1987 Fatal Attraction

It is hard to imagine now but in 1987 the biggest movie of the year was not a sequel, prequel or reboot, superhero movie or cartoon; it was an adult drama with scares and tension about two people who have an affair.

It gave us the term, bunny-boiler.

The movie stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. Douglas plays a character who falls for the charms of Close and the two have a steamy weekend. What happens next is that Close does not accept the affair is over and haunts Douglas and his wife, played by Archer. She hounds the couple, culminating in a face-off at the family home. Oh, and the family pet rabbit gets boiled.

The movie's plot is similar to that of 70's Clint Eastwood movie Play Misty For Me, in that Eastwood play a radio DJ is hounded by a woman who adores him and is his number one fan. She does not accept defeat in her pursuit of him. The fact that it is the woman who is the villain plays very nicely into most male psyches, however, test audiences apparently demanded that it was Anne Archer's character who should end the horror, as opposed to Douglas's weak man.

It is excellently played by all the cast. This marked a high point for Michael Douglas, who would go on to win an Oscar the following year for Wall Street. Adrian Lyne directed with the style of another seasoned commercial director. He found his calling making what were known as soft-porn films, notably Nine and a Half Weeks and Indecent Proposal. He also directed Douglas in Disclosure, opposite Demi Moore.

Fatal Attraction took the world by storm and also started hot debates. It became the talking point for many marriages, relationships and working relationships for months. It garnered six Oscar nominations and on a budget of $14m became a huge success with $320m at the box office.

Well worth giving it a go, and for once here is one movie that didn't come with a supporting soundtrack album.