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Amazon.co.uk Review
With more than a decade of cinema in Basic Instinct's wake it's fascinating to look back at just how influential Paul Verhoeven's "erotic thriller" has been. The director's endless fight with censorship and unwillingness to kowtow to social mores meant his movies became notorious for graphically depicting sex and violence while pushing contemporary boundaries of taste. This whodunit about a bisexual femme fatale (Sharon Stone in a career-best performance) caused an enormous furore on its release; but after years of generally inferior imitations there's not much in it that seems quite so shocking now. It's perhaps best appreciated in retrospect more for its Hitchcockian style than the steamy sex.
On the DVD: one of the most welcome elements of the disc is an acknowledgement of the film's own influences--from Hitchcock's Vertigo to Verhoeven's own The Fourth Man. The print is far superior to the previous release, looking magnificent in 1:78.1. Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score sounds terrific in either 5.1 or DTS, as does Verhoeven's thick accent on the first commentary track alongside then Director of Photography Jan De Bont (Speed), who together reminisce on locations and manipulating their actors' performances. A second commentary from feminist critic Camille Paglia is a brave way of putting paid to the gay/feminist community uproar. There are some standard inclusions (trailer, production notes, photo gallery etc) but far more interesting are two mini-documentaries; "Cleaning Up Basic Instinct" shows how and why the TV version was so dull, while "Blonde Poison" focuses on the film's making and marketing. Finally, there are three storyboard comparisons and nine minutes of screen tests for Stone and Tripplehorn. This is the definitive release of an oft-cited modern classic. --Paul Tonks
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SENSATIONAL,
By
This review is from: Basic Instinct - 10th Anniversary Special Edition [1992] [DVD] (DVD)
This is a brilliant and breathtaking film. The film is infamous for it's graphic erotic scenes, but if you can manage to get through the film without being (ahem) distracted by Sharon Stone, then you will find that the characters are highly developed and fascinating, the plot is complex and intelligent and the delivery is fast, entertaining and absorbing from start to finish. It's a pity that this film is famous for the wrong reasons. Dare to admit that Basic Instinct is one of you're favourite films and your liable to be sniggered at. This film should not be dismissed as pure eroticism. Admittedly some scenes are graphic but the eroticism is not gratuitous. Overall, i found it to be an intelligent thriller with two superb leads and a great supporting cast. The film is sensational.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy, Thrilling, Captivating...,
This review is from: Basic Instinct - 10th Anniversary Special Edition [1992] [DVD] (DVD)
Almost everyone has heard of Basic Instinct. However, its tag of 'erotic thriller' has put many people off watching it. To these people, I would say, get over it, and have a good look at this film, because it is superb. Yes, the sex scenes are very graphic, but the story is so captivating that you'll be able to get past them and anjoy this for what it is... a good suspense thriller.Sharon Stone stars as Catherine Tramell, a novelist, whose boyfriend is stabbed to death with an ice-pick. This killing was exactly the same as one described in Catherine's latest book. You are then left wondering. Did Catherine recreate the events of her book and kill her lover, or did someone else, someone who wanted to ruin Catherine, carry out the deed in question? Michael Douglas is the cop invstigating the murder, however, it is only too soon before he is seduced by Catherine. It's suspense all the way until the end, where, even then, you aren't sure, who really is the murderer. If thrillers are your thing, then go and watch this DVD. A word of warning though. This is not one for kids and teenagers...
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still Sexy....Still Superb,
This review is from: Basic Instinct - 10th Anniversary Special Edition [1992] [DVD] (DVD)
Whilst it seems to be the current trend for critics to constantly say how silly they now feel, 10 years on, for getting so worked up over THAT scene, Basic Instinct has in fact lost none of its magic. It is a timeless classic, yet highly underrated.Yes, it was the leg crossing scene that made this film infamous, but it is such a sexy, tension filled thriller for the whole duration. There is something about the film that cannot be put into words, that no matter how many times you watch it, you feel the same amount of emotion that you did the first time. Basic Instinct has unfortunately been lumbered with the 'erotic thriller' tag which has become a Friday night standard on Channel Five. However, the film is much, much more than titillation. There's a fantastic murder mystery plotline which would not be out of place in any of the Hitchcock classics which clearly influenced it, and all the actors are great (and I'm no Michael Douglas fan, so trust me :)) The DVD is a gorgeous package. A double disc set with postcards thrown in. Every making-of fact you would want to know is on this disc - and more! Look past the infamous scene and see this film for what it really is - a true modern classic.
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