SLIVER (1993)

Director: Philip Noyce
Written By: Joe Eszterhaus
Based on the book by: Ira Levin
Cinematography By: Vilmos Zsigmond
Editor: Willaim Hoy, Ricard Francis-Bruce & Bert Lovitt

Cast: Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger, Polly Walker, Martin Landau, Colleen Camp, CCH Pounder, Amanda Foreman


This is another film that starts off as a murder mystery then forgets that to become a perverse erotic love story then when it has run out of places to go it remembers that it is a murder mystery again.

This was the first film Sharon Stone agreed to appear in after the success of BASIC INSTINCT Starring in a film that was written by Screenwriter Joe Eszterhaus the same screenwriter of BASIC INSTINCT. She was treading similar territory that was not as shocking nor as well put together as BASIC INSTINCT was. It was another erotic thriller This time with her as a book editor who moves into a new apartment building where a series of accidents have been happening she eventually finds out they might be murders. She is eventually seduced by the young tech genius who owns the building. During the film she ins introduced to opening up her sexuality. Such as voyeurism which seems to be a main theme in this film. Where as once she begins to fall in love she finds out the tech genius has cameras throughout the building that he spies on everybody with. Soon she suspects he is the murderer since he literally sees all.

The film had a tumultuous production plenty of behind the scenes problems beginning with River Phoenix dieing he was supposed to play the lead so he was replaced by William Baldwin who is ok in the film. Then the original ending was scrapped after spending $1 million on a ending that involved a Volcano one of the crew members died in trying to film the scene so they scrapped that. Then After filming his nude scenes that involved full frontal nudity, Willaim Baldwin got cold feet and asked that they cut the footage from the finished film. Originally Roman Polanski was wanted to direct the film but since he could not enter the united states it was thought that they would have someone film second unit for the New York exteriors but the main parts of the film would be filmed in Europe. There were 5 endings filmed after the first one got cut because audiences didn’t like it. Even screenwriter Joe Ezterhaus hates the finished film.

SPOILER

The original ending involved finding out that William Baldwin’s character actually was the killer after Sharon Stone’s character runs away with him thy think they will ron off into the sunset until he tries to kill her

END SPOILER

When this film came out I was a teenager and desperately wanted to see it once I did on video it lived up to my expectations as there were plenty of hot sex scenes that at the time I found provocative but now are really more tame then anything else.

The film is a filler movie it’s perectly entertaining when you are watching it but forgettable after you are finished with it. There are no real surprises and once you really think about the plot it is really kind of stupid also. It is directed well. And the film looks good and is put together well but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. I find the film a guilty pleasure that has some promise but needs a major overhaul. Everything seems to be shiny and sharp in this film except for the dialogue and the material.

The most memorable thing about the film is it’s theme song a remake of the elvis Presley classic “can’t help falling in love with you” this time remade by UB40. Which became a hit on the charts. I remember MTV playing the video numerous times that I memorized it at the time. I miss that aspect of films where the film could bomb only to be saved by sales of the soundtrack or a hit music video. The film offers another chance to see Sharon stone naked and in sexual positions a lot. I respect Sharon Stone because as a actress she paid her dues Acted and starred in a lot of forgettable films or Was in good films in small roles and in her early 40’s late 30’s started to become a star. She only got BASIC INSTINCT after many other leading ladies turned it down. That film made her a star and this is her second time starring in a film so it is understandable why she choose this. Similar in theme and written by the same screenwriter who helped her become a star. It’s not a total disaster but acts like it is deeper then it is. It’s slick and polished with very little depth.

Though how much I enjoy it I would have to suggest that this is a film that you can definitely wait for on cable

GRADE: C-