Dutchman Paul Verhoeven is in many ways an audacious filmmaker. It is surprising even so that the director studied maths and physics at the university. Already his second film, the 1973 TURKS FRUIT (which many consider to be his best), earned an Academy Award nomination. In the 1980s Verhoeven established himself as a leading action and science-fiction film director. In Hollywood, where he has filmed ever since the 1985 FLESH + BLOOD, he made such blockbusters as ROBOCOP (1987), TOTAL RECALL (1990) and BASIC INSTINCT (1992). In 1995 he received critical beating for his controversial bomb SHOWGIRLS. Verhoeven restricts himself to directing, he has hardly ever written scripts. He must not be confused with the German director of the same name.
Filmography:
Een Hagedis Teveel (1960; dir; aka A Lizard Too Much; short)
Niets bijzonders (1961; dir; short)
De Lifters (1961; dir; short)
Feest (1963; dir, prod; aka Let's Have a Party; short)
Het Korps Mariniers (1965; dir; documentary short)
Mussert (1968; dir; made for TV; short)
Die Ratten (1969; act?)
Palaver (1969; cam op)
De Worstelaar (1970; dir, scr; a 20m. short)
Wat Zien Ik? (1971; dir; aka Diary of a Hooker)
Turks Fruit (1973; dir; aka Turkish Delight)
Keetje Tippel (1975; dir; aka Cathy Tippel, Katie's Passion)
Soldaat van Oranje (1977; dir, coscr; aka Soldier of Orange)
Voorbij, Voorbij (1979; dir; made for TV)
Spetters (1980; dir)
Ik Ben Joep Melon (1981; advisor)
De Vierde Man (1983; dir; aka The Fourth Man)
Flesh + Blood (1985; dir, coscr)
Vroeger Is Dood (1987; scenario advisor)
RoboCop (1987; dir)
Total Recall (1990; dir; based on the short story by Philip K. Dick)
Basic Instinct (1992; dir)
Showgirls (1995; dir)
Starship Troopers (1997; dir)
Hollow Man (2000; dir)
Hollow Man II (2006; exec prod; made for video)
Zwartboek (2006; dir, coscr; aka Black Book)
© Ron Altman (last update 25/04/2008)