Circus of Books (2019) User Reviews

A documentary of accidental gay porn entrepreneurs

[chong_an · 8/10 · 27 May 2019]

This is a very interesting documentary of the life of a straight Jewish couple. Seeking income of any sort, they start distributing Hustler magazine, then take over a bookstore whose owner has been delinquent in payments. It turns out that the bookstore's main business is gay porn, and they manage to make a success of a business they don't fully understand. Their good reputation in the porn community lead to their producing gay porn movies, including ones by superstar Jeff Stryker. Along the way, they have to deal with people disappearing in the AIDS era, a porn prosecution under the Regan administration, keeping a blind eye to what was happening in their "back room", and keeping their 3 children from learning what the "bookstore" really sells.

The last part becomes ironic, when 1 of their sons had to come out as gay, which did bother his religious mother. Meanwhile, this movie was a project of their daughter, who managed to get intimate confessions that would not be possible with a stranger

An interesting family story with an emotional glimpse of the gay community!

[the_donnie · 8/10 · 24 April 2020]

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!

A slice of LGBTQ culture and history definitely worth to watch

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 7/10 · 24 April 2020]

'Circus of Books' tells the unconventional story of a straight Jewish couple who just happened to run the most legendary gay porn bookstore in Los Angeles, United States. It often loses its focus midway through, but the charming and quirky documentary is a slice of LGBTQ culture and history definitely worth to watch.

Interesting documentary of a couple adapting to a strange new life

[reg-57988 · 7/10 · 25 April 2020]

This documentary is both a family history and a history of gay culture and society in the USA. The couple in this story are both looking for a break, when they answer an advertisement to distribute Hustler magazine. This leads to them taking over a bookstore, which they soon discover is also a gay and sexual aid store. Rather than be discouraged, they roll up their sleeves and dive into the business, running it successfully and soon becoming large players in gay movie distribution. There are moments both serious and humorous, including the mother's challenge to accept her own son's sexuality, which is a bit ironic considering what her business is. An easy going watch with a lot of heart.

Circus of Books opens its store doors to moving LGBT culture, history and rights.

[TheMovieDiorama · 6/10 · 29 May 2020]

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...

Always respect pioneers

[owjan-45979 · 7/10 · 7 August 2020]

We are so use to judging people that its absolutely normal to condemn anybody who is not doing things in our way. I am a straight man but I do really respect gay guys for standing for what really like to do. The couple in this documentary is a nice sample of good people, minding their own busines, running a small business and in the mean time not judging others for their sexual orientation.

Really moving documentary

[jprdo · 10/10 · 26 April 2020]

"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.

Good idea, poorly executed.

[Virgil0 · 6/10 · 3 May 2020]

I did not appreciate the fact that the documentary is presented by a very personal angle. Documentaries should be more of unbiased documentation of a topic, rather than a reality show.

Wonderful

[TR604 · 9/10 · 1 May 2020]

Having grown up in the late 1970s and the era of the early years of this family's journey with The Circus of Books store, this film played with my heart the entire time. From with flashbacks to bygone times, through heartwarming reality and crises, clearly perseverance and love abound in each of their lives' chapters.

The son seemed traumatized.

[kulturim · 7/10 · 29 October 2020]

The mother was in desperate need of therapy, not because of the son thing, but in general she is a control freak. Living with someone like that it's not easy.

A family story around a business unlike any other

[vernislaurent · 8/10 · 22 April 2020]

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

"What are you looking for?"

[BrunoRatesTheMovies · 6/10 · 24 January 2022]

I really can't imagine my parents owning an adult bookshop let alone a gay bookshop! The Masons are such a sweet couple just doing their bit to help out the Queer community, and run a business obviously. This was a fun and interesting watch. Really shows how communities used to rely on these brick and mortar shops to connect.

Underwhelming

[am-by · 5/10 · 12 September 2020]

Didnt live up to hype ratings. Perhaps was profound in its day but not so much now. The owner who seemed so distasteful of gay peoples sex lives was more than happy to profit from it. Her own son being gay only emphasised she was the one who lived a lie in line with her religious views. Greed motivated her life it appeared . The Husband seemed a more rounded kinder person.

EYE-OPENING

[jeromesgabilo · 6/10 · 6 July 2021]

A documentary that centered not on the industry of porn but mostly on family, social stigma and the psychological impact to these group of people.

Great documentary

[Bullfrog24260 · 8/10 · 11 June 2020]

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.

Turns out there are many kinds of closets

[Michael Fargo · 10/10 · 24 December 2020]

I kept putting off watching this film since--being 73 years old--I'd heard it all on this subject. But it turned out to be my favorite film of 2020. Opening with a scene of a child filming her family preparing food in the kitchen, the kid annoys everyone. "Aren't you too close?" "Put that thing down, please." But we soon find out that child is the now the grown director digging through her family's home movie archives and telling the family's rather significant story. Indeed, she keeps that camera just as close as an adult and uncovers both the character and temperament of her parents and siblings, but also reveals the secret life of her parents who happened to be the major distributors of gay pornography in the United States for a period of time when the consequences of being caught were not insignificant.

And it was all an accidental vocation of two extraordinary people who intended to have very different careers. That everyone lived through this so well-adjusted speaks to the strength of character of the two parents, even if they hid their vocation from the rest of the world...that is, if you weren't gay and patrons of their wares.

It's also a story of the economy of the adult book and film industry which reached its pinnacle in the 1980's & 90's despite governmental forces who wanted to destroy it. Trying to live a "straight life" amid all this drama and at the same time trying to appear "respectable" to their conservative Synagogue, their children and the PTA, is nothing short of a miracle.

The film is focused on the end of this era as well as all that came before it. The deck that is stacked against them by the Reagan Administration and ensuing decisions by the Supreme Court which thwarted that effort are outlined, but the real story is the survival of a family unit under the most unusual of circumstances. We'd be told "organized crime" was the power behind the adult film industry, but it turns out a Mom-and-Pop store on sunny Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood was a significant contributor as well.

The personalities of all the family are presented in a matter-of-fact way: A Mother "who wears the pants" in the family keeps chiding her daughter not to film her, wondering if this was going to be some Christina Crawford expose, the Father who is a warm "good time 'Barry'" and softens the mother's hard edges. The store's employees and customers get their say and show deep appreciation that the bookstore held in honoring their life style without threat; and the three children who are distinct well-adjusted individuals who bring along a few surprises during the course of the film.

It's probably the best documentary about the family unit that I've seen. And if it's not necessarily the model all parents should emulate, the forgiveness and tolerance they extend to one another is as righteous as it gets.

Circus of Books opens its store doors to moving LGBT culture, history and rights.

[pdaitape · 10/10 · 12 November 2023]

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...

interesting story but not very well executed

[aislinncharlottefarrell · 5/10 · 20 June 2020]

The story told in the documentary is overall an interesting look into the evolution of the gay scene in LA along with a look into a small business ran by a family, but I felt that it was dragged out and felt way too long, resulting in me being bored throughout most of it.

When your family business is a porn shop

[xWRL · 8/10 · 6 October 2020]

Circus of Books was a famous, thriving gay porn bookstore in West Hollywood for several decades that went through some interesting times, including getting into the movie making business with some famous male porn stars and a federal obscenity rap that could have easily wound one of the owners up in federal prison had not Bill Clinton become president when he did.

This, along with other surprising twists of fate, forms an important part of the film, but the focus is how the business affected the lives of the three children of the owners. Given that one of those three is responsible for making the film, we get an inside view including abundant commentary from family members, lots of footage of the family as they were all growing up, and lots of nuance that couldn't have been known or captured otherwise. It's not all pretty, but it's deeply touching and revealing.

Diverse

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 21 June 2020]

A documentary about a store. But not just any store of course. And to be frank, a store that with its special clientele might not be something that you'd go to. I know I probably would not have gone in there. Not with the intent to buy or rent that is. Nothing that would have been of interest to me. Yet the documentary about trials, tribulations and struggles is one that is more than "interesting" to watch.

A very well made documentary, with in depth interviews. But as I said, if you are squeamish (quite explicit sexual pictures), you may want to stir away from this. And I would suggest not to cancel people who don't watch this. If someone does not want to watch and is not a mean individual about it, respect their decision. Same goes for when you watch this and didn't like it, not because of the quality of film, but your religious or other believes. Don't judge it based on that. Be respectful of it and the people involved.

We have different tastes and that is a good thing. Not liking something is a given. How we work with that and how others perceive that, is what is important. And while that may sound like tip toeing, you can imagine how it is, to be gay and be judged by others then. That's why I was stressing that point. Live and let others live - maybe this will give you an idea what and how "others" are

A wonderful piece of raw life

[liorpatoka · 10/10 · 26 September 2020]

I loved it, kudos Rachel. Exposed, intimate, adorable and amazing story. A must see.

Amateur Home Video at Best.

[austinfundx · 3/10 · 30 April 2020]

This shouldn't be considered a professionally produced documentary. It's an amateur home video at the very best. No subject point whatsoever, the director tries to touch too many different topics that the story gets completely lost. Too much ambition, non-existent execution. The filming style makes it really difficult to concentrate because it shows behind the camera too often and the interviewees keep using "you", "your family" - too unprofessional. The director herself is extremely unlikable; she constantly gets the screen time as if she wants to be the main focus and most importantly she always makes all conversations about her. Her brother is sharing his coming out story and her response is "I don't get why you didn't come to me". Because IT IS NOT about you. Her arrogance is appalling. If the film focused more on the parents/store and the social injustice it would've been much better film but instead the director had to get the spotlight herself and threw the project down the drain. The content is great; it could've been a much better - or actually a real - documentary in someone else's hands.

Boring, biased and hardly about the bookstore

[coleman-98930 · 2/10 · 29 April 2020]

I felt like I was tricked into watching boring private home movies. There is no clear cut subject of the documentary and it was not mostly about the bookstore. Only about 10% was about the bookstore. It felt so biased because it was about the family of the person making the documentary. Then like 60% was her brother's coming out story and 30% of the documentary maker talking about how she was friends with gay people in high school and how cool she was that she was artistic. I was advertised and expecting a piece on the bookstore and the gay culture. This is not what was delivered. A waste of time that leaves you feeling emotionally numb.

Painfully Boooooooringgggg

[virginia-913-95834 · 4/10 · 24 June 2020]

Looked like an interesting one but I found it painfully boring.

If you don't have a can of paint to watch dry, I guess maybe you could try this

[jake_fantom · 1/10 · 23 May 2020]

A stupefyingly dull and utterly pointless documentary about two of the most uninteresting people ever to be filmed. But for the fact that this seemingly "normal" couple, in search of a fast, easy buck, bought a porn bookstore in L.A., there would be no possible excuse for this miserable waste of time and bandwidth. Because there is no story whatsoever, except that the porn store is somewhat successful for a while and then goes bust when free internet porn comes along, the "filmmakers" pad out their opus with endless interviews and reminiscences about nothing by the self-absorbed subjects. Who could possibly have thought that this trivial nonsense was worthy of a documentary? Karnak says... the family! That's right, folks - the progeny of the original two bores deemed their fascinating lives appropriate for 90 minutes of navel gazing. I was only able to watch most of this (I stopped a few minutes short of the end) by limiting myself to no more than ten minutes a night. I waited patiently for something to happen. It didn't.