| Sliver | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Phillip Noyce |
| Produced by | Robert Evans |
| Written by | Novel: Ira Levin Screenplay: Joe Eszterhas |
| Starring | Sharon Stone William Baldwin Tom Berenger Polly Walker C. C. H. Pounder Martin Landau Colleen Camp Nina Foch |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Cinematography | Vilmos Zsigmond |
| Editing by | Richard Francis-Bruce William Hoy |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 21, 1993 |
| Running time | 108 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40,000,000 |
| Box office | $116,300,000 |
Sliver is a 1993 film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York highrise apartment building.[1] Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas.[2] Because of a major battle with the MPAA (which originally gave the film an NC-17 rating), the filmmakers were forced to make extensive reshoots before release. These reshoots actually necessitated changing the killer's identity. The film stars Sharon Stone, William Baldwin and Tom Berenger.
According to the movie, the tall and narrow sliver building is located at 113 East 38th Street in Manhattan, placing it at 38th Street and Park Avenue. The actual building used in the film is known as Morgan Court, located at 211 Madison Avenue New York, one block west and two blocks south of the fictional address. The building has since become a condominium development. It was built in 1985 and has 32 floors. While the movie made use of the building's courtyard, the lobby was a Los Angeles film set.
Contents |
Carly Norris (Stone), a 35-year-old book editor in need of sex, moves into the exclusive Sliver building after the previous tenant falls to her death from her balcony. Shortly after moving in, she crosses paths with the mysterious Zeke (Baldwin). She's a habitual masturbator, reaching orgasm while doing it in a shower. The two go out on a date. Zeke begins to turn her on by grabbing her hips while doing exercise. Finally, they embark on a passionate affair by having sex all night, and the next day she's so satisfied that her friend notices. Carly is also sexually pursued by Jack (Berenger), a failed novelist who also wants Carly to read his books.
Soon after Carly moves in, two of her neighbors (Keene Curtis, Polly Walker) die under suspicious circumstances. As she discovers more about Zeke and Jack, she begins to distrust the two men and uncovers shocking secrets about the people who live around her. The film ends when Carly finds out that Jack killed Naomi Singer due to his jealousy towards Zeke, whom she was dating. Zeke knew Jack was the killer, but chose to ignore it, because it would expose his secret hobby. Carly starts to shoot out Zeke's video monitors, and tells him to get a life.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Nicholas Pryor | Peter Farrell |
| C. C. H. Pounder | Lt. Victoria Hendrix |
| Keene Curtis | Gus Hale |
According to a Showtime special about the film prior to the late-night premier showing of the original NC-17 version, the debate over the NC-17 vs R rating was linked solely to the display of male frontal nudity. However, when Paramount released the unrated version to video there was no male frontal nudity included, though the sex scenes were considerably more graphic.
When originally released on VHS, the film was released in both an R-rated and an unrated version (the original NC-17 version). In March 2006, to coincide with the theatrical release of Sharon Stone's Basic Instinct sequel, Sliver was released on DVD, this time unrated only. There are no special features and although the film was presented theatrically in the 2.35 aspect ratio, the DVD features a matted, 2.10 aspect ratio transfer. The release also contained what some reviewers have noted as an unusual amount of dirt and scratches for a film print that is only a little over a dozen years old, though the casual viewer is unlikely to detect anything errant. In May 2006 an R-rated for-rent-only version was released to rental outlets.
The film was heavily panned by critics and scores only 12% on Rotten Tomatoes.[3][4] It was also nominated for seven Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actor (William Baldwin), Worst Actress (Sharon Stone), Worst Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger), Worst Supporting Actress (Colleen Camp) and Worst Screenplay, but failed to "win" any. Nevertheless, it grossed $36,300,000 domestically and $80,000,000 worldwide.
The movie debuted at No. 1 at the box office.[5]
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