Basic Instinct

Theatrical Release Date: 1992 03 20 (USA)

UPC: 012236191599

Studio: Lionsgate

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Violence, Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Profanity]

Summary: 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, Rovi

Category: Thriller

Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Original Score – null Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Most Desirable Female – MTV Movie Awards Best Actress – MTV Movie Awards

Features: 1080p high definition
Newly remastered 16x9 widescreen
DTS HD audio
5.1 dolby? digital surround EX? audio
English and Spanish subtitles
"Blonde Poison" documentary on the making of the film*
Audio commentary with director paul verhoeven and director of photography Jan De Bont*
Audio commentary with Feminist Critic and noted author Camille Paglia*
"Cleaning Up Basic Instinct" a montage comparing the TV version to the theatrical version*
Storyboard comparisons*
Theatrical trailer*
Original screen tests*
System requirements:
Blu-Ray optical disc player and HD TV
*Special features are not rated and may be in standard edition

Basic Instinct

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 05/29/2007

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Theater Systems

Runtime: 128 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Basic Instinct
1. Sex Crimes
2. An Amateur
3. Written Alibi
4. Nothing to Hide
5. Innocent Test
6. Internal Affairs
7. Reckless Pursuit
8. Rough Edges
9. Playing Games
10. Pretty Good Beginning
11. Deadly Chase
12. Mind Manipulation
13. Personal Files
14. Researching Records
15. Killer Story
16. Happily Ever After

Matthew Doberman

Yes, Sharon Stone uncrosses her legs and shows the world. . .well, metaphors aren't really appropriate here. If you don't know about the 1990s' most scandalous single second of film, then you probably might want to watch Basic Instinct just to stay up on your cultural knowledge. The film is indeed scandalous: It's hard to argue that it doesn't toe the line on soft-porn, and it's easy to see why the film sat so uneasily with many lesbian- and gay-rights supporters. What's more, Basic Instinct's mix of graphic sex with violence raised the ire of the few film and social critics who hadn't already weighed in on the matter. Assuming a morally neutral stance on the controversy, however, this is a darn good thriller. Director Paul Verhoeven and writer Joe Esterhas, the team who would later give birth to the monstrous Showgirls, demonstrate many of the skills they displayed in their more acclaimed films. And it would be unfair to remember Stone's career-making performance as merely minutes of flesh. It's hard to imagine anyone who could play her calculating, stark, and stunning character better. In a thematic sense, she fulfills the oft-paraphrased, debatably sexist notion that men may control the world, but a capable woman can control any man. The ending is a bit of a cheat, and may leave the viewer feeling manipulated. However, a thriller's job is to engross its viewers with an engaging mystery, and in this respect, Basic Instinct is very successful. Assuming you're not easily shocked, you will most certainly enjoy it -- and depending on what you're, um, looking for, keep in mind that the unrated version has even more scandalous shots. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Bill Cable  Actor 
Mary Pat Gleason  Actor 
Jack McGee  Actor 
Byron Berline  Actor 
Peter Appel  Actor 
Juanita Jennings  Actor 
Mitch Pileggi  Actor 
Stephen Rowe  Actor 
Julie Bond  Actor 
Michael David Lally  Actor 
James Rebhorn  Actor 
William Duff-Griffin  Actor 
Irene Olga Lopez  Actor 
Eric Poppick  Actor 
Freda Foh Shen  Actor 
Bradford English  Actor 
Keith McDaniel  Actor 
Howard Feuer  Actor 
Michael Halton  Actor 
David Wells  Actor 
Adilah Barnes  Actor 
Alan Marshall  Producer 
Joe Eszterhas  Screenwriter 
Jerry Goldsmith  Composer (Music Score) 
Mario Kassar  Executive Producer 
Paul Verhoeven  Director 
Gary Goldman  Screenwriter 
Michael Douglas  Actor 
Sharon Stone  Actor 
George Dzundza  Actor 
Jeanne Tripplehorn  Actor 
Denis Arndt  Actor 
Leilani Sarelle  Actor 
Bruce A. Young  Actor 
Chelcie Ross  Actor 
Dorothy Malone  Actor 
Wayne Knight  Actor 
Daniel Von Bargen  Actor 
Stephen Tobolowsky  Actor 
Benjamin Mouton  Actor 

Country: USA