Sorry, DC makes me sick. He is not from or on this planet. I don't know what he is. An android? A zombie? I swear I could pass my hand right through him without any sensation. Seeing him on screen is an affront to my emotional stability. I will FF through this recording and NEVER record anything with him in it again.

Jade is a self-mocking film, insofar as it references its sister film, Basic Instinct: the dangerous female protagonist, the setting of San Francisco, the glib pseudo psychology, even the dialogue. Yet even if you never saw Basic Instinct, it still stands as a tense, radical and erotic thriller.It builds the world of the characters with such power and confidence that you believe everything, despite the implausible, overblown and familiar plot. There is also a lot of self-deprecating humour in the use of stereotypes – the corrupt governor, the voyeur-next-door, the cheating husband – that you start enjoying the game rather than judging it.The film has one of the best car chase sequences ever, through the vertiginous streets of San Francisco, via a fiercely colourful Chinese parade – complete with rippling dragons and laughing buddhas – to the seedy docks. The black Ford Thunderbird takes on a malevolent persona of its own – with a blood-soaked eye, opaque windows and a shark-black body, it becomes a chilling assassin.Controversial writer Joe Estherhaz created a new cinematic anti-heroine in the 90s, with Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) in Basic Instinct and Trina Gavin (Linda Fiorentino) in Jade: powerful and beautiful women exploring the extremes of their sexuality, to the sharpest point of violence, brutality and even death.It says more about the power dynamics between men and women than the sex itself, which is what many critics missed. They are played against craven, weak and ineffectual male characters. While the sex scenes titillate with S&M themes and lesbian fantasies, there are also squirmy and subconscious castration fears behind every frame.

A wealthy art collector (and admirer of world leaders Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Richard M. Nixon) is murdered in his San Francisco mansion. Due to repeated chops with a hatchet, there is an abundance of blood. Along with many pricey artifacts, the dead man has an amply supply of sex paraphernalia. His most prized possession appears to be a collection of his partners' pubic hair. Four hours later, red-haired assistant district attorney David Caruso (as David Corelli) is at a dance attended by still sexy old flame Linda Fiorentino (as Anna Katrina "Trina" Maxwell). He still longs for her, but she married best friend Chazz Palminteri (as Matt Gavin), a rich defense lawyer. Employed to investigate, Mr. Caruso finds a cuff-link at the murder scene. Curiously, he decides to withhold it from other collected evidence...The cuff-link is from "The Golden Bay Club" where Caruso and Mr. Palminteri are members. Also discovered is the murder victim's collection of pornographic pictures. Most importantly, there are photographs of California Governor Richard Crenna (as Lew Edwards) with a young prostitute. Caruso confronts Mr. Crenna with the dirty pictures and is threateningly told he has a future in State politics comparable to Jerry Brown - a line they must regret, as Mr. Brown is presently serving an historic term as Governor. Everything seems to come together in an intriguing web of sex, mystery and murder. But, by the end, "Jade" proves looks can be deceiving. This is a puzzle with pieces shoved into place, by director William Friedkin. He shows the usual skill with car chase scenes, but doesn't make this story coherent.***** Jade (10/13/95) William Friedkin ~ David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna

Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco investigates when a shady art dealer is murdered. Director William Friedkin is on auto-pilot with this silly retread of "Basic Instinct", however the dynamics of the plot tend to draw you in against your better judgment. The car stunts are fabulous, most of the actors are sultry eye-candy, elfin-faced David Caruso is admirably commanding, but the plot doesn't bear close scrutiny. Friedkin's porny scenes (which played havoc with the film's rating) walk that cinematic line between being necessary and just being exploitive (see "Lipstick"...and just about every movie written by this film's screenwriter, Joe Eszterhaus). "Jade" isn't despicable, but it leaves the viewer in the uncomfortable position of shameful voyeur, and while this may be titillating to some, it doesn't sit well in retrospect. ** from ****