When Barry and Karen Mason bought the store in 1982, they changed the name to Circus of Books. Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house established in 1986. Throughout the movie, Karen chides her daughter over the purpose of it. Circus Disco owner – who tore down club for a luxury condo development – to receive community hero award. Circus of Books tells the story of Karen and Barry Mason, proprietors of the store of the title. Executive producer Ryan Murphy helms this acclaimed, Emmy-nominated documentary. Circus owners are a varied lot indeed. A non-judgmental documentary about this sweet straight couple, Karen and Barry Mason, the owners of a “Mom and Pop” bookstore called the Circus of Books, that caters to gay readers and at one time was the biggest distributor of hardcore gay films in the United States. 76 reviews of Circus of Books "Okay, i will totally agree with Cee on the dirtaaay factor here, but I still have to give it 4 strong stars for the fact that this was the ONLY PLACE IN LA that carried Runaway Midget! For those not familiar with the history, the store originally opened as Book Circus in 1960. Circus of Books Netflix Documentary. For decades, a nice Jewish couple ran Circus of Books, a porn shop and epicenter for gay LA. Plot Summary. Their discipline as small-business owners quickly turned it around. 2020 18+ 1h 26m Biographical Documentaries. American circus history, list of circus performers and owners with biographies, thousands of circus photos, movies, circus news, traditions, information. Book Circus opened in 1960, but the Masons took it over, tweaked the name and turned it into Circus of Books in 1982. Circus of Books was an iconic gay porn shop in Los Angeles, California. 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. Videos Circus of Books. Inside Circus of Books in West Hollywood, California. Still Frame (7) Poster (1) Production Art (1) Person. Karen and Barry Mason. It's true, who knew such a title was SOOOO popular. Parents need to know that Circus of Books, a frank 2020 documentary, traces the 30-year life of a hardcore gay pornographic book store and movie distributorship run by an unlikely duo. Photo: Netflix. Circus of Books, a documentary by Rachel Mason that examines the shop’s history and legacy, premiered on Netflix on 22 April. Their director daughter documents their life and times. … Expand Circus of Books. And with the release of the Circus of Books documentary, audiences will get a close look into the shop’s notorious history, as told by a surprising source: the bookstore owners’ daughter, Circus of Books… The original store, Book Circus, opened in 1960 and had red and white stripes. The film is really a portrait of her parents, Karen and Barry Mason, who led double lives for 30 years as the shop’s owners and conservative Jewish congregants, rarely mentioning the family business. Today, Netflix dropped the documentary Circus of Books, which tells the story of the gay porn shop/bookstore of the same name.The film focuses on the perhaps surprising background of the shop’s owners, a straight and … Refine All Photos By. Chi Chi LaRue’s Circus will have their signature pink and orange stripes. Circus of Books, originally called Book Circus, provided an oasis of acceptance as far back as the 1960s, when many LGBTQ people were viciously ostracized, criminalized, and treated as mentally ill. “It could ruin your life, just to be gay,” Rachel Mason said. No way . Watch Now on Netflix. 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. Circus of Books has been a mecca for adult material in Los Angeles for over 35 years. Type. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners' own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician. For decades, a nice Jewish couple ran Circus of Books, a porn shop and epicenter for gay LA. When Book Circus began struggling to pay the bills, then faced eviction, the Masons were confused. Essentially highlighting the cultural significance one book store has had on a city's subculture that manifested into a national widespread of love. 8 talking about this. Barry Mason (3) Karen Mason (3) Jeff Stryker (1) Rachel Mason (1) Circus of Books Photo & Video. Watch Now Stream On: Details. The Circus of Books was an adult book store in Los Angeles that was originally established as Book Circus as far back as the 1960s. Barry and Karen lived a rather mainstream way of living: they had three children who attended a religious school, who had no knowledge of their parents business. I love the poster design as well, which smartly exposes the themes of the story. Some ran away with the circus as youngsters and worked their way up through the ranks of ticket takers and candy butchers. Circus of Books closed last year after 60 years of selling porn mags on Santa Monica in West Hollywood. JOIN NOW. Excerpt from the book: Step Right Up, The Adventures of Circus in America By authors Lavahn G. Hoh and William Rough. Eventually, they took over the lease and renamed the store Circus of Books. Circus of Books 1982 – by The New Mr. Burlesk. The trailer is stylish in its '80s themed graphics, and the music will have you celebrating with pride from beginning to end. 2020 | TV-MA | 1h 26m | Biographical Documentaries. It has companies in London, New York, Sydney and Delhi. Although it definitely sold books, including the lesbian classic Curious Wine and resource compendium Catalog of Sexual Consciousness, the store wasn’t really for bookworms. Some were born into circus families. Circus of Books, a documentary based on the famous "bookstore" closeted as a gay porn shop, tells the story of an influential piece of American history. 116 likes. 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. But Karen and Barry Mason, owners of Circus of Books, Los Angeles’ gay porn landmark? Executive producer Ryan Murphy helms this acclaimed, Emmy-nominated documentary. The Circus of Books bookstore is a vital piece of Los Angeles’ LGBTQ history. COVID update: Circus of Books has updated their hours and services. COLORFUL MAKEOVER. JOIN NOW. Now the space is back at Chi Chi LaRue's It became one of the most important locations for Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ community, but few knew that it was run by straight couple Barry and Karen Mason. 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. Circus of Books and 9/11 Kids: Two great stories of growing up in strange circumstances in the U.S. John Doyle Television critic Published April 22, 2020 Updated April 23, 2020 Watch all you want. The Circus of Books bookstore is a vital piece of Los Angeles' LGBTQ history. Circus of Books owners Barry and Karen Mason, subjects of a documentary by their daughter Rachel. Watch all you want. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners' own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician. The owners are a middle-class Jewish couple raising three children, none of whom had a clue what their parents did for a living. Suspecting that business was good—the owner, it turned out, had drug problems and mafia debts—they contacted the landlord, offering to pay half the rent if they could take over the lease during the eviction process. Their director daughter documents their life and times. Others are entrepreneurs and businessmen. 1970s - 1980s huge archive of original handwritten and typescript letters from hundreds of clowns, animal trainers and circus performers to noted specialty bookseller frank barry By: CLOWNS, ANIMAL TRAINERS, CIRCUS OWNERS AND PERFORMERS et al Circus of Books Trailer Shows a Straight Couple's Gay Adult Media Empire Karen and Barry Mason were the unlikely owners of a long-running adult bookstore that … Circus of Books. Circus of Books—which had the same owners from 1982 until the business closed in February 2019—was literally a “mom and pop” operation, since the business was owned by married couple Karen and Barry Mason, who are the parents of three children. Watch Now on Netflix. Netflix, Circus of Books (2020) Videos Circus of Books. The Masons acquired the store in 1982 after the original owner allegedly used porn profits to support his cocaine habit and he snorted his way into an eviction. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners' own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician.