We're just starting to see a hint of summer weather across much of the US, so it seems like a good time to start thinking about bikinis. We started thinking about some of the most classic bikini moments in history, and quickly realized most of them were actually cinematic moments.
We came up with as many great bikini moments as we could think of, cut the list down to ten and ranked them. We think we've got a pretty nice and representative selection here, from classic moments, to more modern interpretations .Take a look.
Ursula Andress in Dr No
Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder, in one of the most iconic Bond girl get ups of all time. This classic ensemble was recreated by Halle Berry in the 2002 Bond flick Die Another Day, but Halle doesn't hold a candle to the original. Andress is built like a Greek goddess, a body style you don't see depicted too often these days in Hollywood.
Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.You can generally tell a movie is going to suck when it's based on a video game character, and this one certainly did, but it did have some upside in that spending a couple of hours staring at Angelina Jolie is never a bad way to pass the time. At least Angelina Jolie circa 2003 (when this was released), she's gotten a little frightening looking of late. Jolie fills out her bikini like no other, and that's good enough for ninth on our list.
Jessica Alba in Into The BlueHere's another forgettable movie made memorable by a bikini wearing starlet. Jessica Alba hasn't done much to establish herself as an actress, but if she'd stick to movies like Into The Blue she'd be fine. Let's just say beach movies are right in her wheelhouse.
Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till DawnFrom Dusk Till Dawn features one of the most abrupt genre shifts in movie history, going from a crime drama about crooks on the run to an action movie with vampires. And the transition happens during one glorious strip tease by a bikini wearing Salma Hayek at the absolute peak of her hotness.
Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon
It's kind of funny to think now that she's older and kind of out of the limelight a lot more (I don't think anyone actually watched Lipstick Jungle), but Brooke Shields was a controversy machine at the beginning of her career. From going bare in her Calvin Klein jeans to her scandalous role in Blue Lagoon, Shields was at the center of a lot of controversy concerning how young was too young to be viewed sexually. Of course it's an endless debate, with modern day parallels galore (think Miley Cyrus and her scandalous Myspace pictures, or a 16 year old Vanessa Hudgens having nude photos leaked). Bottom line though, Brooke Shields was ridiculously hot in her tattered swimwear in Blue Lagoon.
Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman
See, good things do come from France. Brigitte Bardot created a sensation with her role in And God Created Woman, simultaneously launching her "sex kitten" persona into the stratosphere of fame while also creating a bikini craze. What had previously not been a mainstream item of clothing soon started showing up at beaches around the world, meaning we owe a lot of gratitude to Ms. Bardot.
Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C.Raquel Welch still looks good today, and she's almost 70. So to say she was a stunner in her prime is an understatement. One Million Years B.C. features Welch running around in a period costume similar to what cavewomen of the time actually wore. You know, torn up garments featuring copious amounts of cleavage and bare midriffs. Cavewomen were apparently pretty hot.
Ali Larter in Varsity BluesVarsity Blues was a nice little underrated high school sports movie, but features one scene that really defies all belief. Ali Larter propositions James Van Der Beek wearing only a whipped cream bikini, and ... he turns her down. She even had cherries. I don't think there's a high school aged male alive that would leave that room in that situation. This might actually be the most unrealistic scene in movie history, and if it's not it's up there. Highlight of Ali Larter's career though.
Phoebe Cates in Fast Times At Ridgemont HighESPN columnist Bill Simmons recently answered a fan question asking:
This prompted us to realize Winslet's breasts were the first that both of us had seen. We also realized this was true for tons of guys born in the mid- to late-'80s (making them 12 or younger when they saw "Titanic"). She has to hold the record for the actress claimed as "the first one" by the most guys. What lucky movie star holds the title for you?
For Simmons it was Tommy Hanrahan's ex-wife in "Slap Shot", and while I think Winslet also is going to hold the title for a lot of guys the all time title might have to go to Phoebe Cates in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Her red bikini is easily one of the most memorable of all time, plus this scene gets lots of bonus points for the top eventually coming off.
Carrie Fischer in Return of the Jedi
What else is there to be said about this iconic movie moment that hasn't already been said? Fischer's gold metal bikini was a formative experience for millions of guys heading into adolescence, and it's still a geek cultural milestone.
I think if you walked up to ten random guys and asked them their favorite bikini movie moment of all time Princess Leia in the gold bikini would come up at least eight or nine times.
