stars, sex and nudity buzz : 02/23/2013

I know many people have voiced wishes to see Allison Williams (Marnie) nude in the show. Well...

Lena Dunham tweet:

LOL! No, you will never see Allison's tits RT @samshaib hope same applies on bad episodes of #girls and we see a change coming on soon.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) February 22, 2013

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Fifty Shades of Grey Film: E.L. James Hints That Screenplay Is Done!

Has the Fifty Shades of Grey screenplay finally been completed? It sure sounds that way!

The book's author, E.L. James, took to Twitter on February 22 to reveal this tantalizing hint:

Good moaning all... I have been awake since 4 am... (sighs)... Luckily I had some very interesting reading to catch up... ;)
— E L James (@E_L_James) February 22, 2013

E.L. went on to tell a Twitter follower that it was "a good read." Sounds promising!
And a tweet on the previous day from the film's screenwriter, Kelly Marcel, also appears to confirm this:

Excited for @e_l_james to get here. Got something to show her.
— Kelly Marcel (@MissMarcel) February 21, 2013

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What It’s Like to Paint on Kate Upton’s Nude Body

By Charlotte Cowles

Everyone knows that the real highlight of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is the body-painting section. Because the models are naked — but not quite. The woman behind these mesmerizing trompe l'oeil effects is Joanne Gair, a New Zealand–born makeup artist who has worked with the magazine for fourteen years. Her first issue, in 1999, was shot on Richard Branson's Necker Island; she was brought on to do six images, but they came out so well that the publication flew her back to do seven more for a calendar. "I'm a beauty makeup artist first, but skin is skin, and why should there be a separation between the face and the body? I just incorporated the two together," she told us over the phone this week.

Gair made a name for herself in the mid-eighties when she moved to L.A. and snapped up clients like Madonna and Demi Moore. Although she still takes lots of "traditional" makeup jobs as well, body painting became her niche. "People enjoyed it, and it set me apart," she said. "I'm not a special effects person, but my approach is that there’s really no limitation to what you can do with makeup." We talked to her about her career, her work with Sports Illustrated, and what it's like to paint a nude Kate Upton.

What was the first “illusion” painting you ever did?
It was actually on the face. I was introduced to a very beautiful young girl of Yugoslavian descent — this was in Sydney, Australia, where I started — and she had bags underneath her eyes that no one could cover because of her bone structure. I happened to have a very exciting pair of sunglasses that I recreated over the bags. They were mirrored, with purple frames. I had to work out the optical illusion there and then — I shortened them to fit in the bag area, and then did a drop shadow to make them pop and stand away from the face. It worked, and it was such a fun, humorous way to use makeup.

You came to L.A. in the eighties; I imagine that was a great time for creative makeup.
Yes. The creativity in the music industry with videos made L.A. a wonderful place for me at that time. Within my first year of arriving, I started working with Matthew Rolston, the photographer. I also worked with Herb Ritts and Greg Gorman. I worked ten years with Madonna — I did the Blond Ambition tour and the Erotica tour, and everything else between. And I did nine years with Demi Moore and any incorporated film, including GI Jane, which was fun. One of the iconic pictures that put me on the map was that Vanity Fair cover with Demi Moore, with the three-piece suit on. I did the pregnant one as well.

There’s a lot of optical illusion involved in the Sports Illustrated body-painting. How do you work that out?
For Sports Illustrated, I almost always paint the models' whole bodies, so the girl has absolute freedom of movement, and for the video as well. I also have to think about where the sun will be and the time of day we're shooting, so that I can make the shadows look realistic.

How do the models prepare before you put on the makeup?
There can’t be a slippery canvas, so all the girls are briefed on what’s necessary beforehand. I need all the hair follicles removed as best they can, otherwise it gets done on the day. Hair follicles only show when you start airbrushing. Even if you think you have none, as soon as you blow air on skin, the follicles stand up and you can see them because they get coated with color. So you need to make sure that’s not there, because with high definition you’re going to see everything — and I mean everything. So I speak with the girls beforehand and they’ll come shaved or waxed, with no moisture on the body.

Do the models tan beforehand?
I always have them come in tanned beforehand. Most of them are spray-tanned, but a number of days beforehand because I can’t have any of that residue on the skin when I’m painting. Some of them add to that by lying out in the sun a bit.

Tell me about some of your signatures when it comes to the costumes.
I usually create some movement with the costume so it’s not just flat. And some attitude, whether it’s straps coming off or bows that are raised with a drop shadow. So I pre-work all of that out, where I’m going to place it, and then I mask the rest of the body with tissue. I don’t want any residue sitting anywhere besides where it’s meant to be.

How long does it take you to do each model?
A lot of the shoots take place at dusk, so the photographer can have that magic end-of-day light. I usually try to deliver the model around 2:30 in the afternoon. The whole process takes about twelve hours, plus breaks for lunch and so forth, so I usually start around 1 a.m.

Does the model have to sit or stand in crazy positions while you’re painting her?
My two assistants and I make the model as comfortable as possible. Initially, while we’re drawing it up, she has to be standing vertically. But she can often get about three hours of sleep once I get the detail in. I actually encourage them to nap, so they're rested. I’ll either have her lying down on a massage table or sitting up in a bean bag, propped so we can all be gathered around. We even put eye goggles or fabric across their eyes — it’s all about her comfort. If they go off to sleep, we’ll just keep on painting and work with the surface area we’ve got. And then when they wake up we have the opportunity to reevaluate what position they need to be in. She might stretch and then saddle a soft chair with a back on it so we can do the backside.

You’re painting some very sensitive areas. I’m sure the models are very professional about it, but how do you handle that?
There were certain poses that are very straight on, and when that needs to be addressed, I make a prosthetic piece that is put on during the painting process, toward the end, and I blend it in. If the pose and the pattern are more friendly, and more busy down there, and if the model is comfortable, then nothing is applied, and it’s just paint. It’s an option the models have. There’s a lot of trust. We’re all here to make the picture fabulous, and they know that. So there’s a comfort zone, and it’s very professional. Many of the models have shot with the photographers before, or worked with the hairdresser, and so on.

Let’s talk about Kate Upton’s look in this issue. How did you come up with that?
Kate Upton was wearing a famous cover from 2000. I believe MJ Day [editor of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue] and the creative team chose that look for Kate partly because of her coloring — Kate is blonde, and the original cover model [Daniela Peštová] was blonde. Also, Kate is so popular, and has such a gorgeous figure to put a necklace on, so it was very appropriate for her to wear that with her body type.

This was your second time painting Kate. What's it like to work with her now that she's gotten so famous in the past year?I first met Kate when she was 18, and she was so excited. I know a lot of people say this, but it's true — she is completely comfortable in her own skin. She brings a great deal of life to the moment. She knows how to calm down and go into a zen state and relax, but she finds humor in all of it, and really keeps morale up. It's very enjoyable working with a live canvas that has so much personality. She also has gorgeous skin. All the models do.

What was the hardest suit to do this year?
Alyssa Miller was the first, and the original bathing suit we were replicating was made of soft white suede leather, which was very tricky to recreate with paint. Also, white is a very difficult color to use, because there’s a lot of powder in the pigments, so it’s fragile and hard to provide enough coverage. She was the very first shoot, and when that was over, I was like, ‘Okay, I can breathe now.’

Did you have a favorite?
Chrissy Teigen’s was very cute [shown above]. The challenge was that the original suit, from 1971, had a long skirt, so we decided to turn it into a short little bathing suit version. I wanted to show a bit of flesh, so we had it blow up on the side so it looks like she’s in the wind. The goal is explore the assets of these girls, and what their curves are all about. We want to show healthy, athletic people. It’s not about the skinny skinny model.

How has the painting process changed over the years?
The range of cosmetics has gotten bigger, which has taken it to a whole new level. When I originally started working with Sports Illustrated, I was only working with water-based mediums, and now I have a vast choice of pigments and processes that I can use because of how the market has exploded. I work very closely to develop custom-made inks with [special effects makeup manufacturers] Reel Creations; they make pigments that don't come off in water, so the costume can stay on as long as possible. It allows me a lot more freedom, so I just keep challenging myself with where I can take it.

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25-years old Polish model Monika Pietrasinska: Anais Lingerie 2013
More of Monika here

 

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Some Girl(s)

Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Executive Producer: Nick Horbaczewski
Producer: Patty West, Chris Schwartz, Andrew Carlberg
Screenwriter: Neil LaBute
Cinematographer: Rachel Morrison
Editor: Michael Darrow
Production Designer: Maya Sigel
Sound Designer: Matthew Iadarola
Music: David Carbonara
Additional Credits: Casting by: Lindsay Chag, CSA, Music Supervisor: Evelyn Wong, Costume Designer: Nancea Ceo
Principal Cast: Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Zoe Kazan, Mía Maestro, Jennifer Morrison, and Emily Watson.

Synopsis:
Based on his play, Neil LaBute's script follows a successful writer (Adam Brody) who, on the eve of his wedding, travels across the country to meet up with ex-lovers in an attempt to make amends for past relationship transgressions. Crisscrossing from Seattle to Boston, he reunites with high school sweetheart Sam (Jennifer Morrison), sexually free-spirited Tyler (Mía Maestro), married college professor Lindsay (Emily Watson), his best friend’s little sister Reggie (Zoe Kazan), and “the one that got away" Bobbi (Kristen Bell). Daisy von Scherler Mayer ("Party Girl") directs this journey of a modern-day Candide stumbling through a landscape familiar to most men - messy breakups.

* will try to keep it neat and tidy after my one-page article profiling the movies at SXSW FilmFest with (possible) nudity crashed and burned no thanks to Google shitty glitch (and it's still dodgy at the moment).
Mia Maestro should be the eye candy if the synopsis is anything to go by. Talkative script adapted from the stage play. The only real nudity was from the male lead. 

Here is a trailer from another yet to be released movie Grand Street featuring Mia in a supporting role and starring Britisher Charlotte Riley:

http://vimeo.com/59633773


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Sundance, the Oscars and the Decline of Film Criticism—Not Just a Lady Problem

Roya Rastegar
February 22, 2013

A worker paints bleachers while preparing the red-carpet arrivals area for the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 21, 2013.

One look at this year’s Oscar nominees reveals the indelible mark independent film has made on popular culture. The Sundance Film Festival, in particular, has been responsible for the rise of American cinema’s most renowned contemporary directors, from Steven Soderbergh to Todd Haynes. Beasts of the Southern Wild screened to audiences for the first time a year ago at Sundance. Quentin Tarantino was discovered there with Reservoir Dogs. Ben Affleck gained prominence first as a star of Kevin Smith’s films. All of the documentaries nominated for an Academy Award this year played at Sundance.

But this robust pipeline between Sundance and Hollywood has been conspicuously male. Where are the women of Sundance?

Twenty-thirteen was supposed to be a year of celebration for women at the festival. For the first time, Sundance’s prestigious film competition reflected parity between male and female directors. This was capped by a Sundance Institute/Women in Film study that triumphantly declared: “More Women in Independent Film Than Hollywood.”

Then the film reviews came in—and these ginger steps forward were thrown a few slaps back. Critics almost exclusively eviscerated the feature films directed by women that premiered at Sundance this year. Across the board, reviews of women-directed films in the top trade publications consistently:

• Paid less sustained and thoughtful attention to the films’ craft (visual style, narrative structure, character development). Storylines were characterized as “shallow,” “naggingly lightweight” and “desperate“—in contrast to the descriptions of male-directed films, which were lauded for their lyricism, “feminine…sensibility” and “complex symphonic framework.”

• Presented contradictory and confused assessments of the films’ future success. Films were at once described as “too commercial,” “formulaic,” “conventional” or “derivative”; then had their mainstream viability questioned because they were “tonally uneven” stories that defied traditional genre norms.

• Bemoaned the absence or marginality of male characters, often faulting films for “off-putting” or unlikeable female protagonists, whose authenticity and believability were questioned. One reviewer claimed the director used men as “accessories” in her film. Ironic, to say the least.

• Based their evaluation of the films that explored female sexuality on how sufficiently the (male) reviewer was “satisfied” with the story—a rather twisted resistance to the films’ efforts to foreground female desire (e.g., “satisfactory enough to reach any kind of memorable climax”).

• Were shorter in length—by almost a third—than reviews of films directed by men (see Hollywood Reporter’s review of Touchy Feely, for example).

This highly gendered evaluation is a deeply embarrassing reflection of the current state of film criticism and bodes ill for the future of independent film and popular culture at large. Are film critics able to keep up with the complexity and provocations put to screen by independent female filmmakers? Or, like the porn-obsessed protagonist of Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Don Jon’s Addiction, are male film critics afraid of real women and what they do to stories in the shadows and light of cinema?

If the hallmark of independent film is the originality of storytelling practices and cinematic styles, what happens to our film culture when so many film critics grossly misread the cinematic choices and approaches of female directors? For example, when a drama get mistaken for a comedy—and then faulted for not being funny enough and too serious.

The public misreading of these films has monetary and cultural consequences. Critics decide what’s “good” and who will be lauded as an auteur. Distributors determine a film’s worth and whether to put it on DVD or in a theater near you—or not.

Festivals are more than glamorous events grabbing at sponsorship and celebrity. They are not just filtering systems that carve thousands of films down to nice, juicy slates for critics and industry execs to nosh on. Festivals that support independent filmmakers do so by creating points of access through which audiences—including industry professionals—understand and value different kinds of storytellers. Festival curators can provide the context, framework and language necessary to make trends and innovations in contemporary filmmaking legible. It is unfortunate that the traditionally 250-word descriptions of films in the Sundance film guide (traditionally written by festival programmers) this year were replaced with twenty-five-word blurbs and blank space.

Almost two decades ago, Susan Sontag wrote about the death of cinema and cinephilia as it transformed under technological shifts. Now these technologies have pried open the means of filmmaking just enough to reflect a wildly broad spectrum of stories and perspectives in our society. But the current state of film criticism is clumsily fumbling around these rich and subversive cinematic sensibilities.

Anyone invested in the evolution and vibrancy of independent film needs to worry when a critic at a major trade publication uses the word “stupid” to characterize a film. What is the cost of this decaying mode of criticism to the future vitality of American cinema? We need ways to engage films that challenge independent cinema and compel innovation and growth. This is no longer just about gender equality in the film industry—this is a make-or-break moment for independent film as a field and its relevance for popular culture at large.

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Izabel Goulart : Purple Fashion [2011]

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Americans Help Drive Breast Implants to No. 2 Spot on Worldwide Plastic Surgery List. USA!

By Amanda Marcotte

Who doesn't love a silicone breast implant?

According to new data released by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, it seems that despite worldwide economic problems, expensive plastic surgery is more popular than ever. And this chart on the most popular invasive plastic surgeries is a dark peek into the hang-ups and aesthetic obsessions that haunt people with mirrors worldwide:

Unsurprisingly, lipoplasty—where fat is sucked out of a targeted spot on a person's body—topped the list, despite the fact that it's been heavily criticized for not doing what it's supposed to do. Concerns about being fat, being soft, and being saggy dominate the list, with tummy tucks and various other "lift" procedures ranking high. Of course, there are the expected attempts to correct perceived flaws like big noses, ears that stick out, and puffy eyes.

But what really sticks out is the boob stuff. Human beings, at least those interested in plastic surgery, really care a lot about breasts. There are breast lifts, breast reductions, and man boob removals all in the top 10. Those, and of course, that perennial favorite, for which Americans are at the forefront: breast implants, now the second most popular plastic surgery in the world.

Americans love big, fake boobs, and we love them more all the time. According to other data from 2011 from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the rate of breast implant surgeries has exploded in the past decade, growing from 101,176 performed in 1997 to 316,848 in 2011.

Why have breast implants become so popular? In part, what's changed is that the FDA allowed silicone breast implants back onto the market in 2006, whereas for years only the relatively unpopular saline ones were legal. (The FDA just approved a new silicone-gel implant this week.) But what about cultural norms? For once, the fashion magazines aren't to blame—if anything, they favor the flat-chested to concave look. Many major movie stars are also kinda small in the chest—even Sasha Grey, one of the most famous porn stars of the past decade, eschews the giant-and-fake look for more petite and natural-looking breasts.

But hey, just because smaller breasts are destigmatized in plenty of circles, especially in white, urban areas, doesn't mean that everyone has gotten the message that it's OK to be any size, including small. Statistics do suggest that red states are fonder of breast implants than blue states, at least East Coast blue states. Maybe cup size is becoming just another one of those things, like car size or computer manufacturer preference, where Americans are getting more polarized. I eagerly await the first politician who delivers the line, "We are not A-cup Americans and DD-cup Americans. We are all just Americans, who love breasts."

* "Americans love big, fake boobs, and we love them more all the time". Women are obsessed with plastic tits because they want to look good in a dress and feel good about overall appearance (insecurity). Most guys hate fake titties.

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The naked chefs!

Nude cooking blog sparks starkers kitchen craze

Bare you go ... pals Great and Alex (centre) serve up vegan treat

A GROUP of British flatmates who started a blog about cooking naked have sparked a craze for going nude in the kitchen.

Proud pals Greta, Jess and Luke, from Manchester, came up with the idea as a way of making their new vegan recipes website stand out from the crowd.

Steak sarnie ... from Sandra

But as it began receiving thousands of hits every month, they soon realised their popularity gave them a platform to champion positive body images of normal, un-photoshopped people.

So they started encouraging their fans of all shapes, sizes and ages to do the same and share their recipes and photos, which aren't at all sexual in any way.

American style ... Sammy from Portland, Oregon

And since starting in June 2011, loads of normal people across the world have taken the plunge and mailed in their own to be featured on nakedvegancooking.com

Super soup ... Joop from the Netherlands

Their Facebook page has also taken off with more than 1,600 Likes, 2600 people follow them on Twitter and now they're even writing a book. Proud co-founder Jess - whose says his favourite recipe on the site is Hazelnut Pate - said in a recent interview: “Luke, Greta and I had the idea to start Naked Vegan Cooking when we all moved in together two years ago.

New dish ...Greta with a Vegan Spring Onion Tzatziki

“We decided to team up and create a blog to share our recipes. At the time we thought of the idea, Luke happened to be in the kitchen cooking naked and Naked Vegan Cooking was born.

Tuck in ... Jess shows off his stuffed tomato casserole

“We soon realised that by being naked we can talk about some of the issues that we care about – creating positive body image, showing real naked bodies in a world of photoshopped, unrealistic images, and feminism.”

Tats tasty ... Soph with her Raw Courgette Lasagne

The site prides itself for not having "an airbrush in sight" and the pals say they believe in "tasty food and positive body image."

Pie time ... John sent this in

Jess explained in the chat with the website goingveryvegan how he was turned off meat after watching the loveable 90s movie Babe, about a cute pig who was raised by sheepdogs.

Starter ... Hannah with her veg and peanut soup

When asked if he had ever had an accident while knocking up grub naked, he added: “I’ve had a couple, in the early days when deep frying falafel.

Aubergine dish ... sent in by Paul in Fife

“We quickly learned that aprons are not the enemy!”

Nude recipe ... pals show off their vegan pastitsio

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Jacob Birge Vision LFW A/W 2013-14, London

from Jacob Birge

Photo : Tibor Galamb
Models: Anna Fremantle, Ruta Rimkunaite
The show took place :
Monday, 18 February 2013 / 9 pm @ Soho Screening Rooms
14 D'Arblay Street, London W1F 8DY


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Reina, Alina, Davinia Stoeber : Ahmet Unver [Harper's Bazaar]Turkey February 2013
Model: Reina (Tjarda), Alina, Davinia Stoeber (megamodel)

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FBI details sex, nudity, wiretapping

• Written by  Media Sources
• Friday, 22 February 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS 

CNN obtained FBI internal reports on employee misconduct According to the reports, employees sent naked photos and inappropriate text messages An FBI official says it sends the reports to its employees to deter further misconduct She described a "rash of sexting" cases among the bureau's employees

Washington (CNN) -- It sounds like the plot of a bad movie: bugging your boss' office. Sending naked photos around to co-workers. Sexting in the office. Paying for sex in a massage parlor.

But it all happened in the federal agency whose motto is "fidelity, bravery, integrity" -- the FBI.

These lurid details are outlined in confidential internal disciplinary reports obtained by CNN that were issued to FBI employees as a way to deter misconduct.

Read the FBI's internal reports (PDF) 

The FBI hopes these quarterly reports will stem what its assistant director called a "rash of sexting cases" involving employees who

............

Read more http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_us/~3/Yk5scohhuDk/index.html

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Potentially one of the nudecomer of the year: 

LEAH GIBSON comes of age in Rogue (TV series)

I'm feel it's a big loss for all Americans including yours truly for missing out for so long on one of the most beautiful babes to come out of canuckland. Leah Gibson is one supremely sexy woman. She oozes sexiness from every pore of her perfect face and body. This Canadian chick is unbelievably hot..seductive ...fuckalicious....I want to go on the superlatives like the Donald but unable to do so with my limited vocabulary.

Don't forget to catch Leah in the new action drama from DirecTV - ROGUE premieres April 3 at 9 p.m. on DirecTV's Audience Network.

She will do her first NUDE SCENE(S) in it. The extent of it is uncertain but keeping my fingers crossed for clear and long view of T-and-A with full-frontal thrown in for good measure. 

DIRECTV's Rogue - Cathy and Alec Park Scene

The Artie Lange Show - Josh Sasse and Leah Gibson from Audience series "Rogue" (Part #1)

* whoa....what the hell is going on between Leah and Josh? The tension between the two is hard to decipher. Is it sexual? The vibe I'm getting is from Leah is that she really likes the English actor but he is acting all oblivious to it.

The Artie Lange Show - Josh Sasse and Leah Gibson from Audience series "Rogue" (Part #2)

In Part 2, Leah talks very briefly about 'big sex scene' with Josh in Rogue (from 4:00). "Very sexual" according to lovely Ms. Gibson later in the interview.

This Josh kid going to be a major star soon; mark my words. Good-looking and blessed with effortless charisma. No wonder Leah was talking endlessly on tweet posts how sexy her co-star was. I'm no gay but I suck his cock like Leah probably did during the filming of the series.

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Why Does Nobody Care About Emily Browning Casting News?

by Bleeding Cool Staff Writer

She’s pretty, she’s talented, she always shows up on shortlists for major roles so she’s definitely on Hollywood’s radar, yet no one else seems to care much what Australian actress Emily Browning is up to.

I try to keep tabs on Browning, and recently wrote up that she had been cast in the female lead role in Paul W. S. Anderson’s next film, Pompeii at my other gig. Even The Toronto Star originally only mentioned this bit of news in passing as part of a larger article about the film’s production, and to my recollection no other outlets have cared to pick it up.

In any case, Browning has been cast as the dream girl of a slave gladiator named Milo, who will be played by Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington. Theirs is a star-crossed love, because on top of being in different social classes and therefore forbidden to marry, Mt. Vesuvius is about to erupt and maybe kill everyone, including the two of them. Filming begins in April.

Browning also has a “surprise” role in Andrew Niccol’s alien invasion flick The Host, but other than some incensed fans of the book who felt it was too much of a spoiler to reveal her identity, it seems no one really cares about that either.

What’s it going to take for people to start caring about Emily Browning? Well, I guess finally landing one of those major roles she’s always up for would probably help.

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Sex Scenes in Role Play (Korea)

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Porn Harlem Shake Naked Edition Video

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Women showing greater openness about sensuality, erotica

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

In Japan, discussions of what women find erotic has long been a conversation behind closed doors. Now, with the success of literary awards, websites and magazines aimed at tickling women's fancy, the dialogue is stepping into the open.

In 2002, Shinchosha Publishing Co. began offering an award for erotic literature written by women and judged by a panel of women writers. The award got a boost in publicity following the Feb. 2 release of a movie based on a past winning novel, and this year's competition saw 821 entries, about 100 more than last year.

Greater recognition of the award has meant a wider range of aspiring writers are submitting entries in hopes of getting their big break, and entrants have included everyone from junior high students to octogenarians.

"With a weakening of taboos on the sensual and sexual, such topics have blended into daily life and the landscape," said Masako Nishi, who works in the secretariat that organizes the award.

Masahiro Kumai, the editor in chief of the weekly women's magazine "an-an," published by Magazine House Ltd., said he feels one reason for this greater openness is because "society has turned into one where it is easier to talk about one's true feelings."

For about 20 years, the magazine has put together an annual special issue on sex. Last year's issue sold about 800,000 copies, making it the second most popular issue, with sales about fourfold the normal weekly volume.

"The ability of women to express their opinions has increased thanks to Twitter, blogs and other social networking services," Kumai said. "What women want to talk about in such media is their true feelings. It is only natural that attention is focused on the erotic because it can be considered the quintessential topic in which public position and true feelings are so intertwined."

However, because of the long-held taboos about the topic, there has also been strong resistance to becoming fully open about it.

"Because there were no problems with men enjoying erotica, the only real change has been that women are also beginning to enjoy it," he said. "I believe it is a good thing to have a better balance between men and women on the subject."

January saw the introduction of a website aimed at further correcting that balance. Created by adult-video company Soft on Demand, the site, called "GIRL'S CH," provides members with free adult videos edited with a female audience in mind.

In addition to original videos produced by women writers such as Shimako Iwai and Shungiku Uchida, videos originally intended for a male audience have been edited to eliminate the hard-core elements and with more focus on women's viewpoint. The videos have been trimmed to less than five minutes and about 1,000 videos have been uploaded so far.

"Demand has increased in the market for adult videos designed for women, which has until now been a latent market," company official Momoko Taguchi said. "By providing an outlet for women to enjoy them in safety and comfort, we hope to do away with resistance and prejudices."

The website, which can only be accessed through smartphones, includes a function that allows a viewer to hide the site with the touch of a button as well as a page where users can confirm the volume is sufficiently muted to be discreet.

About 7,000 individuals signed up within one month, and the company is considering various options for the future, including a flat monthly rate or selling videos individually.

A 27-year-old company employee who periodically views the site said, "It is like a textbook that teaches me about subjects that I can't ask even my closest friends about. It's also easier to enter a fantasy world. Now is a time of sexual equality. I feel that erotica should also be enjoyed in a similar manner."

A VIEW FROM THE TOP

But for Danmitsu, Japan's top sex symbol, the playing field isn't quite level yet. The 32-year-old Danmitsu, who appears regularly in photo spreads for weekly magazines, sat down with The Asahi Shimbun recently to give her take on the sexual empowerment of Japanese women.

Excerpts of the interview follow:

Question: What do women consider erotic?
Danmitsu: Erotic is something that makes you want to become attached to someone impulsively and for no apparent reason. It is not the same for any two people, and everyone considers it in a different manner. For that reason, it is important to have channels where different people can talk about various things. By learning what others are thinking, it becomes possible for people to express what they are feeling. The trigger for such action can be websites or videos.

Q: Why is it becoming popular now?  

A: I believe in the background is the fact that women have been forced to become much stronger. Having worked hard and achieved a certain social status, women are starting to feel that something is missing. I feel that their view of the world may arise from a desire to take back what they have placed at a distance from themselves, the desire to be loved and cared for as a woman.

Q: Amid that situation, what role does Danmitsu play?
A: For those people who support me, in some sense I am a slave and in others I am a leader. I prefer the old ways over new ideas. For example, the orthodox practice of not painting your nails and keeping your hair jet black may strike the women of today as being very cutting edge, and that might have led to new choices. Be it support or opposition, I am happy with either reaction because it shows that people aren't indifferent to the subject. Whether as a tool or as an icon, I want to be one alternative when women are making choices.

Q: Do you have anything to say to today's women?  

A: Now is an age when women have inferiority complexes for not being 100 percent. While men may be given some leeway for love affairs, women are considered vulgar if they do the same thing. Such ways of thinking will likely continue for some time.
So we have to turn that upside down, and women must become smarter in order to become happy. I believe the first step will be acknowledging that we have both secrets and shameful aspects.

(This article was written by Natsuki Edogawa and Misuzu Sato.)

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Full Circle [A Short Film]

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The 15 Loveliest Lady-Lady Love Scenes in Movies

By Nick Blake

Sometimes, two ladies make out with each other in major motion pictures. Other times, they not only make out with each other — they simulate sexual intercourse with each other. AND because the Internet exists, each of those instances is easily accessible to everybody with a computer, context-free. I know, right? And some people claim to be "pessimists?" (laughs to himself.)
A ranking of such scenes is an inexact science, but we've created a surefire formula at NextMovie: Which do we like the most?
Gentlemen (and ladies), start your history deletions!

15. Kate Beckinsale and Frances McDormand, 'Laurel Canyon' (2002)

Dr. Christian Bale is engaged to Kate Beckinsale. There's a colleague of Bale's who wishes to have carnal relations with him. What's worse (better?), that colleague is Natasha McElhone. Beckinsale is jealous of this, so she does what any vengeful person would do in that situation: kiss her fiance's mom (Frances McDormand) in a pool with a 90-pound British punk rocker watching. We've all been there.

14. Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2008)

Reportedly, director Woody Allen told his actors (Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and, later, Javier Bardem) in this scene, "Okay, so you're all just gonna kiss a little, okay? Is that, is that gonna make you uncomfortable? Would it make you all feel a little bit more settled if I took my shirt off and we made it a foursome like in golf? Just pretend I'm not here and roll with it. Improvise, have some fun. You're all unbelievably good-looking anyway I mean God it's like I just walked in on Helen of Troy's Thanksgiving dinner. Am I aroused? She's asking me if I'm aroused — of course I'm aroused!"

13. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair, 'Cruel Intentions' (1999)

The 2000 MTV Movie Award winner for "Best Kiss" deservedly went to Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair's passionate saliva-fest from "Cruel Intentions," featured below. The only thing that it's missing is Adam Duritz's mood-destroying voice cracks, which director Roger Kumble thankfully ameliorated later in the film.

12.  Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, 'Jennifer's Body' (2009)

Someone tuned the below video to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," and I'm going to guess that it was intentional considering the below video features two people who are each kissing a girl. Spoiler: It's Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, and they're kissing each other, because life is short. And also because everything else in "Jennifer's Body" isn't watchable.

11. Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd, 'Frida' (2002)

The title of the below video is "Romantic Scene From Hottest Movie," so you know it must be good, and it is. Salma Hayek bravely portrays a woman (Frida) with Salma Hayek's exact physical features except that she has a unibrow, and future United States senator Ashley Judd (D-KY) somehow sees past all that and still manages to work up the nerve to kiss her. The true meaning of being a thesbian. (See what I did there? You knew clicking on this article was the right decision!)

10. Heather Graham and Bridget Moynahan, 'Gray Matters' (2006)

"Bridget Moynahan is drunk. Heather Graham is not. Heather Graham does not care, for Bridget Moynahan is hot." — Excerpt from Walt Whitman's "As I Ponder'd in Silence," 1855.

9. Kerry Washington and Dania Ramirez, 'She Hate Me' (2004)

Kerry Washington and Dania Ramirez march straight to Poundtown. Not pictured: Washington's boyfriend Anthony Mackie walks in on the proceedings and is for some reason upset with what's unfolding in front of him instead of calling all of his friends and bragging about his life (perhaps it was left on the cutting room floor?). Special thanks to the uploader of the below video, who apparently used his circa 1999 Nokia cell phone to film and upload the scene just after he beat his own personal high score in "Snake II."

8. Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve, 'The Hunger' (1983)

We've reached the full-fledged NSFW part of the countdown! Wash your hands and give yourself a pat on the back. (Although if you've been following along at work up until this point, you're probably fired and definitely on notice.) Sarandon and Deneuve get down to opera music in a bathtub. Sounds like the name of a terrible Williamsburg band's debut album, but it's actually what happens in the below video (which again is NSFW unless you work here).

7. Emily Blunt and Natalie Press, 'My Summer of Love' (2004)

The second NSFW clip on our countdown features Emily Blunt in one of her earlier acting roles, having fallen in love with Natalie Press during a fateful summer and deciding to go and take off her shirt about it or something. The clip also begins with Emily Blunt smoking a blunt, so don't say that the uploader is without a sense of humor even though she scores self-edited YouTube videos with The Cure.

6. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, 'Bound' (1996)

When I told a friend I was about to write this article, he asked if I was going to call it "Gina Gershon's Acting Reel," so I suppose Gina has a reputation for this type of scene? Or maybe that friend just recently watched Gina seduce Nomi Malone? Either way, the below video (which is, you guessed it, NSFW) features Gina putting her hand all over Jennifer Tilly's no-no parts and Tilly giving her seal of approval by wildly moaning in her vintage "either Jennifer Tilly or a Star Wars character" voice.

5. Angelina Jolie and Elizabeth Mitchell, 'Gia' (1998)

Here is Angelina Jolie as '70s fashion model Gia Carangi, who was I guess known for hurling her naked body into indoor chain link fences. Elizabeth Mitchell plays her love interest, and after some initial reservations, she decides she's super into indoor chain link fences as well. This all makes for one delightfully weird NSFW clip in which their threesome (Jolie, Mitchell, indoor chain link fence) is scored with porn music.

4. Amanda Seyfried and Julianne Moore, 'Chloe' (2009)

Amanda Seyfried makes her second appearance on this list with "Chloe," in which she shows Julianne Moore a thing or two about starring in clips that are only made available on DailyMotion. Moore had hired Seyfried to seduce her husband (Liam Neeson, fulfilling his "appear in every movie ever made" quota) to see if he would cheat on her, and it turns out Moore wants in on some of the action as well. And while it may be NSFW, it's also a great conversation starter with your boss. ("Have you seen 'Chloe'? My God! I know, I usually read NextMovie for the articles, too, but yikes!")

3. Denise Richards and Neve Campbell, 'Wild Things' (1998)

While there is another famous scene from this movie involving Matt Dillon and a bottle of champagne, we're going to stick with the NSFW video below, in which Denise Richards and Neve Campbell make out with each other topless in a pool while creepy Kevin Bacon (hooking Richards and Campbell up in the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game) secretly films the happenings on his camcorder like it's Christmas morning. "Oh, it was," said creepy Kevin Bacon, probably.

2. Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, 'Mulholland Dr.' (2001)

David Lynch's cult classic neo noir features mystery, intrigue and a scene where Naomi Watts and Laura Harring get their **** on. Something for everyone! Mr. Lynch, what do you have to say for yourself?

1. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, 'Black Swan' (2010)

When "Black Swan" isn't about Natalie Portman's mother cutting Portman's fingernails in the most nauseatingly disgusting manner humanly possible, it's about the bizarre relationship between her character and that of Mila Kunis, who eventually spend a night out on the town culminating in a tryst back at Portman's, featured below. Portman would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film, which just goes to show any young aspiring actress that all you need to do to be successful is to convince Mila Kunis to have sex with you on camera.

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