FILTHY...
...And Yet Artistic

At a recent gathering with about half a dozen intelligent Afro-Americans discussing politics, "how things 'used to be,'" love, life, and playing cut-throat Monopoly, the conversation turned briefly, to sex. And of course, it got quite necessarily smutty. I say necessary because well, no matter how pristine a person's life may be, there is always a dab of smut somewhere. Everybody. Even if it is in their closet, buried under a stack of neatly folded clothes inside of a shoe box.

We happened to be discussing FUBU movies (for us, by us). We agreed that some have been excellent (Life, Get On The Bus, Ray, Dreamgirls) and argued about ones we thought should have gone straight to DVD, if at all. We were at odds on John Singleton's Baby Boy. However, all the women agreed 100% that the scene with Vhing Rhames and AJ Johnson leap frogging across the floor makes the film redeemable. Smut; it unifies, even when divided.

Got me to thinking what movie scenes that were smutty, yet creative and memorable, regardless of whether the film itself was good, or not.

8. She's Gotta Have It: Too many to list and describe here, so I'll just say, "all but one of the scenes where Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) 'does the do' with one of her three suitors." Ya dig?

7. Jason's Lyric: This classic love story with the semi-happy ending has two scenes that almost make a girl wish she grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward and Alan Payne would come rescue her. Granted both scenes are pretty much the same--mad, passionate love making. Still, there are different circumstances involved with each. Down at the bayou, it is the "first time" for Lyric (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Jason (Alan Payne); homeboy washes her feet--say what? The other tryst occurs after a disagreement, and takes place in the television repair shop where our knight in shining armor works. It is late and there is a thunderstorm; no Teddy Pendergrass or Luther Vandross required.

6. Love Jones: Poetry and jazz. Chicago Stepping and a man with a motorcycle. Love at first sight and sex on the first date. 'Nuff said.

5. Baby Boy: Mama/Juanita (AJ Johnson) has already told her son, Joseph, "you need your own place." But she shows us up close and damn near in 3-D why. Her new man, Melvin (Ving Rhames), an ex-con, has moved in. She and her beau get down with their bad selves, in stereo, as they hop across the floor, making love "froggy style." Putting a little twist on the Pete Rock and CL Smooth tune "They Reminisce Over You," "...Mama's getting freaky in the house!"

4. The Best Man: During his wedding, football superstar Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnutt) is still reeling after learning that his best man, Harper (Taye Diggs) slept with his "virgin" bride, Mia (Monica Calhoun) back in college; visions of Mia and Harper knocking boots (and well) continually flash through Sullivan's mind as he struggles to hold it together at the altar. The graphic, moan-filled scenes bring Sullivan's hypocritical, misogynist, forever-cheating ass to tears.

3. How Stella Got Her Groove Back: This May-December couple has undeniable chemistry. But after bringing her boy toy back to the states with her, the honeymoon slowly dissipates and there is constant friction. One last argument leaves Stella (Angela-always-has-fine-
leading-men-Bassett) and Winston (Taye-should-have-been-MY-
baby-Daddy) on the verge of breaking up. And like all fights there is tension, which builds to the most passionate yet tasteful love making on screen that this viewer had seen in a long time. Director Kevin Rodney Sullivan who made his motion picture debut with HSGHGB, shows us that there is nothing, I mean nothing like making up!

2. The Wood: Aleshia (Malinda Williams) and "Big" Mike (Sean Nelson), are teenagers who have been best friends for a few years. They are also both virgins. Their awkward sexual encounter is touching, funny, and causes you to sigh. Do you remember your first time?

1. Claudine: Our leading lady, Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is a mother with six children living on welfare in Harlem during the 1970's. She meets an intelligent, fine-as-all-outdoors garbageman named Rupert (James Earl Jones) out in the 'burbs where she works off the books to supplement her meager welfare check. She hesitantly agrees to go to out with him. The date has a very rocky start. When the two are finally alone, they argue briefly. Suddenly, but not surprisingly, Claudine and Rupert are rocking each other's world like their lives depended on it. This is old school smut, but it is classic and priceless.

Currently Reading: We've Gotta Have It--20 Years of Seeing Black At Movies by Esther Iverem
Currently Listening To: Epiphany by Jill Scott