Category Archives: Sex Scenes

2013, Depression, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Nudity, Psychological Drama, Quiet, Sex Scenes, Slow, Strange Ending, Thought provoking, Unusual

Enemy (2013)

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From Netflix:

When humdrum academic Adam Bell spots his double in a rented movie, he launches a search that leads him to a small-time actor who seems uncannily like him in every way — except for his personality.

Ever since first seeing Jake Gyllenhaal in “Donny Darko”, I have always expected the unusual in his films. This semi-crazy film is no exception. Here he plays two parts: a nervous, hesitant history teacher and a womanizing actor. His first persona is so hesitant that the story moves at a very slow pace, including long-held shots where he just stares.

Hang in there, because after awhile the story gets interesting when the two look-alikes start to interact.

So far in my movie viewing life, this film has the most unexpected, crazy, and difficult-to-interpret ending I have ever seen. Please send me your reactions as comments. Just exactly what is going on in this story?

2014, FilmReview, Nothing special, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Sex Scenes, Somewhat trashy, Woody Allen's New York

Fading Gigolo (2014)

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From Netflix:

Middle-aged Fioravante and Murray are an unlikely gigolo and pimp in this farce about two cash-strapped friends who turn to the sex trade to make ends meet. Their new enterprise is fruitful, but things get complicated when romance enters the picture.

Accepting Woody Allen as a pimp is easy. But would you ever think of John Turturro as a professional male whore with Woody Allen as his pimp? Despite appearances, Turturro as “Fioravante” is convincing not so much because of his sexual prowess but because he understands the emotional needs of his women clients. Actually touching is the way he brings the repressed and lonely Hassidic widow Avigal back to life while falling in love with her. Live Schreiber is perfect as the Hassidic cop who also loves Avigal.

Sharon Stone tries desperately to redo her sexy legs movements from “Basic Instinct”.

While not an especially worthwhile film, it was good enough to watch on a plane ride to Ireland.

Action Film, Adventure, Catholic culture, Coarse manners, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Docudrama, Father-son relations, Greed, Human spirit, Marital Infidelity, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasional gore, Psychological Drama, Rape, Religious Theme, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Slavery, Suspense, Torture, Vikings, Violent, Wonderful acting

Vikings (2013)

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2014-2015 REVISION:

November 2015: Netflix offers season 3 but only on DVD, no streaming.

The release date for season 4 is not yet settled. Season 3 was at least as good as the previous two seasons with some very clever surprises at the very end of season 3 which makes the audience ever more eager to see season 4.

For more information about the Viking raid on Paris in 845 see the Wikipedia article. On that occasion the French king was Charles the Bald, one of Charlemagne’s grandsons. By the Treaty of Verdun in 843, Charles became king of what was for the most part modern day France.

Now from Amazon Prime you can stream both season 1 and season 2. Season 2 is at least as good as Season 1. Wonderful but violent!

FORMER REVIEW:

Netflix offers Season 1 on DVD. However, I streamed from Amazon for free because we bought Amazon Prime. Jan 2015 – Now you can stream Season 2 from Amazon. Somehow the story just gets better and better. DO NOT MISS all the VIOLENCE!

From Netflix:

Set in medieval Scandinavia, this gritty drama charts the adventures of renowned Viking hero Ragnar Lothbrok as he extends the Norse reach by challenging the rule of an unfit leader who lacks vision.

Merely appreciating the finesse and details that went into making this remarkable TV series just gives me chills.

His ambiguous smile is mostly that of the fox waiting for its opportunity. Eventually you come to accept and even identify that constant smile with the character Ragnar Lothbrok played to dazzling perfection by the Australian-born Travis Fimmel.

Gabriel Byrne as Earl Haraldson is the only actor I recognized. You may remember him as Dr. Paul Weston in the TV series “In Treatment”. Here he is a brooding, vicious bully.

In order to enter Valhalla a Viking must die in battle. Similar to the ancient Greek culture, violence and personal bravery are everything. Whatever riches a Viking can bury will be his in the next life. Hence the need for plunder. In other words, by its nature this film had to be very VIOLENT!

Perhaps some history will set the scene. Roughly speaking as Rome abandoned England in the 400s, she invited in German mercenaries among which were the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They liked what they saw and oppressed the original inhabitants, the Celts. After centuries their many dialects would eventually congeal into Anglo Saxon. In the 600s Christianity appeared and the Anglo Saxons converted. In the 800s the Danes, i.e. the Vikings, reached England and were trouble for the Anglo Saxons until that famous year 1066 in which no sooner had Edward Confessor defeated the Danes then the Normans conquered the Anglo Saxons.

In regard to the previous mini-history, in the scenes in which the Vikings speak to the Anglo Saxons, the Vikings speak old Norse and supposedly the “English” speak Anglo Saxon.

Also in regard to that mini-history, probably the most important theme of the series is religion. Ragnar Lothbrok, in attacking his first monastery, brings back as a slave a young Christian monk Athelstan (thoughtfully played by George Blagden). No episode goes by without some discussion, confrontation, or comparison (call it what you like) between the “pagan” religion and the Christian. Odd how violent, vicious, and untrustworthy the Christians are. There are aspects of the Viking religion that may disturb your sleep.

Fighting is really a small part of the story. Interpersonal relations and conflicts are equally important. There is true character development.

And of course you cannot help to notice how these Viking men wore their hair. Let’s hope the costume department got it historically accurate. Needless to say there are many tattoos.

If you can stand the violence, DO NOT MISS !

2013, Action Film, Amazon Prime, Based on true facts, Car Chase, Communists, Complicated, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, FBI, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Revenge, Russian, Sex Scenes, Spy Theme, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

The Americans (2013)

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From Netflix:

Set during the Reagan presidency, this Cold War drama follows two married Soviet sleeper agents living discreetly near Washington, D.C. But tensions begin to mount for the couple when a spy-hunting FBI man moves in nearby.

Because we use Amazon Prime I was able to stream season 1 of “The Americans” for free.

In Cambridge Massachusetts a Russian husband and wife team of spies were disguised as a normal American family. This real-life incident motivated this TV series which offers the same kind of milieu as the British TV series “MI-5”. Possibly “MI-5” is a bit better, but the quality and human interest in “The Americans” is excellent. Needless to say, both series are violent.

By “human interest” I refer to the pseudo marriage between the spies who by this time have two children, thoroughly American boy and girl who have no idea of their parents’ spying activity. In addition a new neighbor moves in who just happens to be an FBI agent whose specialty is counter-intelligence but whose family life always takes the familiar backseat to his career.

Be sure to appreciate the effective personality disguises these two spies use as they play many deceptive roles in society. For one example, the disguised husband actually goes so far as to marry an unsuspecting American woman in order to get her to bring him information.

Season One ends abruptly and inconclusively. Season Two seems to not yet be available. If you like spy stories, then DO NOT MISS!

2013, Based on true facts, Black History, Could Be Hard To Watch, DO NOT MISS, FilmReview, Human spirit, Mental Illness, Nudity, Rape, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Slavery, Suspense, Torture, True Story, Violent, Wonderful acting

12 Years a Slave (2013)

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From Netflix:

The autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted from New York state and sold into slavery in the mid-1800s, serves as the basis for this historical drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, and Brad Pitt plays an abolitionist.

“12 Years a Slave” is a LONG film (2 hours 15 minutes). At least it certainly seems long due to all the sadistic cruelty portrayed. You will see enough whippings to last you a lifetime. Children should NOT see this torture-fest. If you last through the whole film, be sure to read the final follow-up text.

Just how realistic a portrayal of the slave owners this film is would take a bit of research to determine. You can read an account of Jefferson’s treatment of his slaves.

Many reviews exists of this film. One such review says that Brad Pitt’s role was too good to be true, but since he was one of the producers, he could do as he pleased.

So many fine actors played such diabolical roles, that I was embarrassed for them. Michael Fassbender will probably remain in my mind as a psychotic pervert.

WARNING: This is NOT an easy film to watch. If you can stand the sadism, DO NOT MISS!

2013, Abduction, Book Review, Costa Rica, Crime thriller, Deep Sea Diving, Detective, Prostitutes, Psychiatrists, Psychological Thriller, Religious Theme, Revenge, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Suspense, Thriller, Torture, Well developed plot

9 Killer Thrillers (2013) [Book Review]

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From Amazon I downloaded this collection of 9 Complete Thriller Novels onto my kindle for only 99 cents. At the beginning of the book there is a section “Blurbs” which gives a short sense of each story. Here is a brief summary of the 9 books contained therein:

The Halo Effect by M.J. Rose
Detective Noah Jordain seeks the help of a psychiatrist Morgan Snow whose clients are prostitutes. Noah is confronted with a serial killer who targets prostitutes. In particular the story concentrates on one such client of Dr. Snow named Cleo Thane who disappears while the murders are happening. Using somewhat questionable methods, Morgan Snow investigates on her own the disappearance of Cleo Thane. Much of the story involves Morgan’s inner musings on her life and her clients. M.J. Rose has written many books.
Vigilante by Claude Bouchard
My first impression was “This is amateurish and too simple”. But the end of the seemingly ordinary story knocked me for a loop because only until almost the last word (literally) do we learn who the VIGILANTE really is. Never have I been so cleverly misled. You are hereby challenged to see if you can guess what is really happening in the story. Upon finishing I had to re-read parts to see where I had gone so wrong. Claude Bouchard has written many books, including a collection called the Vigilante Series.
The Devil’s Deep by Michael Wallace
Costa Rica figures heavily in this thriller. Someone is doing evil things to patients and staff at Riverwood Care Center. Some of those patients are profoundly retarded, some trapped inside a frozen body. Wes, brother of one of the retarded patients, and Rebecca, a caretaker, are the heroes in this tale involving deep sea diving, murder, and family conspiracy. At least one surprising revelation awaits the reader. Not great literature but a page-turner nonetheless. Michael Wallace has written many thrillers.
Traces of Kara by Melissa Foster
YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP THIS SOMEWHAT TEDIOUS STORY. Rather than being a who-done-it, this suspense novel centers on a psychotic killer who is searching for his long-lost sister Marissa so that he can kill himself and the sister at the same time in order “to be together forever”. Other characters, notably Kara Knight and her mother Mimi and Sergeant Mark Agnew, eventually relate to the killer’s mad scheme. But how they relate is what you have to discover.

The 19th Element by John L. Betcher
Tom Clancy would love this story which is chuck full of all kinds of technical data which I skipped over without doing any damage to my enjoyment of the story. Basically Beck (a former undercover agent, now financially independent but cleverly disguised as a lawyer) gets wind of a terrorist plot to nuke a large area in the USA. He has trouble getting anyone else to believe him. One pleasant feature of the story is the constant sarcastic banter between Beck and his friends.
Big Lake by Nick Russell
When an armored car hijacking leaves two men dead, Arizona Sheriff Jim Weber takes the crime personally, because one of the dead men is his brother-in-law. His hunt for the killers leads him into a world of sordid sex, deceit, and violence, with a suspect list that includes jilted women, a family of anti-government survivalists, and the beautiful wife of the richest man in town. Nick Russell can produce enough action to keep me turning pages. Part of the appeal of the story is the small-town feeling and all the eccentric characters therein. Sheriff Jim Weber comes across as a solid lawman with an eye for the ladies and a tendency to violence when he is really angry. His bromance with special FBI agent Larry Parks offers a lot of amusing repartee. When the killer was revealed, I was surprised that I had never suspected the guilty party.
Before Her Eyes – Rebecca Forster
In a remote mountain community, the execution of a grocer and the abduction of a word-renowned model leave the local sheriff searching for a connection, two killers, and a woman running for her life. While Dove Connelly sets his investigation in motion, Tessa Bradley escapes her captors only to find greater peril ahead. As her life passes before her eyes, Tessa struggles to stay alive, prays for rescue, and fights for her soul’s salvation. One almost disconcerting feature of the writing is that Tessa’s ruminations, which are scattered everywhere, just start suddenly so that at times I wondered if I had skipped a page.
Corpus Christi by Luke Romyn
blah blah
2013, Acceptable Science, Addiction, AIDS, Based on true facts, Crude Talk, Dark, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Explicit sex, Gambling, Gay theme, Grim, Homophobia, Human spirit, Nudity, Sex Scenes, Transvestite theme, Unusual, Violent

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

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From Netflix:

Loosely based on true events, this drama follows Ron Woodroof, who refuses to accept he’ll die in 30 days when he’s diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. He extends his life and eventually helps many other AIDS patients by smuggling medications from abroad.

Repulsive! At least that was my first impression of Ron Woodroof who throughout the film is always “in your face”. His unbridled lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes leads to full-blown AIDS. He then spent the rest of his life (which was much longer than the doctors foresaw) smuggling medications from wherever he could. Along the way he eventually accepts as a friend a cross-dressing male prostitute despite the fact that Woodroof is portrayed as virulently homophobic. Also he eventually finds a helper and friend in a woman doctor from the local Dallas hospital.

My criterion for a good actor is one that is a true cameleon, that is to say, can adapt to many different parts. In my opinion, Matthew McConaughey has achieved cameleon-hood. Let’s hope he did not injure his health losing so much weight in order to look like a scrawny AIDS patient.

Be sure to consult the Wikipedia article which at the end contrasts the film plot with the true story.

If you don’t mind a view of America’s low life culture, in view of McConaughey’s performance, I call this a DO NOT MISS!

2013, Barely Acceptable Trash, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Greed, Lawyers, Mediocre, Not Recommended, Revenge, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

The Counselor (2013)

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From Netflix;

Michael Fassbender stars in this thriller penned by iconic novelist Cormac McCarthy as an attorney who mistakenly believes he can dabble in the drug business without any consequences — only to find himself drowning in a nightmarish downward spiral.

With a few exceptions (“In Her Shoes”, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”) Cameron Diaz has been typecast as a slut. This film is not one of those exceptions. In fact she plays a well-dressed completely amoral woman that engineers sadistic deaths for several men and women. “Sadistic” here is not an exaggeration:

  • Witness a motorcycle scene in which the rider is purposely and cleverly decapitated. Heads will roll!
  • Witness a woman’s body being thrown by earth movers into a public garbage dump. You will recognize this victim.
  • Witness an automatic, unstoppable, non-cuttable wire loop that before it strangles its victim, it cuts the carotid artery. You will also recognize this victim.

Does this sound like a sadistic gore contest?

Of course there are always the required sex scenes which in our current sex scene contest offers Cameron Diaz having sexual intercourse with an automobile. For kicks she then tries to confess to a Catholic priest who leaves the confessional in disgust.

You are hereby encouraged to SKIP THIS FILM!

2012, Comedy, Dysfunctional Lives, Love Story, Nothing special, Optimistic, Sex Scenes

Girl Most LIkely (2012)

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From Netflix:

After staging an unsuccessful suicide to get her boyfriend’s attention, a struggling playwright moves back home to live with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and a handsome lodger who sings with a Backstreet Boys cover band.

Exaggerated family disfunction is the basis for this comedy, and indeed there are some good laughs. Annette Bening (as crazy mother Zelda) and Matt Dillon (as crazy boyfriend “The Bousche” of the crazy mother Zelda) are probably the best known actors. Kristen Wiig (as mixed-up daughter Imogene) will play young Lucille Bluth in the 2013 addition to “Arrested Development”. Darren Criss (as the roomer in crazy mother’s house) and Christopher Fitzgerald (as mixed-up bother Ralph of mixed-up daughter Imogene) are two newish faces that do well in the film.

Just sit back and take in the antics of these improbable personalities in this light-hearted disposable comedy.

2012, Arab Culture, Arabic, Basically Sad, Conspiracy, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Hebrew, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Jewish Culture, Medical Theme, Military, Nudity, Sex Scenes, Terrorist Attack, Violent, Well developed plot, Wonderful acting

The Attack (2012)

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From Netflix:

An Arab Israeli physician offers assistance at the scene of a gruesome suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and then learns that the bomber was his own wife. Stunned and furious, he sets out to confront the people who encouraged her deadly decision.

To paraphrase an old saying, “One good film is worth a thousand history books”. My guess is that as you watch this marvelous film in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles your attitude towards the events and the protagonists will change at least somewhat. Here is yet another film about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that succeeds in not choosing sides, something that is very difficult to do in a film. If nothing else you will probably sympathize with the surgeon husband of the suicide bomber, a man caught in the middle of two cultures.

Superb acting, subtly developed plot, and a thought-provoking situation make for a must-see film.