I’m teaching a college-level introductory course to film and literature these days. I really love teaching because it demands that I study and think and stay on top of a topic in order to give the best to students. It also allows me to learn from bright young minds who—by virtue of being enrolled in college classes- are at a point in their lives where they’ve grown accustomed to thinking deeply about ideas, honing their critical analysis skills for success.
Of course, the topic itself makes it fun too. Discussing film and lit helps me to see my own work with fresh perspective. But recently, I got wondering where the Blaze stories are in modern film.
I know where the home and hearth, mainstream romance stories can be found. I’ve seen romantic comedy done over and over in film even as the market wanes a bit in commercial fiction. Of course, romantic suspense is a staple at the cinema, to the point where filmmakers will try to add a little romance to stories that don’t always need it.
But I don’t see much done with sexy romance on screen. Maybe that’s because of a certain reticence by movie-goers to sign on for something steamy while in a public venue. Perhaps being seated in a crowded theater next to strangers makes us wary about getting turned on vicariously.
Often, sexiness in film is a precursor to trouble. Steamy scenes occur when a spouse is cheating (Fatal Attraction, or when one character needs to lead another astray as part of a suspense plot. Remember Body Heat with Kathleen Turner? All steam, all deceit. Same goes for Black Widow, Basic Instinct, The Last Seduction. It’s almost as if movie characters are only rewarded with hot sex if they’re headed for a disastrous end.
Rarely do we see a sexy affair turn out well in Blaze fashion ala The Thomas Crown Affair. Sure, we see romantic comedy characters rewarded with happy endings. (And I’ll admit that naked Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal counts as sexy even if it wasn’t a steamy movie.) A case could be made for Out of Sight with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney as filling the bill—after all, there’s a sense she’ll help him escape prison. But rarely do we see the steam factor raised and get the happy ending too. Guess we’ll have to keep reading Blaze.
Hmm… no hardship there!
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I’d love to have you prove me wrong and bombard me with examples of steamy on-screen romances. Not because I’d love to be wrong so much as I enjoy a good love scene! Either way, please do share a favorite romantic film with me and /or a favorite film love scene. I’ll be giving away a copy of my February Valentine anthology, MANHUNTING, with Betina Krahn and Lori Borrill to one random poster.
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This is a really good question! You had me looking through our dvds to see if we had any, lol! The only ones that really made me think they could could be Blaze were The Wedding Date with Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, the part after the bridal shower on the boat. Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, that was a really good scene. Titanic, Jack drawing her leads to of course the sweaty but sexy love scene. And the last one is The Notebook, the scene on the lake when it starts raining then they make love. Im sure I have scene others, but these are the ones that I can think of right now.
Have a great day!! (*)
Thank you, Alina! I’ve never seen The Wedding Date. I can’t wait to see what my husband thinks of my new To Be Viewed list. Wonder how many we’ll watch before he senses a theme?
I know this is an older movie…but I loved the scene in Top Gun when they finally get together!!! And, of course, who could forget Titanic – as Alina mentioned.
I forgot about Top Gun! Was never a huge Cruise fan, but in that movie? Definitely! Great scene…
I completly forgot about Top Gun Kara. I totally agree with you, thats a good one!!!
Wow… I am really trying to think. After reading the above comments, my mind keeps going back to Top Gun and Titanic… those were great answers. I am stumped at the moment… :-S
But you see my point then! I wish we could all think of lots of them.
Joanne, While I realize this was a different genre film than the norm, no scene touched me as did the “making pottery” scene from GHOST. It was very steamy, yet loving (as was the relationship which continued even after the hero’s death). I’m certain most of us in the film’s audience were ready to jump whoever of the opposite sex were with us, or, later, when we next saw him or her.
Good luck on your course. Sounds interesting.
Patricia
I couldn’t really think of any off the top of my head, then I saw Titanic mentioned. Then I thought of the Nora Roberts movies on lifetime even though they weren’t out in the theatre just on tv and based on her books. High Noon had pretty steamy love scene.
Hi Joanne,
I love the love scene in Last of the Mohicans. Daniel Day-Lewis is so fine! I get steamed up when I watch it. I also thought of The Postman Always Rings Twice with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. 9 1/2 Weeks with Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger and Two Moon Junction with Sherilyn Fenn. It’s a very steamy movie!
I just remembered one more
In the Cut – with Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo
Tammy, two of these are completely new to me. I never heard of In the Cut or Two Moon Junction. Am adding to my list! Last of the Mohicans love everything about it.
Ahhh, you’ve brought up my favorite thing!! I have a keeper shelf just for these DVDs. I’ll give you 8, though some may not have been in theaters, but made for cable, they all have passionate love scenes and an HEA. Some are Historicals, but hey, Blaze does Historicals now, right? And some may have lighter moments, but I didn’t really consider them romantic comedies. Well, anyway, here they are, in no particular order:
FIRELIGHT — ( Hist) Sophie Marceau and Stephen Dillane
WHITE PALACE
CATCH AND RELEASE
ANGEL EYES
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
CHARLOTTE GRAY (WWII)
POSSESSION (has a contemp love story and a Hist love story both)
A GOOD YEAR
THE OUTSIDER (Hist) Tim Daly and Naomi Watts
Wow! Jillian, I should have left this post to you… great list! I haven’t seen half of these, so I’ve got lots to look for. Am going to go on imdb.com tonight and look up the ones that are new to me. Then on to Netflix!!
There are several great love scenes in “The English Patient.” They’re quite romantic.
The only one I can think of is Matrix 3 – love that Keanu Reeves
I have to agree with you though there are some wonderful romances in movies and some of my recent favorites are 21 Dresses, Made of Honor and No Reservations.
A few slightly older movies that come to mind are two starring Susan Sarandon – White Palace, and Bull Durham. And Dennis Quaid makes things pretty steamy in The Big Easy.
Hmm… White Palace was mentioned above and I hadn’t heard of it. Am feeling so out of the loop! Can’t wait to look that one up. I am soooo in agreement on Bull Durham and The Big Easy both. Mega sexy on both counts.
The only movies I can think of right now that are romantic or steamy are:
Forever Young
Pearl Harbor
First Knight
Troy
Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves
American Gigilo (have no idea how to spell this)
Basically just about anything with Richard Gere would be steamy.
The only one that I know I have that I can think of (other than every Jane Austen film I have, of course) is Return to Me with Minnie Driver and David Duchovny. Alas, no hot and steamy scenes, but it is nice and sweet.
But First Knight, hated it. Well, kind of. And no, not because of what they did to the King Arthur legend (I really don’t know much about it so I never noticed how off it is)… I’m sorry, if I’m Guinevere, I’m not going for Lancelot when Arthur looks and sounds exactly like Sean Connery. (L) Geez louise here people, no one is better than Sean Connery!!!!
Lois
One of my most favorite romantic movies ever is “Lover Come Back” starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson. It came out way back in 1961. Now obviously given the time it was released there are no steamy love scenes. But it doesn’t need them, this ranks as of the funniest movies i’ve ever seen. I always howl with laughter when i see it. It is a classic romantic comedy. And very well worth watching in my opinion.
Lauren, I show the 1934 rom com “It Happened One Night” in the film class for just that reason…. classic! The writing still holds up. Funny and sooo romantic.
(D) Winner!! (D)
Cheers to Patricia, the thread winner this time. Patricia, you can email me at joanne@joannerock.com with a mailing address and I’ll zip off a copy of MANHUNTING to you asap.
Thank you to everyone for helping me work on a movie list! I have some fun viewing ahead to help me get through the cold months!!
Joanne, Thanks for offering the anthology for the contest. I sent you the email & am looking forward to reading it.
Thanks also to the posters for their good wishes.
Patricia
Congrats Patricia!!
Congrats Patricia! (*)
Congratulations Patricia! (Y)
What a fun subject, Joanne. I don’t rember hearing of some of the movies mentioned here. Someone mentioned Ghost, that was steamy! Wow! No one mentioned Gone With The Wind, no one is sexier than Clark Gable, the steamy in our imagination. Titanic, of course. I think sometimes it is better left to our imaginations what happens next than seeing it on screen, it is building up to it and setting the mood.
This isn’t a movie scene, but the music video for Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” is pretty darn sexy.