Paul Verhoeven

Paul Verhoeven (born July 18, 1938) is a famous Dutch-born film director best known for his extremely violent science fiction films.

Related Topics:
July 18 - 1938 - Dutch - Film director - Science fiction film

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He was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 1960 he graduated from the University of Leiden with a double in mathematics and physics. He joined the Dutch navy as a conscript and it was in that service that he gained his first exposure to film, making documentaries. He left the navy and took his skills into Dutch television. His first major success was the 1969 Floris television series, starring Rutger Hauer. His first film was released in 1971, Wat Zien Ik? was not especially well received. But his first national success did not come until 1973 with Turks Fruit, featuring Hauer. He built on his reputation and following minor international successes, such as the Golden Globe winning Soldaat van Oranje, he moved to the United States.

Related Topics:
Amsterdam, Netherlands - 1960 - University of Leiden - Mathematics - Physics - Navy - 1969 - Rutger Hauer - 1971 - 1973 - Golden Globe - United States

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Verhoeven's last Dutch film was The Fourth Man (1983), a horror film starring Jeroen Krabbe and Renee Soutendijk. It was written by Gerard Soeteman from a novel by Gerard Reve. Soeteman also wrote Verhoeven's first American film, Flesh and Blood (1985), which starred Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Related Topics:
The Fourth Man - Horror film - Jeroen Krabbe - Renee Soutendijk - Gerard Reve - Flesh and Blood - Jennifer Jason Leigh

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Working in the USA he made a serious change in style, directing big-budget, violent, effects-heavy smashes such as Robocop (1987) and Total Recall (1990). He followed those successes with the equally intense (and provocative) Basic Instinct (1992) and then the infamous flop Showgirls (1995). After that he returned to the graphic violence and effects that marked his earlier films with Starship Troopers (1997) and Hollow Man (2000).

Related Topics:
Robocop - 1987 - Total Recall - 1990 - Basic Instinct - 1992 - Showgirls - 1995 - Starship Troopers - 1997 - Hollow Man - 2000

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