Artful Nudity

[Seedy Edgewick]

While it's not a specific review, I disagree with SEXY FEMME FATALES, "WEAPONS" AND ARTFUL NUDITY by Andrew Lapointe. Remember, these are my opinions.

Sex shouldn't be used as a weapon, especially by women. When a woman uses her sexuality to conquer someone else (almost always a man), it implies that she has no other resources to draw upon. A woman can shoot a gun just as well as a man; there's no reason for sex to be thrown into the equation. Besides, it's just too easy to grab a guy's metaphorical dick and drag him to his doom.

People USED to go see movies for the nudity, and not just men. A friend of mind told me about going to see Lethal Weapon. He described this group of teenage girls who sat in the front row, giggling amongst themselves. Five minutes after the movie started, they all left. It was after the shot of Mel Gibson's naked ass. As my friend left the theater, he saw the same gaggle of girlies waiting to see the same flick AGAIN -- just for the butt shot. Lethal Weapon is not known for its portrayal of sexuality, but these chicks were there just the same. But, nowadays you can see any nude scene by any actress on the Internet; the mystique is gone.

Sexuality is the single most powerful force that drives we humans. More powerful than hunger, because if I don't eat, only I die. If I don't reproduce, the SPECIES dies. I want to see a film treat sexuality as the fundamental moving force that it is. All these "romance" movies treat sex as the cherry on the Love Sundae, but there's so much more to it than that. I always think of Tom Robbins' books, in which anal sex usually precedes some kind of spiritual awakening. One's "third eye" gets opened, only this one happens to be brown. THAT, to me, is a good way to treat sexuality -- something that's powerful enough to change your life, but not so serious that you can't joke about it.

[Key Largo]

Agreed.

I don't think sex should be used as a weapon, either. You know why? Because that theory is just a pretentious bullshit excuse to show nudity and give it some stupid underlying meaning. Nudity in movies is fine, but don't try to give it a meaning it doesn't have.

However, what part of my arguement was about was that some people look into sexuality too much, especially in movies. When some people think that horror movies have sexual metaphors, they may be reading too much into it. I used the "Friday The 13th" series because it's an easy example I guess. But those were exploitation movies, they were exploiting elements that would draw audiences=violence and sex. That's why they were huge box office hits and critical disasters. That doesn't necessarily mean that the writers of the films had something to say about sexuality in particular but maybe it was an accident that turned into that trend.

Another example is, forgive me, another slasher pic "The Slumber Party Massacre" I have not seen this film, but I DO KNOW that it was directed by a woman named Amy Holden Jones who apparently was a feminist, and I hear that there were some sexual metaphors in that movie that were purposely put into that film.

However, my point of the article I wrote was that even though that movie and other films with sexual content have ironic points to make on sexuality, the fact that a movie like "Slumber Party Massacre" has tons of female nudity in it will draw more horny guys into the theater who will have the entire metaphors or points go over their heads and some women may not entirely understand it as well at first.

But I agree with your response and you sound like you're a viewer of films or reader of books who can spot sexual insights behind the superficiality....

but some just want to see Mel Gibson's ass and not think at all I guess...

My finish on the piece was that I, and I think you as well, want BOTH. For example, "Chasing Amy" has insightful, interesting dialogue about lesbian sex and how it works for these women and how some heterosexual men do not understand it. You and I might be enlightened by that while others won't give a shit and just want to see her tits. I figure have either the insights on sex or just the sex, OR have BOTH, therefore both types of audiences are happy. I'd like to see both.

HOWEVER, I agree with you on portraying sex as an awakening force (Maybe "Chasing Amy" fits that bill.) That movie does treat sex as a force that is painful and awakening and just the way you described it.

Thanks so much for reading my piece and writing a great response. It actually gave me a interesting and different perspective.

[Seedy Edgewick]

I actually have a big problem with the portrayal of lesbianism in Chasing Amy. Probably because I hung out with the gay/lesbian crowd in college.

My beef is with the line, "That's why I opened the door to women in the first place." A REAL lesbian doesn't have that choice; she's attracted to women from the get-go. Someone who "opens the door" in order to find someone to love is simply bisexual. This gaffe is compounded by the fact that the "lesbian" ends up dating and sleeping with a "man" (I put it in quotes because it refers to Ben Affleck, and the jury's still out in my mind). So, this chick decides she can't find true love in a man and decides to date women. After doing so for some undetermined span of time, she ends up finding love with a MAN. So, basically, she just didn't look hard enough when she was playing it straight.

Huh?

In truth, I have many problems with that flick. It's almost as if Kevin Smith lost his balls for a year or so. Even Jay and Silent Bob are treated like "real" people, not the absurd comic foils they should be. The list goes on, but I gotta get back to work.

I'm starting to enjoy wasting my employer's money.

[automanic]

Originally posted by Seedy Edgewick
I actually have a big problem with the portrayal of lesbianism in Chasing Amy...
My beef is with the line, "That's why I opened the door to women in the first place." A REAL lesbian doesn't have that choice; she's attracted to women from the get-go. Someone who "opens the door" in order to find someone to love is simply bisexual.

Not only does this movie pretend that sexuality can simply be a choice, but it destroys any insight it may have about relationships by this major flaw: If Amy CHOSE to be a lesbian in order to find true love, she should have no problem CHOOSING to be straight again (or bisexual) once she finds true love. But, her homosexuality becomes a defining conflict in the movie.

This is my least favorite Kevin Smith movie. I'd feel less insulted watching Mallrats.

About Tom Robbins: this man is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, no one has figured out how to translate his philosophical writing to film. I saw Even Cowgirls Get The Blues a long time ago, and I remember it being a huge failure as a movie, and a bigger failure as a Tom Robbins adaptation. Maybe someday some filmmaker will get it right -- I think our sexually repressed society has a lot to gain from his insights.

.....maybe someone wants to talk about Lapointe's article now?

[Seedy Edgewick]

maybe someone wants to talk about Lapointe's article now?

They're too busy spanking to the sight of Joey Lauren Adams' tits in Mallrats.

The problem with Robbins' adaptation to screen is that his prose is severely cerebral. It's his writing style that makes his books so good. Try explaining all the elements of "Skinny Legs and All" to someone who hasn't read the book. They'd go, "Sock? Painted Stick? What the fuck is going on??" When you make images like that literal (by filming them), they become absurd and stupid.

Personally, I'd like to see "Still Life with Woodpecker" adapted to screen. I think it's the most accessible in terms of visual imagery, and the whole idea of finding your one true love isn't so "out there" that people would get turned off. A close second would be "Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates," although the title would have to be changed. People in this country didn't even know what an "abyss" was when that James Cameron movie was released.

I'm still wonderiing about the thought process that went into "Cowgirls." I mean, come on! You can write about huge thumbs, but when you film them, everyone just sees prosthetic digits.

[Key Largo]

I didn't realize my article would would cause such an interesting conversation that's so off track!!

[Seedy Edgewick]

Blame me. I'll do anything to get out of doing my real job. Which I hate.

[Ricky Retardo]

One of the best, recent examples of artful nudity was in Mulholland Drive. Those two were tastefully HOT!!!!

But, do you ever think there will come a time that actual sex will become common place in mainstream cinema?

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Ricky Retardo
But, do you ever think there will come a time that actual sex will become common place in mainstream cinema?

Seems to be getting there in France.
;)