The Verhoeven Interviews - Part 1

This is a 5 part interview I conducted with Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Robocop, Basic Instinct) on his life as a director, and his first film shot in his native Holland in 20 years called Black Book (Zwartboek). A rare and candid look inside the mind of one of Hollywood's great directors.

Part 1: Advice for young filmmakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAjkNgdg4yI

Part 2: "Filmmaking Is Hell"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYGHODwfqk4

Part 3: What stories would you tell if you were starting out today?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw3uAtguDVo

Part 4: Memories of World War 2 from his childhood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIRjfuftKs8

Part 5: The film opens and closes in 1956 in Israel, why?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6kfNts5894

Enjoy! Please post your comments.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Paul
• Verhoeven
• interview
• director
• hollywood
• Black
• Book
• Robocop
• Starship
• Troopers
• Zwartboek
• Soldaat
• van
• Oranje

[pookie67]

Hitchcock and Leone were incredibly overweight how did they do it, they obviously weren't in prime physical condition. And Peter Jackson was on the hefty side when he made 3 LOTR films back to back. Also making short films and getting noticed may have been the way to do it many years ago but not these days where "talent" is all subjective, influenced and oversaturated

[zenbeer]

There's always an exception to the rule, and Jackson did slim down after LOTR. As for making shorts to get noticed, YouTube is a community of "short-film" makers, so I think it's stil a good way to get noticed -- how many viral shorts on here get national media exposure? 10 years ago this wasn't possible. As well, if you win a Sundance or Tribeca or other type of film festival with a short, you can usually secure finding for a a feature-length film much easier. -zen

[Flup2]

LOL, I thought Verhoeven's English was less Dutch accented than this.

[zenbeer]

I think it normally is - at least it's sounded less pronounced in other interviews I've heard. He was living on location in his native Holland during this production, so perhaps his accent may have thickened some being immersed in the country for a year.

[benthead]

Paul Verhoeven is one of the great film directors of our time.

It is a pleasure to hear him interviewed.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

Thank You

[itoroi]

black book was amazing and so underrated. to make a movie like that this director has to be extremely talented. kudos mr. verhoeven. maybe one day youll get the respect you deserve.

[rigragtag]

I wish he would make more films. I watched Starship Troopers recently and realized I that had completely forgotten how a sci-fi action/adventure can make you feel if it's made by the right person, it can stick in a nerve and make you feel good, instead of the humorless, boorish, gaudy Hollywood sausage factory crap that is being churned out of late that just bores you to death. Maybe it's just sentimental bias, but I really don't think they give a fuck any more.

[neosoc]

Just saw Total Recall last night. Fucking genius!

[adamzanzie]

@zenbeer,

Did Verhoeven ever tell you his opinion on "Schindler's List"? I've always wondered what he thought of that film.

[indivum]

@harrypotterfan11ver Verhoeven is a german name? LOL! Silly kraut....

[Starcloud1986]

best dutch filmmaker ever!

[PhillyDippy5]

In my opinion this guy is really talented and so underrated, he is a master of SCI-FI

[vinkeveen2]

I actually shook his hand today. he ate at the restaurant i work at. very nice man.

[andzwe]

I understand his need to move to the States, at the time. Quite ironical, though, he made his best movies in the Netherlands.

[ebkvideos]

Makes perfectly good since to me :)

[harrypotterfan11ver]

hes german because im related to him we have the same last name and im german