No matter your tastes, there are some movies worth viewing that provide insight into this industry. They may provide new knowledge that is worth knowing more about.
But are they beneficial for you? A considerable body of research indicates that viewing porn may be detrimental for some viewers; as it could encourage risky behaviors and reinforce harmful attitudes, such as rape myths.
1. Shortbus
John Cameron Mitchell’s second feature film follows a group of emotionally distressing New Yorkers as they meet up at an underground sex salon called Shortbus to explore how sexuality plays into love relationships, ultimately coming to accept themselves and embrace their sexuality as part of who they are as individuals.
Shortbus stands out from many other movies by using its sexual content not simply to make for an exciting viewing experience but rather as a way of conveying something about its characters and this makes it feel less like a hardcore porn movie and more like an artistic film.
This film provides more realistic sex experiences, making the experience far more engaging than many other porn movies. This makes the movie far more enjoyable than many others of its kind.
John Cameron Mitchell, best known for the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, has created another amazing film with Shortbus. Here he explores kink with an air of wonder and childish innocence while giving people in it the confidence to explore it freely for sexual intimacy they may never have known before.
2. Antichrist
Antichrist stands out in terms of sexual content. Directed by Lars von Trier in 2009, the film is known for its daring sexual stunts – among them were using porn stars in several of its more scandalous scenes.
Since it debuted at Cannes Film Festival, The Postman has generated much attention. Like any major event, there have been multiple campaigns by various groups regarding it.
French conservative values group Promouvoir has recently made waves for championing sexual liberties. Over recent months it has led multiple campaigns that saw movies from their sexy department make the cut.
Antichrist’s popularity dropped considerably following its initial success and it is no longer predicted to make theater appearances or be made available via DVD/digital downloads, though its rating will probably remain the same.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was an action-packed, epic swashbuckler adventure film released by Disney World that became an instant box office success, catapulting Johnny Depp to superstardom and placing pirates back onto cultural treasure maps. It topped the box office in its opening week alone and has made pirates one of their defining cultural traits once more.
As soon as ruthless pirates led by Barbossa capture and kidnap Will Turner (Keira Knightley), Governor’s daughter and kidnap her, Will joins forces with Jack Sparrow (played by Tom Hiddleston). Together they discover a cursed treasure that transforms Barbossa and his crew into zombies.
Practical effects play an integral part of this film, from dyed teeth and skin patches to contact lenses used on several characters’ eyes.
Cast of this movie included Orlando Bloom (fresh off his debut role in Lord of the Rings) and Geoffrey Rush, though Johnny Depp, as Jack Sparrow, truly stood out as a highlight.
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Celine Sciamma’s period drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire has garnered much praise as an ode to female gaze, often in slow-burning but nonetheless exquisite beauty and poetic form. Sciamma won the Queer Palm at Cannes Film Festival for this film.
As the inaugural film directed by a female director to win Best Screenplay at Cannes Festival, it has received widespread acclaim for its stunning visual realism and sensitively drawn characters. However, its lasting strength lies in how it captures the idea that love, art or beauty always make seeking worth risking ruin for.
Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is an artist first encountered teaching at an art school when one of her students asks about her painting „Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” When Heloise (Adele Haenel) threatens to marry an anonymous Milanese nobleman unless she agrees to pose for her portrait, memories of Marianne’s past romance come flooding back.
As she covertly sketches Heloise, Marianne rediscovers a lost love and her portrait becomes the canvas for their passionate, unwavering devotion that eventually culminates in an intoxicatingly sensual painting. When Heloise finally agrees to collaborate with Marianne as they recreate their first meeting for Marianne to paint, their relationship spans decades while remaining fresh.
5. BPM
Business Process Management (BPM) has become an indispensable element of modern enterprise performance optimization. A properly implemented BPM system can serve as the cornerstone of an organizational revitalization, promising tangible increases in customer and employee satisfaction, efficiency and cost management. An effective BPM solution can also help a company stand out from the competition, recover market share and attract new customers by putting its best foot forward. To maximize a BPM program, it is critical that you understand how to implement, manage and control it in order to reap its full benefits. The challenge lies in doing it right without creating disruptions or downtime for your organization – these tailored BPM solutions will show their ROI over time while simultaneously improving both bottom lines and quality of life.
6. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), hero of last year’s dystopian teen blockbuster The Hunger Games, returns home after winning to find that Panem is on the verge of uprising against President Snow (Donald Sutherland)’s Capitol government and President Snow still in control.
As such, Katniss must leave the safety of her district and tour all remaining ones, accompanied by Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), her love interest who also took part in the Hunger Games tribute program. While on her travels she becomes aware that rebellion may soon start and that Capitol plans on forcing her back into another brutal gladiatorial contest called Quarter Quell.
While Suzanne Collins’ beloved series may not have had as much to offer in its second film adaptation, it remains an enjoyable ride. Thanks to Francis Lawrence as director and less skittish battle scenes than its predecessor, the sequel does have more panache and offers more enjoyment compared to its predecessor; yet the romance remains static while action slows in places.
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese has left audiences breathless with his latest film, The Wolf of Wall Street, based on Jordan Belfort’s confessional memoirs. This three-hour odyssey of greed, indulgence and profanity (including more than 500 „fucks”) follows its antihero’s journey from small-time fraudster to international con artist.
Scorsese’s film depicts characters as larger-than-life, whether that is through voiceover narration or even being directly addressed in shot by the camera.
It is evident that these actors take great pleasure in what they do and their performances can often be outstanding. Yet over time they begin to lose their edge.
The film suffers from being too long before getting to its punchline, though there are plenty of laughs and big speeches to keep the audience engrossed for nearly three hours – as well as too much drug-fueled hubris – leading to an ineffective, nonsensical drama which ultimately disappoints.
8. The Matrix
The Matrix is an iconic sci-fi film about machines creating a virtual reality in which humans were trapped. Released in 1999, it quickly became a smash hit at box offices around the world and has since become part of cultural awareness.
The story revolves around humans trying to escape the Matrix and gain back their freedom in the real world, led by Neo (Keanu Reeves), a former programmer plucked out by freedom fighters, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne).
The Matrix contains plenty of computer generated imagery (CGI), yet is remarkably effective at conveying its message that „bullet time” highlights our minds’ capacity to disbelieve something that’s not real. Action sequences are choreographed to engage viewers’ eyes and quicken their pulse rates.
Wachowski cleverly incorporates footage from prior movies into her latest feature film, showing her fondness for The Matrix while further adding to its unique charm.