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Circus of Books

2019

Rachel Mason

Documentary

6.3

541

Documentary 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. [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Keith Uhlich The Hollywood Reporter	"[A] very funny, very moving documentary (...) In the early going, there are enough revelations that might justify a movie all their own"	POS
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"An affectionate look at one of the most unusual mom and pop businesses in America"	POS
United States	Teo Bugbee The New York Times	"[It] blossoms when it focuses on interviews with employees, longtime customers and the stars of the porn the store financed."	POS
United States	Glenn Whipp Los Angeles Times	"Rachel manages to confront her mother’s contradictions on this count, resulting in a powerful conclusion that reveals what may be her greatest legacy."	POS
United States	Jude Dry IndieWire	"A perfect portrait of mom and pop’s gay porn shop (...) The film is engaging from start to finish, with a rotating cast of bright and eloquent speakers."	POS
United States	Matt Fagerholm rogerebert.com	"[A] wonderful debut documentary feature (...) I found Barry and Karen Mason to be far worthier of my attention than the obnoxious animal abusers of 'Tiger King' (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Andrew Punter Ready Steady Cut	"With a bit more polishing one feels as though that story could be told more strongly, nevertheless this is a charming doc with a valuable and important story to tell (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
Canada	Richy Maria Jacob TheCinemaholic	"Though the documentary is largely familial in nature, it definitely opens up different perspectives for its viewers (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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