"Basic Instinct" - weird movie, unanswered questions (filmed, scene, drama)

[robertpolyglot]

If I recall, "Basic Instinct" (91 or 92) was released amidst a lot of controversy. I remember that the opening scene caused a few people to walk out immediately. I hope they got a refund, or were allowed to see another flick.

I saw it and would give it a B- . There was a lot that was missing. First and foremost, there was NO character development that would indicate why Sharon Stone was so twisted. Second, which "way" did she lean sexually? (If I recall, all of her victims were men, unless a woman "was in the wrong place at the wrong time"). Third, what caused her to put the icepick under the bed when with Michael Douglas, and is it assumable that he probably didn't make it over the "long haul?"

What do you think of these "open" issues? Did you like this flick?

[kanhawk]

I can't offer much insight into your questions but I remember one controversy when the movie came out.
Sharon Stone came out publicly angry at director Paul Verhoeven for showing her ,ahem, naughty bits, in the famous scene in the interrogation room where she uncrosses her legs and the police detectives see the full monty up her dress. She claims Verhoeven told her he wouldn't show anything like that on screen, which I think is hilarious considering she wasn't wearing panties and the director had the camera aimed right up her dress! What did she expect?

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by kanhawk

I can't offer much insight into your questions but I remember one controversy when the movie came out.
Sharon Stone came out publicly angry at director Paul Verhoeven for showing her ,ahem, naughty bits, in the famous scene in the interrogation room where she uncrosses her legs and the police detectives see the full monty up her dress. She claims Verhoeven told her he wouldn't show anything like that on screen, which I think is hilarious considering she wasn't wearing panties and the director had the camera aimed right up her dress! What did she expect?

Yeah, that was controversial, but I think most people thought it was done on purpose to make her seem more calloused and manipulative. If I recall, she was coyly smoking a cigarette during that scene.

[bs13690]

It was OK but I think it didn't need to explain every detail of why she was nuts. I hate movies that shoehorn in an explanation for every behavior. Sometimes people are just evil.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by bs13690

It was OK but I think it didn't need to explain every detail of why she was nuts. I hate movies that shoehorn in an explanation for every behavior. Sometimes people are just evil.

Right. But it didn't even provide us with pieces of a puzzle to put together, for those who like "armchair psychology." One can watch "Basic Instinct Interrogation Scene" on YouTube, though it is adult filtered. It really shows what an evil person they were dealing with, and it's amazing the SFPD didn't lock her up but then, there wouldn't have been 2 hours of movie.

[yamota]

I remember Sharon Stone guest hosted saturday night live the week after the movie opened, and the opening monologue was her spoofing the famous interrogation scene, and right in the middle of the skit, some guy in the audience starts yelling something, and Sharon kinda squints for a second, then goes right back into the skit and I could hear as they escort the guy out. I watched it in the east coast so it was all happening live

[bellakin123]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

Right. But it didn't even provide us with pieces of a puzzle to put together, for those who like "armchair psychology." One can watch "Basic Instinct Interrogation Scene" on YouTube, though it is adult filtered. It really shows what an evil person they were dealing with, and it's amazing the SFPD didn't lock her up but then, there wouldn't have been 2 hours of movie.

Not to get off topic but wasn't American Psycho the same way? I only saw it once when it first came out and I don't remember if the story indicated what drove him to be so evil. He came from a privileged background, had the swanky job, lived in a fancy Manhattan apartment but I don't recall any backflashes or anything that gave viewers an understanding of how he was so psychotic.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by bellakin123

Not to get off topic but wasn't American Psycho the same way? I only saw it once when it first came out and I don't remember if the story indicated what drove him to be so evil. He came from a privileged background, had the swanky job, lived in a fancy Manhattan apartment but I don't recall any backflashes or anything that gave viewers an understanding of how he was so psychotic.

No, that's a good parallel. Excellent. I thought something deeper was running through "Basic Instinct," though we were never given the pieces of the puzzle. In "American Psycho," it was more gratuitously vile, sometimes self-mocking, his profession/education played a much bigger part of his self-love, and his victims were both men and women, so it lacked the sexuality dimension.

Either way, both movies were interesting and detestable at the same time.

[Giesela]

I can think of many scenario's where Stone could have been convinced not to wear underwear and was filmed thinking they would not use the film. There are usually multiple cameras, multiple angles, lighting, zoom lenses, she was in an elevated position etc. Most actors who have a hit or two under their belt have more confidence in negotiating and saying no to those sorts of directors requests. I can't remember whether Stone had a couple of big hits at that point or not.
We can't ever know what was really said by who so I choose to take it face value.
I don't remember the movie that well but not all movies want or need to spell out every detail of a character or plot. The movie was supposed to have a very noirish mysterious, veiled feeling.

[d4g4m]

I've seen the movie a few times and there's one scene that still confuses me. Douglas partner goes into office building while he waits in car. Douglas goes into office building, finds partner dead, gets off elevator and the brunette character is standing in hallway. He asks questions, tells her to take her hands out of her pockets, dialogue goes stupid, [lots of dramatic, intense music] she acts dumb like she is deaf, he shoots and killls her, then somebody finds a wig on the stairway.