Plot: What’s it about?
With the unprecedented success of 1992’s Basic Instinct, Sharon Stone’s star was on the rise. Never mind the fact that she had a starring role in Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger, it took the steamy sex scenes with Michael Douglas (and Jeanne Tripplehorn) to launch Stone to superstardom. Stone’s next role was more of the same in Sliver; hey if it worked once it’ll work again right? Well…not really. Joe Eszterhaus who also wrote Basic Instinct and Jagged Edge wrote the movie, so the talent was there but there was something in the execution that made Sliver somewhat forgettable. The tag line You like to watch…don’t you was certainly clever and the voyeuristic nature of the movie brings back memories of, say, Rear Window. Certainly this is no Rear Window, but you get the idea. Ironically the film was most noted for the song by UB40 Can’t Help Falling in Love (a supplement I’d have liked to see on the Blu-ray) and the sub par box office made Sliver something that Basic Instinct wasn’t – a hit.
Stone plays Carly Norris, a book editor who bears a striking resemblance to a tenant that’s killed in the opening scenes. Carly moves into a trendy apartment building with some rather eccentric neighbors: an arrogant author (Tom Berenger), a model (Polly Walker) and the young, attractive computer artist (William Baldwin) who also happens to own the building. Carly becomes romantically involved with Zeke (Baldwin) and the steamy sex scenes are what the movie is really all about. The other side is the voyeuristic side of Zeke. We see that he has installed cameras in every apartment in the whole building and has no problem invading his tenants’ privacy. To boot, Carly’s resemblance to the deceased tenant seems to evoke emotions of Vertigo. But as Carly learns more and more about Zeke, will it bring her closer to him or will she retreat into the arms of Jack?
Sliver certainly isn’t a bad movie, it’s a bit dated and it’s Blu-ray debut comes along with some other well-known catalog titles from Paramount now released by Warner (Jennifer 8, Snake Eyes, The Talented Mr. Ripley). The film is best known for the song by UB40 and the video surveillance (ironically enough, this is very commonplace in the 21st century). Sliver was a modest success when it was released back in 1993 and it did far better overseas than in the United States. Sliver isn’t exactly required viewing for any fan of Stone, I’d say her best roles are Basic Instinct and Casino but there are undoubtedly people out there that love this movie.
Video: How’s it look?
This film has had a troubled past when it comes to its home video releases, but that seems to (finally) have been rectified now that we’ve got a proper 4K offering. Director Phillip Noyce has personally supervised this transfer to “give it a more noir’ish vision” consistent of what his ideas were. OK, that’s fine. That being said, the overall look and feel are far superior to any release I’ve seen. The 2.35:1 HEVC 4K image has been cleaned up, detail is much more refined, contrast much stronger and Dolby Vision aids in the presentation. That said the film is, as of this writing, over three decades old and parts of it do show. So while it’s an overall improvement, it’s not perfect – then again it doesn’t need to be.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The movie also gets an upgraded sound mix with a full and proper DTS HD Master Audio mix. Granted it doesn’t sound bad by any means, but it’s not the dynamic range that I was expecting from this film. And, looking back, this movie might be best remembered for UB40’s “I Can’t Help But Falling in Love” song. Still, some scant surround sounds are present, vocals are sharp and the front heavy mix is a bit troubled at times, but nothing to lose sleep over. It’s a decent mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I’d complained in my review of the Blu-ray that there weren’t any supplements. That’s been rectified with this release. There’s a lot, so lets get started.
- The Skinny on Sliver – Essentially everything you’d want or need to know about this film can be found here. Director Phillip Noyce is very candid with his thoughts and opinions and some ins and outs of the film are explored. Can you imagine Brad Pitt in the William Baldwin role? That’s who Sharon Stone wanted. At any rate, it’s a bit all over the place, but tons of information can be found here.
- Taking Chances on Sliver – Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is interviewed and we get some more dirt as its dished by the acclaimed writer. He regales of us tales from the set, working with (an against) Robert Evans and more.
- Re-Marks on Sliver – Actress Colleen Camp (who I always remember from the movie Clue) tells us of her obsession with the role, her interactions with Evans and the like.
- EPK Interviews – A trio of short, but sweet interviews with the film’s three major stars.
- Sharon Stone
- William Baldwin
- Tom Berenger
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage – Nothing too fancy here, folks. As the name implies it’s just some extra footage.
- Alternate Scenes – Nearly a dozen minutes’ worth from the film’s R-rated edit are included here.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
The early 90’s were good to Sharon Stone with major roles in Total Recall, Basic Instinct and even an Academy Award nomination for her role in Casino. The latter half of the 90’s…not so much. Regardless of your opinion on the actress, this is her in her prime and baring lots of skin. The 4K release has finally been done right and with a good selection of supplements to boot. Fans, this one is for you.
