Case File 043: Basic Instinct

August 25, 2021 / Christopher Schrader

Basic Instinct was a box office hit in the spring of 1992, but its success was matched by the level of controversy it generated. At the center of it all was a star-making performance by Sharon Stone, who gave us one of cinema’s most iconic femme fatales and one of the most famous scenes in movie history. On this episode, we’re opening up a case file on Catherine Tramell and investigating the heyday of the erotic thriller.

Topics include: why Michael Douglas originally wanted them to cast someone more famous as Catherine, the long list of actresses who passed on the role, the bizarre push and pull the movie has between the sensibilities of its screenwriter vs its director, key differences between the theatrical and unrated versions and how those change shift our perception of Nick, the protests that disrupted shooting and the film’s opening weekend, the long delayed sequel, the death of the erotic thriller, and more!

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