Does sex still sell movies?

The Independent has an article today about the box office allure (or otherwise) of sex scenes in mainstream movies.  If you like movies it's worth a read here.

The article is built around the question posed in this extract:

"A comedy-drama based on the true-ish story of a Viagra salesman who falls for a beautiful Parkinson's sufferer, the film's US reviews were middling-to-decent, and made much of its sexual content. And yet, Love and Other Drugs failed to break even the $10m mark in its opening weekend at the US box office. On movie blogs and in studio boardrooms, its underwhelming performance has prompted a once-unthinkable question: if even Anne and Jake naked can't put bums on seats, then does sex still sell?"

I added my twopence worth in the comments section:

Sadly, one is no longer a "young male" so I may not be in the 'sex sells movies' demographic anymore. I do think, however, the answer to the question is quite simple. No amount of sex in a movie puts (fully dressed) bums on seats if the movie is obviously crap and word gets out. If the trailer of of Love & Other Drugs is representative of the whole then its no surprise it has faltered at the box office. Naked crap is still crap. And Swordfish? I vaguely remember making the mistake of paying money to see what I was told was an action / thriller. Crap is what it was ... so bad I can't even remember if Halle Berry got her kit off and I don't care. As for Eyes Wide Shut, well it was hugely disappointing not because the sex was naff (which it was) but because a giant of movie making served up a risible film that his younger self would never have made or released.

Mention sex in commercial movies and I think (a bit predictably) of Don't Look Now, The Thomas Crown Affair, almost any Hammer horror, Brokeback Mountain (I could be mistaken there cos I lack expertise in male tent sex but it seemed compelling enough within the context of the story), Blade Runner (although that has a different kind of question mark) or Shakespeare In Love. Good God, even When Harry Met Sally had good sex ... albeit deliberately simulated to lead-up to a half-decent joke.

Bad movies suck and if that's all they have to offer it's no surprise bad sex doesn't sell. 
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