is also a section devoted to some strange woman, who is a nobody, running around town obsessed with Elizabeth Berkeley and apparently there are idiots who think she's funny when really she's just cringe. NO ONE involved in SHOWGIRLS has anything to do with this load of bile. Wait for the real documentary, "GODDESS".

But If you actually like Showgirls, appreciate the camp satire and spectacle and wanted to find out anything interesting about how it was made then it's probably not.

Despite its subject being one of the most infamous cult films of the '90s, You Don't Nomi fails to bring any real substance to the conversation. It's never clear who's speaking, and frankly, it's hard to care. Instead of featuring compelling interviews with key players - like the filmmakers, cast, or anyone truly close to Showgirls - we're given endless recycled clips and voiceovers that feel both distant and unnecessary.

The narration lacks clarity and direction, making the whole thing feel like a commentary track stretched thin over an hour and a half. There's potential here, but the result is mostly surface-level rehashing rather than thoughtful analysis.

There are 18 minutes left in this documentary and I can't listen to the person being interviewed drone on any longer. All I am hearing is the Charlie Brown teacher "Blah blah blah blah blah blah."

I never saw the movie, never heard of it - which is odd because I've been a movie fan all my life (let's blame my mother!!) and one would think I'd know this one given how famous it is for being such a stinker.

Sadly, I don't think this documentary is much of an improvement on the movie. It's just 180 degrees in the other direction. I am seriously trying to stay awake and finally decided that if it's THAT boring, why am I still watching it since it's not really about a topic I actually care about?

So, will forego the last 18 minutes and go take a nap.

Given how much I agree with the 1-star ratings of this supposed "documentary", my rating may surprise. I think this film isn't actually terrible, it's just lame and somewhat misguided. Now, Showgirls itself IS terrible, but that's not what I'm reviewing here (mostly).

This film has flaws. Much time is spent on the notion that Showgirls is either a "misunderstood masterpiece" or an "over-the-top FUN movie". But as the film clearly shows, Paul Verhoeven intended Showgirls to be serious drama. The studio eventually began marketing the movie as so-bad-it's-good (which I personally disagree with), but for whatever reason it found a cult following, especially among segments of the gay community.

One of the stranger assertions is that Showgirls is simultaneously bad and good, as if quantum physics is somehow involved.

The various unseen narrators have conflicting perspectives. Some bend over backwards to provide arguments that Showgirls has hidden merit. A LOT of footage of other films (many by Verhoeven) is shown to illustrate points or entertain, but it's mostly distracting and annoying. What I found most interesting about the actual Showgirls footage was how much more star power and/or stage presence Gina Gershon had than Elizabeth Berkley. A documentary about Gina would have been FAR more interesting.

You Don't Nomi touches on an off-Broadway musical adaptation of Showgirls, which was interesting (at first). The exaggerated mannerisms that seem so dumb in the movie work just fine on the stage. However, FAR too much time is spent listening to the life story of the lead performer (gad).

I give this four (4) stars, which is probably generous, given how little I learned relative to the time spent watching.