So, you and your lover/partner like to watch porn occasionally. Great! But do you sometimes get sick of the formulaic, silly stories? I sometimes find them funny, but then, that is not why I watch porn. I liked the old-style porn from the 1960s and 1970s because they were actually shot on film—today's video does not look as appealing to me. Give me that soft, grainy arthouse look any day!

Men tend to respond enthusiastically to porn because, it is said, they are more visually-oriented. Whereas women tend to be more responsive to what we might call “erotica” because their arousal is slower, and more connected to thoughts and emotions. They like their erotica to be imaginative and give them room to “fill in the blanks” instead of having it all right out there. Some movies give you both approaches: plenty of nudity and explicit sex, along with gorgeous photography and a compelling story (like Caligula—look for the director's cut!). But sometimes the next best thing is a film that doesn't necessarily get shelved in the porn section of the video store…

So if what you really want is to get aroused by watching movies together, without wondering if the film is just going to make you break out in laughter, here's some suggestions for some films available at your video store that are every bit as erotic as a porn flick, and probably even more so.

Why? Because they leave a bit to the imagination! Sex scenes in which the characters are partially-clothed, in unusual settings, or filmed with beautiful photography can offer the sort of classy turn-on we all could use occasionally.

Here are some of my favorite sexy films and why I like them. Check them out and see if a little touch of class could lend some more excitement to your typical movie night at home. Hint: instead of popcorn, pizza and beer with these, try strawberries, oysters, chocolate and champagne!
I'll stick to more contemporary films because they may be easier to find. But remember, there are plenty of classics out there, like A Streetcar Named Desire that have some very sexy scenes.

Click on the movie title to purchase.

Blow-Up (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni. A fashion photographer in swinging 1960s London has affairs in between solving a murder mysterty he accidentally catches on film. Belle de Jour (French) (1967) A bored housewife decides to work as a call-girl. Catherine Deneuve is the queen of all seductresses and is amazing in this film.
The Graduate (1967) Classic seduction of a young man by an older woman - Anne Bancroft is incredibly sexy here. Carnal Knowledge (1971) See Mike Nichols' original before you see the remake with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.
Midnight Cowboy (1969) Jon Voigt plays a naive cowboy who tries to make it as a gigolo in the Big Apple. Great film if you've never seen it. The Last Picture Show (1971) Peter Bogdanovich directs an all-star cast before most of them were stars. Look for newcomer Cybill Shepherd (who reportedly had an affaor with the director) as a manipulativeteenage sexpot and Timothy Bottoms as a teen who has a passionate affair with a woman twice his age (Cloris Leachman).
Last Tango in Paris (1972) Probably the first modern film to call into question, where does one draw the line between erotic and pornographic? A bereaved widower and a lonely young woman have an anonymous but steamy affair. Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider are both fantastic. The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea (1976) Hot scenes between Kris Kristofferson and Sarah Miles. This is a strange film but very erotic.
Pretty Baby (1978) Scandalous at the time, but now considered a masterpiece, Louis Malle's look at teenage prostitution a the turn of the century. Brooke Shields is mesmerizingly beautiful. 10 (1979) Fun and sexy, Bo Derek made everyone rush to get cornrow braids and "Bolero" was suddenly selling in record stores again!
Body Heat (1981) Stunningly sexy thriller with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner as two people obsessed with each other. Great suspense, too. Cat People (1982) This remake of Jacques Tourneur's horror classic by Paul Schrader stars the incomparably sexy Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm Macdowell as siblings who can't stay away from each other.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Yes, it's silly but there are some truly erotic scenes in here and the use of music is very evocative for those of us who came of age in the 1980s... The Hunger (1983) Beautifully photographed, with a terrific soundtrack, this is a sexy story about vampires. Steamy scenes with David Bowie, Catherine Deveuve and Susan Sarandon, including one hot lesbian scene that became famous.
Betty Blue (French) (1986) Ultimately a sad story of an emotionally-unbalanced young woman - but as a portrait of a couple's erotic obsession it is wonderful. Great sex scenes, especially the beginning. Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) Classic seduction scenes between Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. These two lovers have an overwhelmingly steamy affair for, you guessed it, 9 1/2 weeks. The food sex is unbelievable.
Siesta (1987) An odd story which is not what it seems at first, but along the way to solving the mystery there is some very hot sex, especially between Ellen Barkin and Gabriel Byrne (who married after making this film together). Great cast including Grace Jones, Julian Sands and Jodie Foster. Dangerous Liaisons (1988) I don't find John Malkovich all that sexy but this still manages to be a very erotic film anyway. I prefer Milos' Forman's version, Valmont, with Colin Firth and Annette.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) Daniel Day-Lewis as a promiscuous doctor in Prague during the turbulent 1960s. Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin have a wonderful almost-sex-scene together. Beautiful direction by Philip Kaufman, Sex, lies and videotape (1989) No nudity, but very sexy. Great acting (James Spader won an award) and a very intelligent script.
Henry and June (1990) Also directed by Philip Kaufman, based on the diaries of erotic writer Anais Nin. One of my favorite films. Uma Thurman is stunning in the period costumes and jaw-droppingly good, considering she was only 19 when she made this. The Hot Spot (1990) Don Johnson can act! And he gets down with the sexy vixen Virginia Madsen, and the lovely innocent Jennifer Connelly. Great movie directed by Dennis Hopper that hardly anyone has seen.
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) (Spanish) Pedro Almodovar's sexy, erotic tale of love and obsession and a touch of sado-masochism. Rambling Rose (1991) Laura Dern as a sexually-driven young woman in the 1930s South who makes some bad choices. Includes a very erotic and tender scene of adolescent initiation with Lukas Haas.
Damage (1992) Juliette Binoche and Jeremy Irons play a father and daughter-in-law who have a torrid, obsessive affair. Great cast including Miranda Richardson and Rupert Graves. Like Water for Chocolate (1992) (Spanish) Erotic and creative story of food, sex and undying passion. This story has it all: humor, sadness and romance, plus lots of chocolate!
The Last Seduction (1994) Thriller about a woman who steals and seduces men with equal skill. Linda Fiorentino is so good it’s scary. Sirens (1994) Tender, arty film with a sweet story that is hard to describe. Hugh Grant and Elle Macpherson are both in it, though.
Showgirls (1995) Come on, you know you want to! Strippers everywhere! Boogie Nights (1997) Compelling film about the porn industry starring Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore.
The Pillow Book (1997) Gorgeous, unusual film by Peter Greenaway about two lovers, one of whom is obsessed with calligraphy. Great nude shots of Ewan Macgregor. Not for everyone, but fascinating. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997) Mira Nair's exploration of the classic collection of tales of erotic love starring Naveen Andrews. The video version is uncut, unlike what was released in theaters. Sexy and educational!
Wild Things (1998) Another guilty pleasure, right up there with Showgirls. This one is about trashy teens seducing their teacher. Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon in a 3-way - yow! Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Stanley Kubrick's last film and some say his best. Includes some captivating scenes of group sex parties that.
The Center of the World (2000) Story of a stripper and the computer geek who takes her to Vegas and falls in love. An intimate and sometimes hard-to-watch film. Molly Parker and Peter Saarsgard are great. Intimacy (2001) English film by a French director. Mark Rylance and Kerry Fox are two lovers having a very anonymous affair who struggle against taking things to the next level. Controversial for its "real sex" footage.
Mulholland Drive (2001) Beautiful, mystical, weird, spooky, David Lynch! But also very sexy. Namoi Watts is stunning.
 
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About the Photographer:
If you asked Octavio 20 years ago if he knew he'd be living in the U.S. someday taking photos of beautiful girls his answer would be YES. Born in the Philippines, his humble beginnings involve cutting out the most risqu photos from his mother's fashion magazines and creating his own breed of style mags. No wonder this guy's got an eye for style and beauty.Through adventures in countries the likes of Argentina, Chile and Iran, Octavio finally settled in NYC where he worked in the music industry for twelve years. Although his heart remained true to loud and fast music, he couldn't get the image of those beautiful girls out of his mind.Sunshine, cool cars and of course, hot gals led Octavio to Los Angeles. He sought to capture glamour through pin-up style photographs which he put together on his website Winkytiki.com. Much to his delight, Octavio's talent drew many naughty nymphs his way. He soon started working as a photographer through the contacts he made through his models.His models include a plethora of beauties including Dita, Tera Patrick, Holly Madison and Masumi Max. Octavio has also photographed Denmark's up and coming band the "Horror Pops" along with other Los Angeles local bands. You can check out Octavio's pin-ups on his website Winkytiki.com along with featured portraits on hotrotcondoms.com. and GQ's German on-line magazine at www.gq-magazin.de/gq/index.php .*Octavio's unique but subtle sense of humor shows in his work. By combining classic glamour techniques with contemporary styling, his photographs bring out the beauty of his subjects. Being a fan of the works of the classic pin-up photographers like Peter Gowland, Bruno Bernard (Bernard of Hollywood) and the camera club shooters of the 1950's, Octavio is able to maintain a sense of timelessness in his work but at the same time keeping up with the esthetics of contemporary times.You can contact Octavio at 323-644-2689 or through his website at octavio@winkytiki.com.
 
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