Circus of Books

Summary In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. The film focuses on the double life they led, trying to maintain the balance of being parents at a time when LGBT culture was not yet accepted. Their many challenges included facing jail time for a federal obscenity prosecution and enabling their store to be a place of refuge at the height of the AIDS crisis. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lens of the owners' own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician. View more details

Circus of Books

Directed : Rachel Mason

Written : Kathryn Robson Rachel Mason

Stars : Rachel Mason Karen Mason Barry Mason Micah Mason

7.1

Details

Genres : History Biography Documentary

Release date : Apr 21, 2020

Countries of origin : United States

Official sites : Official site

Language : English

Filming locations : Los Angeles, California, USA

Production companies : Passion Pictures Neon Heart Productions Future Clown

Summary In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. The film focuses on the double life they led, trying to maintain the balance of being parents at a time when LGBT culture was not yet accepted. Their many challenges included facing jail time for a federal obscenity prosecution and enabling their store to be a place of refuge at the height of the AIDS crisis. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lens of the owners' own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician. View more details

Details

Genres : History Biography Documentary

Release date : Apr 21, 2020

Countries of origin : United States

Official sites : Official site

Language : English

Filming locations : Los Angeles, California, USA

Production companies : Passion Pictures Neon Heart Productions Future Clown

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