We Kill for Love

More of these. Really interesting learning the history and evolution of different film genres.

great documentary

I found my attention waning. . .

It is interesting to look at changes in public taste. Before movies acquired their edge, people got their titillation from pulp literature and magazines. Foreign films first pushed the envelope, before Hollywood's Hayes Office was finally dropped. Crowds used to line up around the block to see Deep Throat and Last Tango in Paris in the 1970s. Some of the early porn movies had an avant-garde flavor, even some creative camera work and storytelling. Adult movie theaters faded when home video was introduced. Adult channels on cable stations promoted erotic thrillers, with content not allowed on regular broadcast TV. One could also purchase or rent these shows at video stores. Then the DVD was introduced. The documentary didn't mention the role played by video piracy, both via home taping and DVD copying, in declining erotic thriller sales. Likewise, cable is slowly being supplanted by streaming online. Porn sites were profitable before their content was pirated and uploaded online. I, for one, want an intriguing story, slow seduction, a sensuous atmosphere, and a sense of danger lurking in the background for erotic thrillers to work for me. There is also horror mixed with the erotic in some movies, which are still made today, with even smaller budgets. I wonder if the mix of cynicism and religious backlash is behind the body horror genre, which renders the erotic body as little more than disgusting meat. The instant gratification that Internet porn offers feels empty without the foreplay and intrigue. Still, for some reason, Emmanuelle movies are being made, the Shades of Gray books and movies were popular, and traditional romance novels are being supplanted by what is called romantasy, paranormal romance (inspired by the Twilight franchise and Anne Rice's vampires) and lurid transgressive themes. Noirish thrillers are still being made, though the emphasis is more on crime and violence than romance. I miss the discovery experience at video stores. I don't know if the disappearance of erotic thrillers is wholly lamentable, but at least people's sensibilities were more challenged then than they are today. One fact remains: people's hormones and hearts still cause them to pursue dangerous liaisons against common sense and their moral upbringing. There is something to be feared in every sexual encounter. It is interesting how many erotic scenarios could easily be turned into horror stories because of the presence of aggression, apprehension, pain, and vulnerability lurking in the background.

BADASS