Extra Scoop
Sharon Stone's big moment now on disc

By Jordan Riefe
Special to The Advertiser

"BASIC INSTINCT" (Artisan Entertainment) 1992
R
129 minutes
Starring Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn, George Dzundza

Murder mystery involving a hard-luck detective and a sexually adventurous crime novelist

A box office sensation back in 1992, "Basic Instinct" made Sharon Stone a household name. Competently written and adequately directed, it is a fine film but by no means a classic. One has to wonder if it would have caused the sensation it did had Sharon Stone not uncrossed her legs in the now-famous interrogation scene. With the DVD's ability to freeze frame, viewers can make their own decision in that old, heated debate about how much of Stone's anatomy is really shown.

Heading the list of extras on this disc, "Blonde Poison" is a top-notch "making of" chronicling the project from its inception through the gay protests besieging the production, to its release and aftermath. "Cleaning Up 'Basic Instinct'" is a comparison of dialogue changes from the theatrical to the TV screen. Storyboard comparisons include an extended love scene with graphic drawings, and a car chase along the Pacific Coast Highway. Commentary from director Verhoeven and cinematographer Jan De Bont (who went on to direct "Twister" and "Speed") centers on tech problems and anecdotes about the actors. An additional commentary track is provided by feminist critic Camille Paglia, who focuses on the protests surrounding the film and character analysis.

A photo gallery, theatrical trailer, cast/crew bios and production notes round out the package. And don't forget to click on the ice pick for an audition tape of Sharon Stone.

Robert De Niro, left, and Nick Nolte star in "Cape Fear," a remake of one of director Martin Scorcese's more mediocre productions. Advertiser library photo

An ex-con terrorizes the family of his former defense attorney.

Although "Cape Fear" is not one of director Martin Scorsese's best films, being that he is among America's top living directors, it falls into the category of merely terrific. Based on the 1962 classic, the remake is every bit as good as the original.

On this lavish two-disc set, Universal includes "The Making of Cape Fear," an exhaustive 80-minute documentary exploring the genesis of the project through the script's many rewrites, casting, production and post-production. Interviews include all cast members, director and legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

While DeNiro was keen to play the villainous Max Cady, Scorsese was cool to the idea of directing; indeed, at one point Steven Spielberg was a candidate. It took a table reading (with Kevin Kline as attorney Sam Bowdin, the part that eventually went to Nick Nolte) to bring the maestro aboard.

"Bob and I, for a change, we decided to do something about a psychotic," the director says and laughs. "Max reminded me a little of Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver.' "

Also included are a few deleted scenes, mostly acting highlights and monologues. "Behind the Scenes of the Fourth of July Parade" and "On the Set of the Houseboat" are simply the scenes themselves intercut with 'making of' footage of same. Another segment shows how matte paintings were used in many of the film's establishing shots. A series of photo montages as well as a tribute to Saul Bass, the credit designer of this film as well as "Psycho," "Vertigo" and "Spartacus," are included as well. Also in stores this week from Universal is the original "Cape Fear" (1962), including a "making of" doc that features interviews with actor/producer Gregory Peck and director J. Lee Thompson.

"TOTAL RECALL" (Artisan Entertainment) 1990
R
113 minutes
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside

Futuristic sci-fi in which an average construction worker on Mars takes on the establishment on behalf of a colony of indentured mutants

Not just a big, dumb action movie, "Total Recall" was a hit for its imaginative effects as well as its chase scenes. On the eve of the digital revolution in cinema effects, the film won a visual effects special achievement Oscar for some of the most imaginative images ever put on film.

In a comprehensive "making of" entitled "Imagining Total Recall," we learn that Bruce Beresford, David Cronenberg and Richard Rush ("The Stuntman"), were all candidates to direct, and Patrick Swayze was at one time to play the lead. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a role that the original script described as a beaten little everyman. "When you throw a punch and it just stops against Arnold's arm," says co-star Sharon Stone, "it's like hitting a brick wall at 60 miles per hour."

"Visions of Mars" is an informative five-minute featurette on the Red Planet hosted by an authority from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. "Rekall Virtual Vacation" is a loop of various natural environments; forest, desert, etc, meant to lull the viewer into complacency; a real hoot. Commentary from director Paul Verhoven and Schwarzenegger is a lackluster affair, with Arnold basically describing what's going on in the scene. Storyboard comparisons of three sequences, and a Conceptual Art gallery are worth a look, followed by the usual trailer, TV spots, photo gallery, notes and cast/crew bios.

"BLOOD SIMPLE" (Universal Studios) 1983
R
96 minutes
Starring Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh, John Getz

Film noir in which a cuckolded saloonkeeper hires a hit man to track down his two-timing wife and her lover

The first of what would become a string of excellent and near-excellent films by the brothers Coen, "Blood Simple" is unlike any of their later works except for the fact that it's rooted in the noir tradition.

Universal has opted not to give it the "Ultimate Edition" treatment, providing only a commentary track by fictional film scholar Kenneth Loring of fictional film company Forever Young Films. "You must keep the movie camera out of the shot at all costs," admonishes Loring, "something these filmmakers knew so well even though it was only their first film." It is a humorous and sometimes hilarious track, and the commentator's posh British accent makes him sound sometimes like a member of Monty Python. Since the Coens are among our top living filmmakers, "Blood Simple" is well worth a look.

"STARTUP.COM" (Artisan Entertainment) 2001
R
103 minutes
Documentary chronicling the rapid rise and rapid descent of an Internet startup company

Among the year's best documentaries, "Startup.com" is a riveting look at the swagger and bravado behind so many of the dot.com failures that helped inflate the economy throughout the nineties, then bring it to a halt at the start of the new millennium. On a more personal note, it is also the story of two friends who allow their relationship to be torn apart by greed and ambition.

Short on extras, the disc includes commentary by directors Chris Hedgeus and Jehane Noujaim, who discuss stories and events that went on during filming. Noujaim, a former producer at MTV, is the former housemate of one of the film's principals, Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, who subsequently comes off looking self-important. "Documentarians on Documentary" is a 10-minute featurette with the two filmmakers discussing their views on documentary filmmaking. Rounding out the disc are the film's teaser, theatrical trailers, production notes and cast/crew bios.

Recommended

• "Spy Kids" (2001), Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alan Cumming, Teri Hatcher
• "Irma La Douce" (1963), Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi

Jordan Riefe is a Los Angeles-based writer who is the West Coast radio correspondent for Variety magazine.