The lack of sex in cinema seems to coincide with the increased ease of viewing porn in the privacy of one’s own home. It’s hard to compete with being able to watch pretty much any type of sex one would want, for free, on the internet.
But that’s really just an excuse I think — and the fact that the demographic of movie theater-goers has lowered, with half of all releases being linked to super heroes and franchises.
The author Karina Longworth wrote a book tangentially on this topic recently that looks really good, Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Hughes’ Hollywood (I haven’t read it yet.) She also has a podcast called You Must Remember This, on the first century of cinema. She was interviewed on the excellent podcast Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso and their conversation I highly recommend.
Thanks for the introduction to The Kiss, I didn't know of it. Makes me think of the short Weekender film made by Wiz for Flowered Up (which is just being re-released now). There's a rave love sequence in it, strangely reminiscent - or maybe that's just me.
Hollywood got past banned sex scenes in the black and white film era by suggesting them; the camera would cut to a shot of waves crashing on a beach, reference in David Bowies' "Drive In Saturday". Indecent Proposal may have been "racy" but the soundtrack wasn't.
'No Ordinary Love', Indecent Proposal, and Sexy Date Movies [June 20, 1993]
The lack of sex in cinema seems to coincide with the increased ease of viewing porn in the privacy of one’s own home. It’s hard to compete with being able to watch pretty much any type of sex one would want, for free, on the internet.
But that’s really just an excuse I think — and the fact that the demographic of movie theater-goers has lowered, with half of all releases being linked to super heroes and franchises.
The author Karina Longworth wrote a book tangentially on this topic recently that looks really good, Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Hughes’ Hollywood (I haven’t read it yet.) She also has a podcast called You Must Remember This, on the first century of cinema. She was interviewed on the excellent podcast Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso and their conversation I highly recommend.
https://talkeasypod.com/karina-longworth/
Excellent piece!
Thanks for the introduction to The Kiss, I didn't know of it. Makes me think of the short Weekender film made by Wiz for Flowered Up (which is just being re-released now). There's a rave love sequence in it, strangely reminiscent - or maybe that's just me.
Hollywood got past banned sex scenes in the black and white film era by suggesting them; the camera would cut to a shot of waves crashing on a beach, reference in David Bowies' "Drive In Saturday". Indecent Proposal may have been "racy" but the soundtrack wasn't.