Sex on Screen

I love movies. Always have, always will. While my tastes have evolved with time, I've been drawn to eroticism in cinema ever since puberty. Of course, at first it meant watching Showtime or Cinemax at my friend's house late at night, sitting through bad acting for brief glimpses of bare, often silicone enhanced breasts. As I grew older I was able to rent Playboy videos and other R-rated films from the video store. Eventually I started watching porn, as almost all men do.

Porn has a time and place, but you're lucky if the scenes have any sort of cohesive plot or scenario. I've always enjoyed the "why" of fucking as much as the "how" and "who". I suppose that's part of what drew me to erotica.

Sex in more mainstream movies often comes in the context of a story. Some films feature erotic moments that exceed most of what porn can offer. Certain images and movies have really stuck with me. Understand that I'm only 27, so some of the more "classic" film moments are before my time. Nevertheless, I'd like to share some of my personal favorite erotic film moments, leaning towards more mainstream movies.

(I tried to stick to scenes that were hot in context, and stay away from random hot moments or flashes of skin. So Shannon Elizabeth is hot in American Pie, but the sex scenes are more funny than erotic. I tried to stick with scenes that are sexy in context of the film, rather than momentary eye candy.)

Secretary:

The whole movie is hot, and I saw it right around when I was getting interested in BDSM. It's hot, it's passionate, it's tender, caring and loving. I knew enough about BDSM not to be too shocked, but it still was impressive seeing such themes explored in a film with a real budget. I really appreciated that while the characters do have personal issues, the BDSM actually helps them deal with them rather than simply reflecting how fucked up they are (which is what occurs in the French film The Piano Teacher).

Wild Things:

The Threesome scene. First off, the movie has hot women parading around in catholic schoolgirl outfits, something you can hardly go wrong with. But it's the amazing threesome scene that defines Wild Things. It's completely unexpected, yet somehow believable in the context of the film. You can't argue with Neve Campbell pouring champagne over Denise Richard's bare breasts. The movie is quite watchable too, lending it bonus points.

Cruel Intentions:

This movie came out around the same time as Wild Things and is in many ways its equal in eroticism. It features lesbian kissing, but the center of the sexuality is Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as step-siblings. Aside from any pseudo-incest titillation, the fact is Sarah Michelle really sells her character's lust for Phillippe's. There are some tremendously hot scenes where not an inch of clothing comes off; rather Sarah Michelle simply grinds herself against Ryan's crotch.

(It's worth noting that while Cruel Intentions 2 and 3 are both poor movies, the former has a great threesome scene with twin sisters in a shower, and the latter has a fun, albeit short and barely believable scene about control and infidelity.)

Sex and Lucia:

While foreign films aren't technically "mainstream", I can't leave out this personal favorite. Spain really does have a more liberal about sex than the US, and it shows in their films. The early stages of the film feature a realistic depiction of a young couple in the lustful stages of a new relationship: stripteases, taking pictures and all kinds of good stuff. Plus there are plenty of shots of Paz Vega's sexy naked body throughout the movie.

American Beauty:

Somehow this movie successfully makes Mena Suvari an object of lust (a feat later repeated in Six Feet Under). The movie teases as much as her character does, yet somehow delivers. An outstanding film with some hot erotic moments.

Mulholland Drive:

The Lesbian scenes, especially the first one, are what really do it for me (God, are we seeing a pattern here?) Yeah, it felt a little gratuitous and a little random when it first happened. But like the Wild Things threesome scene, it was unexpected, yet makes sense later (as much as anything in a David Lynch film makes sense). You have Naomi Watts baring her breasts, and I appreciated the tender, erotic nature of the scene.

Showgirls:

Yeah, the movie's plot sucks, and the acting is suspect. However, the swimming pool sex scene is hot, and I think a lot of guys liked seeing the actress who used to play Jessie on Saved By the Bell naked. A guilty pleasure.

So, what can I say about my tastes based on these choices? Of the seven I listed one involves lesbians, and two others have women in bisexual situations. It's also interesting that most of these movies came out in the late 90's. I feel like at that time Hollywood was a bit more adventurous then when it came to sex than in recent years.

I don't claim this list is anywhere near comprehensive. There are plenty of movies I've heard are sexy that I plan to watch in the future. Tastes do vary, but all of these definitely get me going. I'd certainly enjoy hearing what others think on the subject.