Basic Instinct (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

The DVD has been released in an unrated and R-rated version. This particular edition is the unrated copy last feature on the Pioneer disc. The supplements featured on the Pioneer Laser are now gone, probably due to licensing issues. As Pioneer has ownership of those supplemental materials, Artisan Entertainment has provided a batch of all new supplements for us to enjoy.

Verhoeven is back for support and has recorded a brand new commentary with his Director of Photography, Jan De Bont. This commentary is inferior to the previous Verhoeven only track. Most of the material is technical in nature and scene specific. The previous track had Verhoeven ranting on Stone´s erect nipples and how she was the Devil. Those moments are now sadly gone. The new track is not bad, just not the stand out the last track was. Verhoeven can be extremely entertaining, but was held in tow here.

The second audio track features "feminist" Camille Paglia. Paglia is extremely ecstatic and open admits to loving "Basic Instinct." She discusses the gay protests made against the film and offers many views on the film from a "feministic" point of view. Throughout the commentary, she comes across as very entertaining and it is intriguing to hear what a gay person has to say about this film. Compared to the Verhoeven/De Bont commentary, this is perhaps the better of the two to enjoy.

A documentary entitled "Blonde Poison" is included on the DVD and was created specifically for this release. This is another talking-heads style documentary that features the heads of Verhoeven, De Bont, producer Alan Marshal, composer Jerry Goldsmith, gay rights activists Jonathan Katz and Annette Gaurdino and others involved in the production of the film. The documentary runs for a hair less than a half an hour and features a look at the production of the film and what went around during that period on the sets. Verhoeven does go in-depth about the notorious Sharon Stone interrogation scene. This documentary does not have any fresh footage of Sharon Stone, and does not go into much depth about the characters or performances, but it does entertain.

"Basic Instinct: Special Limited Edition (Unrated)" does feature one of my favorite supplements of all time. It is called "Cleaning Up Basic Instinct." A few years ago, somebody thought it would be wise to show "Basic Instinct" on network television. Though it is more translatable than say, "Pulp Fiction," "Basic Instinct" required an above average number of dubs to show on TV. Apparently, not much work was done in finding voice matches for George Dzundza and Michael Douglas. The voice actors used to sub for them are horrendous. The language used to substitute for little four-letter words is side-splittingly funny. Though this only ran for five minutes, I have shown this supplement to a few others and everybody has laughed their respective arses off. I think a second disc should have been included with the entire network version and a second track with the original dialogue.

After the major supplements and the hilarious "Cleaning Up Basic Instinct," there are a few other supplements. Three storyboard comparisons are included. The first one features just the storyboards to the initial murder scene. The storyboards were much steamer than what was shot, and had they been shot as so, an R-rating would have been much harder to attain. The second two comparison features a Picture-in-Picture style presentation of the storyboards and the actual scene from the movie. There is also a photo gallery that runs for five minutes and shows twenty or so shots from the picture. Production Notes, Cast and Crew Information, and Theatrical Trailers are also provided. Digging around the disc will also reveal a few "Easter Eggs." I won´t spoil them, but they are very easy to find.

Another piece of value added content is included with the disc in the plastic case. This is a pen that is shaped remotely like the famed ice pick from the film. The ink is blood red in color. Nifty, but mostly just to show off in the clear case that is molded a bit like ice broken with said pick. The case itself is downright lousy in design. The case is wider than usual to hold the ice pick. The disc is held in a round housing that features sharp edges all around the disc.

BE WARNED! This case should be opened perfectly flat. Also, the promotional coupon book should be kept out of the case to give the DVD more room to reside. The disc falls out easily, and the case is just waiting to scratch it up. My copy had found its way out of the housing during shipping and was scratched up so badly, it needed to be resurfaced to be watchable. You must be careful. I will probably take a photo of the package and place it into a new Amaray-style case.

Summary:
I have always enjoyed "Basic Instinct" and this was one of the films that pushed me into becoming a die-hard Paul Verhoeven fan. I was eagerly awaiting the release of this DVD, and had deeply hoped it would contain the excellent Pioneer Special Edition supplements. Sadly, it did not. The new supplements are rather nice, but not as entertaining as the previous ones. I believe they gave Verhoeven a sedative or something before he recorded the commentary. Artisan has included a nice amount of supplements and released the disc in both the unrated or R-rated versions.

"Basic Instinct" is a film that will appeal to many viewers, particularly those that are male. However, it has been my experience that female viewers also enjoy the film, particularly because of the evil and all-powerful Catherine Tramell. Had Verhoeven stopped after "Robocop," "Total Recall" and "Basic Instinct," he would have been a film god. This film lacks the special effects and ooh ahh factor of his other releases, but it is a mature effort that holds its own very well.

The film ends in a manner that allows for a possible sequel. Recently, Sharon Stone attempted to revive the chance for a sequel, but a male lead could not be found and other hardships caused the project to be canceled. Perhaps this is all for the better, and "Basic Instinct" will not be tarnished by a sub-par sequel designed solely for capitalization of a marquee original and whose purpose is to make a quick dollar. The original is here in a new special edition for enjoyment and is probably worth picking up.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---