Educational Media Reviews Online

This documentary explores gay men’s sexual culture throughout the extremely permissive decade of the 1970s. Homosexual lifestyles and practices of this time are recounted in interviews with several prominent figures of the homosexual community, including playwright/activist Larry Kramer and photographer Tom Bianchi. The interviewees are able to provide a unique and fascinating glimpse into the world of orgies and anonymous sexual encounters which took place on “the piers,” in “the trucks,” and in the bathhouses of New York City at the time, because they frequented these places and directly participated. Their firsthand experience of this gay men’s “cultural awakening” gives them an interesting perspective on the events. They tell intimate stories, and also share a nostalgia for the “good old days” prior to when the AIDS epidemic surfaced in the 1980s. The interviewees are all very articulate, well-spoken and are good storytellers. In addition to the actual footage of the interviews, the documentary also inter-cuts film footage of New York locations, night spots and advertising of the era.

Numerous documentaries have looked at the impact of the Stonewall riots and the political consequences engendered by that event; this is the first documentary, however, that focuses primarily upon the post-Stonewall sexual practices which sprang up in New York City, among the male homosexual community. These sexual practices helped to shaped the identity of many gay men, and also put them into a risky situation when the AIDS virus became an issue early in the next decade.

The video presents a fascinating look at a seminal period in gay history through its use of firsthand accounts and actual film footage. It does contain male full frontal nudity and graphic depictions of sex among men, however, and therefore, is not appropriate for all libraries. It is recommended for academic and special libraries, however, that serve customers who are interested in studies of sexuality and identity politics.