WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Basic Instinct
Genre:Thriller

Reviewed In Issue 01 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 1
Sound Rating: 3
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Live Entertainment
(Catalog Number): LD69015WS
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $39.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 123
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): No
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1992
(LD Release Date): 10/01/92
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Paul Verhoeven
(Screenplay/Written By): Joe Eszterhas
(Story): NA
(Music): Jerry Goldsmith
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Terence Marsh
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Frank J. Urioste, ACE
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Mario Kassar
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Alan Marshall

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.0:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo SR
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Basic Instinct is the controversial film that launched Sharon Stone’s career. She stars as Catherine Tramell, an icy, calculating vixen with an insatiable sexual appetite. Catherine becomes the prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered in a way that mimics a crime described in her latest novel. Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), a tough, but vulnerable detective, becomes obsessed with the beautiful novelist and cracking her case. Would she be so obvious to commit a crime she wrote about? Or, is she being set up by a jealous rival?

LaserDisc Picture:
While the technical production values and presentation quality did justice to the slick visuals in theatrical projection, you really have to ask yourself what happened to this transfer. It has so many problems and inconsistencies in color balance, it has little resemblance to the theatrical presentation except for content.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
(no sound review available)
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: