Sex, Lies, and Videotape
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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sex, lies, and videotape (the title is always given in lower case letters) is a 1989 United States independent film that brought director Steven Soderbergh to prominence. It tells the story of an impotent "voyeur" who films women discussing their sexuality, and his impact on the relationship of a troubled married couple.
In 2006, sex, lies, and videotape was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Significance
sex, lies, and videotape is important in United States film history; in his book Down and Dirty Pictures, Peter Biskind explains that the unprecedented international success of this low-budget film was instrumental in the beginning of the 1990s independent film boom. The film is also important for launching the career of Steven Soderbergh, who became an important director of both mainstream and arthouse film, and for launching or boosting the careers of its principal actors. Prior to this picture leading lady Andie MacDowell was principally known as a fashion model whose entire performance in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes had been dubbed over by Glenn Close. The film was also significant in that it featured James Spader playing the protagnist as in many of his past films he was best known for playing the role of the villain (in particular Endless Love, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero).