Basic Instinct

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Basic Instinct ★★½ 1992 (R)

Controversial thriller had tongues wagging months before its theatrical release. Burntout detective Douglas falls for beautiful, manipulative murder suspect Stone, perfectly cast as a bisexual ice queen who may or may not have done the deed. Noted for highly erotic sex scenes and an expensive (3 million bucks) script; ultimately the predictable plot is disappointing. Gay activists tried to interrupt filming because they objected to the depiction of Stone's character but only succeeded in generating more free publicity. The American release was edited to avoid an “NC17” rating, but an uncut, unrated video version is also available. 123m/C VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc . Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Denis Arndt, Leilani Sarelle Ferrer, Bruce A. Young, Chelcie Ross, Dorothy Malone, Wayne Knight, Stephen Tobolowsky; D: Paul Verhoeven; W: Joe Eszterhas; C: Jan De Bont; M: Jerry Goldsmith. MTV Movie Awards '93: Female Perf. (Stone), Most Desirable Female (Stone).