Fatal Instinct (1993)

A spoof on thrillers from before 1993 such as Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992), Chinatown (1974) , Cape Fear (1991) etc. A cop/lawyer cheats on his wife and she on him and plans to kill him for the insurance.

Director:

Carl Reiner

Writer:

David O'Malley

Stars:

Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Armand Assante	...	Ned Ravine
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Laura Lincolnberry
Kate Nelligan	...	Lana Ravine
Sean Young	...	Lola Cain
Christopher McDonald	...	Frank Kelbo
James Remar	...	Max Shady
Tony Randall	...	Judge Skanky
Clarence Clemons	...	Clarence
Michael Cumpsty	...	Laura's Husband
John Witherspoon	...	Arch
Blake Clark	...	Milo Crumley
Edward Blanchard	...	Restroom Patron
David Greenlee	...	Restroom Stall Patron
Tim Frisbie	...	Guy in Bumper Car
Michael MacLeod	...	Freckle-Faced Kid (as Michael MacCleod)

Storyline

A spoof of the late '80s and early '90s suspense thrillers and murder mysteries, including Basic Instinct, Sleeping With The Enemy, and Cape Fear. A cop/attorney (yes he's both) is seduced by a woman while his wife is having an affair with a mechanic. Lots of other sublots and visual gags in the style of Naked Gun. Check the rating.

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Plot Keywords:

spoof | blonde | brunette | bathtub | adultery | 

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Taglines:

Sex, murder and revenge were never this funny.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for off-color humor

Did You Know?

Trivia

This went straight to video in the UK after a disastrous marketing campaign led to a shortened run at the US box office.

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Goofs

When Laura leaves Ned and Lola alone in the office, Lola's arms are crossed. In the next shot they hang at her sides.

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Quotes

Ned Ravine: I forgot my keys.
Lola Cain: That's not why you came back!
Ned Ravine: [puzzled] ... Yes it is.
Lola Cain: No... You came back for *this*!
[jumps on Ned Ravine, throwing him to the floor and ripping his pants off]
Ned Ravine: Oh, this is so different!

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Connections

Spoofs The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)

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Soundtracks

Brown Eyed Girl
Written and Performed by Van Morrison
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Noir Spoof Worth A Look

A wild spoof of suspense and film noirs, I appreciated this silly film a little more than most being a fan of "noirs." As with any comedy, the movie is a combination of genuinely laugh-out-loud gags and sight scenes and genuinely stupid lines. It depends on what makes you laugh.

One thing it has for sure: lots of sexual innuendos and just plain overt sexuality. It's yet another one of these PG-13 ratings that is a joke. This is not for kids. Also, this film won't be much for those without a knowledge of classic crime films of the past, from the '40s to the '80s. Many parts of this movie parrot scenes from Fatal Attraction, Body Double, etc. It takes several viewings to catch most of the inside jokes.

Armand Assante is the smooth private detective and Sherilyn Fenn is his attractive and loyal secretary. Kate Nelligan, Sean Young and Christopher McDonald add to the fun. To be frank, I enjoyed this more on the first viewing than I did on the second. After watching it twice, I thought the film would have been better had it been cut 10-15 minutes, and it's only 90 minutes. However, I am not knocking it: it's a fun movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

29 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Triple Indemnity

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,502,569, 31 October 1993

Gross USA:

$7,839,327

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,839,327

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1