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  • Circus of Books (2019)
  • Not Rated
    92 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Circus of Books (2019)
Not Rated
92 min | Documentary, Biography, History

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 ...See moreIn 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. See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
Rachel Mason (directed by)
Writers
Rachel Mason (screenplay by) | Kathryn Robson (screenplay by)
Producers
Adam Baran | Cynthia Childs (produced by) | Camilla Hall (produced by) | Rachael Morrison (produced by) (as Rachel Mason) | Kathryn Robson (produced by)
Composer
Ian M Colletti (as Colletti)
Cinematographer
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Apr 5, 2019

Release date
Apr 22, 2020 (United States)

Contacts

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Cast

+ Add Cast
37 cast members
Name Known for
Micah Mason
Self - Karen and Barry's Son Self - Karen and Barry's Son   See fewer
Rachel Mason
Self - Karen and Barry's Daughter Self - Karen and Barry's Daughter   See fewer
Josh Mason
Self - Karen and Barry's Son Self - Karen and Barry's Son   See fewer
Fernando Aguilar
Self - Former Employee Self - Former Employee   See fewer
Freddie Bercovitz
Self - Former Employee Self - Former Employee   See fewer
Larry Flynt
Self - Publisher of Hustler Magazine Self - Publisher of Hustler Magazine   See fewer
David Gregory
Self - Former Employee Self - Former Employee   See fewer
Ben Liefke
Self - Employee Self - Employee   See fewer
Billy Miller
Self - Magazine Publisher Self - Magazine Publisher   See fewer
Paulo Morillo
Self - Customer and Writer Self - Customer and Writer   See fewer
Don Norman
Self - Customer Self - Customer   See fewer
Alexei Romanoff
Self - LGBT Rights Activist Self - LGBT Rights Activist   See fewer
Jeff Stryker
Self - Adult Film Star Self - Adult Film Star   See fewer
Phil Tarley
Self - Adult Film Director Self - Adult Film Director   See fewer
Alaska Thunderfuck
Self - Former Employee and Drag Queen Self - Former Employee and Drag Queen   See fewer
John Weston
Self - First Amendment Attorney Self - First Amendment Attorney   See fewer
Ellen Winer
Self - Karen's Childhood Friend Self - Karen's Childhood Friend   See fewer
Dorian Wood
Self - Customer and Artist Self - Customer and Artist   See fewer
Connie Chung
Self - Reporter (archive footage) Self - Reporter (archive footage)   See fewer
Ted Koppel
Self - News Anchor (archive footage) Self - News Anchor (archive footage)   See fewer
Simon L. Leis Jr.
Self - County Prosecutor, Ohio (archive footage) (as Simon Leis) Self - County Prosecutor, Ohio (archive footage) (as Simon Leis)   See fewer
Ed Meese
Self - Attorney General of the United States, Reagan Administration (archive footage) Self - Attorney General of the United States, Reagan Administration (archive footage)   See fewer
Jim Morrison
Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage)   See fewer
Ronald Reagan
Self - President of the United States (archive footage) Self - President of the United States (archive footage)   See fewer
Matt Sterling
Self - Adult Film Director (archive footage) Self - Adult Film Director (archive footage)   See fewer
Potter Stewart
Self - Supreme Court Justice (archive footage) Self - Supreme Court Justice (archive footage)   See fewer
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