Friday Flashback: ‘CIRCUS OF BOOKS’

“CIRCUS OF BOOKS is an affectionate look at one of the most unusual mom and pop businesses in America, directed by the person who knew Mom and Pop best.” — Variety


Our 2019 SummerDocs series included the charming documentary CIRCUS OF BOOKS, about the gay porn shop that served as the epicenter for LGBT life and culture in Los Angeles for over 35 years. Unbeknownst to many in the community it served, the store was cultivated and cared for by its owners, Karen and Barry Mason: a straight couple with three children.

CIRCUS OF BOOKS premiered last week on Netflix. Watch this intimate portrait of the Masons and their journey to become one of the biggest distributors of hardcore gay porn in the United States. Their story unfolds through the lens of their daughter, filmmaker and artist Rachel Mason.


Following our SummerDocs screening at Guild Hall, our SummerDocs partner, HamptonsFilm’s Alec Baldwin and David Nugent spoke with the film’s director Rachel Mason and her mother Karen Mason, the subject of the film.

Enjoy the film and the conversations, and join us next Friday for another Friday Flashback movie + conversation… 


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