Looking at Sharon Stone it's hard to believe that Basic Instinct came out almost 20 years ago.

The actress was 34 years old when the erotic thriller hit the big screens in 1992, 14 years younger than her co-star Michael Douglas.

Stone, who has just celebrated her 52nd birthday, has been lucky enough to retain her youthful looks, Douglas has definitely aged, albeit gracefully.

Reunited: Basic Instinct stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone out in New York last night, 20 years after they made the erotic thriller

Steamy: Stone and Douglas in Basic Instinct

The pair, who have remained good friends since Basic Instinct, hosted the event

In a floor-length, strapless black dress with feathered detail from the hips down, Stone could have easily passed for a woman ten years her junior with her soft, dewy skin, firm bust and slender toned arms.

With a hand gripped tightly round his former co-star's waist, Douglas, 65, still had that steely, sexy look about him, but the grey hair and weathered face was a dead give away that he is a pensionable age.

The New York Post even compared them to looking like 'a doting daughter taking her father out for a night on the town as opposed to former on-screen lovers having a red carpet reunion'.

But they just looked like old friends, enjoying a night out together to support a good cause.

Basic Instinct tells the story of Detective Nick Curran (Douglas) investigating the death of a former rock star who was murdered with an ice pick, and gets involved with prime suspect, crime novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone).

What ice pick? Stone and Douglas share a joke with New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly at the 32nd Annual New York City Police Foundation Gala

It caused a stir when it came out and generated controversy for its steamy sex scenes and graphic violence.

It was also slammed by gay rights groups who protested against the film's alleged stereotypical and homophobic portrayal of homosexuals.

But despite the criticism and controversy surrounding the movie, it became box office smash and remains a cult classic, spawning a sequel, which also starred Stone, but bombed quite badly.

She has recently been staying in New York filmed scenes for upcoming episodes of hit US show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit which will air next month.

Douglas will this year revisit his role as corporate raider Gordon Gekko in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to the 1987 box office hit Wall Street, which is due out in September.