Collection of Erotic Film Reviews

BOOGIE NIGHTS

1987 Drama set in Los Angeles this story covers the lives of a dozen or so misfits and inadequates working in the porn industry during a seven year period commencing 1977. In particular its central character is a young man who rises from nowhere to be a star of the film industry. In the early years the team as a whole are hugely successful and make a lot of money but in the 1980s the rot sets in and things degenerate primarily due to their cocaine habits. Gradually the gang take to stealing drugs on the side. Contains some nudity and violence. Usually films on this subject are of the soft porn variety , and rubbish, but this one is of a higher quality with a superior script and acting. It is hard to make a film about the porn industry that is not soft porn itself but they achieved it with this film. Watchable and holds your interest for the 150 minutes duration.8/10

BOUND

1996Sexy erotic thriller about a mobster's girl who wants out. She sets up an ingenious con with her lesbian lover to steal $2M from the mob. It is a cleverly spun web of intrigue. Violent and scary. A con with many twists. Some explicit girl on girl action. Do not watch this if you are not sure you can handle it. 8/10

BOYS DON'T CRY.

1999 Lesbian romantic drama tragedy. A sad, touching shocking film based on true events. Brandon Teena is a young guy trapped in a girl's body in Nebraska. Brandon dresses and acts as a guy and joins a small gang of other wild youngsters and falls in love with one of the girls, (Lana). For a while life is good and fun and the relationship between Lana and Brandon blossoms. Inevitably Brandon's secret eventually comes out and the friends turn against him although Lana stays loyal. Be warned, the story ends brutally, tragically and violently. Hilary Swank played Brandon and won the best actress Oscar for her performance. 8/10

BREATH 2007 Romantic Drama. Korean film with sub-titles. Unusual and bizarre story about a restless and lonely middle class housewife who decides to start to visit a convicted murderer on death row in prison. Bizarrely she is granted greater and greater access to the convict and relations gradually become increasingly intimate under the watchful eyes of the prison guards! It all seems a highly implausible plot and the acting is poor. Was it based on real events? Weird and would not be most people's taste. 2/10

BROWN BUNNY (THE)

2004 Soft porn Romantic drama. I'll sit through most films but this one defeated me. I lasted 40 minutes before I could stand no more. Pretentious arty farty photographic account of a troubled young man driving across the USA in a van grieving for the lost love of his life. Lots of lengthy shots of all kinds of roads at day and night. Almost no dialogue and nothing happens. Boring and tedious. The film does liven up in the last 3 minutes apparently but only people with no life would have made it that far! Do not be tempted. 2/10

BUTTERFLY KISS

1995Macabre thriller about cold blooded serial killer (lesbian) who seduces an innocent girl into falling in love with her, and together they travel around like Thelma and Louise until it comes to an inevitable and tragic end. 4/10

CALIGULA

1979Drama about the life of a young deranged Roman emperor. I watched the uncut version which lasts about 2 weeks. This is a Marmite movie and it gets ratings from 1 to 10 with people equally divided. It has to be the most sexually explicit movie ever made and features nudity , gruesome punishments ,and graphic sex from start to finish. It is also the most explicit and complete portrayal of the debauchery and decadence of the Roman Empire that you are likely to see. You have been warned. But it remains an iconic film that film buffs need to see for completeness It is a big set extravaganza by the director Tinto Brass. On the odd occasion when the actors are not completely naked the costumes are good. It has an all star cast and the acting and script are not bad. You need to be extremely broad minded and have a strong stomach to tackle this one so be warned. It is not just a not so soft porn film in that it does have a watchable story and reasonable plot, with some character development. Outrageous! 6/10

CAMOMILE LAWN (THE) DISC 1 (EPISODES 1-4)

1992 Channel 4 TV drama. A watchable TV series drama about an extended family of parents, aunts, uncles and cousins at the beginning of the second world war set in Cornwall and London. The story focuses on the colourful love lives and relationships of the relatives seemingly including with each other against the back drop of escalating danger and the struggle with the enemy. Based on a book the production was considered quite racy in 1992 containing a lot of nudity. In the second half the acting , script, and direction remained somewhat stylised and stilted and this has reduced the score. Great cast though. Episodes 3 & 4 do not quite live up to the promise of the first half and in the end the overall result is just average. Episode 4 is set in the present 40 years later in 1983. 5/10

CAROL

2015Lesbian romantic drama. Cate Blanchett stars in this drama supported by Rooney Mara who plays the teenage object of the Blanchett character's desires. I was really looking forward to this film after its rave reviews but in my opinion it is highly overrated. Yes it is smouldering, contemplative, brooding, and moody but it is just so slow. And the biggest problem for me is that the meeting between the two is just not convincing. The 'falling in love at first sight' is just not sold to the viewer. There is no intoxicating exchange of conversation or laughter and you will wonder what the worldly wise mature Blanchett character sees in the young thing. Blanchett is a superb as ever but overall I found it underwhelming. 6/10

CASUALTIES OF WAR

1989Vietnam war film. Extremely shocking story based on real events in which a squadron of five kidnap an innocent young Vietnamese girl to rape her and eventually murder her when she looks like she may lead to them being spotted by the enemy. Sean Penn gives an excellent performance as the crazy, maverick ring leader Sergeant and Michael J Fox is equally impressive as the voice of good and morality in the group who unsuccessfully tries to prevent the evil activities. The film depicts the struggle that the Fox character had to get anyone in authority to investigate and prosecute the rest of the group on his testimony. A brutal disturbing , graphic , realistic and unpleasant movie that depicts the horror of war . 8/10

CAT CHASER

1990 Thriller. American war veteran (Dominican Republic) begins a steamy affair with an old flame who is now married to a nasty and corrupt Dominican general . This film is now dated but watchable although only adequate at best. The plot is hard to follow in places and the film feels like an adapted stage play with a lot of rapid fire conversation that is important to the plot. However it gets more straight forward as you get deep into the film. But is it worth the effort? Probably not. Some nudity and a lot of violence some of which is pretty graphic and a high body count by the time you reach the end. 4/10

CEMENT GARDEN (THE)

1992Would not be most people's cup of tea. Incestuous relationship develops between eldest brother and sister in family of 4 children after both parents die separately in close succession. Watchable but weird. 5/10

CHINA MOON

1994 erotic thriller. Good romantic love triangle thriller. I am a fan of erotic thrillers especially those produced in the 1980s and this one is typical of the genre and does not disappoint. 7/10

CHLOE

2009 Erotic thriller about wife who tests her husband who she suspects of philandering with a paid prostitute who she ends up with sleeping with herself. Can't say that is not different! Stars Liam Neeson. Watchable. 6/10

CIRCUMSTANCE

2012Youth and lesbian drama. A serious, controversial, brave, and rare film about youth rebellious and underground culture in Iran. Not content with just portraying Iranian youth living out their Western culture fantasies (clothes, alcohol, sex and music etc) and enduring brutal raids by the 'Morality Police', the film sympathetically majors on a lesbian relationship, and the ways in which women are controlled and oppressed by authoritarian puritanical men. The film also portrays a controversial view of the legacy of the revolution by the young . So lots of taboo in this which is why the film could only actually have been made outside of Iran. A rare Iranian film with sub-titles in which it is not always that easy to tell who is who . In the end though a good film, with a virtually unique theme , well acted but which is sad and depressing. 6/10

CLAIRE OF THE MOON

1992 Lesbian romantic drama. A straight author shares a cabin with a gay psychiatrist at a writers retreat in the US. The film is directed like a stage play with long sequences of stilted dialogue between all the other guests at the retreat (who are all women). The film tries to elevate itself with pseudo intellectual discussion about the differences between men and women , and also between gay and straight women. But the main theme is the simmering relationship between the two women in the shared cabin which finally erupts at the end of the film. The acting is so poor and the script so false, and the characters such stereotypes that it is borders on being at a farce. Poor.2/10

CLOSE MY EYES

1991 Family relationships drama. Early Clive Owen, Alan Rickman, Story of incestuous love affair between brother and sister. Actually it is very well acted and a good film. 7/10

COLOUR OF NIGHT

1994 Bruce Willis. Erotic thriller mystery in the Hitchcock style. Could also be an Agatha Christie who dunnit. Much nudity and soft porn sex. The plot is extremely hard to swallow but if you can ignore that the film does have some merit being packed with suspense, action, and big twists and well flesh. I can see that it is in many ways an awful film but I have to admit I found it watchable, and did get to the end and found it reasonably enjoyable. I've seen a lot worse. 6/10

COMFORT OF STRANGERS (THE)

1990 Erotic thriller. A young English couple on holiday in Venice in an attempt to rekindle their relationship. They are attracted to a fascinating older couple and fall under their spell. The older man is played by Christopher Walken who plays an enigmatic charming enticing character who proves irresistible to the younger couple but turns out to be a psychopath. A series of meetings between the two couples ensue building to the shocking and weird conclusion. The atmosphere between the two couples is sexually charged and the film successfully captures the way the young couple are captivated by qualities in the Walken character that they do not understand , or maybe are unaware of. The film has its fans on the internet but I did not like it , especially as I am not a fan of Rupert Everett who plays the younger man. The end is just plain weird but maybe is meant to be surreal or an allegorical I suppose. 5/10

COMPLIANCE

2012 Drama. Unusual story based on real events about how ordinary law abiding people will do almost anything when they believe they are blindly obeying orders from someone in authority. This is about an apparently common scam of a prank caller who calls a fast food outlet pretending to be a police detective and , in this instance, convinces the manageress to carry out a strip search of a pretty blonde employee played by Dreama Walker. Things get even more extreme as staff suspend common sense and blindly follow instructions from the 'detective' on the telephone. Shocking. Let down by some scenes which are obviously just padding to make the film feature length. 6/10

CONSENTING ADULTS

1992 Classic early 1990s erotic thriller. Kevin Spacey superbly plays the new neighbour who disrupts Kevin Kline's perfect marriage and life. Spacey plays a charismatic charmer who is supremely confident and easily manipulates Kline into his insurance scams which net him millions. The plot gets darker as the sexual tension between the two couple rises. I watched this film when it came out and am pleased to have rediscovered it now. It's an underrated example of the genre and I recommend it. 8/10

COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER (THE)

1989 Comedy, drama, fantasy. This film is completely weird, bizarre, and surreal. After the first 10 minutes I really was about to abandon it but something made me hang on in there. Abused wife , Helen Mirren, of brutal, sadistic, vulgar gang leader husband takes a lover. From then onwards Mirren is never seen in clothes again, and has sex in all the hidden nooks and crannies of the restaurant (especially in the toilets). Everything in this film especially the mountains of food, and the gluttony is phallic and suggestive and is about the connections with love, and sex, and death. There is prolific nudity and sex. Cannot decide if it is the masterpiece creation of a genius or complete drivel. I suspect the latter. The wildly varying reviews on Lovefilm reflects this. Beware the end is gratuitous bloody violence and gruesome torture ending in cannibalism! 4/10

CRACKS

2009 Sensuous drama about a remote girls on a Scottish island school set in the 1930s. A fanatical, possessive and highly dedicated young teacher brilliantly played by Eva Green (Casino Royale) has cultivated a position of total influence and control over a small team of girls who are under her wing. She is with them all the time and they are her life. But the equilibrium is disturbed by the arrival of a new , worldly wise and beautiful girl pupil from Spain who also begins to influence the group. The teacher starts to also be mesmerized by the new arrival and fall for her with disastrous results. The harmony of the group and the school is eventually brought to a tragic ending. A story about coming of age, sexual awakening, the abuse of positions of authority, loyalty and trust. Better than you might expect although a slow burn film which takes a long time to get going and which requires patience. 7/10

CRASH (1996) The original film with the title Crash. A highly bizarre soft core porno thriller about finding car crashes sexy and strange obsession. Not for everybody. Highly alternative viewing. 7/10

CRUEL INTENTIONS 3

2004Urrrgh! The OC meets well I'm lost for words. Highly contrived sex farce portraying worst aspects of young Californian culture. 2/10

CRUSH

1992 Drama. Rather amateurish New Zealand film in which two girl friends have a horrendous car accident and one of them suffers brain damage. The other girl who was driving the car impersonates her friend and forms a relationship with the writer that her injured friend was travelling to interview. She also forms a relationship with the writer's daughter. She shows herself to be a selfish, dangerous and destructive character in her subsequent relationships with the writer's family with whom she stays whilst her friend is in hospital. A study of love , seduction and attraction between the two friends, and also with the writer and his daughter. It is also a tale of self obsession on the part of this main girl character. It is watchable and mediocre at best but it does improve a little as it progresses so hang on in there and there is a big finish. 4/10

CRUSH

2001RomCom. Unusual emotional roller coaster. Starts as a 4 weddings style RomCom, but then evolves into a straight romance, and then unexpectedly turns dark and sad and becomes a tragedy. Explores the friendship between three 3 40+ women which is tested when one of them has a passionate relationship with a much younger man. The three lead women characters are all excellent. As I say the film has severe twists and turns and it is not always clear what the film is aiming to be but I found it watchable and touching nevertheless. 7/10

CUCKOO (THE)

2003 WWII drama. Unusual Russian film with sub titles. Very different to most war films. A Finnish SS officer, and a Russian officer , both seek to hide with a warm and practical recluse Lapp war widow in a remote camp where she lives off the surrounding land and sea. They speak three different languages and are unable to communicate verbally. It is a gentle study of complex human behaviour. Both men, whilst wary of each other , form romantic attachments with the mothering woman. This is a quality film with depth and messages. 7/10

DAMAGE

1992I always liked this erotic drama. Jeremy Irons is superb and totally credible and Juliette Binoche equally superb as the smouldering sexy , enigmatic mistress woman of mystery. The fireworks and passion that ensue are legendary but the film is compulsive viewing as you cannot turn away from watching a man who seemingly has everything become helpless from following a path of self destruction that eventually encompasses his whole family. The final pathetic scene of the fallen but still compulsive obsessive talented man alone as a recluse is unforgettable. 8/10

DANCE WITH A STRANGER

1985 Crime Drama. British made film telling the story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain in the 1950s. Ellis is an ex prostitute divorcee working in a tacky night club and kept with her teenage son by a sugar daddy who actually loves her in a one sided relationship. Ellis abuses his love and instead has a long term obsessive relationship with an upper class toy boy who eventually dumps her. Ellis can never come to terms with this and murders him. Miranda Richardson is excellent as the hapless Ellis. Well acted and very watchable.7/10

DARK BLUE WORLD

2001 WWII drama. Czechoslovakia film with sub titles. Story of two Czech pilots flying for the RAF in England in the early part of the war who compete for the love of a local mother. After the war one of them returns to Czechoslovakia where he is branded a criminal and imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime. Watchable average war film. 5/10

DAYS OF HEAVEN

1979 Romantic drama. A young Richard Gere in this drama about a young couple who drift through the US in the early 20th century finding work where they can. They settle on a wheat plantation in the great plains where a dangerous love triangle ensues with the wealthy owner. But all is not as it seems. Meanwhile Gere manages to wear the same suit and waistcoat working the fields every day and always appearing perfectly pressed and immaculate. The film is unusually narrated throughout by a child, but its greatest merits are the outstanding photography, and the fascinating array of early automation on the farm. A sort of Out Of Africa set in the mid west of the US. watchable and reasonably good. 6/10

DEAD BEFORE DAWN 1993 Thriller Drama. Based on true events this made for TV movie depicts a wife and mother enduring physical abuse from her successful business man husband. She files for divorce, and her husband tried to replace her with a new squeeze and threatens to ruin her in court. However, he also hires a contract killer to murder her, who fortunately for her turns out to be an FBI agent in a sting operation. Just about watchable, but poorly scripted and acted. 3/10

DEAD SEXY

2001 Erotic Thriller. A formulaic film trying to follow in the footsteps of Basic Instinct. This film must have seemed dated even when it was released, as it seems to be a throwback to the style of ten years earlier. A female police detective gets sexually involved with the suspect for a series of identical high class call girl murders. Sounds familiar? It is! It is all there - the usual red herrings and the unerotic sexual encounters which are just embarrassing rather than qualifying as soft porn. The usual twist at the end which you will see coming a mile away . 4/10

DECEPTION

2008 Drama Thriller. Highly predictable formulaic erotic thriller in which a naive auditor is taken in by a slick brow beating confident lawyer as part of a multi- million dollar fraud. The auditor is compromised by introducing him to a mysterious fantasy sex exchange club. Despite its familiarity as a plot it is nevertheless watchable and reasonably enjoyable. Michelle Williams is the eye candy. 5/10