(Paul Verhoeven, US/France 1992, 127 min., 35mm)
Scripted by Joe Eszterhas (Jagged Edge) and starring Michael Douglas, Verhoeven’s glossy pulp shocker stands as the ne plus ultra of the ’80s/’90s erotic thriller. It was also one of the most controversial — and successful — Hollywood movies of the 1990s. Based on hearsay about the film’s content — gratuitous sex, over-the-top violence, and the depiction of bisexual women as murderous, man-hating psychopaths — protests against the film erupted even before shooting had finished. The eventual release did little to settle qualms, and this lurid tale of a successful crime novelist who may have or may not have disposed of a one-night stand with an ice pick continues to annoy, fascinate, and liberate — all in equal measure.
35mm print from the George Eastman Museum collection.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | Fatal Attraction (35mm)
Michael Douglas’s Bad Day The psychological thriller that made Glenn Close a household name centers on marital infidelity with dangerous consequences. Michael Douglas plays Dan Gallagher, a successful lawyer who has a weekend affair with an intriguing woman named Alex (Glenn Close) while his family is out of town.