Basic Instinct (1992)
Gross: $118 Millon (U.S.), $353 Million (Worldwide)Paul Verhoeven's blockbuster neo-noir had to trim several frames out of the closeup in Sharon Stone's infamous interegation scene in order to fight off the NC-17, which two years after its creation had already acquired the reputation as a commercial kiss of death. The film would also be the subject of intense protests from the gay community, who objected to an implied correlation between the femme fatale's bisexuality and murderous impulses. Verhoeven would have another go at the MPAA with his trash masterpiece Showgirls...it did not go well, but has become a cult classic of sorts.
