From Robocop to Basic Instinct: Paul Verhoeven on his audacious career

Starship Troopers, Robocop, Basic Instinct and now... Elle. The Dutch troublemaker Paul Verhoeven talks through his rich, varied and risk-taking movies at a 60th BFI London Film Festival Screen Talk.
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[@pieter-jandeboeck2595]

His Robocop is still better than the remake 3 decades later

[@logicalnetwork1611]

totally agree.

[@davelee1935]

Everyone agrees i think

[@HerbieChuckNorris]

The way he talks about violence is just yes.

[@truck5050]

You've never lived violence then

[@triberk]

Director of the movies with a soul, sad to miss the event, long live Verhoeven!

[@truck5050]

Fuck that demon

[@danielm3192]

He’s very intelligent with his worldview and understanding of the human race. It’s one of the reasons he’s made so many excellent movies. What a great artist. Thanks Paul!

[@orangewarm1]

most good directors are intelligent and possess an understanding of the human condition.

[@JR-ju3kj]

He's a great director and a very intelligent man. I think that he's one of the best directors of his time and I also think that they didn't get him in Holland when he had problems with his film career there( it pretty much almost sounds like he got chased out when he talks about how bad things got for his directorial career) and then started making American movies and nowadays, he's gone back to making Dutch and French films. I'd love to see him do more American movies but he's explained before why he hasn't doesn't done any American films lately.

[@edwardhitten2678]

SO much brilliance in him.

[@MrJimheeren]

Oh Paul. We all love your movies and extremely Dutch accent

[@dimitristripakis7364]

I recently bought Robocop in KZbin and keep rewatching and breaking down the scenes. Everything was spot on, there are legendary sequences, especially the satirical parts with the newsfeeds, snapshots while he be dead, the botched ED029 demo "you now have 15 seconds to comply", oh boy.. This guy has genius, he is aggressive and humane at the same time; satire and splatter at the same time. With Robocop, it was amazing what these people accomplished with what they had available (technology at the time, and budget). Voerhoeven can punch you in the gut and make you laugh about it. He is a genius prankster.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul Verhoeven will live forever as one of the greatest film directors of all time. I await his next work of art.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Your greatest work is with you now.

[@paulconnolly3189]

Paul made brilliant popular movies! RoboCop, Total Recall & Starship Troopers are my favourite science fiction cult thriller!

[@WELCOME2PATSPLACE]

I wish this guy was my teacher...brilliant!

[@conatcha]

I LOVE his films. I really miss his work. Love his satirical, daring view in movies. Why doesn't he do more movies?

[@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747]

He does, in Europe.

[@CelestialWoodway]

Hollywood just offered him more sci-fi and action movies and he tired of doing those kind of movies.

[@MrJimheeren]

He still makes films. He’s just back in Europe. He made a great French film a couple of years ago. Elle.

[@conatcha]

@@MrJimheeren I saw Elle some years ago. VERY risky plot. Theres another more recent one that I haven't seen it yet.

[@MrJimheeren]

@@conatcha Bennadetta, not as good as Elle, but very how do you say it, sensual

[@retroworld8090]

He's so amazing Robocop Total Recall Basic Instinct Starship Troopers

[@starbreaker6017]

He Made some of the cultiest Movies ever.robocop,total Recall,Troopers are jewels

[@harrychalcraft6371]

49:32 "At a certain moment you have to move, as these people aren't there anymore, they've disappeared!" - Story of my life

[@bramble3493]

You need to chill bro!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul you are an excellent movie director thank God you were here for us. And you would make the story beautiful I know that. let's forgot Robocop like that.

[@pulse4503]

Robocop his best opus by far, one of the top sci-fi flicks ever

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul you are an excellent movie director thank God you were here for us. And you would make the story beautiful I know that.

[@leonardotdias]

Decades later and fathers still send the same kind of newspaper ads to their sons... -.-

[@danrc777]

Good interview!

[@brentulstad3275]

Elle is one of the best films I've seen in recent years. Just phenomenal and refreshing to say the least.

[@WELCOME2PATSPLACE]

Paul Verhoeven is awesome! All of his movies are great yes I even liked Showgirls.

[@pieter-jandeboeck2595]

The fact people are talking about this movie decades later certainly is telling, it is at least an Interesting movie then

[@JR-ju3kj]

@@pieter-jandeboeck2595 At the time, when Showgirls came out, even though I was too young to see it, I remember that I wanted to see the movie but that was mainly because I was a teenage boy and I liked the idea of the movie having topless and naked women in it and I didn't care whether or not the movie was actually any good. Now, as an adult and actually caring about if a movie is good and has substance, I'm not a fan of Showgirls but It's since gone on to develop a very strong culture following.

[@YourFellowRNRSisterFan98]

We need more directors and producers like him! We need men and women to step forward with their creative thinking I have and I have reached out to a few and we will see what happens.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

YOU'RE EXTREMELY INTELIGENT PAUL VERHOEVEN, NEED THAT NEW ROBOCOP PAUL VERHOEVEN.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

you're telling your soul Paul and it's beautiful

[@maximboyko1780]

Incredibly intelligent and powerful man

[@veroniquegerost2571]

Netherlands number one !!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

exceptional director, bring him back to america

[@harrychalcraft6371]

BLACK AND WHITE

[@ems7623]

No sensible European would come to the USA at a time like this.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

@@ems7623 And you think Paul Verhoeven is "sensibile"? Ohhhhhh, my sweeeeeet, sweeet, summer Child. :)

[@TH33QUALIZ3R]

@@harrychalcraft6371 LOL! I don't think he has any interest in Hollywood now tbf. Plus he's satirised pretty much everything there is to satirise. So much so, that life has imitated his art in many ways and satire is dead anyway. That being said, I do have dreams of him bowing out with one last big Sci-fi film. But I doubt it'll ever happen though sadly.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

@@TH33QUALIZ3R No theres' more!

[@pulse4503]

ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS, TOTAL RECALL Do I need to say more? 🙂🙂

[@liamf7838]

Hollow man too 😁

[@retroworld8090]

Basic Instinct!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

he is a beautiful artist

[@logicalnetwork1611]

One of the greatest directors. I luv Pauls films.

[@anarky_jay]

Incredbile, im brazillian, and even if the "sh" accent from Verhoeven, i feel that i can understand him better than any other english native

[@yuliam9271]

He has great humor !!!😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@yuliam9271]

Brilliant

[@harrychalcraft6371]

SO MUCH RESPECT FOR YOU PAUL SPETTERS LMAO

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS FILM PAUL.

[@truck5050]

you ok hun?

[@egel7736]

the fuck u doing lol

[@tomweyts]

Please sir give us another Starship Troopers....

[@heartofcinema3454]

Watched 35th anni release of RoboCop 4k print at cinema last night.

[@qqqppp97]

Robocop remake. 다시 한번 더 만들어 주세요.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Give us more action Paul Verhoven. I demand it. Paul, you must come back to Hollywood. If it's Robocop 2 Peter has to come back, one more time. Make the real Robocop 2 with Edward Neumeriner and Peter Weller. One more time Paul.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul, you must make a Robocop sequel with Ed Neumeriner.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

what you did with that movie was exceptional You changed your life, truly exceptional. How much did you change Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner the script to suit your needs?

[@aaronmatthews4612]

So true what he says about what dominates the world. Was is and always will be .

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I love you Paul, Who can it be now?

[@truck5050]

sure you're ok hun. pm me now x

[@SuiGenerisAbbie]

At what time stamps does this Master address “Basic Instinct”?

[@free_spirit1]

I would love to see Verhoeven's Jesus film

[@milekrizman]

@@kapiteinbadmuts5043 movie about historical Jesus from first century

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Him and Ed Neumeier just need to forget the Robocop sequels and the internet ever existed and they'll make a blockbuster picture

[@ClubMicrobio]

cool guy

[@Farawaysoclose]

In today hollywood, we need more director like Paul Verhoeven-with exceptionally great intellectual idea also never for-get dr Fritz Lang, Hans Rudolf-Belabarenyi ,Walter Hill,and Wim-Wenders

[@harrychalcraft6371]

SO WHERE'S THE 4K RIP PAUL?

[@harrychalcraft6371]

IT'S HERE, I WONDER IF PAUL COULD BE HONEST TO BE BOTHERED WITH IT.

[@frenchcoupon3391]

A genius filmmaker.

[@guileniam]

Genius*

[@frenchcoupon3391]

Dizzy Blu true, thanks :)

[@truck5050]

Personally I think he's a weirdo with a BDSM/nilihism fetish. Your thoughts "Coupon"?

[@leszekhalama1173]

Christ bless mr. Paul Verhoeven. And thank you for Him.

[@truck5050]

I don't think they're on the same side lol

[@tentsio]

​@@truck5050 Look for the book "Jesus of Nazareth" by Paul Verhoeven. If he is not on the same side for sure studied both the religious and historical figure more than most of us,

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul Verhoeven comes across as a director fed up of these movies, mplease tell use about the violence regarding these movies. The violence works incredibly well thought the entire movie...

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul might have might it a bit more brutal

[@truck5050]

@@harrychalcraft6371 What?

[@Jacksirrom]

We love to hear Paul Verhoeven talk about pooping and peeing. The truth is really that these things happen.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul Verhoeven

[@harrychalcraft6371]

We all want a Robocop written by Neumeriner Robocop 2 or Robocop Returns! Robocop 2 was not right. You Verhoeven, knows what to do, and you can correct it Verhoeven. Fix it.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

You have to fix Robocop for us Paul Verhoeven please! We need a new movie. Please Paul.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I need a violent direct movies of yours in a new action movie, I'd love to see how you'd do one today, how would you do one?

[@harrychalcraft6371]

This could be your real movie but I don't think so

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Murphy is still in a bad place Paul. Murphy needs help. You could have made a beautiful sequel.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

My dad always used to talk cruely about how Dutch people ate grass during the war to his cruel Dutch girlfriend

[@MrJimheeren]

Nah it was mostly tulip boll’s and lots of pigeons

[@harrychalcraft6371]

paUL VERHOEVEN

[@harrychalcraft6371]

You must.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

A bit snobby but a good question!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I am so incredibly proud that you chose to be a film director Paul.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Your parents had to be so proud for what you became Paul, What you have done is beautiful and you did such a good job elsewhere. You did exceptionally. I am so happy you did what you did.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I am nothing compared to you, you did so much! and my parents never had any respect for me either!

[@tomjones2348]

I look at his films in the same way I look at fine art in the Smithsonian.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

You should write a violent scene with Robocop, I can do it, I could do it with you and Ed all shooting the shit, I'd really appreciate it.

[@PauloRoberto-tq8gh]

And zero fucks were given by Mr. Verhoeven that day.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

He could make Robocop Returns a Jesus picture too, it's called Easter Paul!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

51:40 Well make it a fucking fantasy!

[@pinkystinkinc3475]

41:27

[@harrychalcraft6371]

SAME AS IT EVER WAS!!!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoKnfH-doaqDa7s

[@elunicocalvo]

7:21

[@harrychalcraft6371]

sERIOUSLY THOUGH PAUL. GIVE ROBOCOP ELEMENTS 20 YEARS LATER. IT WILL MAKE SENSE. DO IT NOW AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE MOST BRUTAL VIOLENCE EVER. rOBOCOP[ MIGHT DIE, WE NEED SOMETHING A FAIR COP.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Go with Walter Hill and get a good script for Robocop 2

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I believe you should direct 2.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

I believe you need to come back to America Paul Verhoeven.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

This is what needs to happen.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul will destroy Robocop 2 and that is what needs to happen.

[@1165mac]

"Showgirls" needs the Criterion treatment.

[@ems7623]

I see you don't understand film at all.

[@TucoRope2Tight]

@@ems7623 Explain

[@harrychalcraft6371]

LMAO, HE WANTS YOU TO TELL HIM PAUL WHY DO YOU HAVE JUST WOMEN?

[@harrychalcraft6371]

THIS HAS NOT FINISHED YET.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

KEEP MAKING FILM.

[@harrychalcraft6371]

IT WILL HAPPEN TO FOR YOU, FOR ME. FOR US!!!!!!!!!!! IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!! I TRUST MY 20% IS WRONG WHEN I TRY TO STAND OUT.

[@Leon-hv4tf]

Elecromagnetism

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Robocop must be destroyed, just like what happened to jesus, he will be re-wriitten sounds like a good story to me - re new!!! holy shit, you got a new title on your robocop!

[@harrychalcraft6371]

Paul everything, is dominated by sex and violence. so in my opinion, we're gonna say fuck it and have some fun. I'm a real fan of yours and that it will stay Paul, when you gonna do another action movie!?

[@Leon-hv4tf]

Tt

[@yuliam9271]

Love Especially showgirls Was huge in Europe