Weekly Theme

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

unclefestering — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:34:52 GMT

Dr_Gor:

I can't believe I am late to the party again... Especially THIS party! All of you who know me know that I am all about Horror and SEX! I could mention about a thousand movies right here but I want to talk about only one... Looking For Mr. Goodbar ... Diane Keaton is an elementary school teacher for 'special' students by day but she spends her nights prowling the 70's disco bars for one night stands. One night she meets the enigmatic but sexy Richard Gere who would like to start an exclusive relationship whith her but she is just not interested in that yet. A short time later she meets up with Tom Berringer's character in a seedy bar and takes him home to play... Little does she know that the Berringer character has just been released from prison and is having some issues regarding his own sexuality and the several (appearantly) homosexual experiences he has had in prison! When Berringer is unable to 'get it up' or complete the act, she, unfortunately, laughs at him and, in a rage, he brutally murders her with a kitchen knife... Based on a true story, this movie resides in the Horror film section of my collection just because the brutal knife murder at the end is PURE Horror Movie!

It's been years since I've seen this. I can't believe I didn't think of it. The end is such a shock. This movie is really a gripping look at the swinging 70s.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

Dr_Gor — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:59:05 GMT

I can't believe I am late to the party again... Especially THIS party! All of you who know me know that I am all about Horror and SEX! I could mention about a thousand movies right here but I want to talk about only one... Looking For Mr. Goodbar ... Diane Keaton is an elementary school teacher for 'special' students by day but she spends her nights prowling the 70's disco bars for one night stands. One night she meets the enigmatic but sexy Richard Gere who would like to start an exclusive relationship with her but she is just not interested in that yet. A short time later she meets up with Tom Berenger's character in a seedy bar and takes him home to play... Little does she know that the Berenger character has just been released from prison and is having some issues regarding his own sexuality and the several (appearantly) homosexual experiences he has had in prison! When Berenger is unable to 'get it up' or complete the act, she, unfortunately, laughs at him and, in a rage, he brutally murders her with a kitchen knife... Based on a true story, this movie resides in the Horror film section of my collection just because the brutal knife murder at the end is PURE Horror Movie!

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

Risselada — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:58:59 GMT

mercurial:

Risselada:

Wow, it seems like a substantial majority of the movies mentioned when people think about movies and sex feature extremely devient and deprived sexual acts and situations. I wonder if that says a lot about our perceptions of sex in movies that these are the movies we name. Or does it say something about most filmmakers' perceptions on sex in that there are not many movies out there that feature healthy but realistic sexuality?

Define "healthy but realistic sexuality"?

I was thinking sex between two people who see sex as a gift to a person they love rather than something to be had for selfish reasons. But realistic in realizing it cannot be idealized.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

mercurial — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:42:30 GMT

Risselada:

Wow, it seems like a substantial majority of the movies mentioned when people think about movies and sex feature extremely devient and deprived sexual acts and situations. I wonder if that says a lot about our perceptions of sex in movies that these are the movies we name. Or does it say something about most filmmakers' perceptions on sex in that there are not many movies out there that feature healthy but realistic sexuality?

Define "healthy but realistic sexuality"?

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

Risselada — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:37:16 GMT

Wow, it seems like a substantial majority of the movies mentioned when people think about movies and sex feature extremely devient and deprived sexual acts and situations. I wonder if that says a lot about our perceptions of sex in movies that these are the movies we name. Or does it say something about most filmmakers' perceptions on sex in that there are not many movies out there that feature healthy but realistic sexuality?

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

SkyPilot — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:22:03 GMT

Any fans of The 40-Year Old Virgin here? I actually thought it was an interesting portrait of sex in contemporary American life. I appreciated this observation: options for sexual activity today are polygamy, serial polygamy*, and monogamy, but Steve Carell's friends didn't consider the third option a viable one.

I also was wracking my brain for thinking of other movies that show a sexually monogamous relationship as a positive and viable option. magrebi mentioned Darby O'Gille and the Little People to me, which I haven't seen. Maybe there are crillions out there and I've just got a mental block.

*By 'serial polygamy' I mean one sex partner at a time, amounting to multiple sex partners over one's life. Wikipedia refers to it as 'serial monogamy,' but to me that seems a little less accurate.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

estela — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:38:01 GMT

Bit late but want to contribite to this discussion

Movies that sex was part of them film making the moviegoer almost voyerstic

Henry and JuneHenry & June (1990) from the opening scene when Anais Nin confesses she addicted to sexual encounters to her thearpist and then continues sexually engage with her thearpist you know it will be a central theme to the story.

Basic Instinct went it came was an event everyone was going to see it Basic Instinct (1992)

Scandal the biopic based on the real Profumo Affair Scandal (1989) Swinging Sixties sex scandal that shook the british government bringing down prominent ministers.

Angels and Insects is a period piece unlike any you are likely to see now or in the foreseeable future.Set in consevetive Victorian era where Darwinism social class and forbidden secret keeps you entranced Controversy

The film caused some scandal in America because of a scene in which an actor (Douglas Henshall) leaves the bed of a woman and gets dressed while his penis is erect, something almost non-existent in mainstream American film.

Angels & Insects
Theatrical release poster

I also agree Y tu mama tambien it was a great film for me as a femal to gain an insight of how young men relate to sex loved this film.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

leeroy711 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:21:28 GMT

I gave myself the homework assignment this week to watch Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I had heard that there was alotta sex in that one.

There's really only one scene that makes this film fit the theme....................... but it's a biggun'. I loved this one by the way, watch it if you haven't yet. The colors are magnificent.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

unclefestering — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:06:28 GMT

leeroy711:

While we're on the subject, has anyone seen Lust, Caution.? I'm intrigued but I'm not sure.

It is a great movie. Ang Lee is back in great form. I liked it much better than Brokeback Mountain, which I thought as a good movie, but a little overrated. The sex scenes in Lust, Caution are very disturbing more than erotic. But you should check it out.

I was curious about Shortbus. I know the reputation, but has anyone actually seen it?

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

leeroy711 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:51:43 GMT

indieabby88:

If I see a movie about Tianenmen Square, I actually want to see Tianenmen Square for more than five minutes. And yes, I'm aware I totally botched the spelling. Sorry! End of rant, I promise.

Yeah, I touched on that in my review. I think this film was better suited for an audience that allready knew everthing that was happening in the region at the time. Otherwise, it was just confused. But I'm also not sure that wasn't the film maker's intention. I didn't hate it but it left quite a bit to be desired. (just not in the boob catagory)

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

indieabby88 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:27:54 GMT

leeroy711:

I also forgot to mention the last screener I reviewed, Summer Palace which uses the main characters personal sexual revolution to symbolise the social revolution going on at the time.

Also, Seijun Suzuki's Story of a Prostitute should be mentioned. I really liked this one and I'm sure you could mention quite a few more Suzuki films.

Oh, lord. Don't get me started on how much I hated Summer Palace. Revolution might have been the intent, but there was nothing revolutionary about those relationships. The characters were either obnoxious, insane, depressed or a combination of the three, and if they actually did stand for anything, we never found out what it was. They just came off as a bunch of petty malcontent children who had sex all the time because they couldn't think of anything better to do. But that's just one person's opinion. You are right, it does symbolise the revolutionary atmosphere of the time, but it really didn't give enough context. If I see a movie about Tianenmen Square, I actually want to see Tianenmen Square for more than five minutes. And yes, I'm aware I totally botched the spelling. Sorry! End of rant, I promise.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

leeroy711 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:46:42 GMT

unclefestering:

leeroy711:

Also, Seijun Suzuki's Story of a Prostitute should be mentioned. I really liked this one and I'm sure you could mention quite a few more Suzuki films.

I was avoiding Japanese movies about sex, because they lead me to the whole Legend of the Overfiend anime series and I never need to see a woman raped by a million tenticles again!

Sounds like Ninja Scroll. I'm not much of an anime fan.

While we're on the subject, has anyone seen Lust, Caution.? I'm intrigued but I'm not sure.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

unclefestering — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:45:06 GMT

leeroy711:

Also, Seijun Suzuki's Story of a Prostitute should be mentioned. I really liked this one and I'm sure you could mention quite a few more Suzuki films.

I was avoiding Japanese movies about sex, because they lead me to the whole Legend of the Overfiend anime series and I never need to see a woman raped by a million tenticles again!

But if we hop the sea and go to China, there is Ju Dou where Gong Li is the third wife of a strange silk merchant whose father explained that sex was like riding a horse, so he puts a saddle on her and rides her around the room; screaming at her for not getting preggers and giving him a son. Fortunately, she find happiness in the arms and bed of the merchant's nephew.

Gong Li also starred in the sewxually charged Raise the Red Lantern, but I'd go with the scenes in Ju Dou of the lovers touching each other though the red silk over Lantern.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

leeroy711 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:37:26 GMT

I also forgot to mention the last screener I reviewed, Summer Palace which uses the main characters personal sexual revolution to symbolise the social revolution going on at the time.

Also, Seijun Suzuki's Story of a Prostitute should be mentioned. I really liked this one and I'm sure you could mention quite a few more Suzuki films.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

SkyPilot — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:53:27 GMT

What does sex signify in cinema? A lot. Just for starters...

It shows one's capacity for human connectedness in The Deer Hunter (I'm thinking of when Deniro is eventually able to have sex with Meryl Streep).

The sex act is a prize to be seized in Superbad and a crillion other films. Does this count as an obsession?

Sometimes it's a blatant obsession, such as in Quills.

Or one of the trappings of success, like in Jerry Maguire.

It shows one's awakening from apathy and absurd constrainst in Zardoz.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

mercurial — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:21:57 GMT

Smooth_J:

If you're looking for more sadomasochistic sex, I really dug Videodrome and it's whip cracking protagonist Max Renn, who pierces his woman's ear to get her and him off and is completely turned on by whipping a television set with the image of said woman on it. There's some pretty sick sexual stuff in there.

Blue Velvet also explores these realms, but it's not so central to the story and more of an asset to it. My favorite line that demonstrates this is probably "Baby wants to (bleep)! Baby wants to (bleep) Blue Velvet!"

There's so many others that are slipping my mind right now--I thorougly enjoyed Cronenberg's scenes in A History of Violence, how the one is so innocent and childish and the later one is so abusive and dominating. Cronenberg seems like the kinda' guy that really does highlight all of the f*ck scenes.

With Lynch it's Mulholland Dr. all the way. With most of the film being a masturbatorial fantasy (depending on your individual analysis) it should definitely be given an honorable mention.

I like Blue Velvet, but Crash (1996) is by far my favorite Cronenberg and I can't believe I left it out of my original post. Considering the DVD I own comes complete with both the R-rated version and an NC-17 version, it's naturally chock full of sex, sex and more sex. A couple of car crashes. Some sex, and some sex after a car crash. Yay for bizarre fetishes.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

unclefestering — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:18:09 GMT

Here's a quick five:

Artsy & Safe: Tom Jones

Albert Finney spends the movie hopping into and out of bed, if only people would stop interrupting...

Artsy & Strange: The Dreamers

It's Paris. It's the sixties. It's the typical boy has sex with girl and then the girl's brother and then ... wait... Are all three....

Artsy and Raunchy: Lust, Caution

Sure she is sleeping with the enemy, but all's fair in love and class warfare.

Raunchy: Last Tango in Paris

Hey, my wife just died and I thought I'd find a kid for some S&M and B&D... What is it about Bertolucci and Paris?

Just plain wrong: Pink Flamingos

When there's a sex scene in the first half hour that features a man, a woman and a live chicken, well, you know right there it's all effed up. By the time you get to Divine eating a dog turd, you are either numb or you've already clawed your eyes out.

When I first thought of this list I didn't realize the Bertolucci would hit twice. I never thought of him as the dirty old man before, now that may be the only way I think of him.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

indieabby88 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:11:53 GMT

The timing on this discussion could not be more perfect! I just finished watching "2 Days in Paris," which I loved. A great, funny movie about sex, relationships and how much you really know about the person that you're with. It's not just about sex, but about everything that goes into it and everything that it represents. The paranoia, the fear of rejection, the repercussions that old partners and experiences have on new ones...It's all there. Watch it, if you haven't.

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

Smooth_J — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:10:38 GMT

If you're looking for more sadomasochistic sex, I really dug Videodrome and it's whip cracking protagonist Max Renn, who pierces his woman's ear to get her and him off and is completely turned on by whipping a television set with the image of said woman on it. There's some pretty sick sexual stuff in there.

Blue Velvet also explores these realms, but it's not so central to the story and more of an asset to it. My favorite line that demonstrates this is probably "Baby wants to (bleep)! Baby wants to (bleep) Blue Velvet!"

I mean, American Pie is pretty much a given, as is every other turn of the millenium high-school to college sex comedy spinoff that came after it. 40 Year Old Virgin could pretty much be classified as mostly about sex, considering the general plot line.

There's so many others that are slipping my mind right now--I thorougly enjoyed Cronenberg's scenes in A History of Violence, how the one is so innocent and childish and the later one is so abusive and dominating. Cronenberg seems like the kinda' guy that really does highlight all of the f*ck scenes. (Trademark Slap Shot)

Re:Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

leeroy711 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:57:08 GMT

Woowww. OK before I add any to the list, let's just take a second to understand the magnitude of sex in cinema. For instance, if you search for sex as a tag in spout, you will find 2253 films tagged with that word by 109 people. IMDB has been around a bit longer and has more users and a larger database. If you do a keyword search on that site for sex, you will find a list of 56197 titles.

That's a bunch. We must really like this stuff. Hell, I'm thinking about it right now. So, with that, I'll just mention a few for right now.

Merc mentioned John Waters movies. I'm not a big fan of his stuff, but as far as sex comedies go, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know.............. is a classic.

Gregg Araki's Doom Generation instantly comes to mind when sex in cinema is mentioned for me. I'm not sure what that says about me but Rose McGowan was superhaaaawwwt in that one.

And possible my newest favorite film fits this genre quite well. Almodovar's Talk To Her was centralized around an inappropriate relationship. It really amazed me that he was able to make a film about this subject matter that didn't make squirm in my seat while watching it.

Weekly Theme for August 4: Let's Talk About Sex!

mercurial — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:02:41 GMT

Without going into the pornographic, let's get down and dirty and discuss all those films that explore what goes on behind closed doors.

I will admit that I do like American Pie and it's gross out portrayal of a group of high schoolers making a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate high school. Equally, I'm willing to also admit that I found myself liking The Sweetest Thing and it's portrayal of sexually liberated (without any negative connotations) woman being stupid and having fun with their sexual experiences.

Venturing to the more dismal views of sex, The Rules of Attraction will make any incoming college freshman fear leaving the comfort of their parents homes and begin seeing nothing but rapists, STD's and psychopaths around every turn. Y Tu Mamá También is incredible with it's twisted threesome road trip sexual free-for-all.

Catherine Breillat has made countless interesting films about women and sex: Fat Girl being a pubescent girl becoming curious about her body and sex; Anatomy of Hell about an older woman tired of the typical and her journey into some pretty insane depths of sexual experience.

Lastly, my favorite two films with S-E-X as the primary theme are Shortbus and A Dirty Shame. Warning for those that might be tempted to see Shortbus: it is extremely graphic. EXTREMELY. From John Cameron Mitchell, Shortbus is one of the few movies about sex that keeps nothing hidden (literally) and attempts to deconstruct various aspects of the act and what compels us in our various ways. A Dirty Shame is just stupid fun from that master of stupid fun John Waters and centers around a group of sexual liberated fetishists trying to uncover a new unheard of sex act.

So without further ado and double entendres, let's talk about sex!