Basic Instinct

American accents throughout with some slightly tricky ones for intermediate speakers.

 

Basic Instinct is over thirty years old now. A thriller starring star MIchael Douglas and complete unknown Sharon Stone, it tells the story of a San Francisco cop who investigates the gruesome murder of a retired rock star, stabbed to death, during sex, with an ice pick. His girlfriend at the time, Catherine Tramell, is a novelist who is clearly involved somehow. And then the games start.

 

Michael Douglas was a huge star at the turn of the nineties, and his performance oozes star power throughout. But the film belongs Sharon Stone, She is absolute DYNAMITE as the "did she, didn't she do it?" prime suspect. She wraps every male character around her little finger. The interrogation scene, notorious due to the leg-crossing scene, is genuinely fantastic cinema. The way Catherine toys with the four hapless detectives is brilliant to watch. She is as good as it gets.

 

Basic Instinst was controversial. Like, really controversial. There were demonstrations. The church got involved! And it all helped propel the film to become one of the biggest successes of 1992. 

 

"Hitchcock On Speed" was the tagline i remember the most about Basic Instinct. It is well deserved. The film has been consistent on my Top Ten favourites list ever since.