Plot: What’s it about?
“Sex from the opening scene to the closing scene…”. That’s what a co-worker of mine described this movie to me when it came out in theaters, some ten years ago. Basic Instinct is a movie that is not only one that will go down as being “memorable”, but one that also set the standards for some movies to follow. While a hit in it’s day (it made well over the coveted $100 million dollars that so many movies do today), Basic Instinct launched the career of one, Sharon Stone. Aside from being a personal friend of my family (yes, really), I happen to believe that Sharon Stone is a wonderful actress. It’s odd that she will likely be remembered for a scene in which she crosses her legs, but hey…fame has it’s price! What Basic Instinct dared to do in the early 90’s is explore just that…our Basic Instinct. We have very few, and sex is certainly one of them. Was Stone’s Catherine Tramell a cold-blooded murderer or an innocent victim of circumstance? To answer that question would be to give away the movie! But can you really answer that question after viewing the movie? That’s perhaps the most intriguing part of the entire film, you’re left in suspense from scene to scene. So not only are you captivated by the intrigue and mystery of the film, but you’re also waiting to see some more of Sharon Stone’s skin (and you do, trust me).
Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) has had some problems in the past. Aside from being an alcoholic (though the word “recovering” might not be applicable) and an ex-drug user; he has had his problems with women. A policeman first and foremost, Curran has had his share of cases, but is now viewed as a washout just waiting to collect his pension. It seems that his partner, Gus (George Dzundza) is the only one who believes and trusts him. This all changes the moment he arrives on the scene of a murder. Local rock and roll singer, Johnny Boz (Bill Cable) who we see during the opening scene during a rather “intimate” moment, has been killed. We see how and thanks to the new “Unrated Version” of this movie, we see in more graphic detail how, he was killed. An ice pick was the weapon of choice by his killer who is immediately believed to be Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone). As the detectives do their work, they come to Tramell’s place outside San Francisco (the movie takes place there as well). It turns out that she’s quite honest and forthright with the men in uniform, but she also denies killing Johnny Boz. Catherine is also an author who has written a book that describes in exact, graphic detail, how Boz was killed. So, according to the police, either Catherine is extremely stupid (doubtful) and has acted out a killing in a book she wrote, or she has the perfect ally bye. In other words, why would she be so stupid as to act out a killing in the exact same way she described it in her book?
This, of course, is only one of the loose ends that Basic Instinct has. We also meet a police psychologist by the name of Beth Garner (Jeanne Tripplehorn) who, among other things, is an ex-lover of Nick’s. As Nick starts to put the pieces of the murder together, he starts to also notice some similarities between Beth and Catherine. Add to this formula Roxy (Leilani Sarelle), the lesbian girlfriend of Catherine who seems very intent about getting the police off Catherine’s back (literally and figuratively)! Add all of this up and you can come up with almost any kind of movie you want to. In some senses of the word, you have a murder mystery; you also have an erotic thriller (Basic Instinct has it’s share of nudity); and finally you have a cops and robbers action/adventure movie all rolled into one. No wonder people liked it?!? But what this film will be remembered for is the controversy it caused. In 1992, it was one thing, but even now, I feel that this film would evoke a certain kind of response. And that’s what Verhoeven is known for– evoking a response.
Video: How does it look?
The original version of Basic Instinct was one of the first movies to embrace the new DVD format. It featured a non-anamorphic transfer and a less than stellar Dolby Digital soundtrack. But it was all new, so we accepted it. In comparison with some of the newer movies, the old 2.10:1 image was heavily artifacted and showed more than it’s age, having been taken from an old Laser Disc transfer. But times have changed and now we have a brand new 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer that has given Basic Instinct new life (if only Johnny Boz were so lucky)! This image, aside from framing the film at it’s correct aspect ratio, greatly improves upon the old transfer. It’s as if someone went and wiped clean most all of the errors of the previous version with a digital towel! While the image still leaves a bit to be desired in the form of some edge enhancement, the whole thing is a great improvement. Much like “The Fugitive”, we can see that the image is much cleaner and sharper than before. Black levels are almost perfect, but there are still a few instances in which I noticed a bit of artifacting. A bit of edge enhancement is the only other thing that I can see that knocks this score down, but as I’ve mentioned before, it’s a lot better than the first offering. I don’t think that audiences will be disappointed, so long as those “certain scenes” are intact!
Audio: How does it sound?
The original version of Basic Instinct was graced with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but this new version features a newer “remastered” soundtrack. While I noticed some similarities, and this one is certainly better, I can say that both get the job done; as this isn’t much of a movie for the surround effects. It’s nice to see Artisan try and make the movie sound the best it can, but the look of the movie is what needed the most work. Still, the dialogue still has a bit of a “hiss” to it at some times that left me checking my speaker connections. The main action is limited to the front three channels, though there are times when you’ll be turning your head around to see if you can make out some of the surround effects. A few explosions, stabs and gunshots later; you’ll be satisfied by knowing that Basic Instinct sounds the way it was meant to be heard…finally.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Basic Instinct has been remastered both for audio and video purposes. A new transfer was approved as well as a new Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Aside from that (which would have been good enough for me) we are also greeted with two commentary tracks. The first is a direct port from the laserdisc which has Paul Verehoeven and Jan De Bont gabbling away at the movie. While their accents (what…their names didn’t give it away) are thick, they do offer some insight into the movie and I found it very informative. The second commentary track is new to this DVD and it has feminist critic Camille Paglia. While this may sound like it has bad news written all over it, it’s actually a pretty good track. It does sound a bit rehearsed at times, but I found it clever, insightful and even funny at times. One of the better commentaries I have listened to. Also included is a featurette entitled “Cleaning up Basic Instinct” which shows what was done to make this fine film appropriate for TV. A lot, as a matter of fact. This movie is one that you would see and think “No way will I see this on NBC in a few years…”, but we did and this shows what needed to be done to make it so. The accents are funny too, as they sound nothing like the actors. Geez. There’s also a “Digitally Mastered” photo gallery which kind of sucks. I mean, we have the DVD and can freeze any frame in the movie and they do this jive. Oh well…There’s also a trailer, production notes and some cast bios. Recommended if you don’t have the first one. You also get a nifty Ice pick pen with this. It writes in red..get it?
