The national rollout of DVD in September of 1997 included Paul Verhoeven’s dark thriller Basic Instinct. Like many of the early DVD releases, the disc was lacking in extras and video quality, but Artisan Entertainment has decided to spruce up the film with two separate Limited Edition releases featuring either the theatrical or longer unrated director’s cut of the film.

Michael Douglas stars as Nick Curran, a tough but vulnerable detective. Sharon Stone co-stars as Catherine Tramell, a cold, calculating, and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite. Catherine becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered – a crime she had described in her latest novel. But would she be so obvious as to write about a crime that she was going to commit? Or is she being set up by a jealous rival? Obsessed with cracking the case, Nick descends into San Francisco’s forbidden underground where suspicions mount, bodies fall, and he finds within himself an instinct more basic than survival.

Both DVDs will contain the film in it’s original widescreen aspect ration in 16×9 enhanced transfers with soundtracks available in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0. Viewers will be given the choice of purchasing the film in its original theatrical version or the Director’s Cut of the film. The Director’s Cut features an unrated version of the film that includes more explicit scenes that the director was forced to cut, plus a commentary from director Paul Verhoeven and director of photography Jan De Bont. Both special edition DVD versions also include a Documentary on the making of the film, an additional montage titled Cleaning up Basic Instinct that details the cutting of the theatrical release for television viewers, a Commentary with noted feminist critic Camille Paglia, a Photo Gallery, cast and crew bios, the original Theatrical Trailer and Storyboards for the film. In what is becoming a common practice for Artisan, “Basic Instinct” will be wrapped in unique packaging. The DVD will come in a collectible clear-colored “ice” package with an “ice-pick” pen inside containing real red ink.

September 18th will see the prerelease of the new and improved “Basic Instinct” with a suggested retail price of $26.98.