Circus of Books (film)

2019 documentary film

Circus of Books

Official poster

Directed by| Rachel Mason
Written by|

* Rachel Mason
* Kathryn Robson

Starring|

* Karen Mason
* Barry Mason
* Rachel Mason

Distributed by| Netflix

Release dates

* April 26, 2019 (2019-04-26) (Tribeca)
* April 22, 2020 (2020-04-22) (United States)

Running time

| 92 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English

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.[2][3]

The film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and was released on Netflix in the United States on April 22, 2020.[4]

## Cast

[edit]

* Karen Mason
* Barry Mason
* Rachel Mason
* Josh Mason
* Micah Mason
* Alexei Romanoff
* Billy Miller
* Don Norman
* Freddie Bercovitz
* Paulo Morillo
* Ellen Winer
* Larry Flynt
* David Gregory
* Fernando Aguilar
* Alaska Thunderfuck
* Jeff Stryker

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.[5] It went on to show at several film festivals, including the Frameline Film Festival,[6] Outfest,[7] the Hamptons International Film Festival,[8] and the BFI London Film Festival.[9] At the 2019 Sidewalk Film Festival, the film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.[10]

On April 22, 2020, the film was released on Netflix.[2]

## Reception

[edit]

As of October 2021,[update] Circus of Books holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 59 reviews with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Like the cheekily named store at this documentary's center, Circus of Books proves there are countless stories below the surface if we're only willing to look."[11] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw rated the film 4 out of 5 stars.[3]

Circus of Books was nominated for the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary.[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bugbee, Teo (April 22, 2020). "'Circus of Books' Review: A Community Takes Pride in Its Porn Store". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
2. ^ a b "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Circus of Books' on Netflix, a Documentary About the Most Unlikely Porn-Store Owners Ever". Decider. April 23, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
3. ^ a b "Circus of Books review – tender doc about family life and gay porn". The Guardian. April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
4. ^ "2019 Tribeca Film Festival movie review: 'Circus of Books'". Culture Mix. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
5. ^ "2019 Tribeca Film Festival movie review: 'Circus of Books'". Retrieved June 19, 2020.
6. ^ "Circus of Books + Verasphere: A Love Story in Costume". www.frameline.org. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
7. ^ "OPENING NIGHT GALA: CIRCUS OF BOOKS". festival.outfest.org. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
8. ^ "SummerDocs: 'CIRCUS OF BOOKS' on August 24". hamptonsfilmfest.org. June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
9. ^ "London Film Festival 2019 - Circus of Books". October 15, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
10. ^ "Award Winners from Sidewalk 2019". August 27, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
11. ^ "Circus of Books (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
12. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2021). "GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* LGBTQ portal

* Circus of Books on Netflix
* Circus of Books at IMDb