Sliver (film)
Encyclopedia
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. Phillip Noyce
directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. 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.
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.
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.
. 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.
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
film based on the Ira Levin
Ira Levin
Ira Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...
novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York highrise apartment building. Phillip Noyce
Phillip Noyce
Phillip Noyce is an Australian film director.-Life and career:Noyce was born in Griffith, New South Wales, attended Barker College, Sydney, and began making short films at the age of 18, starting with Better to Reign in Hell, using his friends as the cast...
directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. 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
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
, William Baldwin
William Baldwin
William Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself...
and Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...
.
According to the movie, the tall and narrow sliver building
Sliver building
Sliver buildings are tall slender buildings constructed on lots with a narrow frontage, typically 45 feet or less. Over the past decade, one of the most remarkable advances in tall building design has been their construction to unprecedented slenderness ratios.The now defunct New York City Board of...
is located at 113 East 38th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, placing it at 38th Street and Park Avenue
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Park Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
. The actual building used in the film is known as Morgan Court, located at 211 Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue (Manhattan)
Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square to the Madison Avenue Bridge at 138th Street. In doing so, it passes through Midtown, the Upper East Side , Spanish Harlem, and...
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.
Synopsis
Carly Norris (Stone), a 35-year-old book editor, 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). The two embark on a passionate affair. 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
Keene Curtis
Keene Holbrook Curtis was an American character actor.-Film career:Curtis made his film debut in the 1948 Orson Welles adaptation of Macbeth...
, Polly Walker
Polly Walker
Polly Walker is an English actress.- Early life :Walker was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Her first school was Silverdale Preparatory West Acton, London. At 16, Walker graduated from Ballet Rambert School in Twickenham, began her career as a dancer, but had to abandon dancing after a leg...
) 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.
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sharon Stone Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct... |
Carly Norris |
| William Baldwin William Baldwin William Joseph "Billy" Baldwin is an American actor, producer, and writer, known for his starring roles in such films as Flatliners , Backdraft , Sliver , Fair Game , Virus , Double Bang , as Johnny 13 in Danny Phantom , Art Heist , The Squid and the Whale , as himself... |
Zeke Hawkins |
| Tom Berenger Tom Berenger Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan... |
Jack Landsford |
| Polly Walker Polly Walker Polly Walker is an English actress.- Early life :Walker was born in Warrington, Cheshire, England. Her first school was Silverdale Preparatory West Acton, London. At 16, Walker graduated from Ballet Rambert School in Twickenham, began her career as a dancer, but had to abandon dancing after a leg... |
Vida Warren |
| Colleen Camp Colleen Camp Colleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp... |
Judy Marks |
| Amanda Foreman Amanda Foreman (actress) Amanda Foreman is an American actress who is best known for the role of Meghan Rotundi on the college drama series Felicity.-Early life:... |
Samantha Moore |
| Martin Landau Martin Landau Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999... |
Alex Parsons |
| Nicholas Pryor Nicholas Pryor Nicholas Pryor is an American film and television actor.Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothy and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer.... |
Peter Farrell |
| C. C. H. Pounder | Lt. Victoria Hendrix |
| Keene Curtis Keene Curtis Keene Holbrook Curtis was an American character actor.-Film career:Curtis made his film debut in the 1948 Orson Welles adaptation of Macbeth... |
Gus Hale |
MPAA Ratings issues
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.Home video releases
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 InstinctBasic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
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
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
, the DVD features a matted, 2.10 aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
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.
Reception
The film was heavily panned by critics and scores only 12% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. 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
Colleen Camp
Colleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp...
) and Worst Screenplay, but failed to "win" any. Nevertheless, it grossed $36,300,000 domestically and $80,000,000 worldwide.