History of Sex in Cinema:
The Greatest and Most Influential
Sexual Films and Scenes
(Illustrated)

Part 38

Introduction: In the following illustrated compilation are some of the most significant films in the history of sex on the screen. The influential film milestones and their memorable sexual/erotic scenes are thoroughly described. Including portrayals of sex and/or nudity, these films were often considered quite erotic, groundbreaking, unique and/or controversial at the time. The following listing of these influential, memorable and classic sex scenes and films takes into account all of the available surveys of this type of material, and attempts to provide an informed, detailed, unranked, chronological (by film title) grouping of the most influential and groundbreaking films and scenes. Some of the most notorious (or infamous) films are quite mediocre, usually made as an excuse to display nudity or eroticism of a star performer.

See also the multi-part Sexual and Erotic Films in Cinema, The Most Controversial Films of All-Time and the Best and Most Memorable Film Kisses of All Time in Cinematic History.

Key to Icon Symbol:

- Milestone Films With Scenes That Were Especially Notorious, Infamous, Controversial, or Scandalous

Example

Short Cuts (1993)

Sliver (1993)

Blink (1994)
and
China Moon (1994)

Michael Apted's crime-mystery thriller Blink starred Madeleine Stowe as blinded Celtic folk musician Emma Brody whose sight was slowly being restored as she became involved as a 'witness' to a murder, while smart-mouthed detective John Hallstrom (Aidan Quinn) investigated - Stowe appeared topless in two scenes and there were several love scenes between the two stars; and in John Bailey's noir thriller China Moon, Madeleine Stowe starred as unhappily married wife Rachel Munro who killed her abusive bank tycoon husband Rupert (Charles Dance) in self-defense while falling in love with Kyle Bodine (Ed Harris) - there was a memorable scene in which she disrobed on a rowboat to go skinny-dipping

Cemetery Man (1994 and 1996, It.) (aka Della'morte Della'more)

The Color of Night (1994)

In this psychological thriller by director Richard Rush, distraught New York psychiatrist Bill Capa (big-name star Bruce Willis) with stress-induced color blindness, who attempted to find the killer of his analyst friend in LA group therapy sessions; meanwhile, he was seduced by a potentially-involved nymphomaniac female - a torrid, provocative, sexually-advancing, mysterious and insatiable Rose (Jane March in a dual role) - both displayed full-frontal nudity and sensual escapades in the pool (with underwater sex), kitchen (where she cooked him a meal wearing only an apron), shower, bedroom, bathtub, etc; some of the sultry sex scenes were cut from this NC-17 rated film for a lesser rating of R, and the restored Director's Cut included an extra 17 minutes; Lesley Ann Warren (as oversexed Sondra Dorio) also had a lesbian sex scene with Jane March; by film's end, Rose was revealed as sexually-confused, 16 year-old stuttering Ricky in the therapy group; this film was the sex-ploitative winner of the 1995 Razzie Award for Worst Picture, although Maxim Magazine awarded it as having the #1 Hottest Movie Sex Scene

The Cool Surface (1994)
and
Heaven's Prisoners (1996)

This dramatic thriller from writer/director Erik Anjou went straight to video and late-night cable, but then was resurrected on DVD after its sexy co-star Teri Hatcher hit the big time with Desperate Housewives and it became known that she had two topless scenes in this film; she was featured as Dani Payson, an aspiring actress who became intimately involved with her playwright neighbor Jarvis Scott (Robert Patrick) who was still suffering from his former girlfriend's suspicious suicidal death (an overdose -- or a stabbing?); she became a key character in his potboiler novel (based on their own love-making encounters) and the lead actress in the subsequent film adaptation - basically playing herself; this led to Scott's insanely jealous feelings of betrayal and revenge

A few years later, Teri Hatcher (of TV's Lois and Clark fame) also starred in the more notable noirish mystery thriller Heaven's Prisoners, alongside Alec Baldwin (as ex-New Orleans homicide detective and alcoholic Dave Robicheaux) and Kelly Lynch (as Robicheaux's wife Annie) - she portrayed New Orleans Cajun temptress and femme fatale Claudette Rocque who strutted fully naked behind a railing on a veranda as the wicked wife of local mobster Bubba Rocque (Eric Roberts)

Dream Lover (1994)

In this erotic thriller, beautiful and sensual Lena Mathers (Madchen Amick) played the part of a mysterious and gorgeous femme fatale, who married successful architect and recent divorcee Ray Reardon (James Spader) after an accidental (?) encounter, dream dates, and storybook sex and romance; but Ray quickly learned that he had been duped for his money while she was duplicitous regarding her identity, her friends, the bruises on her leg, her afternoon disappearances to conduct an affair with his friend Larry (Fredric Lehne), and her past; he finally sought deadly revenge, although it cost him his sanity and freedom

Embrace of the Vampire (1994)

Director Anne Goursaud's R-rated erotic horror/thriller was a melding of vampires and blatant erotic sexuality of the soft-porn variety; the film was most noted for Alyssa Milano showing off her enhanced chest; it told the story of a virginal, repressed college freshman named Charlotte Wells (former TV sitcom Who's the Boss? child star Alyssa Milano), unknowingly the reincarnation of a Transylvanian Princess (June 1986 Playboy Playmate Rebecca Ferratti), who was pursued and under the spell of a handsome, kinky vampirish demon-lover and soulmate (Martin Kemp), who must have her join him in three days - or die; he first approached her by appearing in her torrid, lustful dreams in the few days before her 18th birthday; the most memorable scene was the sensual encounter during a topless photo session between Charlotte and bisexual photographer Sarah (Charlotte Lewis) who introduced her to lesbianism - she was photographed topless while Sarah teased her hair, lightly touched her chest, placed Charlotte's own hand on her right breast, lightly caressed her face and lips - and then kissed her; there was also a dreamy, kinky foursome sequence - a fantasy orgy scene that Charlotte imagined; the film's tagline: "The innocence is over" could have as well applied to the 'good girl' image that was shed by Milano as a result of this film

Exit to Eden (1994)

Anne Rice's (pseudonym Anne Rampling) 1985 novel of the same name was turned into an R-rated unfunny comedic film with plentiful nudity by director Garry Marshall; it told about a resort island named Eden specializing in fantasies and bizarre sexual activities for its clients; Rosie O'Donnell also was featured in an unnecessary and secondary subplot as undercover police detective Sheila Kingston who was trailing diamong smugglers at the resort - she had to dress up in black leather and bondage outfits - as part of the slapstick and gag jokes about kinky S&M; in one scene, Sheila was approached and asked: "How can I fulfill your fantasy?" to which she responded: "Go paint my house!"; one of the resort's guests, sexually-repressed, submissive photographer Elliot Slater (Paul Mercurio) fell for the club's dominatrix leader Lisa Emerson (Dana Delany appearing with a rare full-frontal scene and other nudity); in a food fetish scene involving a croissant, cinnamon in a shaker, and a stick of butter (Lisa asked pertinently while smiling: "Did you see Last Tango in Paris?"), a kneeling Elliot applied butter with his finger to Lisa's croissant and then with the full stick buttered up her left breast - he then did the same with some sprinkled cinnamon as she said: "Oh, Australian kink"; he responded: "Bon appetit" as he licked her nipple and she bit into the buttered and cinnamoned croissant

Exotica (1994, Can.)

Canadian film maker Atom Egoyan's mature and haunting meditative masterpiece (told with non-linear reverse chronology), his first art-house success in the US, was about obsession, jealousy and voyeurism; it was very different than the erotic (or exotic) thriller it was marketed as; it examined the relationship-bond established between lonely government revenue auditor Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a Toronto strip club regular, and sultry brunette table dancer Christina (Mia Kirshner); she was outfitted as a teenaged school girl (with white shirt, plaid skirt, and knee socks) and often danced for him to the tune of Leonard Cohen's "Everyone Knows"; his daughter had been murdered and his visits to the club to see Christina, his niece, helped him 'resurrect' his daughter although he was taking on the killer's perspective; other associated relationships included the club DJ Eric (Elias Koteas) - Christina's ex-boyfriend, and gay pet-shop owner Thomas (Don McKellar)

The Getaway (1994)

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Neil Jordan's R-rated sexy horror/drama featured major stars Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt (and young pre-teen Kirsten Dunst who kissed Pitt) in a centuries-old relationship as blood-sucking vampires - it was based on Anne Rice's best-selling novel; in a ceremonial theatrical 'performance' (that required a real human sacrifice) in the Theatre des Vampires before a live audience, Laure Marsac was featured as a Mortal Woman on Stage who was stripped naked by Antonio Banderas (as Armand) and then had her blood drained by the group of vampires

Killing Zoe (1994)

The Last Seduction (1994)

John Dahl's modern-day dark noir featured lethal, sexy, amoral, cold-blooded, manipulative and brainy femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino, whose superb performance wasn't Oscar nominated due to invalidation since it aired first on HBO cable TV); she first absconded with her physician husband Clay's (Bill Pullman) $700,000 of drug money, and fled to Upper State New York; in a bar after she was ignored by the bartender, she yelled out: "Who does a girl have to suck around here to get a drink?"; she schemed with local, gullible bar pickup stud Mike Swale (Peter Berg) - admitting "I am a total f--king bitch" - and opened his pants in the crowded bar and sampled the goods under the bar ("I believe what we're looking for is a certain horse-like quality?"), she made love to him in an alley behind the smoky saloon while hanging on a chain-link fence and straddling him with his pants down to his ankles; by film's end, Bridget had killed her husband by spraying Mace down his throat, and encouraged Mike to rape her (while self-incriminating him by surreptitiously recording the crime on a 911 call, and including the accusation that he had killed her husband); the film was filled with memorable quotes: "You're my designated f--k," and "F--king doesn't have to be anything more than f--king"; the sequel was director Terry Marcel's Last Seduction 2 (1998) with Joan Severance

Nell (1994)

Priest (1994, UK)

Rapa Nui (1994)

Director Kevin Reynolds' (and producer Kevin Costner) historically-questionable film about civil war on early Easter Island (known as Rapa Nui) in the remote SE Pacific told about a forbidden (and preposterous) 'Hollywoodish' star-crossed 'Romeo and Juliet' love story (mishandled and miscast featuring Sandrine Holt as plebian "Short Ear" native girl Ramana in love with the aristocratic "Long Ear" Noro, played by Jason Scott Lee); throughout the melodrama, there were many scantily-clad natives

Ready to Wear (1994) (aka Pret-a-Porter)

Robert Altman's two-hour ensemble comedy that satirized the fashion industry featured dozens of characters and cameo appearances (Lauren Bacall, Harry Belafonte, Teri Garr, Forest Whitaker, Naomi Campbell, Lyle Lovett, Christy Turlington, Cher and others) in his look at the fashion world of Paris through the interweaving plot lines of the lives of models, designers (Richard E. Grant), fashion magazine editors (Sally Kellerman, Tracey Ullman, and Linda Hunt), and journalists (Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor); its most memorable scene was its eye-popping finale -- a sensational, all-nude fashion show featuring over one dozen slim models, displayed by both real-life models (Georgianna Robertson as Dane Simpson, Eve Salvail as Herself, and Tara Leon as Kiki Simpson) and actresses (Rossy de Palma as black-haired Pilar, and German singer Ute Lemper as very pregnant Albertine)

Red Shoe Diaries: The Movie (1992) (aka Wild Orchid III: Red Shoe Diaries)

Showtime Episodes (1992-1999)

These are just a few of many examples of Zalman King's long-running, late-night Showtime series of glossy, soft-core films blending erotica and fantasy that aired from 1992 - 1999; King was the leading creator of erotic/romantic programming for his time; each of the 'women's-oriented' episodes (66 in total) was taken from a woman’s secret diary that was narrated by David Duchovny (of TV's The X-Files).

(1) Red Shoe Diaries: The Movie (1992) - the debut pilot movie (in R and unrated versions), Brigitte Bako starred as Alex - a woman who was involved with two men - fiancee David Duchovny and blue-collar worker Billy Wirth - revealed only after her suicide

(2) Showtime Episode # 22: Hotline (1994): Audie England starred as Tess

Red Shoe Diaries episodes: Other B-level stars enacted their affairs on-screen in the Red Shoe Diaries episodes, including Ally Sheedy, Sheryl Lee, Denise Crosby, Joan Severance, and Nina Siemaszko