Posted on the Chicago Tribune website: “Basic Instinct 2” screened for Chicago critics this morning, and I wouldn’t want to violate the time-honored press embargo to tell you what I thought.

Let’s just say it’s no “Showgirls.” I leave it to you whether that’s a good or bad thing.

I’ll also offer one shocking scoop: In “Basic Instinct 2,” the 48-year-old actress appears nude.

Who’da thunk?

Such a performance, of course, is informed by how the actress feels about her body. Could any intrepid reporters coax Stone out of her shell to discuss her on-screen nakedness?

Why yes, they could.

Here’s a smattering of what Stone has had to say on the subject:

“[To prepare for the sequel] I put up ‘Basic Instinct’ in my projection room in L.A., put up the naked scene, froze it, took off my clothes. I had my best friend come over, stood in front of it and she said, ‘You look fabulous, you’re ready to go.’ And I felt great….I’m not terribly self-conscious about being nude.” (Newsweek)

“It’s pretty easy for me to be naked. I’m a person who feels that if it’s appropriate for the character I’m playing or the mood of the piece, then it’s no big thing.” (The Associated Press)

“I wanted a lot of sex in [the sequel]. I was coming from a really kinky place. I saw a rough cut of the film and I wanted more nudity and more edgy verbal things. I was like, where’s all the crazy stuff I did?….I thought, let’s go crazy because let’s face it, this is going to be my last hurrah doing something like this…” (Toronto Star)

“People just are sitting there going, like, ‘I don’t care what she’s saying, I don’t care what she’s saying, I just want to know, does she get naked in the movie? Is she naked? Nude nude nude naked Do I see her boobies? I don’t care what she’s saying, I don’t care, I don’t care, is she naked?’ ” (Press conference in Israel)

“Many people are talking to me about this [nudity] because clearly it’s a shocking revelation to the world that women in their 40’s are not dead. We’re not decrepit, and when you see us naked it’s not a horror show.” (Extra)

“[The character] uses sex and nudity as a weapon. She’s not a gunslinger. She’s a sexslinger, so I find if you do it and it’s appropriate to the part, than that’s what you should do.” (Comingsoon.net)

“One never imagines anyone is going to actually care or be at all excited to see you naked….They think I’m really hot all over again. Yeah. I could do this again. I could make ‘Basic Instinct 16.’ If guys will keep thinking I’m hot, I might turn it into a TV series.” (USA Today)