Celebrities and Sex

Director Mike Figgis's (1995) drama, Leaving Las Vegas is a movie that when watched is never forgotten. It's a conflicted movie by the way it is shot in explicit detail. It is boasting of raw content and harsh realities- which are a reflection of two cross lovers lives. One moment, the movie is reflecting one man's life, (so troubling) they made the movie difficult to watch for people like myself- who may know all too well the power of alcoholism. It was just too realistic for me. Also, this movie is crammed packed in sexual overtones; from the lost of love of a down and out, Hollywood, screen writer to a very explicit rape scene of Sera, Elisabeth Shue's character. Sera is a Las Vegas prostitute, who stumbles upon Ben Sanderson (played by Nicolas Cage) and befriends him.

She is careful enough not to interfere with Ben's alcoholic lifestyle, and his crusade to kill himself by drinking himself to death. Simply because, she likes having someone around. She considers herself a lost soul, like he is and struggles everyday with her own harsh realities of life. Which is primarily that she is lonely but, sells her body for sex, making it difficult for her to maintain relationships of any sort- let alone a love-match.

Ben offers Sera a chance at happiness through acceptance though..., or so she thinks. Nevertheless, Ben excepts Sera for what she is, and she excepts Ben for what he is- a cold-hearted drunk. At first it appears the two of them are a perfect match. As in life and made for movie entertainment- relationships like this one are doomed to fail, and fall apart due to circumstances. It is those circumstances that this movie is all about.

It is the final scene in the movie that puts this film into my greatest hits list. If you have seen the movie, I picked the final scene of the film basically, where Elisabeth Shue wants to give Ben Sanderson a reason to stop drinking and live on; only if just for her. She has intermittently fallen in love with Ben. But it's really too late, Ben is lying in a bed with a bottle of vodka in one hand, and a death-wish smile across his face. Elisabeth Shue mounts on top of Nicolas Cage's character, and proceeds to make love to him. As she does, you begin to see Nicolas Cage's body relax, so much so his body begins to slide up and down the sheets of the bed, from each thrust of her tiny body. He is dead. The scene is so moving and horrifying at the same time, one cannot forget to include it into this hits list as one of the all time greatest.

What this film did in 2005 was to break all previously set, movie inhibitions and sexual barriers, which most directors before this drama was filmed, generally abides too. Director Ang Lee brilliantly casted two of world's macho superstars at the time, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as star crossed cowboy lovers no less, who meet one another while working for the same rancher. The two bond and become very close, and upon the act of heavy intoxication become closet, sexual lovers. Jake Gyllenhaal's character is quite comfortable with his sexuality and his feelings for Ennis, the character played by Health Ledger. However, Ennis is a "mans man" and actually is very distraught and confused by his sexual actions with Jack, the opposing character's role name that was portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal. Whatever your feelings on homosexuality, this movie goes down as an all time great because of it's raw intensity and thought provoking subject matter. It's a movie you'll never forget.

Cape Fear

This next film is a little piece directed by Martin Scorsese in 1991. I added the thriller for the same reasons why I picked Brokeback Mountain and Leaving Las Vegas - it's timelessness. It is another one of those films, which once you see it you'll either wish, you had never seen it, or will absolutely LOVED it, but whatever the outcome is..., you most certainly will never forget it! It's too unforgettable. That's because it contains certain scenes that make it more memorable than other movies. Cape Fear has several unique movie moments, which are brought up all the time in those "fan favorite" clip shots found on program shows such as, Entertainment tonight TV. And, well who can forget the racy sex scenes? This movie had them all.

Robert De Niro plays his character role as a convicted rapist to the tee. But it is the backstory of this rapist's run in with a hotshot, public defender, which drives the story. Nick Nolte, plays the role of the hotshot, Atlanta-based, public defender, Sam Bowden, which I must add is also played by Nick flawlessly. In the movie, Sam Bowden moves to South Carolina. However, after spending 14 years in prison plotting his revenge on Bowden, Max Cady (Robert De Niro's character) follows Bowden to South Carolina, and unleashes holy hell upon the unsuspecting Bowden and his entire family.

It is the rape scene (of Bowden's work colleague and suspecting mistress) that puts this movie in the greatest hits list. When Robert De Niro's character bites the cheek off Lori Davis, played by Illeana Douglas, a shockwave of emotions enthralls you. It is just as powerful as the first 10 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, or the last half of Silence of the Lambs . However, what sets this one apart from the others is it's rape scene. For that it earns a spot in my all time greatest sex scenes.

One of the best collections of celebrity sex scene media outlets is the website www.filmsite.org. They are by far the most informative resource on the web.

Sex in Cinema: Magazine Articles

• Channel4.com's 100 Greatest Sexy Moments of All Time (Film and TV)
• DateDaily.com's Top 10 Movie Sex Scenes
• E Online's Rank Top 10 Sex Scenes
• Empire Magazine's Sexiest, Sex-Free Film Moments
• IFC's and Nerve.com's The 50 Greatest Sex Scenes in Cinema

Note:

The list featured above, is a small sampling of a much larger list, which is featured on www.filmsite.org website. What I love about this website is that the lists (like the one above) can be found very easily on their web page, while offering a large variety of movies on this topic. It's just a great resource tool for any avid movie lover or film student.