Circus of Books

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this program.

Understanding how the family got involved in the business, footage from when the parents met and through their family's growth made for very emotive viewing.

"Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans" John Lennon This is a fascinating documentary about a Jewish family "The Masons" and their business Circle of Books "Gay Adult Bookstore." The director (Rachel Mason) did a fine job in contrasting the evolution of her family with the world. What I love most about this documentary are the Masons, they are so sweet and kind. The director travels back to the eighties and explore the social political climate of that decade which permitted this business to thrive but also the challenges it faced during the Reagan presidentship. I would love to meet Rachel and her family to give them a hug and a huge thank you. The Masons are the very example of what people should strive to be, smart, open minded and kind. I was moved by them and it is not about gay pornography but rather about the freedom to be your own true self in a world that often forces individuals to conform to unhealthy beliefs and outdated self righteous morals.

8230 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, Los Angeles. A bookstore aptly named "Book Circus" established its existence until '82 when the owner was experiencing financial difficulties. A entrepreneurial couple, Barry a former special effects engineer for Kubrick's masterpiece '2001: A Space Odyssey' and general inventor, and Karen a former journalist, seized the opportunity to expand their distribution rights for Flynt's 'Hustlers' by owning a shop. A magazine aimed towards capitalising on the adult entertainment industry. So, what did they stock in this store that they aptly renamed to "Circus of Books" that warranted a documentary? Well, hardcore gay pornography comprising of paperbacks (and barebacks *cough*), "used" DVDs and sexually explicit toys (hopefully not "used"...). But there are plenty of adult bookstores littered around the world, what makes this one so important? Well, imagine commencing your business venture in the 80s when the AIDS crisis occurred, Reagan's administration cracked down on materials of obscenity and religiously conservative communities ordered your store to close. All of this, in the heart of Los Angeles. The core of LGBT culture.

Rachel Mason's documentary, the daughter of store owners Barry and Karen, chronicles the history of "Circus of Books" whilst embedding tidbits of LGBT history throughout and how they affected the business. Essentially highlighting the cultural significance one book store has had on a city's subculture that manifested into a national widespread of love. The AIDS crisis regrettably inflicting its terminal afflictions upon employees, with both Barry and Karen melancholically reminiscing of their absence. The Reagan administration prosecuting the couple after an FBI sting operation that trapped them into transporting obscene material, challenging the First Amendment in the process. Culminating in a critique on the Internet era and how online gay pornography and cruising applications have since made reading materials obsolete, plummeting the shop's sales substantially.

Whilst these historical depictions were all too brief and shallow, despite their apparent inclusion to the store's significant legacy, the real bulk of the emotional connectivity that Rachel provides is through an earnest portrait of her parents. Her pertinacious devout Jewish mother coming to terms with her son's eventual coming out, notwithstanding the fact she owns a store primarily targeted towards the gay community. And her endearing father that has an incalculable amount of optimism and goodness within his heart. Both, deep down, were unfazed by the homosexuality that they gloriously brought to life. To them, it was just a business. And there is an honest endearment shrouding that notion that make them such wonderful human beings, with Rachel's focus being on their familial connections. To a point where their story often felt moving, more so due to my own sexuality.

As a documentary though, it's fairly predictable in terms of its structure. Interview with family members and past employees, including legendary drag queen Alaska, attempt to focus the attention on the shop itself. For the most part this is successful, until the third act which transitions into LGBT activism. No inherent issues, however Rachel broadens her scope to tackle everything LGBT history and culture has to offer, instead of narrowing the narrative down to a specific entity or event. Consequently, the documentary resembles a brief thin history lesson from the perspective of a controversial bookstore, as opposed to grasping the true significance this shop had on L.A. gay culture. Also her insincerity, obviously unintentional, peeped through when discussing adult actors whom had died from contracting AIDS. Her slouched body language and nonchalant interest irked me.

Still, if one can see pass the formulaic structure this documentary is built upon, then an emotionally involving offering will be showcased. Its strongest assets aimed towards its familial bonds, rather than tackling the modern history of LGBT. Plus, it's not everyday you see an old woman attempt to find a "non-penetrative white gay porno" in a stack of DVDs...

This film is a collection of acceptance, family, faith, education, freedom, resilience, respect and equal rights.

Circus of Books is not a documentary about the LGBTQ community per se, however, it shows a slice of the community history from a perspective of a straight couple that, given the opportunity, decided to make a living with a gay porn magazine and film store. From a more critical perspective, it shows hypocrisy from a religious mom that profits out of the gay culture (big corporations do that these days) but who is also homophobic to some degree towards her own gay son -- I appreciated that the daughter, who's also queer, shows this raw side of her mother without trying to cover it up. As they also show the mother's own journey to learn how to accept and love her gay son. From a political perspective, the documentary quickly shows the persecution and religious moralism that the US government used to oppress the community, which we can see happening again under the current administration. It also touches the sad times of the HIV crisis, though focused more on how it affected the porn store. Finally, from a cultural perspective, it nostalgically shows the 80's and 90's gay habits to go out and meet face to face, at the store, or at a nearby alley - things that no longer happen in the current online days.Overall, it's a really interesting and emotional documentary, a family story with just a glimpse of the challenges, glory, resistance and beauty and of the gay community!