The 5 Most Ruined Orgasms in Cinema History

Every generation claims to have suffered more than those that follow. "Oh, in my day, we had to walk three miles to school; we fought in a war; we died of dysentery drinking well water that hadn't been boiled sufficiently." Blah. Blah. Blah.

5 Private School

In 1983, Hollywood released an incredibly awful movie about a bunch of horny boys thinking about breasts and how they could see some breasts and touch breasts and then do something with their penises. I think that was the plot of Private School. Not sure. I do know Phoebe Cates was in it, and that was a great start. After all, Phoebe was kind enough to teach me how to use my penis at 13 with her Fast Times at Ridgemont High performance.

Thanks, Phoebe!

But catching young Gladstone's eye even more than Phoebe was bad rich girl Betsy Russell.

True or false: in the first few months of puberty, this image was semipermanently freeze-framed on my basement TV. (False. Our TV was in the den.)

The Sexy Bait: Betsy Russell StripteaseAnd wouldn't you know it, Ms. Russell gets kinda naked and sexy in an attempt to seduce Matthew Modine. So what's the problem?The Erection-Destroying Switch: Sweaty Matthew Modine in DragThe problem (masturbatorily speaking) is that this is a scene where Modine pretends to be a woman to get into the girl's dorm, so each shot of Russell and her vanishing underwear is chopped up with a shot of a clammy Modine in drag. (BTW, Clammy Modine would make an awesome college band name. Get on that, kids!) Some of you might be thinking, "Just ignore Modine!" While that may have been easy for Hollywood to do from 1987 onward, it's a lot harder for a kid. Something to remember about 13-year-old boys: they're stupid. Like really incredibly stupid. And somewhere in the back of their minds they believe that if they're engaging in an act of self-love and somehow reach climax at the exact moment the camera switches to a dude -- especially a dude in drag -- they'll turn gay forever.

4 Basic Instinct

Everyone remembers the seminal scene from Basic Instinct: Sharon Stone at the peak of her hotness flashing her clammy modine at Michael Douglas.

And yeah, that's pretty great. But not even 13-year-old boys reach climax that quickly, and no one's hoping for just one still picture. We wanted to see sexy ladies not wearing clothes and, y'know, moving around all sexy-like. And the good news is Basic Instinct had lots and lots of sex.The Sexy Bait: Sharon Stone Sleeps With EveryoneStone's character is a dynamite-looking, promiscuous, bisexual lady, so my friends and I headed to the theater (place you used to watch movies that wasn't your phone) expecting to see one hot escapade after another. What we got, however, was this:The Erection-Destroying Switch: Sharon Stone Brutally Murders People With an Ice PickI don't have a great clip, but check out the beginning of this trailer. Much like the second entry on this list, this movie thoroughly enjoys mixing sex and violence. Accordingly, the opening scene features hotness and an ice pick. A really, really, really nasty way to go, and so traumatic that I remember not being able to get into any of the sexiness that followed. It was like my junk had developed a Pavlovian fear response to Sharon Stone. It would take another 10 years for the rest of my body to follow suit.

3 Blue Velvet

Back in junior high school, when most little boys were pining away for Heather Locklear or Elle Macpherson or Madonna, I was focused on a classier pursuit: Isabella Rossellini. And when I say pursuit, I mean using telepathic mind control to get Ms. Rossellini to pick me up at my parents' house and drive me away in her sex limo.

Still waiting, Ms. Rossellini.

Needless to say, when I found out that there was movie I could rent called Blue Velvet in which she played a sexy lounge singer and got naked a lot, I was pretty excited.The Sexy Bait: One of the Most Beautiful Actresses Ever, NakedIn some ways, Blue Velvet delivers. After all, Rossellini does lose her clothes a bit and often wears little more than a kimono. She also sings in a sultry cabaret voice. And no matter what, Isabella Rossellini always conveys the most attractive combination of grace, intelligence and sexuality.The Erection-Destroying Switch: Dennis Hopper and David Lynch's Circus SexualityThe bad news for your penis, however, is that Blue Velvet was directed by David Lynch, and it has become increasingly clear during Lynch's long career that he apparently lost his virginity after dropping acid at a carnival as part of a snake boy/bearded lady sandwich. Sex is not so sexy in David Lynch's world.First off, through the glory of hair and makeup, he turns Isabella Rossellini into Rocky Horror Tim Curry.

I will get you for this, Mr. Lynch.

And then there's the bigger problem of Rossellini's sex happening at the hands of a drug-addicted, unhinged criminal with mommy issues. The only thing from the '80s to kill more erections than Dennis Hopper's performance was Mrs. Garrett from the Facts of Life.

Serves you right for dropping trou to Tootie!

2 Psycho

Everyone knows that Psycho's a classic Hitchcock horror film and that Anthony Perkins created arguably the most memorable serial killer in film history. (Sit down, Lecter fans, I said "arguably.") Everyone also knows about that famous shower scene. But how many people stop to consider that when a 13-year-old boy hears there's going to be a movie with a famous shower scene on TV, he's hoping to masturbate? Well they should, because they do. The Sexy Bait: Naked, Wet Janet LeighHere is Janet Leigh:

Va-va-va voom. Also appropriate? Mrwor! And even MeeeOWW, WOOF, WOOF! That's right. Janet Leigh was so hot back in the day that she turned on both cats and dogs. Quite the looker. The Erection-Destroying Switch: Horrific MurderYes indeed, she does get naked in Psycho to take a shower. Except as you'll see in this unembedable clip, it starts off decidedly nonsexy. Maybe it's the hairstyle or the G-rated face she's making, as if the water is filling her pores with the goodness of Jesus, but it's just not hot.

Put that erection away, son.

At about the 1:21 mark, Janet starts making some shower-appropriate sex faces, which are very encouraging and appreciated.

Actually, wait a second. We're on to something here.

And then it just goes horribly wrong. I mean, it goes horribly right as one of the most memorable horror scenes in cinematic history, but as far a pubescent-boy penis is concerned, it's a huge failure. Mostly because the only sexy shots are nearly subliminal. Oh, and filled with murder. That, too.

Didn't really do it for me, but years later these shots were heavily praised on MurderErection.com, assuming that site exists.

So congratulations, Mr. Hitchcock. You not only killed your female lead, you murdered my erection. Wait. Hitchcock. Is "hitch" like English slang for "poison" or "wilt"? No? Hmm. That would have been pretty funny.

Advertisement

Advertisement

1 Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

I'm not trying to sound too cool, but Dream Warriors -- the third installment in Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street series -- held a very special place in my pants. (How'd I do? Did I manage not to sound too cool?)The Sexy Bait: Sex With a Super Hot '80s NurseLike the other Elm Street movies, it's about a murdered pedophile who torments the new generation of Elm Street children in their dreams. There was one character in Dream Warriors to whom I particularly related: the high school debater with a mullet who wanted to have sex a lot.

Shockingly, I was also on the debate team. (Again, not trying to sound too cool.)

Which brings us to my favorite part of the movie: an actress combining the sex appeal of every '80s blonde who ever posed on top of a Camaro portraying a naughty nurse who wants to have sex with my on-screen doppelganger. Yes. Yes. Yes.The Erection-Destroying Switch: Sadomasochism Care of Freddy KreugerTurns out the porn star nurse is actually a horribly burned pedophile with a razor-festooned murder hand. Also, that bed is the gateway to hell. Also, it seems like there's gonna be some BDSM kinky gay sex before you die. Not just erection-wilting. More like erection-fleeing. Here's a clip I found, which must be an alternate take because the nudity's gone, but I'm pretty sure you get the idea.So you can see the problem. A problem requiring a multitasking left hand on the remote, a looking away from 0:47 to 1:08, then freeze-frame. (Or repeat as necessary). Impressive, I know. This column is dedicated to the memory of Danielle Snyder. Rest in peace.Subscribe to the all-new HATE BY NUMBERS. Also follow Gladstone on Twitter and stay up to date on the latest regarding Notes from the Internet Apocalypse. And then there's his website and Tumblr, too.

For more from Gladstone, check out The Top 5 Worst Lines of Dialogue (From Movies That Don't Actually Suck) and When Is It Too Soon To Make Fun of a Tragedy?.