I was reading Joe Eszterhas’s book American Rhapsody (he also wrote Basic Instinct) and it reminded me of an argument I had with a friend years ago over the famous scene where Sharon Stone’s character distracts the police from her interrogation using a short dress and her crossed legs.
According to my friend (and much breathless gossip at the time) Sharon Stone was wearing nothing underneath and flashes her beaver at the camera.
According to me, the whole thing was a beat up to sell the movie and she does nothing of the sort.
Someone out there must have the DVD, and must have freeze framed through the scene and resolved this question once and for all. [sub]Come on, own up, oh yes you have![/sub]
Your friend is right. I think it’s fairly obvious watching the movie (especially if you saw it on a big screen and not a small TV), but Ms. Stone has made much about that scene since…
Well either nothing or something, Muldoon III, that’s what I’m asking!
ArchiveGuy, I saw it on the big screen (when it first came out). To me, the scene was dimly lit from behind, all you could see was darkness, could have been anything, could have been black knickers, could have been just shadows, probably was nothing at all beyond the viewer’s imagination. It’s all over in a flash (ahem) and I really would continue to doubt unless you could say either that you (personally, first hand evidence) have seen the scene several times over and over or you’ve freeze framed your way through it on video or dvd and confirm actual beaver (to be crude about it).
It was quite clear at the time that the producers were deliberately beating up the noise about the scene to get publicity. I have also heard that SS herself was crying crocodile tears over the issue and knew perfectly well what was going on (that’s what Joe Eszterhas says). I simply don’t believe a word anyone associated with the film says.
I want an eyewitness account.
Is that what you are giving me, or are you inferring or repeating the words of others?
I was about 13 when I saw this one for the first time, so rest assured that I watched the scene in question REPEATEDLY. And I remember being disappointed because all you could really make out was her pubes.
I think the scene is more famous for what it suggested than for what it actually showed. That is to say, you see enough to know what the interrogating cops are looking at, but there is no full-on “beaver shot.”
Seems to me I remember reading that the scene was altered for the video release (shadows darkened or something) so that you couldn’t see the goods. So if you didn’t see the movie in a theatre, you missed your chance. IIRC the reason for the alteration is they didn’t want video captures appearing on the internet.
ArchiveGuy quoted Sharon Stone as saying the following about Paul Verhoeven:
I like Mr. Cranky’s take on Sharon Stone’s attitude:
'Unfortunately, ever since the famed scene, Stone has been running around Hollywood disingenuously whining that the shot was done against her will and that she had no idea anybody would actually get to see up her dress.
‘Aside from the fact that [Sharon Stone] says to the investigating officer, Nick (Michael Douglas), “You know I don’t wear any underwear, don’t you, Nick?” one has another reason to be bit baffled by her assertion: There was at least a 10,000-watt spotlight shining up her crotch. Perhaps she had complained that her uterus was cold.’
Apos the argument I was having with my friend was actually more about the nature of filmmaking. I was arguing that the sensational info put out by Hollywood movie is generally unreliable, and that what appears to happen in movies is often smoke and mirrors and hype (“convenient” romances between stars that last as long as the cinema run, body doubles, stunt doubles, stars saying how much fun making the movie was, blah blah blah).
The beaver/no beaver thing was just an example.
Over which it seems I was wrong, going by the consensus of posts above. Oh well.
FWIW, in the commentary track on Total Recall, Verhoeven says something to the effect that he wanted to get Sharon Stone to undress during the first scene where she & Arnie are in bed, but she wouldn’t do it. So, he got her back with the shot in Basic Instinct.
So, having never seen the film, I’d wager it’s the real thing.
