Product Details

• Actors: Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Michael Forest
• Directors: Uli Edel
• Writers: Brad Mirman
• Producers: Bernd Eichinger, Dino De Laurentiis, Herman Weigel, Mel Dellar, Melinda Jason
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Special Edition, NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: March 9, 1994
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302747368
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,659 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Madonna isn't merely the prime suspect in the scandalous murder of a millionaire with kinky appetites; she's the murder weapon itself in this erotic thriller in the Basic Instinct mode. The art gallery owner by day and icy-blond dominatrix by night is accused of, shall we say, "loving" her victim to death, and Willem Dafoe is the happily married lawyer she lures into the dark thrills of pleasure and pain. The actual mystery is perfunctory at best and the absurd courtroom theatrics a mere formality in a film far more fascinated with sweaty sex, hot wax, and broken glass. Madonna isn't shy about her body and seems to enjoy the games her character plays, but she's no Sharon Stone; there's no danger smoldering behind her seduction. Like her notorious book Sex, this is a handsomely shot work of pure exhibitionism. --Sean Axmaker

From The New Yorker

Madonna plays a woman on trial for deliberately inducing a fatal coronary in her wealthy older lover by means of overstrenuous sadomasochistic sex. Aside from morons, the only viewers likely to be thrilled by this star vehicle are her academic fans: they gaze avidly, deconstructing her with their eyes. For them, the turn-on might be the question: In the light of Sharon Stone's brilliant appropriation of Madonna's persona in "Basic Instinct," is Madonna still the author of Madonna? To the layman, the answer to that one is obvious. Stone's "Madonna" is so much wittier and sexier than its model that it obliterates the original: it turns the "real" Madonna into an immaterial girl. Madonna-the hardest-working sex symbol in the history of show business-tries with her customary dogged application to reclaim her creation, but it's no use. She seems to be taking herself too seriously, and her erotic audacity lacks even the illusion of playfulness. Her performance feels strained and heavy-spirited; watching it is like watching Joan Crawford tap-dance. Also with Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joe Mantegna, and Julianne Moore. The ridiculous screenplay is credited to Brad Mirman; the sluggish direction is by Uli Edel. -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am ashamed, but I love this movie, December 29, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (morecambe, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Evidence [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Ok, so the plot of this film may be laughable - the only person who seems to break the law
is dafoe's character (who illegally has sexual relations with his client, and commits rape),
but that's not the point of watching this movie.
The reason I would recommend this film is simple - watching madonna, the sexiest woman ever,
doing what she does best. She looks incredible, and her performance is excellent. The only
criticisms I would have of 'body of evidence' are that we seem to see dafoe naked more often
than madonna, and the sex scenes have large sections edited out of them.
The film's most (in)famous scene, where madonna seduces dafoe, ties him up with his own belt
then teases and tortures him by pouring hot wax onto his body is, in my opinion, the sexiest ever
commited to celluloid, with great preformances from both actors. Quite frankly, I can't beleive
how lucky willem dafoe is, getting paid to film this scene with madonna.
The 'twist' at the end of the movie is predictable and pretty dull, but I give 'body of evidence'
five out of five for madonna's unbelievable body.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ridiculously predictable, January 2, 2001

By 

Alyssa (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Evidence (Unrated Version) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie is predictable from the beginning to the end. Even the incredibly sexy Willem Defoe could not redeem the plot. Although he was the only thing keeping me from stopping to watch the movie.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as bad as Madonna-haters would have you think, August 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Body of Evidence (Unrated Version) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although, not the most brilliant movie ever made it iscertainly not the worst. Madonna was herald as the reason this moviewas so horrible, but if you notice her performance in no better or worse than any of the other actors. And,as always she bares the entire burden of our (the public's) hang-ups. You know what though? All that aside, it's a fairly decent movie. I mean, it does, at least have a plot, and there is suspense and sex (general movie fare). If you're a fan of the now ethereal girl, this is a gem and milestone from her past.