By R-rated movie standards, the sex scenes in Fifty Shades of Grey are risqué, if not exactly what you’re expecting from a film based on a scandalously dirty BDSM fantasy. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson shows about as much of Dakota Johnson — less so for Jamie Dornan, who rarely drops trou, because who among the film’s core female audience would want to see that? — as she can without flirting into less profitable NC-17 territory. There’s one scene in particular that’s probably already been uploaded to the seedier sections of the internet, but even that has nothing on Wild Things, 1998’s absurd “erotic thriller” (the most 1990s of phrases) starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, and somehow, Bill Murray as a Saul Goodman-like lawyer.
If you’ve never seen Wild Things, there are three things you should know:
1. It’s a trashy movie.
2. No, really, it’s SUPER trashy, but also fun. Here’s Roger Ebert’s three-star review:
Wild Things is lurid trash, with a plot so twisted they’re still explaining it during the closing titles. It’s like a three-way collision between a softcore sex film, a soap opera and a B-grade noir. I liked it. This being the latest example of Florida Noir (hot on the high heels of Palmetto), it has a little of everything, including ominous shots of alligators looking as if they know more than they’re telling. (Via)
3. There’s an infamous threesome with Dillon, Richards, and Campbell.
It’s too NSFW to include on this family-friendly website, so here’s a photo of Bill Murray:
The cast, particularly Richards and Campbell, have talked a lot about filming the scene, which occurs in a Florida motel (of course) after a successful criminal heist, with Dr. Christmas Jones herself even going so far as to write about it in her memoir, Real Girl Next Door.
Richards’ second big movie was Wild Things, which required her to appear nude and called for a lesbian kissing scene with Neve Campbell, as well as a threesome. Richard’s breasts became the focus of several storyboards, which were sent between her lawyer, the producers, and the director in order to determine how much would show. At first it was decided that only one would be filmed, though they eventually filmed both. Then, “the producers asked if I was okay French-kissing Neve on camera. Usually it’s that pretend movie kiss, but they wanted a kiss kiss. I thought, ‘Okay, I’m sure she has nice lips.'” In order to get ready to film their kissing scene, Richards writes that “Neve and I went into her trailer and shared a pitcher of margaritas before we did the scene. Neither of us had ever kissed another girl … Everyone has a first time.” (Via)
EW was on set the day the threesome was filmed. Star and producer Kevin Bacon originally thought the script “trashiest piece of crap” he’s ever read, but he still kept reading, and he “kept discovering that it wasn’t what it seemed. Every few pages, there was another surprise.”
Including the actor who was originally targeted for Dillon’s role.
Robert Downey Jr. had originally been picked for Dillon’s part — chosen for the role partially because of his well-publicized drug troubles. “It was during his rehab, and he’d just been on Diane Sawyer’s show,” explains McNaughton. “And to the people in Hollywood, that was a great career move. That made him hot.”
A little too hot for the film’s insurance bonders, who balked at covering the actor. The production company offered to put up some of the money, but “we couldn’t make it work,” says producer Rodney Liber. “There were just too many lawyers and insurance people and bond-company people involved.” (Via)
“We’ll fund champagne being poured on the breasts of the future Mrs. Charlie Sheen, but NOT Iron Man.” Movies are weird. Anyway, here’s how the scene was written in the script.
“Losing themselves in the sex” is how a middle schooler would describe making love, but there’s one big difference between the script vs. the filmed scene: You never see Suzie’s “small, white breasts.” Neve Campbell had a strict no-nudity clause (Bacon also had one, but still appears in the buff) she wasn’t willing to break. Richards, meanwhile, could have used a body double, but declined. And the filmmakers refused to use one crucial scene:
The original script had Matt Dillon and Kevin Bacon making out in the shower. In an interview, Dillon expressed relief that the scene was cut, despite Bacon’s enthusiasm. “Kevin’s a married man,” he said. “I’m wondering, why he was so eager to do the gay scene?” (Via)
I bet RDJ would’ve done it.
