Scissors (1991)

Director:

Frank De Felitta

Writers (WGA):

Joyce Selznick (story)
Frank De Felitta (screenplay)

Release Date:

March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Angie is about to step over the edge. All she needs is a little help.

Plot:

After a young woman is attacked in the elevator she meets her neighbours (two brothers) for the first time...

Plot Keywords:

Psychoanalysis | Beautiful Woman | Bird | Scissors | Neo Noir

Cast

Sharon Stone	...	Angie Anderson
Steve Railsback	...	Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan
Ronny Cox	...	Dr. Stephan Carter
Michelle Phillips	...	Ann Carter
Vicki Frederick	...	Nancy Leahy
Larry Moss	...	Mr. Kramer
Austin Kelly	...	Folger
Jesse Garcia	...	Counterman
Will Leskin	...	Billy
Ivy Jones	...	Mother
Laura Caulfield	...	Actress on Soap Opera (as Laura Ann Caulfield)
Ed Crick	...	Frank Brady
Hal Riddle	...	Male Dog Walker
Ivy Bethune	...	Female Dog Walker
Jim Shankman	...	Bob the Clerk

Runtime:

Netherlands:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Germany:16 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R

Company:

DDM Film Corporation

Trivia:

After the success of Sharon Stone's Basic Instinct (1992), this film was retitled in German as "Final Instinct".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Angie is beginning to break down in the apartment, she sees the body is missing from the bed and pulls the bedspread off the bed looking for it. A few minutes later she returns to get into the bed and the bedspread is neatly back in place.

What was the point of the scissors? Well, scissors have points!!

If a film could be rated just for ideas, then perhaps i would rate higher than a five. For me, the ratings are all about the overall entertainment value that watching a movie provides... and this film did provide some entertainment! It's definitely a thriller rather than a horror. And in some ways a very simplistic thriller at that. Every character has two dimensions, or sides to their personality. Angie is schizophrenic, there, simple, two sides to a personality. The man across the hall is possibly undecided about whether he wants Angie, or wants to get back with his ex. Another two sides! His ex and his twin brother (another two!) play one role in front of him, and another when with each other! Two's company to be sure! And the list goes on.

The possible calculations of all these two's, allow the movie to traverse its twists and turns without too much friction... it's a thriller, and we don't want to know "who done it?" till the end, right?? So we learn a little about Schizo-Angie's world, and very little it is at that, and then see her plunged into a carefully designed, even designer, nut-ball apartment of hell. And believe me, what goes on would be enough to send anyone schizo, let alone someone already suffering problems! The acting is passable... Stephen Railback does well playing both twin brothers, Ronny Cox plays the same character he always does... oooh, he can look mean when he wants to! And Sharon Stone has her usual moments of smouldering sexuality, determined beauty, and vulnerable perfection which make her performance and her 20-something virginal character acceptable! However, I did spot one rather interesting fish impression... I wonder if she's thought of developing that into a mermaid role or something!!

The complexity of the situation Angie finds herself in is what really makes the film. With thrillers, or horrors, we viewers do need to ask "just how will she get out of that!" And for this low key, low budget film, they certainly made sure we asked the question!

"And what was the point of the scissors?" you ask... well, scissors have points!!