# Circus of Books (2019)

> A daughter’s candid investigation of her parents’ unlikely role in Los Angeles queer history through the family-run Circus of Books.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/418823

## Facts

- Runtime: 92 min
- Genres: Documentary, History
- Director: Rachel Mason
- Cast: Rachel Mason, Josh Mason, Larry Flynt, Jeff Stryker, Alaska Thunderfuck, Phil Tarley, John Weston, Don Norman
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8727582/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Mood: witty, intimate, revealing, documentary night, lgbtq+ history viewing

## Synopsis

A fascinating look into a hidden world that shaped LGBTQ culture in America.

## Movies like Circus of Books

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- [kid 90 (2021)](https://ember.film/movie/565719)
- [The Colleano Heart (2025)](https://ember.film/movie/7478547)
- [Disclosure (2020)](https://ember.film/movie/460437)
- [The Celluloid Closet (1996)](https://ember.film/movie/20430)
- [Stories We Tell (2012)](https://ember.film/movie/82879)
- [Barbara Forever (2026)](https://ember.film/movie/7532332)
- [Second Nature: Gender and Sexuality in the Animal World (2026)](https://ember.film/movie/7318146)
- [Paris Is Burning (1991)](https://ember.film/movie/19499)
- [The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)](https://ember.film/movie/20742)

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