Well here’s something I never thought I’d be writing about, but apparently Paul Verhoeven, director of such bold and controversial films as Robocop, Basic Instinct, and Showgirls, has been knighted in his home country of The Netherlands. According to Twitch Film, he has now joined the Order of the Dutch Lion, which “consists of people who have shown patriotism through exceptional achievements in arts and sciences”. Nice! I find it amusing in some ways, since he certainly doesn’t seem to fit the distinguished description of actors and filmmakers who have previously been knighted in the U.K. (ie. Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Stanley Kubrick etc.). But you’ve gotta give the Dutch government credit for recognizing Verhoeven’s contributions to film, especially when there are plenty of art snobs who still think Starship Troopers sucked! Imagine that. Well, if there’s one thing you can say about the Dutch, it is that they are quite comfortable with celebrating things that most other people would consider smut. Hats off to them. (Yes, I am part Dutch.)