Sex and the Silver Screen

Synopsis

Hosted by Raquel Welch, and featuring scores of celebrities (including major Hollywood stars such as Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper, Dan Aykroyd, Patrick Stewart, Marisa Tomei, Daryl Hannah, Sally Field, Melanie Griffith and directors Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack and Richard Donner) and scenes from more than 120 of the most famous and controversial movies of all time, SEX AND THE SILVER SCREEN explores the 100-year evolution (from 1895 to 1995) of sexuality in cinema and traces the continuing battle between filmmakers and censors over the depiction of sex on the screen.

Although providing an in-depth look - through a virtual non-stop succession of movie clips - at the scandals, the successes, the sordid smut and the cinematic simulation of sex on film, this first series also serves as a complete and comprehensive history of Hollywood itself. With the invention of the motion picture camera, the movies became the most graphic and commercially exploitable form of artistic expression ever invented. So it was perhaps no surprise that from the very moment that Thomas Edison shocked the public with his footage of vaudeville comedienne May Irwin’s unabashed The Kiss (which is featured in the series), sex became the key element in the success of the new medium. Of course, the battle lines between the filmmakers and the censors were soon drawn and Hollywood found itself chained to a strict code of conduct. Nonetheless, by as early as the 1930s, the limits of sexual candour were being stretched to breaking point and by the 1950s, actors and actresses were shedding their clothes, bedroom doors had been flung wide open and Hollywood found itself at the forefront of the sexual revolution.

From the scandalous first appearance of silent-era vamp Theda Bara to the smouldering seductiveness of Elizabeth Taylor and on to the controversial contemporary works of director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct; Showgirls), SEX AND THE SILVER SCREEN covers the entire history of cinematic sensuality in one unmissable package.

A three disc collection SEX AND THE SILVER SCREEN special features include: ‘Lights, Camera... A Century Of Questions’ interactive film quiz; Thomas Edison’s Massage Parlour; Sally Rand’s Fan Dance; How To Undress In Front Of Your Husband; Dating Do’s And Dont’s; Elysia; Pin-Up Queen Bettie Page; Coming Attractions.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

1996

Subjects

Film studies; Media studies

Keywords

censorship; Hollywood; moral values; pornography

Credits

Director

Frank Martin

Cast

Racquel Welch

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£29.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

300 minutes

Year

2007

Distributor

 

Available from retail outlets

Name

Scanbox Entertainment

Email

nigelw@scanbox.com

Web

http://www.scanbox-international.com/page.asp?PageID=home External site opens in new window

Phone

01494 465532

Fax

01494 525781

Address

Oakridge House
Wellington Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP12 3PR