Day 7: Paul Verhoeven's Basic Instinct. You might wonder why a sexual thriller makes my list for Halloween viewing. There are no ghosts, masked killers or a haunted house. Basic Instinct is an American giallo. Giallo's were crime stories from Italy with yellow covers. The formula consisted of an unknown killer, a police investigation, violence and sex. Giallo movies became very popular from the 60's through the 80's in Italy. They also found an audience in the US. Basic Instinct is an American giallo. Catherine Tramell (Stone) is mystery writer who's novels suspiciously mirror her life. Michael Douglas is the troubled detective Nick Curran investigating the violent murder of her boyfriend Johnny Boz. The opening murder sequence is one of the most violent deaths to be put on screen. It mixes sexuality with a graphic attack involving an ice pick. Catherine is a suspect and is taken in for questioning. During the interrogation Catherine plays mind games with the detectives slyly showing she has nothing underneath her dress. Red herrings abound and more violent deaths occur as the suspect list grows. This is an adult Halloween movie. The hallmarks of horror are presented in a glossier package. Paul uses San Francisco as a character much like Hitchcock did in Vertigo. The score by Jerry Goldsmith is lush creating an atmosphere of dread and beauty. The death scenes are filled with more blood than John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). It is perhaps one of the most successful sexual thrillers ever made. One that adults should enjoy this season of the witch. #basicinstinct #thriller #murder #killer #horror #paulverhoeven #Halloween #sharonstone #michaeldouglas #giallo #mystery #eroticthriller
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