Basic Instinct: a shitty film mistaken for an iconic masterpiece.

Any film that wastes this man is hog slop.

It never did a thing for me. I much preferred Body Heat.

“Nothingburger” has got to be one of the most annoying phrases to be added to the modern lexicon.

Newman carried the film

I think a big part of it was the panties-less interrogation scene--it was a brilliant idea, I have to admit it. It seemed to create from thin air a heterosexual male fantasy no one had thought of before.

What does it all mean in terms of the plot and character? Did the Sharon Stone character kill all those people, was she a Mason figure convincing others to kill for her, or did she just fall in love with people who killed, or some combination of all this???

Also, did the Sharon Stone character only go after the Douglas character because she was still obsessed with the woman from her graduate school who was now having an affair with the Douglas character?

NO ONE with any sense has ever considered this movie, then or now, as an "iconic masterpiece."

It's like threads being created by an algorithm.

Wasn’t it just a big deal because she flashed her vadge?

[quote]NO ONE with any sense has ever considered this movie, then or now, as an "iconic masterpiece."

Well, there's Camille Paglia! Oh wait, nevermind...

It was pulp noir I thought... scandalous and fun trash.

It was recognized as trash then, but it had enough style and graphic violence — not to mention sex appeal — that it sort of took the cinesphere by storm. It was not nominated for any Oscars (that I can remember). It was sort of like an extra sleazy De Palma film. Sharon Stone was a hot new commodity.

What you should be asking is, How did American Beauty ever convince anyone it was a great film?! CRINGE.

OP are you young? If so, You wouldn’t get it because your generation is so sexless and edgeless and beyond politically correct. The movie is at the very least a smart and stylish updating of the Hollywood film noir. The score, cinematography, acting and direction are top notch.

If you need the merits of Basic Instinct spoonfed to you then the movie went over your head and I feel sorry for you, OP. Body Heat is a wonderful throwback noir but Basic Instinct just so primal and sleazy. It also has camp factor that Body Heat is missing.

I've always loved slick thrillers, particularly with knives involved. It's just weird how this didn't catapult Stone to superstardom. Each film afterwards was less and less. Til she was just doing supporting roles.

OP needs ten trillion ice picks shoved up her ghastly gash.

Oh and OP, Sharon Stone’s character was not lesbian strictly; she was bisexual. That should’ve been obvious.

I think of the three female characters you mentioned, only the ‘third’ girl was never shown with a man?

I watched this for the first time recently too, OP.

A review of it I watched called it a trashy film, but a beautifully shot trashy film. I would agree.

I thought the dance scene was fun.

R12, it was nominated for Score, but I don't fault you for not knowing. Most people don't pay attention to that category. But, Jerry Goldsmith's work is gorgeous.

I'm a fan of the film (and Verhoeven), though. I love its trashy glory and ridiculous/non-sensical plot-turns. Sharon Stone gives a star turn, and the exterior San Francisco shots look fab.

I bought the special DVD back in the day which came with a fake mini-ice pick (lol).

Trashy, over the top fun. Completely ridiculous.

Sharon Stone deserves a retroactive Oscar for Best Actress

The writer was involved with production. Because Michael Douglas was a big star back then he demanded many script changes and that his character was not so weak. Verhoeven obliged him which pissed off the writer. Later Verhoeven realized he fucked up and went back to the writer's original story.

It's all about Michael Douglas's sexy, sexy pancake ass. So iconic stills are being sold on eBay.

They got Dorothy Malone out of retirement.

I remember my mother saying, bizarrely, “I think Michael Douglas is such a handsome guy. I don’t need to see his rear-end.”

What?! Maybe it was too flat for her, and a disappointment.

I can’t believe my virtuous saint of a mother watched this film, but she did.

I'm not a fan of Michael Douglas's ass. I am a fan of Bill Cable.

A sleazy good time was had by all.

Who can resist?

“…cum stains ALL over the sheets.”

Douglas' ass crack is far too short. He should have a longer crack.

Photoshop a longer crack

His butt does look very little there. The cock and balls in the opening crime scene are way more impressive.

The choreographed fucking looked ridiculous. Worse than a bull riding competition. It's like the director told Sharon Stone to act like she was riding a mechanical bull.

Never cared for it. I preferred Body Heat, Fatal Attraction, and Disclosure.

There is another crazed sex scene with Jeanne Tripplehorn. Frenzied and OOT.

The nightclub scene is quaint, no more nightclubs in the US.

There are certainly still nightclubs, R36.

I would say this film *could* be considered some level of iconic. It’s not iconic like The Wizard Of Oz but the uncrossing of the legs is… certainly an indelible moment. It’s been parodied many times. So that says something about the mark the movie made. ‘Iconic’ is a tricky word though. It’s been misused and abused and basically rendered useless at this point.

On another note, the UHD disc of this that came out a couple years ago is awful. Baked in golden hues in some scenes, teal in others… a revisionist mess.

Fatal Attraction is a great film, Basic Instinct is just a raunchy giggle fest. The filmmaker tried to recreate the success of this project with Showgirls. Showgirls failed.

I finally watched Basic Instinct during the pandemic. While I found it fun and perfectly cast, I had to force myself to give it a 3.5 on Letterboxd instead of 4. On the surface it has the fundamental qualities of a good film, but it’s still trashy as fuck.

Ridiculous that even in the trailer Sharon Stown didn’t get her name above the title (yes, I know the whole story). I know she wasn’t a star YET but she was the whole damn movie.

Stone jeez

I agree, awful film. Also, the other night I idly watched a bit of "Disclosure" (1994) with Douglas and Demi Moore, for the first time. Dreadful.

Basic Instinct is trashy and its supposed to be trashy! It's a film noir with tits,ass, and gash.

I remember the Madonna rip-off Bidy of Evidence

Disclosure is awful, but so terrible its good. There are prolonged scenes involving virtual reality that are hilariously quaint. Reversed sexual harassment? Oh my sides!

There was a better version

R45 I actually saw it on TV for the first time since 1994 (I think ) and it was even worse than I remember - and that’s almost 100% because of Demi Moore. She’s a villain and she brings absolutely no fun to it - all silicone and faux attitude and (as usual) taking herself entirely too seriously, nothing interesting or charismatic - she wasn’t a villain you loved to hate and couldn’t stop watching.

I know it was a hit but I think this was the movie that was the beginning of the end for her - - women especially no longer wanted to watch her.

It was an iconic trash, as only crazy, unhinged people would mistake it for a masterpiece.

It’s hard to believe that in the early 90’s, Michael Douglas was considered a sex object.

I downloaded the high def version of The Accused and my god was it awful. I'd give it minus a million. Everything about it was awful and unbelievable. Every man was literally a fucking retard. Whoever made it totally hated men. The mannish looking lawyer did the best she could in such a shit movie but it's amazing Jodie went on to do better things after such a shit movie.

R49 Kathleen Turner gave him sex appeal the way Ginger Rogers did to Fred Astaire.

Speaking of Jodie, I guess I'm alone in thinking Silence of the Lambs is a sick, shitty movie.

R52 I think Jodie would agree with you since she refused to return for the other movies in the series and turned down a handsome paycheck.

Jodie was cute playing a ten year old hooker in Taxi Driver. Amazing that they thought ten year old girls as hookers was cool back then. Pedophilia truly reigned in the 70s.

I never thought Michael Douglas was all that good looking and he certainly didn't have the best body, but he could show some intensity and sensuality, so I can see why some people found him hot. I could see him being very good in bed.

Douglas is not a sex symbol but he makes entertaining films.

No. Silence of the Lambs is a great film. One of the best. The sequel is dreadful.

I love Basic Instinct. Sharon Stone, Jerry Goldsmith's score and the cinematography make it worth watching.

I watched The Accused a few months ago and I thought it held up, which surprised me. I thought it would be awful but I still think it's an effective film.

[quote]It was not nominated for any Oscars (that I can remember).

Just Film Editing (won by Unforgiven).

I'm one of those who saw the thread title and thought, "Who mistakes it for an iconic masterpiece?" It's a financially successful potboiler/popcorn film with one scene that has been referenced and parodied a lot. It wasn't exactly an acclaimed film of 1992. It did make Sharon Stone an A-lister, but everyone involved in it has made or been in better movies.

[quote]I think Jodie would agree with you since she refused to return for the other movies in the series and turned down a handsome paycheck.

Movie, singular: Hannibal. It's not as though Clarice was a factor in Red Dragon or Hannibal Rising anyway.

Foster's saying no to Hannibal didn't mean she was ashamed of doing Silence of the Lambs or thought it was sick and shitty. It meant she didn't like Harris's followup novel or the script, especially the choices made with a character she was proud of.

To answer the OP question, the film is junk food. It makes no sense buy it is stylish and fun, kinky. I don't think it's sexy but I am not a heterosexual male.

R58 LOL. Clearly you're a bitch and a moron if you think The Accused was a great film. Girls are so stupid.

[quote]r8 NO ONE with any sense has ever considered this movie, then or now, as an "iconic masterpiece."

It got middling to ridiculing reviews when it came out.

Would you please calm down? This is a small discussion about a mostly inconsequential subject.

[quote]R22 Because Michael Douglas was a big star back then he demanded many script changes and that his character was not so weak. Verhoeven obliged him which pissed off the writer.

Douglas also refused to allow Sharon Stone above the title billing. Maybe he didn’t care for her.

"Biddy of Evidence", ha

Madonna identified with Catherine Trammel because she is also a sociopath with impulse control issues and a weird sense of sexuality.

Well, without BI there wouldn't have been a BOE.

R64 You are right about that.

Take the stick out of your ass, OP. Basic Instinct is a fun, sleazy thriller with lots of T&A. What were you expecting, Ben Hur?

Oddly enough, I watched BI last night on Amazon Prime -- actually, I just had it on in the background while I was flipping through "Britney Spears is being held captive in Hawaii by Sam" conspiracy videos on TikTok -- but it's still entertaining with every re-watch.

Related question: Do you think Michael Douglas really went down on Sharon Stone in that first sex scene of theirs? He goes deep in there -- he must have some technique. (I guess if you go down on enough chicks, you're gonna get throat cancer.)

If Michael Douglas did go down on her, that would explain her recent medical issues, which might have been ongoing for years if he infected her uterus with his diseased tongue.

I agree Xennial, R47.

Annette Bening was supposed to play the role, but dropped out due to her second pregnancy (just like she dropped out of Batman Returns with her first pregnancy). I imagine she could have done more with the role. Demi Moore just isn't that good of an actress. She revealed what a dud the movie was.

Michael Crichton on the silver screen was a hot property back then (after Jurassic Park blew up) and Disclosure went into production before the novel even came out. I think he played a huge role in the movie's success.

As Disclosure was filmed the story had zero credibility. Nobody in the audience could even imagine Michael Douglas being offended by sexual harassment from Demi Moore. Total self sabotage.

The male lead should have been somebody not so well known as a player and a female lead more like Kathy Bates.

Basic Instinct is misogynistic, written by misogynist Joe Eszterhas and it is offensive to bisexual women BUT I still love it just like I love the trainwreck that is Showgirls. The two movies have style. They are fun and silly. Sharon Stone is fantastically gorgeous. I'm ashamed of loving these two movies written by a woman-hating pig but I can't help it.

R73 Puke. We gay men love your fem-fascist worldview. Basic Instinct was never misogynist. The male characters were basically all retards. Not one of them could recognize their asses from their elbows. Catherine had everyone spinning around entirely clueless of what was REALLY going on. The fat guy George Dzundza knew all along that she did it but no one else did. After watching it, most people had no clue that Catherine was pulling all the strings. Even I had no clue the first time I watched it. Seeing the ice pick below the bed at the very end still wasn't enough to clue the audience in that YES! She was the killer. This was a failure of film making on Verhoeven's part. He made her too sweet and angelic that no one could see that she was always the killer pulling the strings. All the main characters were female. The entire movie was about female machinations and trickery. This is what pissed Michael Douglas off. He hated that all the men were so stupid and clueless.

[quote]Seeing the ice pick below the bed at the very end still wasn't enough to clue the audience in that YES! She was the killer. This was a failure of film making on Verhoeven's part. He made her too sweet and angelic that no one could see that she was always the killer pulling the strings

Oh, I had forgotten that. I remember Michael Douglas taking a call on some show (Larry King?) and having to explain to a confused viewer that yes, Catherine was the killer.

But I don't know if it was a failure on Verhoeven's part as much as the audience's. Twenty-five years later, audiences still could be thick on such matters where female characters are concerned. Allison Williams, who played the Armitage daughter in Get Out, has said people who come up and talk to her about Get Out have a hard time accepting that Rose was all-in on the group's plan. They wanted to believe she didn't really want to do it, she was a reluctant participant, she had been brainwashed or was under mind control.

Wrong. Again. Basic Instinct IS a sleazy, misogynistic, trashy good time!

Saw this when I was younger and thought all clubs would be this exciting. Unfortunately I was sadly disappointed.

Sharon Stone is luminous especially in that gold dress. Roxy's punch-dancing is funny too

This was Oscar winner Dorothy Malone's final film at age 67. She died 26 years later. She played Hazel Dobkins, a woman who murdered her entire family, which Catherine used for research.

I love when directors display a reverence for old Hollywood stars.

[quote]Roxy's punch-dancing is funny too

I love it when she's trying to watch what's going on with Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone through dance moves, haha!

It was iconic for its shitti-ness.

R73/r74 this is such news to me. She was the obvious villain and the one reason I thought there might be a twist was for that reason - wouldn’t it be way too obvious that she was the killer? So in that way I thought the lack of imagination (esp for a screenplay that sold for $$$$) was incredibly disappointing. But how could anyone have been shocked or even more ridiculous not “accept” the outcome?

I think the confusing part was that Catherine didn't use the icepick on Nick. She had it under the bed, all ready to use it, and then apparently changed her mind? Why? He's a good fuck but there are lots of those around, and she never gave any indication of being in love with him. And if she was in love, why have the icepick under the bed to being with?

There's no moment in that final scene where you see her make the decision not to kill him, and he does nothing out of the ordinary to motivate her to let him live.

I agree it was a scripting problem.

I interpreted that last scene as a possible lead into a sequel. It's a sleazy b movie with bad acting that is only elevated because Stone was a luminous star, no one more beautiful but she couldn't act much back then.

As flawed as it is, it is definitely iconic. It was the big budget apotheosis of that entire early 90s genre of erotic neonoir thrillers.

It's a ridiculous movie. It wanted to be serious but it's ultimately camp. The fact that Stone assumed she was of Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan level after made it unintentionally hilarious. They were beloved for the exact opposite of what she was selling.

[quote]I think a big part of it was the panties-less interrogation scene--it was a brilliant idea, I have to admit it. It seemed to create from thin air a heterosexual male fantasy no one had thought of before.

A heterosexual male fantasy on which Fox News has been cashing in ever since!

"There's no moment in that final scene where you see her make the decision not to kill him"

He says, "I hate rugrats" and sociopath Catherine likes that.

R85 being typecast in a femme fatale role (especially at age 35) is never gonna be good for one’s career longevity. What she is is a great comedic actress.

Basic Instinct is wonderful big budget camp trash. Sharon Stone was stunningly beautiful, her character was of course a one-dimensional cartoonish joke but she made that role sizzle. Michael Douglas a big star took a risk and played a loser getting jerked around on a chain. The music, cinematography and the sets — that fabulous home on Stinson Beach — make it a really, really fun watch. It’s a pulpy crap noir not-so-scary thriller. It’s still lots of fun to watch today. lighten up!

Completely agree with R88. I think I saw her in "The Muse" and, shortly after that on an episode of "Will & Grace", and was wondering why she hasn't done more comedy, given her natural talent for it.

She would have had a better comedic career if she'd been a bit less beautiful. Successful comediennes tend to be cute or maybe pretty, not stunning. Think Goldie Hawn or Jennifer Aniston.

Better than 90% of movies released these days

Nice try Paul. But no

Why would Sharon ever assume she was on par with Meg and Julia? Sweet dear just no.

Sharon always gave off a whore vibe. Julia as slutty as she may have been gave off a wholesome Americana vibe fraus love. Despite playing a hooker every frau considered her as pure wholesome movie star.

Michael Douglas was miscast, IMO. He was riding high from Fatal Attraction

But, I think he ruined the movie and didn’t match Sharon Stone’s magnificent performance. He wasn’t good looking or charismatic enough.

Plus, the cadence was off in the whole movie.

“I was like the hottest movie star, you know?” she said. “It was like Miss Princess Diana and I were so famous — and she died, and I had a stroke. And we were forgotten.”

When in her career was she bigger than Julia Roberts? The biggest star of that time and all of modern Hollywood. She's delusional. Roberts paparazzi actually compares to Diana but not Sharon. She's batshit.

I remember a scene where Roberts tearfully claimed "I just wish I didn't have to talk about this stuff. All the time" Then she took her break and just played the game. She never stopped smiling.

Sharon was never as big as Julia but in 1992, she was huge and the controversy surrounding the film brought her lots of press. She was able to generate some buzz for Sliver but she wasn't able to sustain her career at that level save for her acclaimed performance and nomination for Casino.

I thought Douglas and Stone were great together. Excellent chemistry. Not a lot of warmth, but the element of sexual chemistry with an undertone of danger and hate worked.

What I loved about the movie were the house and the beautiful setting. I love that area of the west coast.

I've never seen anyone make drinks the way Douglas' character did with the huge block of ice just thrown bare on the kitchen counter, and then hacking at it with the ice pick. Yuck! Who would want ice in their drink after the ice was on a bare kitchen counter! I wouldn't want that in my glass. It makes me wonder how people made drinks on the rocks before ice makers. Certainly, this barbaric method was not considered proper in the day.

That's nuthin. Stone said in her book that filming the opening scene of her stabbing Cable's body with his erection slapping her face that he passed out from her stabbing his chest so hard! LOL. She, with her entire body and tiny teats covered in blood, was worried that he was really dead and that the retractable knife actually penetrated his chest.

Did she really think she was the biggest star in Hollywood after this B soft core porn fiim?

Overall, Roberts was in a league of her own. But, after Hook at the end of 1991, she took that two-year sabbatical. And pre-internet, two years was a much longer time. Roberts returned in a "proper" leading role with The Pelican Brief, which was a hit thanks in part to her and John Grisham (Denzel Washington costarring didn't hurt). But, her box-office draw began to waver for over three years. I Love Trouble and Mary Reilly bombed. Something to Talk About underperformed. And her supporting parts with respected directors (Altman, Allen, Neil Jordan) didn't do much for her. She didn't return to her former glory until the Summer of 1997 (My Best Friend's Wedding, Conspiracy Theory).

Stone's "heights" were roughly around this time. Basic Instinct debuted March of 1992 or so (she even got a Globe Drama nod). She struggled to capitalise off of it with more hits, though, mostly because she isn't a great actress and wasn't able to play likeable rom-com heroines like Roberts, Meg Ryan, and Sandra Bullock. Her limited range made it less likely for a female actress in 1990s Hollywood to stay on top who made her name as a femme fatale. The Specialist (costarring Sly Stallone) did okay, but wasn't gangbusters. Sliver and Quick and the Dead fell short. Casino pretty much capped things off at the end of 1995, as it resulted in her first and only Oscar nod (and Globe win). After that, aside from working with Albert Brooks, her feature projects were forgotten remakes and other dwindling returns. However, she knew how to court the press, and would make huge splashes at Cannes.

Demi Moore was able to stretch her sex factor over more years. But, she was younger when she blew up. She was 27 in Ghost as opposed to Stone's 34 in Basic Instinct. Moore also played a sympathetic character in Ghost. And whilst she made shrewd choices (A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal), she also played women who were either treated like physical objects and/or had little agency (in A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson's character makes a mockery of her).

Jodie Foster was another non-rom-com female star of the 1990s, who was arguably the most successful. She drove feature hits from The Accused (1988) to Flightplan (2005). Michelle Pfeiffer was another female star from that decade, with a few major and minor successes, but usually also attached to a big male star.

So, what you're saying is Stone was the least successful of all those listed? She and Vadge were born the same year, maybe both of them share their huge unearned egos.

I think Foster not only thrived on the Silence success but on her reputation as a hard working actress we all grew up with so many people went to watch her films. Everyone i know now respects her and loves watching her.

Remember Vadge wrote a letter stating that SS was having the film career SHE should have had?

^ Strange as Madonna also thought she was entitled to Julia Roberts's career

Wasn't Madonna nasty to Julia Roberts at a movie premiere because she was shown up?

Clearly Vadge has the bigger ego. LOL. Do a google search and literally ten trillion pics of her shows up. No other average looking slash fugly lady has so many pics of herself. And every one of them stolen from someone else's original oeuvre or talents.

Vadge about Roberts "She's the one person almost as famous as me. Meow"

My fave of her films was the remake of "Diabolique". She is a gorgeous, morbidly funny sociopath.

Last year, Stone revealed in her memoir that she initially shot the scene with her underwear on, but the filmmaker later asked her to remove it, so it would not show on camera. She agreed, being assured that nothing would be visible.

"That was how I saw my vagina shot for the first time, long after I'd been told, 'We can't see anything — I just need you to remove your panties, as the white is reflecting the light, so we know you have panties on,'" Stone wrote.

You mean the shot of her stabbing Cable in the opening? She has certainly made a huge issue of that scene.

She paused with her legs open—you could see her pubic hair and labia.

Why do that if nothing could be seen? She knew what she was doing.

^Yeah, I don't buy her trying to act like that wasn't what she was expecting. It's too obviously intentional.

Re what she says at r97: Basic Instict came out in 92. Diana died in August 97. Stone had her Stroke in September 2001. She thinks she was the hottest movie star for nine years?

For some reason I had to read the screenplay by dirtball Joe Ezterhas. I am definitely not "in the business" but recall being appalled by how laughably bad every single page was.

I've never seen the film, just the clips of the beaver scene and maybe a couple 5 minute random segments on TV, but what a piece of shit the whole thing is.

Awesome for sharing R119. We REALLY fucking care what a twat thinks.

Basic Instinct makes me giggle, it's funny to me. I watch this film when I want to laugh. They wanted to make a film noir, which it is, but the film makers added a lot of raunch dressing to the mix and the mix makes it humorous. I have never seen Stones vadge in this film. There is a glimpse of bright orange pubic hair during her infamous interrogation scene which also makes me laugh.

I remember seeing it in the theater and laughing my ass off. It was so bad, it was almost good. Sharon Stone was HORRIBLE in it, and Michael Douglas trying to play sexy and lustful was just ridiculous.

The film makers wanted the "drapes to match the curtains"? So the merkin is a bright orange color and a very funny sight.

I watched it to see what the fuss was about. And the fuss was about...nothing. It really was cruddy. I guess the highlight of the film is the brief moment when you get a glimpse of Sharon Stone's cooth. But seeing a pussy for a second or two doesn't constitute a good movie.

How old were the actors and how old are they now? Here's a chart of their ages.

Brooke Shields, famous for her breakthrough racy childhood role in 1978’s Pretty Baby, turned down the part of Roxanne “Roxy” Hardy. Like most of the high-profile actresses who were offered roles in Basic Instinct, Shields turned it down because she wasn’t interested in taking part in the gratuitous scenes, and revealing scenes that were required of whichever actress was chosen to play the part. For many actresses, the career risks involved with taking part in Verhoeven’s film outweighed the benefits.

Following the success of Basic Instinct, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas confessed to one major plot hole. Despite the fact that DNA testing methods and analysis have been used to uncover crime scene evidence since the mid-1980s, Basic Instinct, which was meant to take place at the time of its release in the early 1990s, failed to feature any references to DNA evidence throughout the movie. In hindsight, DNA evidence could have confirmed that Catherine Tramell was with Johnny Boz at the time of his murder.

After attending the premier of Basic Instinct, Kirk Douglas, the father of the film’s star, Michael Douglas, offered words of praise regarding the courage and bravery that his son displayed in the making of Basic Instinct, a film which pushed the boundaries of film in the ’90s. Kirk would later jokingly comment on his son’s Hollywood success by saying, “If I had known what a big shot Michael was going to be, I would have been nicer to him when he was a kid.”

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas opened up to Hollywood Animal and shared that he once engaged in a one night stand with Basic Instinct‘s female lead, Sharon Stone. Eszterhas mentioned that he was grateful for his short-lived affair with Stone because it ultimately lead him to his current wife, Naomi Baka. While filming Sliver, another movie for which Eszterhas wrote the script, Stone had an affair with producer Willian McDonald, who eventually left his wife, Naomi Baka, for Stone, freeing up Eszterhas to make his move.

Joe Eszterhas reportedly wrote the entire script for Basic Instinct within a period of just ten days. Believe or not, he didn’t even use a story outline when he began writing! You might be curious how a writer can remain so inspired for such a short and intense period of time. Eszerhas disclosed that he listened to the Rolling Stones non-stop for the entire week and a half it took him to finish the script.

During the ice pick murder scene, the ice pick was only supposed to make contact with packs of fake blood on Bill Cable’s chest. Sharon Stone was so invested in the scene, however, that Cable suffered multiple puncture wounds, up to an inch deep, on his chest. At the time of the shot, Cable was the only one aware of what was going on and his screams of agony were real. Luckily he was only left with a few scars.

[quote]During the ice pick murder scene, the ice pick was only supposed to make contact with packs of fake blood on Bill Cable’s chest. Sharon Stone was so invested in the scene, however, that Cable suffered multiple puncture wounds, up to an inch deep, on his chest. At the time of the shot, Cable was the only one aware of what was going on and his screams of agony were real. Luckily he was only left with a few scars.

You can't possibly believe that, can you. r131? That a real icepick was used, instead of one with a retractable point, and that Stone was supposed to control the blows so that only the blood packs were penetrated?

Even Sharon's story that the actor had passed out because she hit him so hard with the handle of the retractable icepick's handle is unbelievable, but puncture wounds up to 1 inch in depth?

R132 I'm not sure what to believe. Cassandra Peterson, Bill's former girlfriend, said that in an interview with RuPaul, apparently. I love Bill Cable, so I hope it wasn't true because the story is he had to go to the hospital, it scarred his chest, and his look of pain was real pain in the movie. But, you're right, it seems unbelievable.

It's unintentionally hilarious watching Sharon Stone speak of it as if it such a cinematic achievement. Bitch is batshit crazy.

I'll watch this film whenever I see it listed. I loved it from beginning to end.

Nick was the killer the whole time. The ice pick was under HIS bed at the end of the movie. He was the one fucking Johnny Boz while wearing a blonde wig. Catherine, Roxy and Dr. Garner were innocent!

I'm sure Joe Eszterhas came up with a bunch of titles for this movie before he chose Basic Instinct. I would have suggested Beaver Instinct or Dangerous Pantyless Bisexual Women.

It's a masterpiece. And it's a film that wouldn't get made these days. I miss the erotic thriller.

I remember going to theater to see the movie and the seats were sticky

Did Catherine fuck Hazel Dobkins? When she dumped Nick because her book was finished and she said she didn't need him anymore, she put her hand on Hazel and Hazel gave Nick a look like "she's mine now." We know that Catherine liked to fuck people who had committed horrible crimes. That's why she was fucking Roxy and then Nick, because they had shot and killed people. Hazel took out her entire family. Yes, she was an older woman but do you think the hand on the shoulder gesture meant that she was now supposed to replace Nick as Catherine's sex toy?

The movie is iconic trash, so to speak. It has a collection of very good scenes but whole is another story. It isn’t a surprise that it was written in a few days, it shows. One of its problems is how they appear not to have fully decided who was guilty, so they have innocent people acting as villains and vice-versa. It does not at all surprise me that people were confused by the ending.

I love Stone, but she is crazy and not trustworthy.

R9 I turned down the role and I didn’t make a cameo.

I remember when they were filming scenes for the movie here in San Francisco and a lot of gay men and lesbians showed up to protest, saying the movie perpetuated gay stereotypes and portrayed gay people as psychotic killers.

It was similar to when Cruising was filming in New York in the 1980s.

ANOTHER "must-see" movie I've never seen.

Because pussy.

R123 she wasn’t wearing an orange merkin. Where do you see orange public hair? Her pubic area is mostly shaved and the pubic hair is dark.

R137, No Menacing Muskrat?

Basic Insinct Too is streaming on Tubi.

Unwatchable.

Grim.

They even fucked up Sharon Stones hair which looks scraggly and thin.

R148 Bad implants and even worse extensions.

Charlotte Rampling is a breath of fresh air

Sharon Stone was super-hot and the sex scenes were shockingly explicit for the time -- and even now actually. How often do you see cunnilingus in a mainstream movie? The movie itself is ridiculous and Joe Eszterhas is the worst successful screenwriter in history. He writes like English is his third language and his attempts at humorous dialogue range from cringingly unfunny to incomprehensible. From Showgirls: "I want my nipples to press but not look like they're levitating" or "in America everyone is a gynecologist." WHAT?

R150 didn’t he also write the screenplay for that Jessica Lange movie about a Nazi father? For a “serious” movie I remember it not being very good.

All his scripts pretty much read “written on a 3 day coke bender.” I’m sure it all sounded genius to him at the time.

The success of Basic Instinct no doubt gave him delusions of his own talent.

I just kept watching them using an ice pick on ice and wondering why no one in the early 1990s had ice cube trays.

R8 - people of middling to lowish IQ, such as OP, have been programmed to communicate in this manner digitally. It's dire. And especially so because it's effective and produces clicks. Makes you wonder, why bother maintaining the finer distinctions? Such as logic. Doing so is a loser's game.

R150, more Oscar-winning dialogue from Showgirls. Crystal: "You have great tits. They're really beautiful." Nomi: "Thank you." Crystal: "I like nice tits. I always have, how bout' you?" Nomi: "I like having nice tits."

R154 Nothing can beat the "I love Doggy Chow" conversation between Cristal and Nomi, though.

Showgirls had a glossy look but a lot of that trashy writing was journalistic It was based on garbage conversations joe e overheard strippers saying.

The doggy chow line is strange

Irregardless of what yoo bitches says: BI is one of my fave movies evah. Stone was luminescent.

😴 The film is 30 YEARS OLD.

'Nuff Said.

Back when we all liked Kirstie Alley 😂

[quote] To know Kirstie Alley, you first gotta know something about Sharon Stone. In March, Stone told Barbara Walters that she was tricked into flashing the audience in Basic Instinct. In April, Stone said that she didn’t mean to pose topless, cupping her breasts in her hands, for Vanity Fair. Please, we thought, make her stop. Then came Kirstie to the rescue. On Late Night With David Letterman in May, Alley said now that her six-season stint on Cheers had ended, she planned to become ”a spiritual adviser for wayward actresses who just don’t know what’s going on.” In a tripping, bitchy riff on Stone, Alley offered this bit of wisdom: ”When that camera is in there beelining in on your V, you’re gonna get a picture of that.” Good advice, and vintage Alley. In an age when many stars won’t fire off a word without a publicist’s approval, Alley, 38, is a loose cannon plated in brass.

I watched the movie recently and it was mostly ludicrous. Nothing was believable. Catherine was clearly the product of a man's imagination and could never exist in reality. A bisexual introverted intuitive who hangs out with murderers and kills everyone in her life going back decades, startin with her parents. Yeah, ok.

To each their own. I love that film and will happily watch it any time I notice it's going to be shown ... provided it is uncut and not "cleaned up" for vanilla audiences.

If you are willing to watch the Golden Girls, youse brain dead and will watch fucking anything.

I love the house and that house is in Carmel by the sea. It is for sale now. The rest of the film was shot in SF.

[quote]I just kept watching them using an ice pick on ice and wondering why no one in the early 1990s had ice cube trays.

Stone's character said she liked jagged edges on ice because it "bruises the Scotch" or something.

That gorgeous house that is supposed to be in Stinson Beach is actually in Carmel by the Sea. the house was recently sold Here is the link

I miss charismatic movie stars, lush scores, cinematography. Where are the slick thrillers with knives, blondes and rain-soaked streets?

That was weird I posted about the house at 157 spindrift rd Carmel and another persons post posted over my post using the same reply number.

Joe Eszterhas just used the J.E.T. to write his scripts.

J.E.T. = Joe Eszterhas Template.

Most of his movies featured a protagonist falling in love/lust with someone who may be a killer. Jagged Edge has similar themes but is better written, although Glenn's character makes some dumb decisions as a lawyer.

Costas-Gavras directed both Betrayed and Music Box, and both written by Eszterhas. Betrayed is about Debra Winger playing an FBI agent who goes undercover and falls in love with a KKK member (Tom Berenger at peak hotness) and Music Box stars Jessica Lange as a lawyer defending her father who is accused of Nazi war crimes. These are variations on the J.E.T. but it's the same scenario - a protagonist is conflicted because a loved one may be a killer.

[quote] didn’t he also write the screenplay for that Jessica Lange movie about a Nazi father? For a “serious” movie I remember it not being very good.

Music Box, and it is quite good, but it's bolstered by Lange's Oscar-nominated performance and Costas-Gavras' direction. This was Lange at her peak when she was giving knockout performances (Music Box, Men Don't Leave, Blue Sky, Cape Fear).

Agrre with this site. Mel could get away w murder when he was hot and Joe was always a loathsome douche.

[quote]Music Box, and it is quite good, but it's bolstered by Lange's Oscar-nominated performance and Costas-Gavras' direction.

Music Box also launched Armin Mueller-Stahl as a presence in English-language films. He already had had a long career on the stage and in films in Germany, and had appeared in the ABC miniseries Amerika, but after Music Box, he was one of the go-to actors for older patriarchs, either lovable (the nostalgic grandfather in Avalon) or forbidding (the martinet driving his pianist son to breakdown in Shine). He had a good run. He's in his nineties now, and I believe his last film performance was as a priest in Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups. It's not a great Malick, IMO, but at least he finished with an important filmmaker.

Rewatching after not seeing it since it came out. It’s funny how the cheesy lines stuck with me - what are you going to do, charge me with smoking? I remember how all these sleazy, “sexy” thrillers came out around this time, and people ate them up. This was probably the top of the heap because of Stone and Douglas. They’re both pretty bad in this, though. There’s nothing sexy between them, and the “sexy” tension is actually kind of laughable.