Customer Reviews

Sex Is - Exploring Sex and Sexuality in the Lives of Gay Men [VHS]

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The film explores Sex and Sexuality in the Lives of 15 Gay Men. From ages 19-72, the men interviewed run the gammut from pastor to porn star to actvist to writer to slut. The film opened at the 1993 Berlin Intl film Festival where it took the audience award for BEST GAY FILM. The film has played around the world and now is on video with the DVD to come out in the Spring'99 distributed by Water Bearer Films.

Director Marc Huestis and Co-Producer Lawrence Helman have constructed a fine document of the state of affairs of gay men in the early '90's. The film interweaves graphic scenes from archival porn to illustrate some of the subjects being described. Stunning visually and it is "way fun" to boot.

A seminal (pardon the pun) documentary that explores the many facets of sex in the lives of 15 very diverse gay men. By turns thoughtful, poignant, raunchy, and extremely funny, the film touches on such weighty subjects as coming out, first encounters, dating, love, tricking, fetishism, racism, aging, loss, disease and responsibility ... but never does it deviate from delivering a very welcome celebratory and sex-positive message. In a wickedly funny twist, director Marc Huestis (who also appears on-camera as one of the interviewees) has dedicated the film to homophobic politico Jesse Helms, whose fumbling rantings are cleverly intercut with archival porn footage depicting the very acts he is decrying. Produced with obvious care and skill, the film remains as fresh and timely today as it did when it first premiered in 1993.

The DVD from Water Bearer Films offers a sharp, clean transfer. This groundbreaking film is a great conversation-starter that begs to be watched and discussed with people you care about.

What we know about AIDS today dwarf what was known some 20 years ago. As a result, any movie (documentary or fictional) that deals with the disease quickly becomes dated (and irrelevant) as new information becomes available. "Sex Is"is no exception. Still, some of the interviewees, namely Lulu, Madame X and Bambi Lake provide enjoyable entertainment. The rest of the 'cast' are either nondescript or downright pretentious and annoying.

Sex is...well, very dated, very boring and very depressing. We can all look back on how stupid our gay community has been, but the director seems to revel in the characters insipid recollections of the past. Sure, thier stories are real, but it is a tiny slice of the SF gay community, presented only for "splash and glory". Gimme a break. If you are straight, please ignore this film as you would any blatant propoganda. If you are gay, you probably already know about this celluloid travesty.

Humorous, entertaining vital, important