Customer Reviews

Basic Instinct: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The late Jerry Goldsmith's score to Basic Instinct is the only element of real class the film has. The sex scenes are ridiculous, the plot a load of baloney and the appeal somewhat lost over the years, despite being an homage to Hitchcock thrillers. Only Goldsmith's score has proved itself to be timeless.

After Basic Instinct was released it opened up a whole new sub-genre of 'erotic thriller' that many low-budget and direct to video filmmakers seized upon. With the exception of a few Shannon Whirry/Gregory Hippolyte films the majority of these had awful, sleazy saxophone scores to such an abundance that one would assume that Basic Instinct would suffer the fate. Thankfully that is not so.

From the first dreamy and rather spooky opening cues to his brilliant (and dare I say accurate) orchestral interpretation of an orgasm the score is absolutely seamless and breezes from track to track smoothly and laid back. It's all atmospheric stuff with strong themes but there is the odd action cue that you'll recognize as classic Goldsmith.

Be it winter, summer, spring or fall, rainy, windy or sunny the atmosphere the Basic Instinct score creates always seems appropriate and puts you in the same mood.

The only version for sale here is the 40 minute, long OOP Varese Sarabande release from 1992 with only ten tracks. If I were you I'd track down the 2004 Prometheus release with 16 extra tracks (34 minutes) as follows...

1. Main Title (02:13)
2. First Victim (01:39)
3. Catherine & Roxy (05:14)
4. Shadows (00:41)
5. Profile (00:49)
6. Don't Smoke (02:26)
7. Crossed Legs (04:49)
8. Beth & Nick (02:21)
9. Night Life (06:03)
10. Home Visit (01:13)
11. Your Wife Knew (01:44)
12. Untitled (00:52)
13. That's Real Music (00:27)-Actually a clip from Hellraiser
14. One Shot (01:27)
15. Kitchen Help (03:58)
16. Pillow Talk (04:59)
17. Morning After (02:29)
18. Roxy Loses (03:37)
19. Catherine's Sorrow (02:41)
20. Wrong Name (02:22)
21. She's Really Sick (01:31)
22. I Won't Sell (01:02)
23. Games Are Over (05:53)
24. Evidence (01:39)
25. Unending Story / End Credits (09:23)
26. First Victim (Alternate Version) (01:34)

This new expanded release is a fitting epitaph for a great composer who will be missed but who's music will never be forgotten. Basic Instinct is a great score and I urge you to get the Prometheus release.

This score was actually nominated for an Oscar back in 1992. It is a sensual and creepy score that is alluring and a work of art. Goldsmith delivers a good 6 note main theme played on the woodwinds that is downright ominous, yet somewhat sultry at the same time. Almost every track contains the full main theme or snippets of it, but regardless, you can't miss it. The primary instrumentation Goldsmith goes with for this one is the string section. You might be thinking, no action music? Wrong! Parts of "Night Life", "The Games are Over", and "Roxy Loses" are solid action material with a blaring brass section. I'm going to keep this review short and sweet because all of the tracks are mainly sensual, dark, dramatic, and slightly creepy. If you've heard the main theme for Mark Mancina's "Domestic Disturbance" (they are just about identical) or Goldsmith's theme for "Hollow Man", or even Bernard Herrmann's theme for "Psycho", then you know what to expect here. Director Paul Verhoeven comments: "Jerry worked with 10 synthesizers, linked to a computer and a television monitor. We spent many days trying to find the mood of this very special erotic thriller. Jerry played his cues on the synthesizer, which gave me a clear indication of the complexity and richness of the final orchestration. The result is a wonderful score that is original, evocative, and audacious in its very simplicity. Jerry, we had a great time together and you are the best." This is a recommended score.

Although the music was repeating itself often, it was ok. BUT, WHERE IS THAT FABULOUS SEXY MUSIC SHARON WAS DANCING TO AT THE CLUB WITH HER GIRLFRIEND???

Sorry for the odd english (I am an alien ;o)
This score is one of my favorite from Goldsmith. It has the mood of the score of Vertigo by Hermann (also an excellent score) Romantic and mysterious.
Only bad remark. Its a bit repetitive because most of the tracks are a variation on the same (beautifull) theme.
Other remarquable scores by Goldsmith (in my opinion)
Planet of the apes (a must have)
Total recall ( film is not as good as the score )

"Basic Instinct" has divided movie critics since its 1992 release, but most agreed on the brilliance of Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score. This haunting symphonic work captures the essence of contemporary film noir. Now out-of-print, the original soundtrack represents Goldsmith at his best.

This oscar-nominated score for director Paul Verhoevens' steamy thriller is one of Goldsmiths best works of recent years. The main theme is undoubtedly the real attention-grabber here, being very sultry. It seems to be constantly swirling around the characters in the mystery, always drawing you in, with more than a hint of unease. In the cue 'Pillow Talk', Goldsmith brilliantly climaxes with an unsubtle characterisation of sex, but there is little loving emotion, just plain ice-cold eroticism - love without passion, if you will. Action set peices such as 'Roxy Loses' add a real dramatic bite to the score, making this an extremely rewarding listen, & pushing it into the state of being an essential purchase for Goldsmith admirers.

I recently bught the Hollow Man DVD (another example of an excellent Goldsmith-Verhoeven collaboration), and listening to Jerry Goldsmith talk about his work on the film, he also mentioned that he thought that the Basic Instinct score was one of his best. This a very rich, melodic and layered score, with many different sections of the orchestra working with and against each other at different stages. It's prominent use of strings has a sense of mystery working underneath mystery (much like the film itself), but without being obvious in it's intentions: ie not screaming SCARY SCENE/SEX SCENE at the listener, but rather underscoring these ideas, and working upon our feelings. Pieces like Pillow Talk also show very effective cumulative builds, with each build coming up and joining with the last, climbing up to a sense of the absolute terror in our expectations. Really wonderful work!

One of the best film scores I have heard. It contains enthralling suspenseful and mysterious pieces. I hope the score for the sequel will be using the same pieces only reworking them.

Basic Instinct is an incredible score and was the best score of the year. The theme simply oozes with emotional coldness and detachment and really evokes simultaneously the film's eroticism and sense of mortal danger. Also prominent is an evocative film noir theme (I speak of the theme at the beginning of the last track) that calls to mind scores such as Chinatown and his later L.A. Confidential. The sex scenes and the quiet moments of this score are all scored brilliantly, really capturing a mood. Finally, the action scenes (tracks 3, 7, and 9) are amazing! They have a kinetic, propulsive feel that's unmistakably Goldsmith and reminiscent of Total Recall. In the action cues, you can hear some great mixed meter action writing. In Hollow Man, Goldsmith would visit similar territory, as his scores for Verhoeven all tended to be cold and intellectual, yet graced with excellent, exciting action music. While Goldsmith went on to write many other excellent scores before his death such as Rudy, The Ghost and the Darkness, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, and Hollow Man, I consider Basic Instinct to be his last undisputably GREAT score. His best work of his later career and one of his ten best ever.

This movie has a rather unfortunate reputation, and there is reason for that. But the music is simply phenomenal. Goldsmith is an absolute genius and he has created an absolutely riveting masterpiece. It is neat to hear the ways he combines the two main themes in new and creative ways. The climax is not the only thrilling part of the score. This is one of my favorite film scores, and I give it a high recommendation.