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* BettyAndVeronica: Good girl Beth (whose name is coincidentally, or perhaps deliberately, similar to Betty) and Catherine. [[spoiler: The interesting subversion is that it might very well be BETH who is the murderer, while Catherine MIGHT very well be innocent]]

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* BettyAndVeronica: Good girl Beth (whose name is coincidentally, or perhaps deliberately, similar to Betty) and Catherine. [[spoiler: The interesting subversion is that it Beth might very well be BETH who is the murderer, while as murderous as Catherine MIGHT very well be innocent]]is implied to be]]


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** The impromptu car chase that Catherine and Nick engage in shortly after they meet that nearly gets them both killed.


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* IronicEcho: Catherine's interrogation scene, when she snarks about being "charged with smoking", as well as dumb she would have to be to kill someone exactly as she described in her book, reflected in Nick's, when he makes an identical snark when he lights up a cigarette, then points out how stupid he would have to be to kill the detective after arguing with him in full view of police station full of witnesses.
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* CrazyJealousGirl: Roxy in regards to Catherine, threatening to kill Nick if he doesn't leave Catherine alone, [[spoiler: then attempting to do so]]

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* CrazyJealousGirl: [[CrazyJealousGuy Crazy Jealous Girl]]: Roxy in regards to Catherine, threatening to kill Nick if he doesn't leave Catherine alone, [[spoiler: then attempting to do so]]
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* BeautyIsBad


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* BlondesAreEvil: And ''how''


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** The extended cut reveals that the killer continues to have sex with Boz, riding him even as she stabs him with the ice pick


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* CrazyJealousGirl: Roxy in regards to Catherine, threatening to kill Nick if he doesn't leave Catherine alone, [[spoiler: then attempting to do so]]
** Depending on whose version of events is true, [[spoiler: either Catherine or Beth was this to the other, with each woman claiming that the other stalked her after their one night stand. Then there's the murder of Beth's husband and the latest series of killings, which could have been engineered by either woman either as revenge for ending their relationship, or in the hopes of resuming it]]


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* ExperimentedInCollege: [[spoiler: Beth dismisses her fling with Catherine as this]]


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* InternalAffairs: The {{Jerkass}} detective seen harassing Nick and Beth during the bar scene, who has apparently been on Nick's case since the infamous shooting incident.
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* BettyAndVeronica: Good girl Beth (whose name is coincidentally, or perhaps deliberately, similar to Betty) and Catherine.

to:

* BettyAndVeronica: Good girl Beth (whose name is coincidentally, or perhaps deliberately, similar to Betty) and Catherine. [[spoiler: The interesting subversion is that it might very well be BETH who is the murderer, while Catherine MIGHT very well be innocent]]

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* BettyAndVeronica: Good girl Beth (whose name is coincidentally, or perhaps deliberately, similar to Betty) and Catherine.



* DepravedBisexual: Catherine again.

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* DepravedBisexual: Catherine again. [[spoiler: and she manages to make it seem as though Beth is this too]]



* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Catherine Tramell succesfully shifts the blame for the murders to Beth, and gets away with her crimes.]]

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* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Catherine Tramell succesfully successfully shifts the blame for the murders to Beth, and gets away with her crimes.]]



* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted with [[spoiler: Nick shoots Beth]]. She's hit in the shoulder, but bleeds out within minutes.

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* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted with when [[spoiler: Nick shoots Beth]]. She's hit in the shoulder, but bleeds out within minutes.



* ThrowItIn: Michael Douglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn were merely ''rehearsing'' the sex scene between Nick and Beth and apparently didn't even know they were being filmed. The director liked the end results so much that he used the shot in the movie.

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* ThrowItIn: Michael Douglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn were merely ''rehearsing'' the sex scene between Nick and Beth and apparently didn't even know they were being filmed. The director liked the end results so much that he used the shot footage in the movie.


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** [[spoiler: Also when Nick shoots Beth. Despite the fact that he's clearly agitated and pointing a gun at her, she puts her hand into her pocket and refuses to remove it even as he orders her to. As it turns out, she wasn't armed, but he had no way of knowing that, and given the circumstances, reacted the way any cop would]]
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* ThrowItIn: Michael Douglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn were merely ''rehearsing'' the sex scene between Nick and Beth and apparently didn't even know they were being filmed. The director liked the end results so much that he used the shot in the movie.
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I\'m pretty sure that means \"No examples on the trope\'s page\", an artifact before it was locked.

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* PantyShot: Infamously averted.
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** Nick has a hostile discussion with Roxy just after having had sex with Catherine as if he were fully clothed.

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** A naked Nick has a hostile discussion with Roxy just after having had sex with Catherine as casually as if he were fully clothed.
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* DrunkDriver: Gus gets behind the wheel while he's hammered, even though his partner Nick offers to drive him home. He manages not to get himself killed.
* EmbarrassingNickName: Nick is called "Shooter" by a lot of people. It refers to a previous incident in which he accidentally shot and killed a bunch of tourists, which he is still haunted by.


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* MirrorScare: After Nick has had sex with Catherine, he walks over to the bathroom and splashes some water on his face. When he looks up, the mirror reveals that Catherine's jealous girlfriend Roxy is standing behind him.


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* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler:Nick goes after Catherine despite all the obvious hints that she's dangerous. She even flat-out ''tells him'' that she is writing a story about an AntiHero detective who falls for the wrong woman, and that the women kills the detective. Nick's partner Gus calls him out on it in-story. The only reason Nick survives in the end is because Catherine had a last-minute change of heart about killing him.]]


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Unless you were watching the movie on TV and a commercial break followed that line, it is not an example.


* QuipToBlack: "Looks like he got off before he got offed."
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->''"And then I come to find out that all of the lesbian sex scenes got cut out of that movie because a test audience was, uh..."turned off" by them. Boy, is ''my'' thumb not on the pulse of America... If ''I'' had been in that test audience, the only one protesting would've been MichaelDouglas demanding that his part be put back in!''"
-->--Creator/BillHicks

''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American erotic thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.

to:

->''"And ->''And then I come to find out that all of the lesbian sex scenes got cut out of that movie because a test audience was, uh..."turned off" by them. Boy, is ''my'' thumb not on the pulse of America... If ''I'' had been in that test audience, the only one protesting would've been MichaelDouglas demanding that his part be put back in!''"
-->--Creator/BillHicks

''Basic Instinct''
in!''
-->--'''Creator/BillHicks'''

'''''Basic Instinct'''''
is a 1992 American erotic thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.
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* DateRape: The first scene of Nick and Beth in her flat qualifies as this.

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* DateRape: The first scene of Nick and Beth in her flat qualifies as this. He aggressively comes on to her, and she enjoys it at first. By the end he forces himself onto her, and she's clearly struggling against him. After they're done, she calls him out on that fact that he wasn't making ''love'' to her, and angrily tells him to leave.
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\"No examples please\".


* PantyShot: Averted.
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''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.

to:

''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American erotic thriller/neo-noir film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.



* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins: See KarmaHoudini.]]

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* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins: See KarmaHoudini.TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler:Catherine succeeds in falsely leading the police and Nick, the anti-hero, into believing Beth was the killer - and Nick killed her, too. Catherine? She successfully escapes the law and proceeds to have sex with Nick. The last shot reveals that she intended to kill him too, but calls it off because she likes having sex with him.]]



* FemmeFatale: Catherine is one of the most iconic examples in modern filmmaking.

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* FemmeFatale: Catherine is one of the most iconic examples in modern filmmaking. No surprise, seeing as how the entire film is a 90's update on the FilmNoir genre. She seduces both men [[DepravedBisexual and women]] to attain her goals, uses sexual aggression to openly taunt the police in the infamous interrogation scene, [[spoiler:and committed all the murders.]]



* [[spoiler:KarmaHoudini: Catherine Tramell.]]

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* [[spoiler:KarmaHoudini: Catherine Tramell.KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Catherine Tramell succesfully shifts the blame for the murders to Beth, and gets away with her crimes.]]
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''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by PaulVerhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.

to:

''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by PaulVerhoeven Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.
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That was an example of going commando


* VaporWear: Exemplified in the interrogation scene. Lampshaded by Catherine later on.
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* FollowTheLeader: In the mid-nineties, pretty much ''every single thriller'' was ''BasicInstinct'' with some conceit.

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* FollowTheLeader: In the mid-nineties, pretty much ''every single thriller'' was ''BasicInstinct'' ''Basic Instinct'' with some conceit.



* OnlyAFleshWound: Surprisingly averted with [[spoiler: Nick shoots Beth]]. She's hit in the shoulder, but bleeds out within minutes.

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* OnlyAFleshWound: Surprisingly averted Averted with [[spoiler: Nick shoots Beth]]. She's hit in the shoulder, but bleeds out within minutes.



* PantyShot: Famously averted.

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* PantyShot: Famously averted.Averted.



* StealthParody: Kind of. In his book ''The Devil's Guide to Hollywood'', screenwriter JoeEszterhas states essentially that he conceived and wrote this film in thirteen days as a cynical exercise in creating the most LowestCommonDenominator screenplay possible. So he could get back his record of being the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood. And he ''succeeded''.
* TheUnfairSex: Averted. Catherine is a sociopath, Roxy is a PsychoLesbian, Hazel Dobkins murdered her husband and children and Beth is a [[spoiler:murder suspect]]. In fact the number of evil females led to accusations of misogyny.
* UnratedEdition: The movie that basically put the trope into the mainstream.

to:

* StealthParody: Kind of. In his book ''The Devil's Guide to Hollywood'', screenwriter JoeEszterhas states essentially that he conceived and wrote this film in thirteen 13 days as a cynical exercise in creating the most LowestCommonDenominator screenplay possible. So he could get back his record of being the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood. And he ''succeeded''.
* TheUnfairSex: Averted. Catherine is a sociopath, Roxy is a PsychoLesbian, Hazel Dobkins murdered killed her husband and children and Beth is a [[spoiler:murder suspect]]. In fact the number of evil females led to accusations of misogyny.
* UnratedEdition: The movie that basically put the trope into the mainstream.
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* VillainProtagonist: Catherine.
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* MostWritersAreWriters: Catherine is a crime novelist.
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* OutWithABang: The movie opens with a woman murdering her partner during sex. With an ice-pick. Ouch.

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* OutWithABang: The movie opens with a woman murdering her partner during sex. With an ice-pick.ice pick. Ouch.
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None


-->--BillHicks

to:

-->--BillHicks
-->--Creator/BillHicks
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->''"And then I come to find out that all of the lesbian sex scenes got cut out of that movie because a test audience was, uh..."turned off by them". Boy, is ''my'' thumb not on the pulse of America... If ''I'' had been in that test audience, the only one protesting would've been MichaelDouglas demanding that his part be put back in!''"

to:

->''"And then I come to find out that all of the lesbian sex scenes got cut out of that movie because a test audience was, uh..."turned off off" by them".them. Boy, is ''my'' thumb not on the pulse of America... If ''I'' had been in that test audience, the only one protesting would've been MichaelDouglas demanding that his part be put back in!''"
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None


* OneSceneWonder: Wayne Knight's character.
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* FreezeFrameBonus: Before the climax of the movie, Nick drops in at Catherine's house and picks up a page of the manuscript of Catherine last book that she's currently printing. He glances at it very briefly, without reading it. If you freeze frame, you can read the page. [[spoiler: It's a perfect description of the killing that is going to happen in the next scene.]]

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* FemmeFatale: Catherine is one of the most iconic examples of modern filmmaking.

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* FemmeFatale: Catherine is one of the most iconic examples of in modern filmmaking.


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* TheVamp: While much of Catherine's character is open to interpretation, there's no denying how easily she manipulates everyone around her (especially by seducing them) to get what she wants.
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* FemmeFatale: Catherine is one of the most iconic examples of modern filmmaking.
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Not a trope.


* JerryGoldsmith
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* JerryGoldsmith
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* DateRape: Debatable whether the first scene of Nick and Beth in her flat qualifies as this.

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* DateRape: Debatable whether the The first scene of Nick and Beth in her flat qualifies as this.
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%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1328808445092900100
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
[[quoteright:275:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1936full-basic-instinct-poster_6979.jpg]]

->''"And then I come to find out that all of the lesbian sex scenes got cut out of that movie because a test audience was, uh..."turned off by them". Boy, is ''my'' thumb not on the pulse of America... If ''I'' had been in that test audience, the only one protesting would've been MichaelDouglas demanding that his part be put back in!''"
-->--BillHicks

''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 American thriller/neo-noir film, directed by PaulVerhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Sharon Stone, MichaelDouglas, Jeanne Tripplehorn and George Dzundza.

The film centres around police detective Nick Curran (Douglas), who is put in charge of the investigation of a brutal murder of a wealthy former rock star. Beautiful, seductive and wealthy writer Catherine Tramell (Stone) could be involved; over the course of the investigation, Detective Curran becomes involved in a torrid and intense relationship with the mysterious woman--who turns out to be very dangerous.

It was followed by a sequel that was panned by critics and spectacularly bombed at the box office.

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!! This movie contains examples of:

* AllMenArePerverts: What gets Nick into so much trouble.
* AntiHero: The backstory of the film's protagonist, Nick, includes driving his wife to suicide and killing innocent people due to drinking and drug use while on the job.
* AnythingThatMoves: Catherine Tramell.
* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins: See KarmaHoudini.]]
* CarFu: [[spoiler:Roxy]] first tries to kill Nick by running him over, and then again by playing chicken. [[spoiler:She loses.]]
* TheChessmaster: Catherine Tramell.
* CoitusUninterruptus:
** Catherine casually changes her clothes in front of the police detectives sent to escort her to the station for questioning in a show of contempt.
** Nick has a hostile discussion with Roxy just after having had sex with Catherine as if he were fully clothed.
* DateRape: Debatable whether the first scene of Nick and Beth in her flat qualifies as this.
* DeadpanSnarker: Nick and Catherine.
* DeathBySex: The killer's modus operandi.
* DepravedBisexual: Catherine again.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Catherine is usually barefoot at her house.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Nick clearly doesn't have much longer to live...]]
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Catherine. And Nick, when he's following her.
* GambitRoulette: ... but who cares about the plot?
* FatalAttraction: Most of the drama.
* FollowTheLeader: In the mid-nineties, pretty much ''every single thriller'' was ''BasicInstinct'' with some conceit.
** And this film itself was following ''Film/FatalAttraction''. They even got Michael Douglas!
* FourIsDeath: [[spoiler:When Detective Gus gets into the elevator to meet Beth, he ends up getting stabbed on the 4th Floor.]]
* {{Giallo}}
* GoingCommando: Catherine, most famously in the interrogation scene.
* GreatWayToGo: "Hey, he got off before he got offed!"
* [[spoiler:KarmaHoudini: Catherine Tramell.]]
* {{Narcissist}} / [[TheSociopath Sociopath]]: ''Catherine''.
* OneSceneWonder: Wayne Knight's character.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Surprisingly averted with [[spoiler: Nick shoots Beth]]. She's hit in the shoulder, but bleeds out within minutes.
* OutWithABang: The movie opens with a woman murdering her partner during sex. With an ice-pick. Ouch.
* PantyShot: Famously averted.
* PsychoLesbian: Roxy.
* QuipToBlack: "Looks like he got off before he got offed."
* SelfMadeOrphan: Catherine Trammell killed her parents and wrote a book based on the incident.
* StealthParody: Kind of. In his book ''The Devil's Guide to Hollywood'', screenwriter JoeEszterhas states essentially that he conceived and wrote this film in thirteen days as a cynical exercise in creating the most LowestCommonDenominator screenplay possible. So he could get back his record of being the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood. And he ''succeeded''.
* TheUnfairSex: Averted. Catherine is a sociopath, Roxy is a PsychoLesbian, Hazel Dobkins murdered her husband and children and Beth is a [[spoiler:murder suspect]]. In fact the number of evil females led to accusations of misogyny.
* UnratedEdition: The movie that basically put the trope into the mainstream.
* VaporWear: Exemplified in the interrogation scene. Lampshaded by Catherine later on.
* VillainProtagonist: Catherine.

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