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Basic Instinct

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Basic Instinct

1992 18

Overall rating: 3 out of 5
from 13,159 members

This cold, stylish erotic-thriller grossed over $100 million at the box-office despite vigorous protests at its depiction of gays and women. The shocking opening sequence features a graphic sexual encounter involving a rock-star bound with a white Hermes scarf by an unidentified blond woman. Despite the fact that the scene ends with a bloody icepick murder (horrifyingly realized by makeup artist Rob Bottin), Hermes scarves quickly sold out at stores nationwide. This seeming paradox is at the heart of the film's appeal, as it mixes perverse sexuality and erotic bloodshed in a manner common to European thrillers (director Paul Verhoeven had done it himself in 1979's marvelous De Vierde Man) but mostly taboo in America. The plot concerns Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a successful bisexual mystery writer who may also be a ruthless murderer. Everyone close to Catherine dies, and troubled policeman Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) must find out why. In the process, Nick becomes sexually involved with both Catherine and police psychiatrist Beth Gardner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), while the bodies begin piling up and Catherine turns the cat-and-mouse game around on Nick. Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas -- who was paid $3 million for the script -- keep the tension ratcheted up throughout, even during the frequent sex scenes, which carry a violent edge reminiscent of the Italian thrillers of Dario Argento. The film's most notorious scene, a police interrogation in which Catherine makes drooling idiots out of her captors by revealing that she is not wearing underwear, became a cultural touchstone and was widely imitated and parodied. Sharon Stone, meanwhile, was embarrassed to the point that she claimed Verhoeven had aimed lights on strategic locations without her knowledge. George Dzundza and Dorothy Malone co-star.~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Basic Instinct details

Formats:	18 DVD, Blu-ray
Starring:	Dennis Arndt, Sharon Stone, Leilani Sarelle, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Douglas
Director:	Paul Verhoeven
Genre:	Thriller - General
Studio:	MOMENTUM PICTURES
Collections:	100 Feisty Females

Name	Discs
Basic Instinct	18 Feature
Basic Instinct - Bonus Disc	18 Bonus

DVD Information

Run time:	2 hours
Rental release:	20 May 2002
Main languages:	English
Dubbed:	German, Spanish
Subtitles:	Dutch, English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish

Name	Discs
Basic Instinct	18 Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	2 hours 3 minutes
Rental release:	15 Sep 2008
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review Basic Instinct

Y-shaped coffin required...

By Lt. Pete Mitchell from Miramar, California , 16 Dec 2003

[Highly rated reviewer]

As someone at a funeral once said: well at least they're together now...

Can't have been talking about Catherine Trammel's legs mind you - the notorious leg crossing scene in all its slow mo DVD zoom glory is present, well trimmed and ready for inspection.

Reminds one of the scene in Naked Gun:

'Nice beaver...'

'Thanks - I just had it stuffed!'

And she certainly does at every opportunity, which in a way detracts from what otherwise is a fast paced, gritty thriller, in that those scenes are what most would remember from viewing the film, rather than the other things that weigh in its favour.

Michael Douglas is good as the edgy cop being pushed WAY too far by the devious Sharon Stone, and George Dzundza is great as his understanding but bigoted partner Gus. The music is spot on, and the lush colours on show show off what is a pretty reasonable video transfer. Nice Lotus cars too.

Recommended.

By the way just be thankful it's not VHS - you don't really think that scene would be playable without tracking errors do you...??!!
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Overrated poop

By gianino (618 reviews) from London , 04 Nov 2012

Nice thriller ruined by some poor acting from every character, full of stupid cliches, very predictable and kind of boring. The director is trying so hard that the whole lot seems pathetic and the story line sucks in many ways. Shame coz the idea was cool
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Basically one of the best erotic thrillers.

By Bobsview (549 reviews) from Gloucestershire , 02 Oct 2012

I have watched this many times over the years and gave it another run out in 2012. In my opinion it sets the Gold standard for erotic thrillers and even after 20 years is not the slighest bit dated. The acting, script, and music are superb and yes I know the plot is impalusible but I don't care and somehow they get away with it because of the mesmerizing relationship and sexual tension between Douglas, the detective and Sharon Stone, the suspect. Its a long film but you don't want it to end, and after all that, at the end you will still not be sure who the killer was!
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Real ladies dont cross their legs like that!

By Gdkool (26 reviews) , 14 Jul 2012

Quite a good film, however if you try to think who dunn it as well, this film will blow your mind. As Sharon Stones character messes with Michael Douglas character she does so as well to the audience. And with the iconic crossing legs scene this is a classic must see film.
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Basic It-stinks

By TheHollipops (5 reviews) , 19 Sep 2011

A classic film I have never seen, wasn't as impressed as I thought I would of been.

Fantastic plot and story line, however is a slow story. Seems to take quite a lot of time to tell you small details. Would recommend for the story, however got to be patience to watch till the end.
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"She was the f**k of the century!"

By a customer from Orpington , 26 Feb 2011

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

Basic Instinct is a thrilling, erotic crime drama. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Michael Douglas as Nick Curren and Sharon Stone as drop dead gorgeous femme fatale Catherine Trammell. Nick is investigating the murder of Johnny Boz. The prime suspect is murder novelist Catherine Trammell, a disturbing coincidence; the murders she writes about are very similar to ones that have happened in real life. At first she has a perfect alibi, but then she manipulates the situation, and you think, who killed who? You keep guessing until the end. This is a well directed thriller, by the great Paul Verheoven, who is a personal favourite of mine. It also has a well written script. It is a great modern noir film. The hallmarks of a classic noir, but with modern themes, and bad language and sex, that you don't see in the original noir classics. This film also has a masterful score, by the late Jerry Goldsmith. This film won't be for everyone, it's got a lot of graphic sex and sexual language, and some people claim that it's anti-homosexual. But if you like Paul Verhoeven, this is another great film, and it proves that he can make all kinds of films, sci-fi, noir, action, thriller, and always with a good dose of black humour. A great movie, ten out of ten, two thumbs up, go watch it!
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