# What was the most gratuitous piece of nudity you've ever seen in a movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2019, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743 "2019-12-12T09:59:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/21 "2019-12-12T14:27:17Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > He doesn’t walk in on her; she undresses in front of him while she proposes her plan to help him in exchange for a large sum of money. The purpose of her being topless is to show she know’s she got a hot body but her biggest asset is her brain / business acumen, which is why after he (and we ) gets an eyeful, she covers them up with her hands and slams the door in his face. It also is a statement that even though she was a prostitute, their relationship was going to be platonic: “Take a good look, because that’s all you’re going to get.” It was very much in character. ---
**Author:** ![thebenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@thebenn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thebenn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/22 "2019-12-12T14:36:19Z")
Kevin Bacon’s shower scene in _Wild Things_ has to be in the top 3. Matt Damon walks in on Kevin while Kevin is showering. Kevin turns around and nothing is left to the imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/23 "2019-12-12T14:37:58Z")
Maybe not “most” but contenders: The Incredible Melting Man (yes!) has a kid taking photos of his date and he rips her tube top off to get topless shots. And then she backs into the hand of one of the titular character’s victims. No reason at all for the nudity. Saturn 3. You get a shot of one of Farah’s boobs, but the entirety of Kirk Douglas’ ass. Too little of one, too much of the other, and neither adds to the story. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/24 "2019-12-12T14:41:27Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > _Swordfish_ is a pretty bad movie, and it isn’t saved by the gratuitous flash of a topless Halle Berry. I think the only reason that crappy film got made is because Halle Berry agreed to appear topless. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/25 "2019-12-12T14:50:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but wasn’t there a scene in Trading Places where Dan Aykroyd walks in on Jamie Lee Curtis while she’s undressing and there’s some gratuitous toplessness? There’s also a scene with quite a few topless women dancing at Eddie Murphy’s “I’m now a rich guy” party, and a woman waiting for him in bed is topless as well. The latter might not really be gratuitous, as she actually expects Murphy to get into bed with her, but I’d say the dancing scenes would be no less effective if the women were wearing something above the waist. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/26 "2019-12-12T14:52:44Z")
> [@thebenn](#): > > Kevin Bacon’s shower scene in _Wild Things_ has to be in the top 3. Matt Damon walks in on Kevin while Kevin is showering. Kevin turns around and nothing is left to the imagination. If what I read is correct, that wasn’t meant to be a pickle shot, but Bacon agreed to have it included as was, on the grounds that the women were showing plenty of skin, so why should he be modest. Oh, and it’s Matt Dillon, not Damon. Also also, it wasn’t “walked in on”; KB walked out of the bathroom while toweling his hair, then tied the towel around his waist a bit belatedly. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/27 "2019-12-12T14:54:18Z")
In _Rough Cut_ Burt Reynolds is on the telephone. Lesley-Ann Down starts stripping in front of him to get him to come to bed. It’s brief and gratuitous. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/28 "2019-12-12T14:54:19Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Has to be Mathilda May’s legendary performance in [Lifeforce](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089489/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk1). She’s playing an alien in human form and basically runs around nude throughout the whole film. There’s absolutely no need in the plot for her to be naked (though I don’t remember much of the plot, which was rather silly anyway, because I only think of a nude Mathilda when I think back of the movie). That’s the very first thing I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/29 "2019-12-12T14:57:04Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > **Don’t Look Now**. Okay, one can make a case for a lovemaking scene between a married couple being necessary to the plot (moving on after a death in the family). But did we need to see Donald Sutherland’s entire ass, as well as his O-face? Speaking of Donald Sutherland’s ass…the shot of it as he reaches for a box of cereal in _Animal House_. All the female nudity was essential to the plot. His ass was not. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/30 "2019-12-12T14:57:24Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How about in _Life of Brian_ when Brian opens the window in the morning only to discover his followers waiting for him? I would count that as comedic effect. But there’s plenty of shots of his girlfriend nude for little reason. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/31 "2019-12-12T15:03:03Z")
Brown Bunny. A very awkward (for the viewer), unnecessary, unsimulated blowjob at the end of a horrible movie. And, because someone will mention it if I don’t the girl (Chloë Sevigny) is the guy’s (Vincent Gallo) IRL ex-girlfriend, which made the whole thing even more uncomfortable. Another one would be Shortbus (a John Cameron Mitchell movie). I recall it being a really good movie, but it is essentially porn (with a plot). ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/32 "2019-12-12T15:04:53Z")
_16 Candles_ has a 3 second scene of Molly Ringwold and her friend peeping on Jake’s girlfriend in the shower. Even as a male teenager I never understood the need for that scene in that movie. It felt very out of place in a John Hughes movie ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/33 "2019-12-12T15:16:37Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Speaking of Donald Sutherland’s ass…the shot of it as he reaches for a box of cereal in _Animal House_. All the female nudity was essential to the plot. His ass was not. I thought it was necessary. How else to make it clear what he and Katy had been doing? **xixor** , I believe that scene was necessary to show what Samantha was up against: her pancake chest vs. Carolyn’s giant boobs. What I thought was odd, though, was that it was a full-body shot that showcased some negative things: potbelly, thunder thighs and bulging hips. As opposed to Sam/MR’s long, slender legs, slim hips and flat stomach. Maybe that’s what attracted Jake! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/34 "2019-12-12T15:18:16Z")
Harvey Keitel in (I think) Bad Lieutenant. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/35 "2019-12-12T15:28:39Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Patrick Swayze’s butt in Roadhouse. Unnecessary and uncalled for. 😛 It’s Patrick Swayze. The only thing about Patrick Swayze’s body that could be called “unnecessary” or “uncalled for” would involve actual medical procedures. The whole “destape” era of Spanish cinema was based on “how can we pile up more tits, with the occasional ass or full frontal thrown in”. Its motto was “censorship is dead, long live tits”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/36 "2019-12-12T15:46:40Z")
The correct answer to the OP is _Color of Night_, home video version. If you haven’t seen it, it’s basically a mid-90s direct-to-Skinemax sex thriller that somehow managed to get Bruce Willis, Rubén Blades, Leslie Ann Warren, Scott Bakula, Brad Dourif, and Lance Henriksen on board. No, it’s not the Royal Shakespeare Company, but _damn_. It’s also [Roger Ebert’s kryptonite](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/color-of-night-1994). ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/37 "2019-12-12T15:47:54Z")
What about ‘They Live’? Great, cheesy film. The protagonist fights off the bad aliens and so forth. Then, right at the end we get a bit of a montage showing how people reacted to the aliens suddenly being unmasked. One of them features a topless girl riding a suddenly unmasked alien. Even back in the 80s we were thinking that was in the running for ‘most unnecessary boob shot’. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/38 "2019-12-12T15:58:14Z")
In Under Siege, Erika Eleniak is hiding in a cake to pop out and start dancing. Meanwhile, there’s a shootout and bad guys take over the ship. FOr some reason, she pops out of the cake and starts dancing with no music and nobody there except Steven Seagal. In Lolita (1997) there’s a full frontal scene of Frank Langella. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/39 "2019-12-12T16:20:59Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > In Under Siege, Erika Eleniak is hiding in a cake to pop out and start dancing. Meanwhile, there’s a shootout and bad guys take over the ship. FOr some reason, she pops out of the cake and starts dancing with no music and nobody there except Steven Seagal Well, she was a stripper, and that was the time she was supposed to pop out of the cake. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743/40 "2019-12-12T16:28:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Harvey Keitel in (I think) Bad Lieutenant. Was that gratuitous, though? The bad lieutenant is spiraling down, outa control. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-gratuitous-piece-of-nudity-youve-ever-seen-in-a-movie/844743.md?page=3)