Basic Instinct The Rewatchables
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Basic Instinct

Most Rewatchable Scene

Nightclub scene into the sex scene

In the discussion (26)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:56Read transcript
  • The opening murder is ruled out as a most rewatchable scene because a man gets brutally stabbed to death.
  • The first visit to Catherine's house is nominated: the cliffside drive and the house itself, which a half-assed internet research lookup suggested was listed for $52 million, though that is flagged as possibly untrue.
  • The first interview has exchanges like "Are you a pro?" "I'm an amateur" and "Are you sorry he's dead?" "Yeah, I liked fucking him," and is called one of the best character introductions ever.
  • The setting is symbolic: beautiful and serene on top, choppy water and jagged rocks over the edge.
  • Her lines scandalize the detectives, men in their 40s; in 1992 there were no characters like this who were in complete control.
  • The second house visit is nominated too: she changes in front of them, the cigarette exchange in the car, and the new book about a detective who falls for the wrong woman.
  • The police interrogation, featuring Newman from Seinfeld and Eddie Harris from Major League, with the cocaine question, the crotch shot and the lie detector, is called the most rewatchable eight to nine minutes of the movie.
  • More lines are added from the interrogation; the cuts are brilliant, she is in command though nominally in their power, and the scene would have been a meme machine in the GIF era. — Mallory Rubin
  • The leg-cross is called one of the great movie star scenes of the last 30 years; Kathleen Turner and Faye Dunaway are floated as comparisons, but doubted as able to command the room the same way.
  • The hosts say the leg-cross was Verhoeven's idea in the room and not in the script; Stone claimed she did not know the shot would be used, while he said they had discussed it; they say it would be a huge deal in 2020.
  • The hosts relay the story that Verhoeven told her the underwear was reflecting the lights, and debate whether the character wore underwear given the earlier dressing scene.
  • Stone is praised for speaking openly about the lack of permission and its impact on her career, while the moment is still held up as iconic.
  • The shot is called invasive because of the interrogation power dynamic, even though she is fully naked later in the film.
  • Catherine stopping by Nick's place, taking the ice pick and his cigarette, and calling him Shooter is liked, as is the pre-cell-phone habit of waiting on a stoop.
  • The nightclub: Nick is the oldest guy by 18 years in the V-neck, the three-person cocaine stall scene is called the all-time best, and Roxy's dancing is praised.
  • The hosts say the sex scene took five days to shoot; first-time viewers wonder whether he will be murdered, and Michael Douglas's butt is the funniest part.
  • The hosts say Verhoeven wanted full frontal nudity from Douglas, whose contract prohibited it.
  • A director's cut viewing claims a side-angle glimpse and dwells on the strained eye contact during oral sex, which is called hilarious.
  • Verhoeven is paraphrased as saying men think they know how women have sex but do not know how other men have sex.
  • The ceiling mirror, fingers in mouths, the white scarf and the back scratch with no blood on white sheets are called ludicrous and mesmerizing.
  • Nick visiting Catherine the next day ("a pretty good beginning," "I'm in love with you already, but I'll nail you anyway") is nominated as a great Basic Instinct scene.
  • A production flaw is noted: there is no sand beach at her property, so the hosts guess the beach part was filmed elsewhere; no later scene is seen as rewatchable once the whodunit kicks in.
  • Other nominations: the homicidal-impulse conversation that reveals how much Catherine knows about Nick, the Gus and Beth murder sequence and case wrap-up as near comedy, and the suspenseful final scene. — Mallory Rubin
  • The pick is the nightclub scene by far, lumped with the sex scene, including the dancing and Roxy getting mad. — Chris Ryan
  • Another pick is the car ride through the police interrogation, for the Bay Area and her command of the room.
  • A third participant calls the interrogation legendary but sides with Chris on the sex scene, with the club scene as the cherry on top.