Sliver (1993)

A woman moves into an exclusive New York City apartment building, which she soon discovers houses tenants with all manner of shocking secrets.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel), Joe Eszterhas (screenplay)

Stars:

Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, Tom Berenger

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sharon Stone	...	Carly Norris
William Baldwin	...	Zeke Hawkins
Tom Berenger	...	Jack Landsford
Polly Walker	...	Vida Warren
Colleen Camp	...	Judy Marks
Amanda Foreman	...	Samantha Moore
Martin Landau	...	Alex Parsons
CCH Pounder	...	Lt. Victoria Hendrix
Nina Foch	...	Evelyn McEvoy
Keene Curtis	...	Gus Hale
Nicholas Pryor	...	Peter Farrell
Anne Betancourt	...	Jackie Kinsella
Tony Peck	...	Martin Kinsella
Frantz Turner	...	Doorman #1
Melvyn Kinder	...	Dr. Palme (as Dr. Melvyn Kinder)

Storyline

In a daring attempt to start afresh after a dead-end marriage, the successful book editor, Carly Norris, moves into her elegant new apartment on the twentieth floor of a high-tech Manhattan apartment building. Unbeknownst to her that the luxurious "sliver" building comes with a terrible history of unsolved grisly murders, Carly catches the eye of both the burned-out crime novelist, Jack Landsford, and the shyly charming video-game designer, Zeke Hawkins. However, as a mysterious voyeur watches the tenants' every move, yet another female neighbor dies. Could Norris be next?

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Plot Keywords:

masturbation | voyeurism | hidden camera | erotic thriller | spying on couple having sex | 

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Taglines:

You like to watch... don't you

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language and violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Berenger plays a novelist who wrote a book called "Flesh and Blood". Berenger had previously starred in a TV film called Flesh & Blood (1979). Coincidentally, Vilmos Zsigmond was also the cinematographer of that film.

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Goofs

Polly Walker's digital answering machine makes sounds of a tape transport machine as it intercepts a message.

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Quotes

Gus Hale: How can I call you when I don't know your name?
Carly Norris: How can you not know my name if you knew my apartment number?
Gus Hale: Our doormen are spoiled, five bucks gets you only half the information.

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Alternate Versions

European version features approx. four minutes of sex footage not present in R-rated US release (total running time 108 minutes) The longer version is available in the US as an unrated video.

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Connections

Referenced in The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

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Soundtracks

Idyl in F Minor, Opus 7
Performed by Antonin Kubalek
Written by Joseph Suk
Courtesy of Dorian Recordings

User Reviews

A Brilliant Thriller...

I hate when people bash this film, for it has been and probably always will be my favorite movie of all time. A thoroughly constructed and mastered plot line, beautiful cinematography, a delicious soundtrack from hot 90s various artists such as Enigma, a sultry and subtle power score by Howard Shore and Christopher Young, and the greatest actress who ever lived: Sharon Stone. Sharon Stone is at her best as Carly Norris. William Baldwin is weak, but I guess passable. Tom Berenger is fantastically entertaining. Polly Walker is a joy. Martin Landau, in a small role, is a nice surprise. People for years have told me that this film is torrid and boring, weak and heavy handled, and so on and so on. I disagree. It's perfect, and I hardly think movies are perfect they can always have a little something more, or a little something less. When people say like most of you people on these message boards that the ending is no surprise or weak or arbitrary, you have NOT been watching closely.

What makes you think that Tom Berenger's character is the only murderer about?

I suggest you all look CLOSELY, very CLOSELY at the clues Phillip Noyce and Joe Ezsterhas have laid out for you. If you just take the ending for what it is, you're wrong and need to review the film to understand everything that's been going on, before your eyes and in the unseen. See, there are people in places who can know a very great deal if they choose, and also people who choose to make sure that no one knows a good deal about anything...

So I dare you, watch the film again and find a new ending all on your own.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sliver

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,138,283, 23 May 1993

Gross USA:

$36,300,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$116,300,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Robert Evans Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (as Dolby Stereo SR)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1