Getting Emotional with Movies, Part 4: Desire
Before succumbing to Desire, explore your cerebral side with Food for Thought.
DESIRE
When it comes to the films that make me hot to trot, deciding on a just couple of examples is impossible. Instead, I’ll just list some of the actresses (and their films) that had the biggest influence in forming my concept of the cinematic ideal woman.
The Sexy 80’s Melanie Griffith Trilogy (Body Double, Fear City, Something Wild)
If I had to choose one actress to define pure animal lust for the entire 80’s decade, that actress would be Melanie Griffith. Admittedly, I haven’t seen all her flicks from that period (like The Milagro Beanfield War), and some of them aren’t so good (Cherry 2000). But the films that make up what I’ve labeled The Sexy 80’s Melanie Griffith Trilogy have cemented her, at least in my mind, as the undisputed cinematic goddess of what some call the Greed Decade. Here’s a brief breakdown:
Body Double
The first movie I saw Griffith in. She doesn’t show up until toward the end, but her performance as porn star Holly Body made a big impression on me as a young lad. Her big introduction in the movie takes place during a porno shoot set to Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s song “Relax“. The clip below is the music video, rather than the scene from the movie. They’re similar, but the movie version is a bit too risqué.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2TLAxTY9Xs[/youtube]
Fear City
(NOTE: This is the only trailer on YouTube that wasn’t R-rated. I have a feeling the other trailers will be kicked off the site eventually for violating Community Guidelines.)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJPrucLsrZQ[/youtube]
I’ve seen this a few times, and I can’t really say that Melanie Griffith’s role is very substantial. Mostly, she just strips a lot. The bulk of Fear City is about a deranged martial artist who feels that he needs to exterminate exotic dancers for the sake of moral decency, or something like that. Tom Berenger plays an ex-boxer looking for redemption.
Something Wild
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_B6fLIdhgo[/youtube]
Many people regard Griffith’s performance as Lulu as one of her best, if I’m not mistaken. She definitely has a lot more to do in Something Wild than the other films in the trilogy. I would like to go on record as saying that I prefer her with the blonde hair.
(NOTE: Working Girl could almost be added as part of a quadrilogy. I really like her in the movie, but her big 80’s hair is too much of a distraction. Also, Pacific Heights might be the last good role she ever had. I don’t recall it being sexy, though.)
Jeanne Moreau In Black and White
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N62rgskUAJ0[/youtube]
Oftentimes, the movies that I watch out of randomness are the ones that most profoundly impact my tastes. A few years ago, I purchased Elevator to the Gallows without knowing much about it, other than that it was an influence on the French New Wave. Within the first few seconds of the film, I realized that I’d made a life-altering discovery when I heard Jeanne Moreau’s breathy declaration of “je t’aime”. I’ve considered her to be one of the hottest women ever to cast a shadow from that moment on.
Out of all Moreau’s pulse-raising screen appearances that I’ve seen, Diary of the Chambermaid probably puts the fire in my furnace more than any other. Even when compared to her striking blonde hairdo in Bay of Angels or deemed-too-obscene-for-America role as an adulteress in The Lovers. (NOTE: I remember Mademoiselle being kind of kinky. I really need to rewatch that one.) Maybe it’s the maid outfit in Chambermaid that puts it over the top… actually, it’s definitely the maid outfit. But, I’ll watch most any black & white Moreau film. In color, she lacks that ethereal/mysterious quality.
Here are a couple more movies that introduced me to actresses who get my motor running:
Elvis may be in this, but he has little to do with why I like the movie. Ann-Margret’s entrance stands as one of the greatest movie moments of all time, libidinously speaking.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtlGFKq_HVE[/youtube]
I honestly believe that Ann-Margret’s every action yields maximum sexuality at all times. Catchy song, too.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EIhSCIJYaA[/youtube]
Her dance moves defy description by any Earthly language.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiJ7uQfogKA[/youtube]
Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls
Yes, technically I knew Berkley existed before seeing Showgirls. But I never knew that she was capable of redefining acting as an art form for an entire generation of film-goers. With Showgirls, Elizabeth Berkley emerged as a glorious butterfly from the unsightly cocoon that was Saved by the Bell.
Here’s Berkley talking about Showgirls with David Letterman:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FcVdBqIzDI[/youtube]
Let yourself cool off until tomorrow when we’ll face your Fears.
This post is part of our User Showcase series. You can find Chad as kingofpain on Flickchart. If you’re interested to submit your own story or article describing your thoughts about movies and Flickchart, read our original post for how to become a guest writer here on the Flickchart Blog.
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