Unrated — Season 1, Episode 4: Paul Verhoeven: Classic Cinema + Exploitation
38 min • 1 season, 6 episodes
Episode synopsis
Maggie Mae Fish (she/her) explores the work of Paul Verhoeven, the over-the-top director who melds classical film sensibilities with the ultra-violence and provocative sexual content of exploitation films. Basic Instinct (1992) turned the erotic thriller genre on its head, but haunted Sharon Stone for the rest of her life. Showgirls (1995) asked audiences to identify with the object of the gaze, which ended up being too much to ask at the time. Benedetta (2021) explores the dark side of Catholicism, and the realities of living an authentic life in a society where queer people are erased from reality.
About Unrated
Maggie Mae Fish dives into the history of sex, sexuality, and gender in film, from the silent era to sexploitation to modern erotic movies.