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Sex doesn't sell mainstream filmsIt cites the films Stripteas, Showgirls and Eyes Wide Shut as examples of overtly sexual movies failing to lure filmgoers. The writer suggests that people are unwilling to go out in public and sit in the dark with strangers when sex is the main subject. With so much adult material available within the privacy of people's homes, sex in the cinema isn't appealing. If it's couched in humour, or part of a thriller, then it's acceptable, but sex alone is a turn off. If "sex doesn't sell" becomes a standard Hollywood maxim, I wonder what the future holds for filmmakers willing to explore sexual issues outside of a pornographic context. Jane Campion’s In the Cut was one of the rare movies willing to depict female sexuality in an honest way, and I found it refreshing to watch. If sex no longer sells, it’s possible that such movies won’t find a studio willing to back them. Is this an opportunity for porn? If the mainstream film industry won’t look at sex seriously, can porn attempt it? Perhaps it’s a big ask, but it’s part of the hope I have for the industry I work in. Porn doesn’t always have to be idiotic. Candida Royalle has shown that sexually explicit movies can be funny and philosophical. Wouldn’t it be nice to see more films that explore the place of sex in relationships, or in society? Maybe there are porn filmmakers out there willing to try a little harder to present sex in new ways, to take up the slack and inject some drama and reality into their art? As I said, a big ask. But people like Tony Comstock with his adult documentaries are heading in the right direction. Perhaps one day we’ll see the equivalent of Eyes Wide Shut at the local adult store (with all the naughty bits left in!) Posted: Tuesday 29th March 2005, 1:52 AM Back to the Blog
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