Review – Basic Instinct

Though this “erotic thriller” clearly faces some stiff competition, it may well hold the all-time high mark for ratio of hype to content. For openers, there’s the legendary beaver shot, which is nowhere near as scandalous as it’s supposed to be. This disappointment heads a lengthy list of pseudo-sexy twists and turns that take sex and make it downright boring. Matters aren’t helped by the fact that the lead fornicators are played by Sharon Stone (ick) and Michael Douglas (double ick). Just as the sex fails to keep things going, the murder mystery element likewise turns out to be less than compelling. Then there’s the whole gay-people-protested-the-production thing, which to this day I don’t quite understand (a couple of the villains were bisexual, but this is a considerable distance from the most unflattering portrayal of queer folk Hollywood’s ever done). Final capper: what the heck’s up with the title? What is “Basic Instinct” supposed to mean? See if desperate