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Sex in Cinema
(This page is condensed from the multi-part Sexual
and Erotic Films in Cinema at this site)
See also this site's The
Most Controversial Films of All-Time and
Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses
of All Time in Cinematic History

Sex
in Cinema: Greatest and Most Influential Sex Scenes/Films of All
Time
Surveys, Lists of Best/Top Scenes:
Many
magazines, other publications, articles and websites have purported
to have the definitive collection of the milestone sex scenes
in cinema, in various numbers: the top 10, the hottest 25, the
10 most favorite, the best ever-filmed, the top 100, etc. Most
lists do not include criteria or an explanation of any sort,
except to say that the list includes favorites, 'hot' and 'steamy'
scenes, controversial or ground-breaking scenes, memorable circumstances,
sexy celebrities, or beautiful photography. However, it is clear
that there are certain key scenes in films that are often invoked,
noted, or influential in pushing back or extending the boundaries
of sexual expression on the screen.
In the context of the sexual revolution that has evolved in
film-making, therefore, one must ask: "What
makes an influential, ground-breaking, and/or memorable erotic
(or sexual) scene in a film?" These
are at least some of the ingredients for a great erotic or sexy
scene:
- the ground-breaking or controversial nature
and influence of the film scene
- the degree to which the sex is gratuitous or
not
- the presence of a semi- or un-clothed celebrity
or actor/actress
- the level of sensuality generated
- the build-up to the scene in question
- the revelation of character
- the unique use of nudity or non-nudity
- the lush photography
- the scene's degree of fantasy or realism
- the integration of the scene into the entire
film's plot
- the passion or emotion of the relationship
Recent Surveys and Links: Sex On-Screen
Here is a listing (in alphabetical and/or chronological order)
of the most recent surveys of erotic sex on-screen, from magazines,
videos, and books, that have purported to provide answers about
the 'hottest', 'sexiest', or most influential scenes ever made:
Magazine Articles and Links:
Videos, Books:
| One
Hundred Sex Scenes That Changed Cinema, by Neil
Fulwood, 2004, B.T. Batsford |
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| The
50 Most Erotic Films of All Time, by Maitland McDonagh,
1996, Citadel Press Books, New York, NY. |
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| Sex
at 24 Frames Per Second: The Ultimate Journey Through Sex
in Cinema, Playboy Productions DVD/video |
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| Profoundly
Erotic : Sexy Movies that Changed History (2005),
by Joe Bob Briggs, 2005 |
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| The
X List: The National Society of Film Critics' Guide to the
Movies That Turn Us On, edited
by Jami Bernard, 2005 |
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| Erotic
Cinema, edited by Douglas Keesey and Paul Duncan,
Taschen Publishing, 2005 |
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Sex
in Films Throughout Cinematic History:

The following extensive compilation of influential, memorable
and classic sex/erotic films and/or scenes throughout all of
cinematic history takes into account all of the available surveys
of this type of material, and attempts to provide an informed,
unranked, chronological (by film title) grouping of the most
influential and groundbreaking films and scenes (some in quite
mediocre films usually made as an excuse to display nudity or
eroticism), using criteria or factors of the scene's or film's
notoriety and infamy, and the presence of the performers involved.
Films with sex-related scenes can be found in erotic dramas,
erotic thrillers, sex comedies, coming-of-age films, romantic
dramas, and many other film genres and sub-genres.
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Please do not proceed any further if you
are not interested in this kind of material
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