An update on the state of sex and cinema has been long overdue. IFC did it in their excellent IFC’s Indie Sex Mini-Series, which started last night and runs through friday saturday: it’s airing in four parts on the IFC channel right now (after midnight, of course). I didn’t get to see the first one, but last night I got a chance to pre-screen tonight’s episode “Taboos” and tomorrow (friday) night’s episode “Teens” and I enjoyed them so much I’m going to watch them again. And make my sex-ed friends watch them, too. I’m so glad that this was handled by pro-independent film, anti-censorship IFC. Here, they present sex — edgy, shocking, intense sex — with fairness (i.e., lots of cultural, and somewhat political commentary, focus and inclusion on indy and LGBT film). All while making it highly entertaining, sexually graphic eye candy at the same time. Plus, when one of the main commenters is John Waters talking about sex a la Pink Flamingos, you know it’s going to be *more* than lively.
There is a *lot* of explicit sex in this series. And it’s all worth watching, even when it makes you feel uncomfortable, or turned on, or sometimes alarmingly, both feelings at once. The Taboos episode airs tonight, and it’s worth an hour of your time — and yes, it’s sexually explicit. Maybe even emotionally explicit for some people, for as they delve into John Waters films, they give equal time to the dark sexuality of David Lynch, there are lengthy comments by Atom Egoyan, and the whole thing swings overboard into horror movie sexuality, from slashers to David Cronenberg films.
For someone like me who loves horror movies, sex and portrayals of S/M in mainstream film (which they devote ample time to), the Taboos episode was purely entertaining. It was also exciting to hear seasoned film critics talk about the economics of why we don’t see sex — especially “edgy” sex — in major films anymore. We’re reminded that three movies rated “X” — that’s NC-17 — (Last Tango in Paris, Clockwork Orange, and Midnight Cowboy) were all Oscar-nominated films. But I’m leaving a lot out in this mini-review of a show that has juicy bits from all kinds of films you’ll recognize (and some you won’t, but might put on a ‘watch’ list). The only thing I found puzzlingly missing from the Taboo episode was the films of one of my personal offbeat sex taboo favorites, Ken Russell (though they showed bits of scenes from his film Crimes of Passion throughout the episode). Maybe he’ll be in friday’s show, “Extremes”. Then again, the films are distinctly American, as are the overarching sexual issues — they could have probably made a whole episode around one of my personal obsessions, Euro-horror-sexploitation films of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Taboos was dark, crazy and entertaining, but it’s the Teens episode (airs friday) that had me riveted. Teens faces off, unflinchingly, with a topic we’re all familiar with: teenage (and yes, child) sexuality in film, and virginity. It could easily have been called “Taboos” for its own sake, as now more than ever it seems like even a mention of non-sanitized 1950 versions of sex among people under 18 becomes our culture’s current ultimate taboo — especially in media. And yes, it’s appalling and mystifying that female ( a girl’s) sexual pleasure-seeking, and female orgasm, is totally forbidden in mainstream film, and this issue is discussed (and shown) explicitly.
Teens has weigh-in from a variety of commentators, mostly filmmakers and critics, who have a lot of shocking and very valuable (though occasionally annoying) things to say about teen sex, on and offscreen. The episode covers the emergence of teen sexuality in movies — straight, gay/lesbian, and non-white — in mainstream and indy film, and uncovers a surprising honesty about kids having sex in movies, at least those made until about ten years ago. What’s happened? Well, that’s discussed quite a bit, too. But the entire show fearlessly examines the realities of teen sex on film (and shows it), and dissects just what makes everyone so goddamned uncomfortable about it. The scenes they show are extreme, shocking, funny, and healing. There are painful moments, then there’s the laugh-till-you-cry scene that is the gay spoof on American Pie.
The Teens episode is controversial. In the true spirit of indy film, IFC didn’t hold back. More than ever, to me, it shows how the MPAA and Disney are unhealthy for kids and culture, and how they need to stop “saving children” from sex — when instead, giving kids context for sex, and treating them like they young adults they are eager to be, will make them healthy adults.
The only quibbles I had with the Teens episode was the female critic who opined that young girls want to see ‘romance’ and not sex (contrasted to boys wanting to see naked girls) — this is not everyone’s experience, by a long shot. Though to their credit, that trope-baiting question gets turned inside out and upside down throughout the episode. And I gots no idea why Dita is a pundit in Teens, except she seems to be the poster girl for the series.
Speaking of the series, they have a nice page at IFC with all the info. There’s a list of films discussed in the series (though sadly not organized by episode), and they’re doing some sort of co-branding thing with Nerve for a joint list of “50 Greatest Sex Scenes in Cinema“, which they’re announcing ten at a time, each day, until friday. (We have a great post about the list, and series, at Fleshbot.) Mileage with the film list will certainly vary, but it helps when putting your own lists together. And I love those mainstream sex movie lists; I recommend films off those lists all the time as conversation starters for couples who want to introduce (the idea of) a new sex act. Because if you see it onscreen — *you* didn’t bring it up, the movie did. :)
I *heart* IFC. Thank you, IFC!
