Michael Douglas recalls how ‘Basic Instinct’ sex scenes shocked even the French ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; IMDb )
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By modern standards, Paul Verhoeven’s 1992 s*x noir drama ‘Basic Instinct’ might not seem that scandalous; still, it was a much different story when it first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Michael Douglas, the film’s male star, said on Wednesday, reports ‘Variety’.
Considered genre-defining or high camp depending on who you ask, ‘Variety’ continues, the project was “unique, even for France”, Douglas said during a conversation at Cannes.
“Seeing a lot of those s*x scenes on the Grand Palais’ huge screen, it was a little overwhelming for a lot of people. We had a very quiet dinner afterwards, everyone was sort of digesting it,” Michael Douglas recalled (the cast included Sharon Stone and Jeanne Tripplehorn).
Michael Douglas was at the festival before receiving the Honorary Palm d’Or as a salute to his “brilliant career and commitment to cinema”.
‘Basic Instinct’, notes ‘Variety’, followed a weary homicide detective (Douglas) investigating a successful crime writer (Stone). The film was initially given an NC-17 rating but was downgraded to an R after studio lobbying.
A scene where Stone flashes detectives in a police interview is one of the contemporary film’s most memorable scenes and is still referenced and parodied.
In addition to ‘Basic Instinct’, ‘Variety’ adds, Douglas has brought several memorable movies to Cannes all throughout his career, including ‘The China Syndrome’, co-starring Jane Fonda; Joel Schumacher’s ‘Falling Down’; and his award-winning Liberace project ‘Behind the Candelabra’.
