Gay Sex in the 70s (2005)

There are very few movies that dispense with the coyness and cleverness of a catchy title, and simply tell you flat out what you can expect to see. This is one of them.Director Joseph Lovett's documentary is kind of like one of those retrospectives you see on VH-1 or the E! Network, only with more naked men, hot explicit sex (well, explicit for a documentary), and snapshots frozen in time that show us visions of a bygone decade, where the Gay Wide World went from draconian repression, to sexual liberation of Bacchanalian proportions, to the next chapter where "the bill came due" for all that excessive indulgence.No one clucks their tongues or passes judgment, as the interviewees regale us with tales of just how things were back in those days, (although you have to consider that there was some extravagant embellishments here and there.) I was only privy to a taste of the lifestyle of which the subjects speak in this film, and I guess I should be grateful for it, because more than likely it saved my life and the lives of more than a few other people I know. Even back then, in my younger days, I only knew of the stories about Fire Island, the New York-based bars, baths and clubs and the infamous Piers and Trucks through hearsay, and it all sounded fabulous, hedonistic and legendary even as it was happening.There are touches of the ominous, though, and it certainly doesn't shy away from the dark side of all that "jazz." There were risks other than STD's, and in pursuit of ultimate bliss, there were some who still paid the ultimate price, and that was way before AIDS came to call.Funny, touching, shocking and sobering all at once, the only drawback is that it isn't the fully rounded account it could be. Maybe Lovett can find a way to extend this into a series and capture more accounts of the shock waves that spread out into other parts of the country, from the "epicenter of the gay universe" as someone in the doc describes the Big Apple. New York and San Francisco were important touchstones of gay culture, but they were not the 'Alpha and Omega' of the Seventies' sexual revolution.At the very least, it is an important historical record that a new generation can learn from, for those who think that "Stonewall" is just another place in the mall where you can buy acid-washed jeans.And on a sadder note, maybe the reason why it hasn't been possible to film a more complete history of "Gay Sex in the Seventies," is because many of the eyewitnesses to this remarkable time in history are no longer here to tell about it. I certainly hope that isn't the case.

I was excited to see this documentary but it did not meet expectations.The collections of photos from the 1970's in New York were fantastic to see and I hope that all of these men's collections will be put into the Stonewall Library and Archives. We cannot let these items get lost or destroyed.I felt that the film (as almost all that have come before it) focused on New York and nothing else. It still amazes me the number of men who were in New York at that time who can't acknowledge that gay life was going on in cities across the country. San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, you NEVER here about any other place or group of people except for New York in ANY documentary that gets made. I was around during that time in Denver and there was a hot gay scene in that city during the late 70's and early 80's, does the name " The Ballpark" ring anyone's bell? Men from around the World came to the parties at that bathhouse. But you never hear about it. I almost feel that there is an arrogance about New York and that it's the only place that matters because it had the largest population. It would have been nice to see a broader spectrum. The film seemed very self serving and my friends that I viewed the film with (who are from New York) felt the same.On the positive side who can not be happy to see Tom Bianchi. He is as hot as ever and it was nice to see him on the big screen.This film is worth seeing for the archival footage and stills but it lacks the broad scope that I had hoped it would cover. It leaves you to feel that you have just seen part one of a great documentary miniseries and are waiting for the rest of the story.

For those unfamiliar with the topic, this documentary offers good information. For those already familiar with, or who lived through or participated in it, the film's a trip down memory lane.Joseph Lovett has assembled some period footage and photo stills to help depict his subject. But the film mostly consists of "talking heads": men in their 60s, sharing personal experiences on the atmosphere, attitudes and action from the 70s. A couple of women in their 30s also offer reflective remarks.What a rare opportunity for people in the Northeast area of the country to be able to see this film locally, at Cleveland's unique Cinematheque. Not yet available on video or DVD, and rarely shown outside of New York, these Ohio screenings are all the more valuable.The diverse and appreciative audience was very interested in the subject, and reacted to the humor audibly. While all this is now history, the 70s represents for many a time of liberation, experimentation, exploration and fulfillment. --h/76

A no holds barred look back at a hedonistic time of freedom for sexual awareness and discovery... it can almost make this thirty something long for a time pre AIDs. It posed a lot of questions for me like, which came first, the gay sexual carnivore, or the backlash against sexual persecution. At a screening, an audience member wished they had been old enough to have enjoyed in the decadent madness that seemed pervasive by the movie's content... and I was left to wonder, how different it was then (men having sex with strangers in bathhouses and the back of trucks and piers) to how it is now (men arranging sex dates with others online). What a wake up call to reality.