Category Archives: Sexual promiscuity

2021, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Amputee, Angola, Attempted Murder, Based on true facts, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Bureaucracy, CIA, Cold War, Communists, Complicated, Conspiracy, Corrupt Military, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cover-up, Cruelty, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, FADO songs, False Accusations, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Frame someone for a crime, Government cover-up, Historical Fiction, Hostage Taking, International thriler, Invincible villain, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Local color, Longsuffering wife, Love Story, Male Chauvinism, Marital Infidelity, Military, Missing Person, Monstrous Father, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder by poison, Mysterious Disappearance, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Pianist, Plot twists, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Political Intrigue, Portuguese, Portuguese History, Portuguese-Angola War, Promiscuity, Puzzling Ending, Radio Free Europe, Rape, Revenge, Russian Anti-USA Scheme, Russian Spy, Ruthless Killer, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Surprise Ending, Suspense, Tennis, Thriller, Torture, Traitors, Trust Nobody, Unhappy Marriage, Unwanted Pregnancy, Violent, War, Wife Beating, Womanizing, Wrongful Arrest

Glória (2021)

From IMDB:

In the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, in the small village of Glória do Ribatejo, João Vidal will take on several high-risk espionage missions that could change the course of Portuguese and world history.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this Portuguese spy thriller.  Each episode lasts about 45 minutes. In Portuguese and English with subtitles.

RARET is short for portuguese RAdio de RETransmissão (Retransmission Radio).  Think of RARET as Radio Free Europe.  An article in the New York Times suggested this film to me. That article, which is worth reading, begins as follows:

————————————————————————-

Anyone who didn’t live through the Cold War might find the Portuguese Netflix spy thriller series “Glória” improbable.

Deep in the Portuguese countryside, in the tiny village of Glória, a complex radio transmission operation run by Portuguese and American engineers springs up in the 1950s, a branch of a Munich-based news organization called Radio Free Europe.

It broadcasts news and anti-communist messages in languages of various Soviet republics, but, in the show and in real life, that’s only part of its early mission: It’s also a C.I.A. front.

Until 1971, Radio Free Europe was a covert U.S. intelligence operation seeking to penetrate the Iron Curtain and foment anti-communist dissent in what was then Czechoslovakia, in Poland and elsewhere.

João (Portuguese for John) is a Russian spy seeking to undermine the activities of RARET.  Through 10 episodes we watch his masterful deceits while many around him get hurt as a result. To really appreciate the story you might brush up on some Portuguese history such as its imperialism (especially in Angola), the dictator Salazar, and PIDE (the Portuguese secret police).

Because the very ending comes as a complete and puzzling surprise, after finishing the series you can read an explanation.

Do not expect much happiness. But – DO NOT MISS!

2021, Explicit sex, Kanopy streaming, Nihiistic, Nudity, Sexual promiscuity, Sexual Seduction

True Things (2021)

From IMDB:

It follows a young woman living on the fringes of society who becomes intoxicated by a stranger who overwhelms her quiet life.

From Kanopy:

Kate (Ruth Wilson) is sleepwalking through life when a chance sexual encounter with a charismatic stranger (Tom Burke) awakens her. High on infatuation, Kate is headed for an intoxicating car crash.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute film.

Ruth Wilson first came to my attention as the villainous Alice Morgan in “Luther.”  In this rather nihilistic tale she has a sexually explicit affair with the uncommitted Blond, (we never learn his name) played to seductive success by Tom Burke, which starts her down a path to what is possibly of life of irresponsibility.

Never boring, but such a downer that I fear to recommend this film.

2014, Abandoned child, Ballet, Crude Talk, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Failed Father, Father-son relations, Fatherless child, Gay theme, Happy ending, Kanopy streaming, Marijuana, Narcissist, Plot Twist, Promiscuity, Psychological Drama, Psychological Tension, Reconciliation, Revenge, Sexual promiscuity, Tender, Unhappy Marriage, Unusual

Match (2014)

From IMDB:

As a Juilliard professor is interviewed by a woman and her husband for her dissertation on the history of dance in 1960s New York City, it becomes increasingly clear that there are ulterior motives to the couple’s visit.

From Kanopy:

Patrick Stewart is riveting as a Manhattan ballet instructor concealing a sordid past in this explosive drama of sex, secrets, and lies based on the Tony(R)-nominated play.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 32 minute film drama.

There are three characters in this superb but harrowing drama:

  • Patrick Stewart plays the ballet teacher Tobi Powell.  His character is a mixture of guilt,  libertine,  and genuine caring for others.  WARNING:  His conversations offer some of the most explicit sexual discussions I have ever heard. You might be offended.
  • Carla Gugino plays Lisa Davis the unhappy wife of Mike Davis.
  • Mathew Lillard plays Mike Davis the policeman on a mission.

You may never have heard of Gugino or Lillard, but their IMDB resumés are extensive.

Once again, it would be worthwhile to join Kanopy (it costs nothing) just to see “Match”.

DO NOT MISS!

 

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Adultery, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Arson, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Father-son relations, Forensic Anthropologist, Forensic pathologist, Forensics, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mildly Violent, Murder, Murder Investigation, Scottish, Scottish Detectives, Sexual promiscuity, Suspense

Traces (2019)

From IMDB:

While attending an online forensic course, young lab assistant discovers that the fictitious case study has a link to her past. With the help of two female professors she works on bringing a killer to justice.

From Amazon BritBox:

Emma Hedges needs to find out what happened to her mum. In a world of danger and deceit, will Emma have the nerve to follow the evidence no matter where it takes her?

From Amazon BritBox you can stream two seasons of this mystery series set in Dundee, Scotland.  Each season consists of 6 episodes. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

SEASON  1:

Emma (played by Molly Windsor) enthusiastically begins her new job in a forensics lab where she discovers a link to the still unsolved murder of her mother twelve years ago.  Coincidentally her team must investigate a suspicious fire in which 3 people died.  During this investigation she meets the father and son team of building contractors involved in the construction of that building.  Her relations with each of these two men could not be more opposing: she falls in love with son Daniel MacAfee (played by Martin Compston) and is afraid of the father Phil MacAfee (played by Vincent Regan).  And then the plot thickens.

Vincent Regan may be the most familiar actor in this series. Usually he plays a nice guy such as Ray Conlon in “The Bay“.  In “Traces”, however, he is a very effective bad guy.

Worth calling this season a DO NOT MISS.

SEASON 2:

Although this season begins with the trial of Phil MacAfee for murdering Emma’s mother,  this season suddenly ignores that plot and launches into the search for a serial bomber.  At least three bombs go off before the forensic scientists uncover the bomber’s identity.  Along the way there are many personality clashes and other issues.  To repeat: season 2 seems strangely disjoint from season 1, is more into scientific details, and is not as exciting as season 1.  Not exactly a “do not miss”, but still worth the watch.

1982, Acceptable for teenagers, Adultery, Bizarre Episodes, Conspiracy, Defies Categorization, Flashbacks, Kanopy streaming, Mother-daughter relations, Offbeat, Outrageous Behavior, Peter Greenaway, Plot Twist, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Unhappy Marriage

Draughtsman’s Contract (1982)

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 49 minute complete film.

From Kanopy:

Set in a richly exaggerated 17th-century England, Peter Greenaway’s sumptuous and sensuously charged brainteaser catapulted him to the forefront of international art cinema. Adorned with intricate wordplay, extravagant costumes and opulent photography, Greenaway’s first narrative feature weaves a labyrinthine mystery.

An aristocratic wife commissions a young, cocksure draughtsman to sketch her husband’s property while he is away–in exchange for a fee, room and board, and one sexual favor for each of the twelve drawings. As the draughtsman becomes more entrenched in the devious schemings in this seemingly idyllic country home, curious details emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder. THE DRAUGHTMAN’S CONTRACT is a luscious cinematic banquet for eye, ear and mind.

Winner of the Grand Prix from the Belgian Film Critics Association. Nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.

“What we have here is a tantalizing puzzle, wrapped in eroticism and presented with the utmost elegance. I have never seen a film quite like it.” – Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun

If you have never seen a Peter Greenaway film, brace yourself.

2020, Alcoholism, Anti-Gay Laws, Anti-Semitism, B-movie, Bad Acting, Barely Acceptable Trash, Black struggles, Career Competition, Corny, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay Bashing, Gay Prostitution, Gay theme, Happy ending, Hollywood Culture, Homophobia, Imperfect, Longsuffering wife, Love Story, Male Chauvinism, Male Prostitute for Women, Male Prostitutes, Marital Infidelity, Maudlin, Mediocre, Mostly About Sex, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Oscar Awards, Preachy, Promiscuity, Romance, Satire, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Soap Opera, Unhappy Marriage, Vulgar, Women's Equality

Hollywood (2020)

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From Netflix:

While waiting for his big break, aspiring movie star Jack Castello accepts a job at a local service station that pumps more than just gas.

From Netflix you can stream the 7 episodes of this soap opera. Each episode runs between 45 and 58 minutes.

Maudlin. Salacious. Corny. Subtle as a brick. Clichéd. Barely acceptable trash. Maudlin. Raunchy. Preachy. Woke. Terrible acting. Production errors.  And the list could go on.

My college freshman rhetoric teacher suggested that in order to better appreciate good examples of a given art discipline such as literature, music, and film, it helps to experience the bad examples. Well, with this film we now have a golden opportunity to experience one of the lesser achievements of the movie industry.

“Golden Tip Gasoline” is a gas pumping station that doubles as a gas pimping station for the young male gas attendants who will “fill your tank” if the customer uses the code word “dreamland”, no matter if that customer is male or female.   Not only all these attendants but also their boss and some customers have Hollywood aspirations. One way for such a gas pumper to get his start is to service those customers who are part of the Hollywood management nobility. Instead of casting couches it seems there were casting nozzles.

Rather than merely prurient attractions, this story offers a noble sub-theme: No longer would the film industry suppress black,  gay, and women actors.

Indeed from the goings-on we might suspect that half of Hollywood consisted of closeted gays .  As an example: One client, say Jake, is so stupid that when he drives up to engage Archie Coleman he can’t remember the word “Dreamland”. But they hook up and eventually fall in love.  Jake is told he cannot act. Nonetheless he forges ahead.  Because he could not remember two lines, his first screen text required 67 takes. Because Jake is as handsome as he is stupid, some producer accepts him but says “Jake” is not an acceptable screen name and must be changed to ROCK HUDSON (get it?). His boyfriend Archie is a black man (horrors!) who wants to become a screen writer. Camille Washington is a black woman (even worse!) who wants to have some screen role other than playing a maid (uppity!). And so it goes on and on for 7 episodes.

Is this a satire? Have I missed something here?

If you can last till episode 7, which is aptly named “A Hollywood Ending”,  you will be rewarded with a happy, sappy ending. Amen!

But just remember I LOVE TRASH!

2021, AIDS, Alcoholism, Based on true facts, Blackmail, Character Driven, Cocaine, Drama, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Emotional abuse, Explicit sex, Fashion, Gay Prostitution, Gay theme, Jealousy, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Promiscuity, Revenge, Sexual promiscuity, Vulgar

Halston (2021)

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From IMDB:

It tracks Halston as he leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire that’s synonymous with luxury, sex, status and fame, literally defining the era.

From Netflix you can stream the 5 episodes of this series. Each episode lasts between 44 and 53 minutes.

You need not be one bit interested in fashion to enjoy this acting tour de force.   Ewen McGregor at 50 years of age puts on one of the best performances of his long career. Just take a look at his resume.

If there is a theme here, it is the often typical “rise and fall”  of a public personality (e.g. Senator McCarthy,  Jeffrey Epstein, hopefully Donald Trump).  We can only trust that the details are true to life.  Before this film I personally never heard of Halston, but I do vaguely remember Jackie Kennedy’s pill box hat.

Notice the actor Bill Pullman who plays the business man David Mahoney.  He played Harry Ambrose in the creepy three season series called The Sinner which was reviewed earlier in this blog and strongly recommended.

Hopefully you will not find McGregor’s pitch perfect effete  portrayal and the explicitly strong gay theme too off-putting.  Just admire the acting.

2020, Accidental Death, Addiction, Adopted child, Alcoholism, America of the 1960s, Based on a Book, Chess, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Explicit sexual discussion, Failing Marriage, Fashion, Friendship, Husband leaves wife, Mother-daughter relations, Netflix Streaming, Orphanage, Paris in the 1960s, Redemption, Sexual promiscuity, Unhappy Marriage

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

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From IMDB:

Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.

Nine year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis.

From Netflix you can stream the 7 episodes of this  remarkable drama. Episodes vary in length from 46 minutes to 67 minutes.

You need not understand anything about chess to appreciate the tension of a chess match and to enjoy this story.  Although there are an awful lot of chess matches and much discussion about the game,  Beth and her personal life remain the center of attention. Watching the obsessive inhabitants of the world of chess can be a revelation. Granted that a person can obsess over just about anything, nonetheless the hold that chess has on some players is remarkable. Indeed that hold is the core of Beth’s ultimate problem: exactly what is her life about?

Anya Taylor-Joy,  the British/Argentine actress who plays Beth, is as perfect for the role as she is beautiful.  When she says “I like clothes”, consider that an understatement.   Where did she get the money for all those clothes?

DO NOT MISS!

 

2015, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Basically Sad, Bisexual theme, Bloody scenes, British Comedy, Cross Dressing, Drama, Eccentric cast of characters, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Flirting, Friendship, Gay theme, Grungy, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Masturbation, Mostly About Sex, Murder, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Outrageous Behavior, Panic Attacks, Promiscuity, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Soap Opera, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Somewhat trashy, Suicide, Unusual, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Cucumber (2015)

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From IMDB:

After causing a man to commit suicide over a misunderstanding and his long term boyfriend proposes, sexually repressed Henry has a breakdown and leaves home to move in with work colleague Dean and love interest Freddie both half his own age; meanwhile his ex, Lance finds a new love with Daniel. Modern life for gay men in the city of Manchester by the mind behind Queer As Folk, writer Russell T. Davies.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 8 episodes of this gay soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

If there is a predominant theme in this story, it is the sadly common often lonely life of older gay men.  After their youthful attractiveness vanishes, most of the characters in the film spend their time desperately searching for a sexual encounter with some “hot” young stud.

So why watch this soap opera?  For one thing, the acting is superb. Vincent Franklin as Henry Best presents futile searching, regret and guilt perfectly.  You may not sympathize with his faulty choices in life, but you can watch a tragically sincere performance. For another thing,  you will witness what is supposedly the typical Manchester gay life and, at least for me, ask the question “Is that even close to the truth and, if so, YIKES!”  Be prepared for no holds barred explicit and vulgar shenanigans.  Also be prepared for some nasty violence.

Certainly not to everyone’s tastes but still a fascinating sad freak show.

2017, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Child Molestation, Family Conflict, French, French Detective Series, Gory, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Occasional gore, Pedophilia, Police Culture, Promiscuity, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Unusual, Violent

Deadly Seasons (2017)

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From Amazon Prime:

A mysterious Superintendent with a troubled past teams up with a young, reckless female inspector to solve a series of troubling murders.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 4 episodes of this French detective series. Each episode lasts a bit more than an hour and a half.  Spoken French with English subtitles.

No visual punches are pulled in these episodes: nudity, beheadings, headless naked bodies entwined and other delights.

What is even more of a novelty is that Mariella de Luca, the “young reckless female inspector,”  at night dons a disguise, including a silver wig, and has sex with male strangers she finds online.

Each episode features a separate crime,  while underlying all four episodes are two themes:

  • What happened to the missing adult son of Commissaire Rousseau,  Marielle’s boss?
  • Can Marielle ever find true love instead of being sexually promiscuous?

By the end of the last episode both questions are resolved.  And while getting to that end we can all enjoy a few visual shocks.