Sometimes the critics don't get it right. Think of all the films that were originally critically panned, but are now classics. Psycho, The Thing, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, and famously Jennifer's Body were all hated by critics when they were released but they later became classics. Some of them are considered the best films of all time! Some critically slammed films also have great nude scenes.
Femme Fatale
Brian de Palma has such a stunning film resume, so it's no wonder that some films are going to be misses. In 2002, he made the film Femme Fatale which critics hated. That's a shame because Rebecca Romijn is full-frontal and submerged in water.
Not only that, but Rie Rasmussen has one of the sexiest outfits that we have ever seen. She walks a runway while wearing a gold snake around her torso which exposes one of her nipples!
The Shining
People tend to forget that The Shining had extremely mixed reviews. Critics later took back some of their reviews such as Roger Ebert who went back on his negative review years later. At the time, Variety claimed that the movie destroyed everything that made the novel terrifying. Both Shelley Duvall and Kubrick were nominated for Razzies!
The Cell
This trippy 2000 film did not do very well despite having rather iconic visual elements. Critics pointed out then (and now) that the movie does not offer much in plot. It instead relies on visuals as we follow a killer in a coma using experimental technology to do crimes. Jennifer Lopez plays the scientist who invented this, but she doesn't go nude. Instead, Catherine Sutherland's suck sacks are on display!
The Graduate
No one ever talks about how The Graduate, widely considered one of the best American films ever made, was hated by certain famous film critics. Critic Pauline Kael wrote in Harper's at the time, "The Graduate only wants to succeed and that's fundamentally what's the matter with it...this kind of movie-making shifts values, shifts focus, shifts the emphasis, shifts everything for a sure-fire response. Mike Nichols' 'gift' is that he lets the audience direct him."
Damn, that's cold. But notice how she didn't mention Mrs. Robinson's infamous seduction scene. Anne Bancroft's body double showed tan-lined tits that live rent-free in my mind.
Showgirls
One of the most notoriously bad films of all time is 1995's Showgirls. Showgirls is a wild thriller filled with twists and turns as we follow Elizabeth Berkley as a wannabe showgirl who arrives in Las Vegas and will do anything to be a showgirl star. She meets Gina Gershon and several other sexy ladies who perform topless, pants-less, and pantie-less.
Elizabeth plays Nomi Malone who auditions at a famous club where Gershon is a star. Gershon's boyfriend, played by Kyle MacLachlan, takes a liking to Elizabeth (no duh) who puts her in a special casino show that ticks his girlfriend off. They start a rivalry that is filled with sexy scenes! The thrills are numerous as these two ladies essentially perform AND fight nude.
No wonder this was NC-17! And no wonder critics did not take it seriously. Hey, it's their loss. The film is now getting credit for being entertaining and you can see why when you watch scenes like these:
