NC-17’s Future

Only in Hollywood, the land of fantasy and make-believe, could a story be spun that turns an abject failure of a movie into a glowing success (“ ‘Showgirls’ May Help Give NC-17 Releases a Leg Up,” by Claudia Puig, Oct. 10). But The Times has done just that.

Where else but in Hollywood can one spend $40 million on a project, make $17.8 million and shower it with terms like “relative success,” “a leg up” and “box-office success”?

Since Puig didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to state the obvious let’s do it once and for all: The American people have voted with their pocketbooks and the verdict is that NC-17 is a stupid idea because it flows against the expressed desire of the America public that Hollywood clean up its act and quit releasing movies that have dubious artistic merit and have the cumulative effect of destroying the foundations of culture and civilization.

“Showgirls” was an utter failure, will lose money, has tarnished the reputations of its screenwriter and director, and has set back the NC-17 push by a decade.

MARK JOSEPH

La Mirada