circus of books west hollywood

As well as this, customers noted how important it was to see themselves represented on the shelves. This is, again, a nimble dance around what could have been the real meat of the story. In these troubling times, its message is as pure and necessary as ever. Heading to Circus of Books? Circus of Books is a truly fascinating look at a slice of family life in such unusual circumstances. Quite why they chose the path they did is glossed over slightly. It’s taken over a year, but the owners of the infamous Circus of Books WeHo recently revealed that the iconic adult book store located on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. La Jolla Avenue, is finally closing its doors at the beginning of 2019. Write a Review. June 22, 2017. Instead, and somewhat amusingly, everything is strictly business – one remarkable scene shows Karen at a sex shop expo. Staff is masked and behind sneeze guards. It shows a redemption and a bridge built between a mother and son, a shop owner and the community she caters to. Understandably, though, Rachel Mason opts for a more measured approach and towards the end Circus of Books really comes into its own when it dovetails its two components together for the finale. While Barry is quite possibly the most affable, good-natured man you’re likely to see in a documentary that doesn’t feature Tom Hanks – and possessing one of the most infectious smiles ever to grace a camera – Karen is something of his opposite, and really the ringleader of the operation. According to Karen Mason, who owns the store with her husband Barry Mason, Circus of Books, … Circus of Books. ‘The ‘gay’ part of it fell on the ‘business’ side of that mental dividing line’. We have aromas in all price ranges and the largest selection of brands. Become a Member and support film journalism. On the face of it, they have no ties to the community, no particular passion for the material, and no real history of retail experience. Now, thanks to Rachel Mason’s documentary, Circus of Books, about her parents’ business — which premiered last year at the Tribeca Film Festival and is … BREAKING: The City of West Hollywood is losing yet another historical landmark. It’s both in interactions like these and during her interview that we notice the divide between Karen’s business stratagem and the reality of what she’s selling; one former employee astutely comments she could be selling apples from an apple-cart for all the difference it made to her. It’s perhaps one of the film’s biggest letdowns that it’s never fully explored why Karen and Barry decided to open a gay bookstore. This is juxtaposed with the rise of the AIDS crisis (Circus of Books tragically lost a number of employees in such a swift manner it’s shocking to think how they were able to maintain a business), and the solidarity of the gay community through the shop itself. The first branch existed in West Hollywood in the … Circus of Books was an iconic bookstore/gay porn shop in West Hollywood for decades until closing last year, no longer able to keep up with competition from the … The creased pink cover of a worn, secondhand issue of Blueboy peeks out from a box loaded with vintage porn mags: Machismo, Skin, and Thrust; Honcho, Heat, and Manshots. WEST HOLLYWOOD — Circus of Books, the historic West Hollywood adult video and novelty store, will be closing, possibly as early as Friday, according to an article in Wehoville.com. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Circus of Books is in its interviews with Karen and Barry, both together and separately. UPDATE: Circus of Books closed February 8. 1960, Reimagined in 2020. Circus of Books is open Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Other customers discuss the kind of pornography they found, or the interactions they had with others like them – of which some must have been the first interactions of that kind for them. The store will follow in the naughty footsteps of Chi Chi LaRue’s, the West Hollywood gay retail emporium a few blocks down the street, and spotlight the history of Circus of Books, Rob Novinger, CEO of Channel 1 Releasing, one of the largest gay-owned and operated adult entertainment companies in the world, … How do you think stores like this contribute to gay culture and communities, and how has this changed? Circus of Books in West Hollywood is officially closing after operating on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Jolla Ave as an adult bookstore for an impressive 57 years. Interview With Writer And Director Lou Simon Of AGORAPHOBIA, 2021 Oscar Animated Shorts: Animated Passion Comes To Life, HOMELAND (S8E12) “Prisoners Of War”: Riding Off Into the Sunset… Of Civilization. Browsing through a litany of intimidating sex toys, she casually tells the operator that she’ll take 12 bottles of anal lube and refuses the newer items because ‘those never sell that well’. Our Reviews Recency Popularity. Circus of Books is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Rachel Mason, written by Rachel Mason and Kathryn Robson and starring Karen Mason, Barry Mason and Rachel Mason.The premise revolves around Circus of Books, a bookstore and gay pornography shop in West Hollywood, California, and in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.. Circus of Books, West Hollywood’s gay cruising mecca before the age of the internet, will be the subject of a documentary by Cynthia Childs and Rachel Mason, the daughter of its owners. Their sexual preferences and desires were validated by the material they were exposed to, and it’s hard to overstate how important that must have been to a culture that was just forming back then, a culture that was otherwise subject to discrimination and persecution. Karen Mason was a journalist covering articles about the likes of Hustler (Larry Flynt makes a cameo interview in a particularly compelling sequence), while Barry was an inventor working in special effects for movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Aside from the intimate views of the Mason family, we are treated to a series of interviews from both customers and former employees who add more background and context to the bookshop’s existence: free from the kind of gosh-really abashment of Barry, and the quietly disapproving murmurs of Karen, Circus of Books is allowed to open up to the wonderful variety of colourful characters who were part of the store: Alaska, a drag queen and former employee, laughs with glee as they tell stories of illicit sexual encounters between the aisles, while one of Rachel Mason‘s friends fully admits he had sex in the attic of the store. Internet killed the video store in the documentary “Circus of Books,” which examines the history of a long-running porn shop and adult goods store in West Hollywood that closed in 2019. They just knew they would sell well. She admits she didn’t want her husband to talk about their business – although he didn’t have much problem with it – and is careful to distance herself from the product when discussing it. Theirs was a successful business which branched off into side projects such as film distribution and community activism. ‘Everything about the business was really in support of the family,’ Josh points out. This they did quite successfully, until they discovered one of their distributors – a book shop called Book Circus – was about to go under due to the owner’s cocaine habit. “They’re fairly popular,” says Karen Mason, owner of Circus of Books. November 27, 2018. It’s an astute observation and opens up a window into a critique of a system whereby the owners of a business profited from a venture they were likely prejudiced against. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Directions. As far as she knew, this was the truth: Karen and Barry Mason owned and operated Circus of Books in West Hollywood for over 30 years. What Rachel Mason focuses on most throughout the opening hour, at least, is the dual narratives of her parents’ burgeoning business and the rise of gay culture through the 80’s and 90’s. Get directions, reviews and information for Circus of Books in West Hollywood, CA. This is fascinating because you get the sense that Karen was never very proud of her achievements with Circus of Books, nor with what she gave to the gay community. The shop was shrouded in secrecy, and never discussed much among the family at all. You'll find a great selection of e-books for your tablet, including e-books. Circus of Books is available to stream on Netflix now. ‘It goes against my core values’ Karen admits at one point, also stating she believed ‘God must be punishing me’ for operating a gay bookstore. Directed by Rachel Mason herself – and interspersed with grainy homemade footage of the Masons’ young fledgling family – this documentary attempts to explore and examine the dichotomy of being an average Jewish couple operating at what was arguably the epicentre of gay culture in West Hollywood throughout the 80’s and 90’s. Circus of Books: Conclusion. Circus of Books WeHo is Closing January, 2019. The Circus of Books … Circus of Books is a new Netflix documentary about Karen and Barry Mason, the straight, conservative couple who ran a gay porn empire. (323) 337-9555. For example when explaining the almost-unbelievable tale of how she and Barry became involved in producing homoerotic pornographic films with Jeff Stryker – one of the most well known gay porn stars in America at the time – she is at pains to point out they never actually watched the films. Circus of Books heads down multiple tracks at once: It's a first-person documentary about a family coming to terms with the peculiarities of its past. It’s heartwarming and allows us to see how vital Circus of Books was to that community, which further contrasts the disparity between the Mason family and the business they were in. It wasn’t until much later that Rachel found out the truth: Circus of Books was, at one point at least, the biggest purveyor of hardcore homoerotic pornography in America. Micah, to begin with, is by the far the more prominent of the two interviewees – but the reason for this becomes apparent later on when Josh is revealed to be gay himself. In a heartwarming turnabout, the two parts of their lives intersect and it’s a moment of pure joy which lingers to the end. WeHo Landmark Circus of Books Returns to Life as Chi Chi LaRue’s Circus Sex toys and porn are joined by art, books, and more at the adult movie director and … Book lovers should know that in West Hollywood, Circus of Books is the best place to go for an endless supply of novels. If you consider yourself a bookworm, you will love getting lost in a good book from here, such as fiction and nonfiction. Erick B. Apr 18. On top of that, Rachel’s parents not just sold pornography through their bookshop, they also produced it. Photos and Text by Paulo Murillo. Although it doesn’t always hit the mark, and there are certain aspects you wish Mason had delved further into, ultimately Circus of Books packs so much heart and warmth that only the coldest of souls would fail to be moved by it come the end credits. 77 Reviews. Simply put: Karen decided they should bulk buy Hustler magazines and sell them to retail stores. Circus of Books is Rachel Mason’s way of exploring her own family’s lore — the uplifting and the heartbreaking — and, more importantly, the complex woman that raised her. Through interviews with former employees we come to learn how important Circus of Books was in helping homosexuals find each other, and their tribe. There was something not quite right though: whenever Rachel or her brothers would enter the store they were under explicit orders to stare at the floor and never at the contents on the shelves. The Masons took control of the recently shuttered Circus of Books, on Santa Monica Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood, in 1982, when the … How is this business handling reopening? This is the culmination of what was hinted throughout Circus of Books: Karen’s businesslike demeanour belied her religious influences on her opinion of homosexuality. The couple closed Circus of Books’ second location, in Silver Lake, in 2016, and plan to close this one, in West Hollywood, on February 1. Although it skirts some interesting details and at times pulls its punches when examining the motives of its protagonists, Circus of Books turns into a blissfully heartwarming, joyful examination of the gay culture in West Hollywood and of the need for acceptance and understanding. Just watched this documentary (done by their daughter) about it and the couple who owned and ran it. ", Based on info from the business or our users. 4891. Let us know in the comments below! Inside Circus of Books in West Hollywood, California. This is done effectively well; our view of the Mason family, both from the homemade footage and through Rachel’s interviews with her brothers, paints a picture of a quietly religious nuclear family living the American Dream. It shows a redemption and a bridge built between a mother and son, a shop owner … The Mistress of Suspense Strikes Again! Masks are required along with social distancing. They have a separate section for adult novelistic books … How much do the poppers generally run for here? They stepped in, cannily changed the name slightly (Karen mentions here that they were always looking for the cheapest way to do something in case the venture never worked out), and began to operate the business. Circus of Books, which premieres on Netflix on April 22, tells the story of how the straight(-laced) couple came to own the iconic bookstore and gay porn shop in West Hollywood. Menu & Reservations Make Reservations . Throughout the movie, … The documentary will preserve the story of the adult bookstore, which sits on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Jolla. 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