Basic Instinct (1992)
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, (more)
- Director(s):
- Paul Verhoeven
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Mystery & Suspense
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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
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 128 mins
Complete Cast:
- Michael Douglas - Detective Nick Curran
- George Dzundza - Gus
- Denis Arndt - Lieutenant Walker
- Bruce A. Young - Andrews
- Dorothy Malone - Hazel Dobkins
- Daniel Von Bargen - Lieutenant Nilsen
- Benjamin Mouton - Harrigan
- Irene Olga Lopez - Maid
- Bradford English - Campus Policeman
- James Rebhorn - Dr. McElwaine
- Michael Halton - Bartender at County Western Bar
- William Duff-Griffin - Dr. Myron
- Juanita Jennings - Receptionist
- Bill Cable - Johnny Boz
- Jack McGee - Sheriff
- Stephen Rowe - Internal Affairs Investigator
- Julie Bond - Hand Puppet Model
- Sharon Stone - Catherine Tramell
- Jeanne Tripplehorn - Dr. Beth Gardner
- Leilani Sarelle - Roxy
- Chelcie Ross - Captain Talcott
- Wayne Knight - John Correli
- Stephen Tobolowsky - Dr. Lamott
- Byron Berline - Doo Wah Rider
- Eric Poppick - Coroner's Guy
- Peter Appel - Detective
- Adilah Barnes - Nurse
- Keith McDaniel - Featured Dancer
- David Wells - Polygraph Examiner
- Mitch Pileggi - Internal Affairs Investigator
- Freda Foh Shen - Berkeley Registrar
- Michael David Lally - Detective
- Mary Pat Gleason - Juvenile Officer
- Director(s):
- Paul Verhoeven
- Writer(s):
- Gary Goldman, Joe Eszterhas, Gary Goldman
- Producer(s):
- Alan Marshall
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Not For Children, Nudity, Violence, Strong Sexual Content, Profanity)
- Categories:
- Mystery & Suspense
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1992 - Basic Instinct - MTV Movie Awards - Best Actress
- 1992 - Basic Instinct - MTV Movie Awards - Most Desirable Female
