eShop USA > DVD > Paul Verhoeven Collection - Limited Edition (The 4th Man / Turkish Delight / Katie Tippel / Business Is Business / Soldier of Orange)
Paul Verhoeven Collection - Limited Edition (The 4th Man / Turkish Delight / Katie Tippel / Business Is Business / Soldier of Orange)
Price: $114.95 Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0013131195798
Format: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 MonoDutch (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Region Code: 1
Release Date: April 29, 2003
Running Time: 562 minutes
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: August 16, 1979
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Editorial Review:
The Paul Verhoeven Collection consists of five films the Dutch director made in Europe before graduating to the Hollywood mainstream with such films as Total Recall and Basic Instinct. A bawdy though sympathetic look at the lives of two Amsterdam prostitutes, 1971's Business Is Business was Verhoeven's film debut. Ronnie Biermann stars as Greet, a worldly wise prostitute who is decently protective of her neighbor and friend in the trade, the busty, younger Nell (Sylvia de Leur). Finally, she decides they must both break out of their decreasingly fulfilling lives and seek out matrimonial stability. Business Is Business probably seemed like an authentic depiction of the Amsterdam demi-monde in its day, but today its kinky peccadilloes look rather quaint. However, both Biermann and Sylvia De Leur forcefully resist any of the clichés of the era in their strong characters.
When Turkish Delight (1973) opens on a brutal attack and then a succession of one-night stands, it seems that bohemian artist Eric Vonk (Rutger Hauer, collaborating for the first time with Verhoeven) is a complete jerk. Then a sudden flashback reveals the motivations for both his dreams and behavior, as well as the subject of the photos he spends his time pining for. He meets Olga (a fantastic Monique van de Ven), but their tempestuous relationship is shaken by many peculiar events: a surreal wedding ceremony, unveiling a statue to the Queen, and the death of Olga's father. The real problem is Olga herself, however, which leads to a shock ending many have compared to Love Story. Somewhat dated now, Turkish Delight is nonetheless unmistakably a product of the now-familiar Verhoeven style.
Katie Tippel (1975) is a handsome period drama set in 19th-century Holland, based on a true story. The second eldest daughter in a poor family, Katie (Monique van de Ven) must find whatever work is going to make ends meet. As she enters a succession of jobs in which she experiences both exploitation and sexual harassment, she learns that men want her for only one thing and so she enters prostitution. However, she is finally able to escape the poverty trap and ascend the social ladder, particularly when banker Hugo (Rutger Hauer) takes her as his lover. All this is set against a backdrop of social foment as the workers' impatience at poor social conditions increases.
Based on real events, Soldier of Orange (1977) tells the story of Dutchman Erik Lanshof (a star-making performance by Rutger Hauer) and a small group of students as they struggle to survive the Nazi occupation to the end of the Second World War. Across a canvas lasting almost three hours, Verhoeven unfolds a saga of friendship, espionage, and romance with almost documentary realism, crafting a deeply affecting film widely regarded as the greatest ever made in Holland.
Only two years separate The Fourth Man (1983), Verhoeven's final Dutch language movie, and the explosive commencement of his Hollywood career. This savage comedy shocker could well be seen as a trial run for Basic Instinct, since it features an ice-cold seductress (Renée Soutendijk) with mysterious motivations and sexual preferences. The hallucinatory tale follows a novelist (Jeroen Krabbé) first falling for her, and then feverishly investigating whether she's a serial husband killer. The film is full of what would soon be recognized as Verhoeven trademarks: a little blasphemy, a lot of nudity, dispassionate characters, and hidden agendas.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Great job Anchor Bay for releasing 5 of Verhoeven's early "Dutch Treats"!!!
Great job again Anchor Bay!!! A great collection of Paul Verhoeven's early works!!! Being a big fan of his more commercial efforts especially "Robocop","Total Recall" and of course "Basic Instict",it's great to be able to enjoy his less commercial but still entertaining early Dutch films("The 4th Man","Turkish Delight","Katie Tippel","Business Is Business",and "Soldier Of Orange"),All 5 films have great picture and sound that you have come to expect from the folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment!!! Two ... Read More
Rating:  - Only for arthouse fans
Paul Verhoven's Hollywood films have been a fascinating blend of old-school SF and B-grade sleaze- ROBOCOP,TOTAL RECALL, BASIC INSTINCT, SHOWGIRLS, STARSHIP TROOPERS and HOLLOW MAN range from excellent to plain bizarre. However this collection of arthouse classics showcases some interesting talent that makes for entertaining viewing. These films are not for everyone's tastes, but for fans of the genre, movies like THE 4TH MAN and TURKISH DELIGHT (1986) are a treat. However there's not much to get excited ... Read More
Rating: - Five dutch movies for one great price
The Paul Verhoeven is one of the best DVD collections that I have seen. These movies were very different from his movies made in Hollywood. They were made in his native country The Nederlands, before he went to Hollywood. Since I am originally from Belgium and Dutch is my native language, I was very exited that these movies were available on DVD in the United States. I was also satisfied that the English Subtitles were optional, so I turn them off. Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange) was one of my ... Read More
Rating: - 5 movies for a great price
Five of the movies that dr. Paul Verhoeven (Ph.D. in math & physics) made in the Netherlands before moving to the US, in a pretty, stylish box (rather like the box sets for the extended "Lord of the rings" movies). Each movie has Paul's always interesting commentary (in English). As a Dutchman, I grew up having watched "Soldier of Orange" and "Turkish Delight" quite a number of times, so I figured that while living in the States, this box was an essential thing for me to have. Fortunately for me, the English ... Read More
Rating: - Great Movies! Great Price!
Anchor Bay has come through again with this wonderful set of Paul Verhoeven's early films. All of the transfers are top-notch and the subtitles are very clear and concise. As the individual titles have already been reviewed seperately, the big draw to this collection is being able to collect all of these brilliant films for much less than their retail price. The collectible booklet that's included provides plot summaries and quotes from the director and/or cast member(s). Overall, I highly recommend this collection ... Read More
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